Sunflower Reviews

Astrid - Wish Upon A North Star

Reviewer: AStridGSmile12

Review: Wish Upon A North Star

Client: _AliBear_

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Let's start with the small stuff and work our way up from there. The title Wishing Upon a North Star plays on the familiar statement "wishing upon a star," which is creative. The only thing the author should look out for is that there's only one North Star in the sky, writing [wishing upon a north star] instead of [wishing upon the north star] leaves an impression that there's more than one. In this work, more than one North Star is mentioned, but since one is an actual star and the other is a medical center named after the star, then really it's using [the] that makes it seem even more whimsical because it ties the both together.

The cover is good-looking, but it seems a little off-topic. Trust me. I know how much it hurts being told my effort in this area is lacking. I have entered many awards, and my first ever cover for my first work was constantly criticized and given low points. Once I even joined an award show that totally disqualified the whole work just because the cover fell short. No one read the hours-worth of effort just because the first round was based on how my covered looked. So, it may be hard to be told you should change it, but I feel you should change it to display that it is a medical drama. Maybe find a picture of a doc gloving up or a hospital with a gleaming star in the night sky. I know how grueling it could be to spend so much time on what should be the smallest part to play in writing, but this work is the best medical drama I have ever read inside and outside of Wattpad, and it deserves to be read, not overlooked based on the cover.

The blurb is relatively tiny. We don't want to give too much away as writers, but the blurb is a pitch, and it's what sells the story. Somehow we have to outline the aura of the entire story without giving anything important away, which is daunting to do sometimes (mainly for me). Maybe add the fact that everything was going well for Dr. Thorne at first, but then out of the blue, she's whisked away to something unknown, and that as unfair as it may seem, she set off to do the best she could of it all.

Grammar-wise, it is three and a half stars or 97% clear of mistakes. Occasionally there's a misplacement of a word with a homophone and the occasional typo. For example:

[sense] is used instead of [since]

Also, typos like [say] instead of [day]

You do warn it is not fully edited, which is very considerate of you to do; still, the minor mistakes are excusable since the story doesn't suffer and carries on regardless.

Alrighty, let's move on to writing style. The work is written using a first-person and third-person perspective on purpose. I understand why and I'm an easygoing reader, so I don't mind switching back and forth. But perhaps the author will run into a reader who has a problem with it and prefers to have one over the other, so if the writer is up for it, I say think about the perspectives. If the author is adamant about leaving the pattern as it is, then stick with it, but remember that third-person is mainly used to set up the environment and how the subject interacts with that environment. For example:

[The sky outside was talking up a storm with loud thunderclaps and strong hurricane winds. Around Havey, the birds squawked and fluttered their wings effortlessly as they took flight.]

The author uses the third-person view to include everyone's expression and reactions which is great because I love the descriptions she depicts. To help transition a reader's mind from one preceptive to another, I suggest using the first paragraph of every third-person narrated chapter to set every scene. For example:

[The North Star Medical Center stood tall and grand as it always did every day, but unlike every day before, today there was a buzz in the air of its hallways. The news of a new doctor hovered on everyone's minds and lips, etc.]

Speaking about the environment first helps someone see outside the character's mind already; that way, the reader hardly notices the change from first to third. Either perspective was a great read for me personally, and having both the protagonist and supporting characters in my head was really fun. I felt the emergent of this world, and I felt like I was at the hospital watching the main character blush and come to the rescue at the same time. It was a work I lost myself in, which speaks volumes to the author's work and effort.

The plot itself was original, even though other authors often use the medical scene. It's not about an arrogant doctor trying to fit in or about an underestimated doctor at the same time. It's more about a good doctor making a positive impact in another hospital and helping inspire others to do the right thing when possible. The protagonist is confident but respectful, which helps the reader fall in love with her. At the same time, she's justice-oriented, and that makes her a spitfire. I love it when she goes beast mode because it is such a thrill to experience. I mean, when she goes off, she's amazing. I love how men have to hold her back, haha. The fact that the romance is slowly woven into the daily hustle of the main character is such a blazing display of this author's talent because it's so natural and heartwarming. I did not miss the fast-paced romance I'm used to at all. In fact, I delighted in the realistic highs and lows of having a crush but being a total introvert. Cheers, Dr. Thorne, you are not alone.

Okay, so I went through the bit I had as a means to help you, the author, to maybe set off a thought-provoking session into concepts and ideas you hadn't thought about for your work. In other words, don't take my feedback and just run with it, think about whether I have a point or not, and decide on your own what fits and what does not. Now the last bit is about enjoyment!

I wish this work were a paperback because outside Wattpad; I love to collect all the books I'm a fan of and stare at them on rainy days. The women in it made me wish I had a life and friends like them. The men- swoon- this author really knows how to create a hunk. The interactions are beautifully crafted and without seeming too comedic and juvenile. Even though there was this one time I was sitting on my recliner, and after reading a particular section, I couldn't stop hugging my stomach and kicking my knees up at how hilarious it got. Then there was a time my entire body went totally still as the character ripped another character a new one. Seriously fantastic. I love works that make me feel, and this writer knows how to siphon feelings out of her reader. So, author, if you want to add a review to the blurb or in your book, you can add this one if you like;

"Reading Wishing Upon a North Star is a joy to experience. No one should regret giving this book a try. You will laugh, swoon, and remember being a boss lady is so much better than being quiet." - Sunflower Com. Reviewer Astrid