Firstly, thank you to the two wonderful judges HeyLookTheSnitch and CoffeeAndSilverInk for agreeing to help us with the judging of the participants. Especially Astrid, for taking the other half when you're already busy with many many things. Now to the winners of this particular category...

First Place (tie) —
Autumn Finch by Snowheart19__3

TOTAL: 88/100
Cover: 9/10
Title and Blurb - 8/10
Plot - 25/30
Flow - 10/10
Character Development - 13/15
Anticipation - 8/10
Enjoyment - 10/10
Language - 5/5

Comments by CoffeeAndSilverInk: The story doesn't follow Autumn, it follows both her and Leonardo, so the title doesn't fit. After reading the blurb, which is well written and overall really good, I felt like the story was more about Leo. The cover is pretty and eye-catchy. The writing is smooth and easy to read, it flows nicely, yet the chapters are too short. Such sweet chapters hurt a little when they end so quickly. I couldn't spot any misspellings or grammatical errors, yet all adverbs should be erased. They're not as needed as writers think and it's the editor's job to delete them.

I loved the main characters and their relationship dynamic. Leo is a charming character and Autumn makes us wonder why she is bullied. Their interactions are sweet to read about. They like each other while annoying each other, which makes it all more heartwarming. They're falling for each other very quickly, but it doesn't feel forced. Usually, I would complain about the love at first sight trope, but it's well executed and I wouldn't want the story to change at all. There could be more descriptions about places and whatnot, but I loved the author's writing style just as much as I loved the story.

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First Place (tie) —
Challenge Accepted by TVD_Lover1999

TOTAL: 88/100
Cover: 9/10
Title and Blurb - 9/10
Plot - 27/30
Flow - 8/10
Character Development - 13/15
Anticipation - 9/10
Enjoyment - 9/10
Language - 4/5

Comments by HeyLookTheSnitch:
Right from the prologue, I knew I was going to adore your story. Actually, I realized your story was something special even sooner after looking at your cover (beautiful, by the way!) and reading your description. It reminded me of contemporary novels by Colleen Hoover, which I just so happen to love. Your character descriptions of Austin and Hayley are so relatable, and though their backstories are both heartbreaking, it only drew me in more because I want to see them succeed! The dialogue and the two POVs were distinct and really allow us to see inside your two main characters' heads. I feel so close to the two of them! Their faults only make them more real, and you wrote them so well without being overly melodramatic. Before I knew it, I was on chapter 9 because I NEEDED to see the chemistry between these two finally erupt. (Sadly, I haven't made it to that point yet, so I guess you just earned yourself another reader!)

There were a few times where I found myself a bit confused over Austin and Hayley's relationship. At times, they referred to each other as being best friends, but then there was one moment where Austin claimed that they were more of just acquaintances due to living near each other. That could have been him trying to distance himself from her to deny his attraction, but it wasn't too clear and tossed me out of the story for a short moment. Similarly, the introduction to the soccer scholarship left me a bit disoriented; I may have missed it, but was it announced that it was for boys and girls? Hayley mentioned that it was, but I was unsure how she came to that conclusion. She then makes a comment about how she doesn't think Austin really wants her to join the school team after they learned of the scholarship; I wasn't sure why she thought that unless I missed a clue, like a certain look he gave to her or through his tone, perhaps...?

Overall, you have earned yourself a new follower, my friend! I can't wait to continue reading to see what happens between Hayley and Austin! (Also, please don't kill off Austin's mom. Pretty please. *pray hands emoji*)

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🍬☁️

Second Place —
Miss Mangaka by Madame_LaBelle

TOTAL: 82/100
Cover: 8/10
Title and Blurb - 10/10
Plot - 25/30
Flow - 5/10
Character Development - 10/15
Anticipation - 10/10
Enjoyment - 9/10
Language - 5/5

Comments by HeyLookTheSnitch:
It was a great concept with a fresh take on a girl following her dream in a different culture. The blurb was great and built the story without giving it away and made it relatable. It automatically drew me into the story!

There were a few times when I felt you included details that were somewhat unnecessary to advancing the plot; for example, do we need to follow Sera into the bathroom so she can meet a friend outside of the bathroom? Also, having the side-story within the main plot from Sera's Manga without having an overarching theme to relate it back was, at times, difficult to jump between. 

Your characters were a lot of fun! I also loved that you included Japanese words into your story with their translations. It made it a much more authentic experience. Similarly, I enjoyed the multiple POVs, but I will need to read more to get to know them all better and to determine the necessity of them all.  However, no one can deny that you have a knack for writing characters: even your side characters for the residents of the tower through Kenji were amazing, and I appreciated their predictability. In my opinion, Kenji felt like he was written with more depth than the other POVs as I found myself relating to him the most, but all your characters were strong and interesting, and I am interested to see where they go next! Keep it up, because you're writing something very special!
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🍬☁️

Third Place (tie) —
I, Veronica Gates by dnaplotss

TOTAL: 79/100
Cover: 9/10
Title and Blurb - 8/10
Plot - 25/30
Flow - 7/10
Character Development - 11/15
Anticipation - 8/10
Enjoyment - 7/10
Language - 4/5

Comments by HeyLookTheSnitch:
First, I have to say that your cover is BEAUTIFUL! It instantly drew me in and matches the vibe of your story so well. While reading, I kept getting a strong feeling of familiarity, and it wasn't until I hit chapter 5 that I realized what your story reminded me of: Pretty Little Liars! Your concept is unique and intriguing, and you've definitely hit all the typical "high school feels" with your characters, drama, and dialogue. It took me right back to being the new kid as a sophomore in high school. Although, I never encountered an evil doppelgänger.   The pacing of the events was quick and thought-out so that one chapter flowed easily into the next. You have a strong cast of characters who all feel distinct from each other. Each has their own different voice as well, so it makes it easy to follow the dialogue even without tags.

However, it was a tad difficult for me to feel sympathetic or relate to the characters. Sometimes, their actions or dialogue appeared a bit too over-dramatic. Then again, this is a high school drama, so perhaps that's what you were aiming for. Even the main character, Hailey, came off too forceful and demanding from the start for a girl who had been stalling to get out of her sister's car on her first day at the new school. Perhaps if we had seen her build up a bit more to that stronger personality, it wouldn't have come across so abrasive. The character I find myself most interested in is Dean; I want to know more about him. I feel like he knows some of Veronica's secrets! I really enjoyed the part when Hailey learns that Dean is Dean.

Lastly, be careful with the usage of your verbs. You've written your story in past tense, but sometimes you use the present tense. For example, in chapter 5, it reads: That is before Mr. Nolan yelled at us. With the past tense, it should read: That was before Mr. Nolan yelled at us. Cursed verbs!. The English language can be so tricky!

You have such an interesting premise and gripping ideas. Keep at it because you're doing great!

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Third Place (tie) —
Eight Legs Too Many by CMF_Wright

TOTAL: 79/100
Cover: 7/10
Title and Blurb - 8/10
Plot - 25/30
Flow - 10/10
Character Development - 10/15
Anticipation - 8/10
Enjoyment - 7/10
Language - 4/5

Comments by HeyLookTheSnitch:
The title of your story excited me from the start! It instantly made me picture a disgusting spider-like creature that felt somewhat like science-fiction. Your chapters were so well-written, and you have a promising writing style. The concept outlined in your synopsis was instantly intriguing, and I continue to be excited to see what you do with the world you have built. Also, the first line of your prologue was so catchy! Drew me in so quickly! And the idea of Death being personified was so interesting and yet poignant. So much so that every time you mentioned COVID in the story, I was instantly jolted out of the book and back into real life, making Death seem somehow creepily closer.

Your book's cover was designed well, but it didn't give many hints as to the bigger picture of your story. It seemed like a more of a snapshot of your characters, more like a simple rom-com, when your concept goes so much deeper than that! (Though the spider in the corner instantly made me want to smack my computer screen because I feared it was real...)

The flow and pacing of your chapters were strong and keeps your readers from losing interest or getting confused between events. Speaking of your chapters, I LOVED the chapter titles! They made me laugh at times and so eager to see what happened next. The spiders grossed me out completely, but in a good way, which was so much fun. All in all, you have written a great story with an interesting concept, and I'm hoping to read more soon!

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🍬☁️

Congratulations to the winners 🥳🥳🥳 All the winner's score cards and comments have been posted in this chapter, and we will DM you your sticker and certificate by this weekend if possible, thank you for your patience. For the rest, if you wish to have your, PM us for your score cards and judge's comments (:

For prizes, please head to "Prizes & How To Claim Them" chapter for more details. If you spot any mistakes with the counting, tag us and let us know.

TSG Awards May 2022
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