Bluebell Review Chamber [CLOSED]

જ Burning Freeજ ☾ Carmi ☽

Book Title: Burning Free

Author: enifades

Reviewer: Read-aholic2006

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(NOTE: This review is merely based on the first five chapters. )

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Book Title: Burning Free

Author:enifades

Reviewer: Read-aholic2006
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(NOTE: This review is merely based on the first five chapters. )
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Title: 5/10

It's not a very impressive title. If it were to be tossed into an ocean of more ostentatious titles, then these two simple words Burning Free would easily get lost amongst the competitive waves. It does, however, relate to our main character, who desires the liberation from her haunting past. I just don't think such a basic title does justice to the intricacy of this story.

Cover: 6/10

I would choose a different design for this cover. Many of the details are inscrutable. The roses are somewhat blurry and the flame is lost behind the title. I'm also not a fan of the glitchy font used for the title or the filigree patterns in each corner—it's giving me irrelevant Indian vibes. And on close inspection, I think I can make out a heart being held in a gloved hand? Lastly, the text inside of the random dark-pink circle to the right of the roses is illegible

Blurb: 10/10

This blurb is very well written. It doesn't reveal any major details and readers are immediately introduced to the MC (Letitia "Leti" Freeman) and her situation. It's also intriguing, as it makes us wonder what scandal Leti falls victim to, what danger crashes into her life and what dark past she is trying to escape. The diction is powerful and gripping (broken, lurking, kill, lust, survival).

Creativity/Originality: 10/10

Personally, I think Leti's backstory and the worldbuilding are the most creative aspects in this book. The themes aren't anything new—infidelity, abuse, money, racism, trauma, drugs, alcohol... we've seen it all. But I can't deduct points simply because the author chose to explore themes that are, well, unavoidable.

Plot/Flow: 17/20

So far in the story, nothing much has happened. Leti simply keeps reliving her dark past and if she isn't reminiscing her terrible childhood, then she's at her workplace—where she's also forced to face her seemingly immortal demons. The only significant event that took place was the one in which Leti's boss, Charles, tries to force himself on Leti. It is then mentioned in chapter 4 that he told his employees that Leti was the one who tried to get into his pants, but any references to this scene is constantly sidestepped by the resurfacing of old memories, diluting the severity of Leti's situation.

Although it is wise to inform your readers of what has happened to your MC, this constant enlightenment can slow down the plot flow. I felt as though the author was cramming too many flashbacks into only five chapters when she still has an entire book left to tell us Leti's backstory. These chapters were mostly submerged in the past rather than the present and I felt like it was a waste. She could use these chapters to dive into the scandal Leti's been thrown into or explain the Red North incident or explore the rift between the South and the North. But since I haven't read any other chapters, I can't accurately comment on the overall plot development.