『 @olliviaa_ 』

✰ cover
I love the tones of the filter on the cover. It's very aesthetic ~

✰ title
The title makes sense once you get into the story. It's also very unique and gives off teen drama vibes.

✰ blurb
The blurb is phenomenal, genuinely a *chef's kiss* moment. The opening quote has a lot to do with the novel. I think this blurb leaves the reader wondering what happens to Magnolia and what secrets are going to be spilled.

✰ characters
Magnolia and Myles are one of a kind. They're both rambunctious teenagers with nothing to lose and I love them for that. They're a dynamic duo that I hope never to see separated. The way the author captures what it's like to have a sibling is done super well. They both seem almost realistic.

I also like how easily the entire group of friends were able to get so close in such a short amount of time. It was a lot of fun to see the banter between each character. They all have their own distinct personalities, which is amazing because having such a big cast of characters can sometimes be quite hard to distinguish from one another.

✰ plot
I actually find the plot rather refreshing, mostly because I haven't read one quite like it. The whole boarding school aspect reminds me of the movie Dead Poets Society--which is also a novel--and I absolutely enjoyed it.

✰ pacing
The pacing was fine. I particularly liked the changing of points of view. It always gives the reader a glimpse into what the other characters are thinking and/or feeling, which is somewhat refreshing.

✰ grammar/language
Now, I did find a few errors within each chapter. Going back to re-read and edit those would help tremendously.

I do want to note that I saw a mix of past and present tense. This is difficult to get down--trust me, I know--so I recommend doing more research on this. I feel like at the beginning you were leaning more towards writing in the present tense which, in my opinion, is quite commendable, but then you started to weave in past tense. Words such as was, could, would, and anything that ends with -ed are considered past tense. Here are some examples I found where you used past tense:

I'm sure you'll get the hang of it as you continue writing!

✰ overall thoughts
Overall, I thought this was a very fun read! I actually love reading stories with a bit of teen angst because it makes life a little more interesting. When I was younger, I would always dream of going to a boarding school myself, where I would meet a lot of interesting and new people. I feel like that's a dream almost every girl has, haha! Really a pleasure to read.

✎ . . . .

Happy writing!