Many of you might recall that I spoke at Deering High School last week.  Check out what I found on my front porch this morning.  Yes, they wrote reviews! I can barely contain myself.

Here are some things they liked about specific passages in the novel:

Immediately, in the first passage of the story, the author draws in the reader with strong descriptive language, and good imagery, making this a powerful passage in my opinion.

Using a combination of good description and very general statements, the author gave the reader a picture of a very well-known fancy and prestigious boarding school, which I enjoyed.

This is how the typical school food looks: “tired” and “limp”.  It’s believable and it makes sense.

I like the description of a “dangerous smile” because it is a true contrast.

All your descriptions are awesome in the story! I really loved this particular image because I get a good image of what the bag looked like.

Creepy, it reminded me of the Haunted Mansion- my favorite childhood game.

Okay, I could go on and on about this feedback. I’ve been critiqued before at conferences, critique groups, and on-line contests (some I’ve won!), but this feedback from my target audience feels the most important.

Thank you, Deering High Students, for your thoughtful feedback.  I feel like I’ve finally hit my true stride with this book and you guys have me darn near obsessed to finish the next draft.  Yeehaw!