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Review by Daryl: Script [Forest]

Despite the good elements this cover possesses, there are one or two areas that made me think twice. The first would be those boxes on either side of the title. I love them but I'm not a fan of the squiggly lines inside them. If they were meant to represent something, I have no idea what they represent. At first, I thought flames; then, I couldn't get what they meant. Perhaps, the silhouette or outline of trees or mountains would be better. That relates better to the title and won't look out-of-place on the cover. If they weren't meant to represent anything, they're supposed to be an artistic touch that fell short of the mark. It has to be clear they have no meaning and simply enhance the aesthetic quality of the cover. I think a pattern would be better like swirls. That way, readers won't get confused.

The author's name made me pause for two reasons. The white color used for it doesn't fit in with the palette for the rest of the cover. It makes the bottom a tad bit messy. I didn't notice it till I clicked on the larger copy of the cover. I know some folks would say it breaks the monotony but sometimes, less is more. That saying certainly applies here. Yellow would look a lot better.

Lastly, the font size for the author's name and title knocked off some points. It's advisable to make the author's name smaller than you did especially smaller than the title. Here, it's bigger than the title which is something people avoid. The title should be the boldest font on the cover. Yours doesn't look bold enough. A bigger font size would make it stand out more. Reducing the font size of the author's name will also help with that. It doesn't have to be so small that we need a microscope to see it but smaller than what's currently being used.

Apart from that, I like this cover.

Summary: 4/5

The first good point here is your grammar. Your sentences are well structured. There are no spelling errors. To top it off, your punctuation is impeccable. One way to chase readers away is making mistakes right from the summary. That gives off the impression of a lazy author. I'm glad you didn't do that.

I like how you delved right into the juicy part of the summary by starting with the game. That's sure to reel readers in. You also navigated important issues well, for the most part. You introduced Reese at the right moment without giving away too much about her. The same goes for her friends and the world around them. You were able to hold back those compelling details while delivering an impactful summary. What we needed to know about them, we knew. What should be revealed in the storyline, we didn't know. That's how to give a proper sneak-peek. Bravo, dearie.

Although, the same can't be said for the game. I do love that you began the summary with it; nonetheless, I don't like that you continued with the game. What do I mean? That second paragraph reveals too much about the game. That's something that should only be revealed in the story. It kills a lot of the suspense that was needed in the first five chapters I read. The controversy surrounding the game's release is something that will create a spicy plot twist in the story. You could reveal that in later parts of the story. If you don't want to do that, it's a great prologue. Imagine a scenario where two professionals are arguing about the release: one being against it and the other (the boss) for it. Then, the boss shuts the reluctant partner up, overlooking the potential consequences in favor of gaining money. We don't even need to know it's the game. They could argue in cryptic terms. That's a great mood-setter, don't you think? In addition, you'll notice that if you omit that part, it doesn't ruin the flow of the summary; rather, it removes the pause before Reese's introduction and adds a great dose of mystery to the mix.

The last thing I suggest you omit is the rhetorical question at the end of the summary. It's not necessary because it reiterates what has already been stated. We know it's not going to be a standard game from earlier sentences so, there's no need to ask us if it is. That takes away the effect of finding out the game is something more sinister than expected.