Isabelle Reviews (CLOSED FOR NOW)

World Left in Pieces (Sci-fi, Paranormal)

Review date: January 25, 2023

Author: under_the_stars232

FIRST IMPRESSION: 4/5

COVER: 4/5

There's something very powerful about the cover and my first impression would be a destructive, dystopian setting, especially with the woman in the center seemingly watching the dissipation of smoke. It was easy for me to identify the theme of the book. The appearance even looks darker, which is a good thing if it really intends to show an unjust and suffering society. On the whole, it's a good cover. Though, I just suggest fixing the placement of the text. The shade of red used, however, is not something that will do good for my eyes. It's kind of dull, but then again, that's just my opinion.

TITLE: 5/5

Another point by the way is that I love how creative the title is. It's literally a substitution for "World Left in PEACE." Instead of "peace" as in "world peace," the author uses "piece." So, don't sweat it out because I'd give this title a perfect score.

BLURB: 10/10

My impression of the blurb is that it's short and I love short blurbs. That's just my opinion though and I'd still concentrate on the quality of the work.

"Even the ones left alive wish they were dead."

I really love this opening since it creates an air of misery that they long to be dead instead. I thought to myself what tragedy might have happened that led to this story.

"When a deadly virus spreads across the world, people either end up dead, infected, or fight to survive. Aliana Rodgers is one of the unlucky ones that survived the first wave. She is taken by the Ground Zero, an organization that promises the worst has happened. However, not everything is what it seems, especially in the world that is left in pieces, the world that can't be trusted."

I already deem the blurb a masterpiece. Not only is it short, but it's full of thought, encouraging, and at the same time, dramatic. It's not complicated either. I was attracted to it and I could really touch on the intention of the author, which is the dystopian theme. Reading the blurb, I already know that it will not disappoint if it is written well.

PLOT: 19/20

CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT: 19/20

Anyway, it starts with the persona AKA Aliana reiterating the date and time when Earth "became a ground for the dead, damaged, and destroyed." This radiates mental power and authority for me, how she keeps those details in her memory. She might not have done anything physically at that point yet, but that's not the mark for having a good plot at once. I felt that the author knew exactly where to start and how to start, especially with the flashback that followed. So, good job on this one.

The author was able to introduce more characters without oversharing them at once. I won't say I like how Aliana is suffering, but I like how the author wrote about her in a manner that paints her as a sorrowful sulker, which is actually valid. I feel sympathy for her at once, not in the way that I wish she was out of the picture for being a liability in the story.

Anyway, a Commander from the story assigns her to the job of patrolling and finding other survivors. She trains, and the actual story boils down from there. I'm in awe of how it gives the "this is not the end, this is just the beginning" vibe. Though there seems to be a drastic change from the recalling of the memory to being trained for a major operation, the pacing was regulated and tamed. I would usually think about whether the book really is slow-paced or I'm just impatient. Sometimes, when I feel that the pace is quick, I feel like I had whiplash. But I love the plot and how it captures what it guarantees in the effective blurb. Reading the plot, all in all, I could tell that this was determinedly planned and thought of. Flashbacks usually distract me in general, but the use of them in this story is satisfying and orderly. And because they were good, the author doesn't really have to bother changing them. Maybe shortening the flashbacks but still giving the gist of the work is also another considerable option.

DESCRIPTIONS: 15/15

WRITING STYLE: 10/10

The descriptions are good and they're just beautiful in their own way. Maybe not as flowery and as intricate for me, but trust me when I say the descriptions are beautiful and the writing style is more than adequate. I'd be glad to read the book from time to time because how it isn't tiring for the eyes.

GRAMMAR/PUNCTUATION: 10/10

Another turn-on of this book is that it doesn't have grammatical errors or punctuation issues. That makes the work neat and professional. This is really important to any writer. So authors really have to be conscious of it. I understand that authors are not perfect, but it's always best to use anything to improve grammar and punctuation since the flaws really tarnish the makeup of the work. And that's a no-no.

OVERALL: 96/100

To be direct, I love this book inside out, from cover to cover. I rarely read dystopian novels. But this one, just like the blurb, didn't disappoint. Nice!

Thank you for trusting me in reviewing your book! <3, Isabelle