Title: Dear Tressi
Author: questint
Reviewer: Fayesther
I have organised the structure of my review to meet the areas of your work in which you asked me to focus on- overall plot and enjoyment. I hope you find my honest feedback helpful.
Title + Cover: 5/5
The title works wonderfully for this story. It fits the story as a whole wonderfully.
I love the cover! It is suitably chilling and is a perfect representation of the central themes of the story- Tressi's trauma and dark past.
Description: 4/5
At the most part your description introduces your story very well. It sows an interest in the reader very well.
The only thing I would change is the line- "Her dreams were consumed by her sister's memories..." as this suggests that Tressi's dreams are about memories that her sister possesses rather than the memories Tressi has of her sister (I hope this makes sense).
Possible edits to clear this up:
"Her dreams were consumed by her sister's death."
"Her dreams were consumed by memories of her sister."
Writing Style: 4/5
I absolutely love your writing style! It is immersive and so well thought out- you miss no details, every concept brought up is explored affectively.
I detected a gritty atmosphere from the very beginning. The setting described made me sit uneasily as I I read. This is very impressive work. With your subtle imagery and your incredible flow you managed to draw out such deep emotions from me even in your very first chapter!
The image of Tressi's relationship with water was genius!
And the imagery of blood that crept in and out was suitably chilling and never out of place!
Your descriptions are amazing! They played on every sense that I have. There were moments where I even had to put the story down and recover- for a thriller mystery that shows how incredibly talented you are as a writer.
Moments of dark humour brought the narrative to life!
Transition and overlapping of memories was communicated beautifully. Showing very smoothly how one thing someone may do or say in one flashback may make the mind associate it with another. I never lost the flow of the story and could easily follow the narrative no matter where you took me.
You finish each chapter with such flare I found it incredibly difficult to put your book down! I just wanted to keep scrolling!
The only issue I had when reading was the random use if colloquial language. This includes using "gonna", "wanna", "lemme" and "kinda". Using these words rather than the correct phrases seem out of place amongst the rest of your writing- which has a more sophisticated tone.
Characterisation: 5/5
Your characterisation is incredible!
Tressi is a complex individual with a big heart but also a temper!
Her personality within the flashbacks and present scenes have obvious differences showing how her trauma changed her. Past Tressi is fiery, sarcastic and is a ball of energy. Present Tressi is timid, withdrawn and lost in her thoughts. However, you have not forgotten to show consistent personality traits (like her tendency to cut people off when they speak).
I love the way you described certain characters from Tressi's point of view that was a brilliant touch! It kills two birds with one stone- letting the reader know what the opposite character's physicality is and giving some insight into Tressi's personality.
Character exposition is evident through the way you write the reactions of characters in the different situations that they face; the way they interact with others and the description of their thought processes. You write characters authentically and organically.
The dialogue between Tressi and her troubling mother is incredibly executed- giving the reader so much juicy details into their back story, yet not too much, so to keep the mystery about this family alive! Dala is a piece of work!
You included fantastic moments of character exposition. I love how you showed Mrs Lepoci's age by adding the subtle detail of her posture while sitting and explaining how her mother never allowed her to "slouch". A gorgeous addition that tells the reader a lot about the character but only using a hand full of words.
I adore Des! What a passionate, loving, beautiful man! Describing his physical gestures was a brilliant addition into your story telling (e.g. Des taking his glasses off makes Tressi know that he's being serious).
Plot: 5/5
Your story starts incredibly well, with a fantastic use of imagery to portray your main character- Tressi's inner battle with her past and her dreaded return to her childhood home.
The gradual build up of the mystery within the story was so well executed. You drew me in so easily and I couldn't wait to find out more and more about Tressi's dark past.
Gory scenes from her past are described so well. You gave a good amount of information to build a clear picture in my mind and you managed to do that without making it cheesy and overdone.
I love that you included marital arguments within the story. They showcase how much Tressi and Des care for each other as well as how they get on each other's nerves at times and have differing opinions- a marriage very authentically written!
Each chapter presents new and exciting concepts into the dark mystery making me feel like I'm taking one step forward and two steps back. Super interesting and never a dull moment!
OVERALL SCORE: 23/25
An amazing piece of work showcasing great talent and skill. You managed to take me on an emotional journey that was truly challenging yet almost addictive! I have to know what happens next! And I need to know your gorgeously portrayed characters more (there is not one included that is not interesting in their own right!)
I will certainly be following this story and can't wait to see how it all unfolds (I certainly cannot predict where it is going to go!)
I cannot thank you enough for asking me to review this masterpiece!
I hope my feedback is helpful.