Book Name: Homicide

Author:  lemonseokie

Reviewer: ceyshells

Cover: 03/05

The cover is nice, albeit simple. The main character is present, and it gives me vibes of old crime dramas. One suggestion would be to shift the author's name to the centre, as the alignment seems off. Also, the title doesn't seem to be centralized properly, unless it was intentional to give a slightly off feel.

Title: 05/05

Straight to the point and relevant, tells the reader immediately what kind of story it is without having to think too much. However, please let the title sync with each other. In the cover, it is written as "Homicide", but the book title itself is "Homicide."

Synopsis: 08/10

The synopsis is great: it gives a rough background of the plot without revealing too much. Using a quote at the beginning of the synopsis is also a good way to draw attention.

Execution: 07/10

The writer gives us a brief prologue telling what occurs before all the following incidents, and proceeds to run directly into said incidents. A fast paced jump from prologue to the first chapter, but the next chapters pick up slightly slower, telling of how Yoongi encourages the reopening of the case, then his meeting with the detective: each significant scene has its own chapter.

Plot: 18/20

Yoongi returns to Korea only to realise that his friend's mother has passed away by a supposed drug overdose, and his friend himself has passed two years ago by hanging and blood loss.

The writer goes right to the point in the first chapter, depicting the main character's return to his home country and when it takes a sudden turn with his realization of their deaths. The first chapter stops there, leaving the reader to wonder what will happen next.

Although there is a jump from the prologue to the first chapter, the two parts are linked well, and the reader feels a connection within the story.

Writing Style: 18/20

Packed with a ton of descriptive words and elaboration, the author paints a detailed picture of each scene with intense revelations just within the first two chapters. Utilising cliffhangers at the end of each chapter is a great way to make readers want to continue reading. The length of each chapter is perfect, not too short, but also not excessively long to the point where the reader gets tired.

Grammar & Vocabulary: 18/20

The grammar is mostly spot on with very few issues. A spelling error or two in some chapters, but that can be easily edited by reading through. Some minor issues such as run-on sentences, but those can be easily identified and edited by just reading out loud.

Eg: Yoongi smiled glancing out of the car window.
Edited: Yoongi smiled, glancing out of the car window.
AND
Eg: "Growing up, he was always treated like a prince, that he is, pampered and loved."
Edited: "Growing up, he was always treated like the prince that he is, pampered and loved."

Vocabulary wise, the story uses complicated words, but is written in a way that makes it easy to understand. Occasionally, there is a sentence that can be elaborated further upon, but other than that, every chapter is excellent.

Suggestion:
Eg: Yoongi pushed the door open, a bell alarming the cafe workers someone has arrived.
(It's a good sentence, but additional elaboration can improve it further)
Edited: Yoongi pressed his palm against the door, gently pushing it open as the bell overhead echoed a resonating chime throughout the cafe, signaling an arrival to the workers.

Characters & Development: 07/10

Yoongi expresses a ton of emotions throughout the first few chapters: contented that he's back in Korea, shocked and numb when he finds out about the suicides, anger when the principal denies re-opening the case and denial/resignation and sadness as he talks to Namjoon. What Jimin feels is a mystery, on one end he feels like a contented and happy person, but on the other hand it could all just be a cover for the abuse and lack of freedom as mentioned from the pictures. However, other than Yoongi and Jimin, there isn't much development of the other characters.

Total: 84/100

Final Note:

Hi, I know I'm not the reviewer you expected, as I have taken over this assignment from someone else. However, it's a blessing in disguise. As a mystery lover myself, your story is absolutely thrilling and I find myself wanting to know more and more about it. That's the thing about mysteries, isn't it? Giving the smallest clues and encouraging the reader to piece it all together.

Thank you for giving me the opportunity to review your book. If you require any clarifications, feel free to pm me @ceyshells.