Writer's Digest Novel of the Year contest very nice critique from the judge.
Books are evaluated on a scale of 1 to 5, with 1 meaning “needs improvement” and 5 meaning “outstanding”.
Structure, Organization, and Pacing: 5
Spelling, Punctuation, and Grammar: 4
Production Quality and Cover Design: 5
Plot and Story Appeal: 4
Character Appeal and Development: 4
Voice and Writing Style: 5
Judge’s Reviw
Ocean’s Ending presents with a beautifully illustrated cover. I’m not sure of the genre of the book from the cover art, but I was definitely interested to hear more. The over-all production quality is quite good. No real issues here. When it comes to the plot, I really enjoyed this one. An apocalyptic-style plot line that keeps you on the edge of your seat. Dana is an unlikely lead, but soon wins me over. Gripping, intriguing, and suspenseful are just some of the words that describe this book. No major issues here. The author has an excellent writing style and her voice was perfectly suited for this genre. I’m hoping the author has much more in store for us in the near future. The book’s pacing flows well with a nice mix of dialogue and narrative—keeps the book from lagging. Not much to say in the way of constructive criticism. Only suggestion I can make is to keep an eye on extraneous punctuation and repetitive mannerisms of characters. A common issue with fiction. Otherwise, this is a really solid entry. Best of luck with your entry. And I hope to read more from this author in the future. Thumbs up!