Title: Dear Janelle
Author:  lee-hsuehting
Genre: Short Story/One Shot
Position: First Place
Reviewer: CrownedMadness

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'Dear Janelle' — an endearing title. It also nods to the fact that this is an epistolary book, a series of letters addressed to a mysterious Janelle.

A lovely, quiet book cover. There's a beauty in the minimalistic nature of the cover. Though, I liked the beige colour, after reading the book I figured a more authentic 'cream' would've been better and it'll signify Janelle. I liked the font as well, but I'd advise tweaking the font size up a little of the author's name.

Following the simplistic nature, the blurb is straightforward and written in honest and simple words.

The book opens with a confession letter; it comprises of Aurélie's love for Janelle and her feelings of guilt and self-blame as she couldn't prevent the unfortunate incident.

The book is prose poetry and brings attention to unrequited love, emotional challenges faced by LGBTQ+ youngsters, and mental health and suicide. Written from Aurélie's pov, it's a trip down her memory lane and the progression of her love towards Janelle.

The plot is simple, easy to read and the short chapters keep the readers engaged to an almost addictive point. The characters — Aurélie and Janelle are relatable, a sort of misfits and their friendship is beautiful.

The book is written in all lowercase letters. I'm not much of a fan of the lowercase aesthetics. But, I believe you were going for an informal and laid-back vibe, and to an extent, it works for your style and narrative.

Grammar-wise, I couldn't find anything odd except for the mid-sentence line breaks at few places. I found it a little bit awkward.

I liked how the chapter titles formed a sentence, specifically Aurélie's first words to Janelle in the first letter. That was an interesting element. 

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