B.R.A.G. Medallion Report Card

Book Title: Fall Out

Author: Susan Spieth

Genre: Young Adult

Ratings

The book was rated on the following criteria using this scale: 

5 = Excellent, 4 = Very Good, 3 = Good, 2 = Poor, 1 = Very Poor, 0 = Not Rated

Title-5

Intriguing, forceful, appropriate to the story

Cover-5

Striking, professional looking, appropriate to the story

Plot (Subject Matter)-5

Original, compelling, engaging, coherent

Characters (Relevant Anecdotes)-5

Interesting, appealing, believable

Dialogue (Clarity of Content)-5

Authentic, quotable, advances the story

Writing Style-5

Distinctive voice, pleasing rhythm, evocative

Chapters-5

Logical flow, advance the story, build momentum

Copy Editing-5

Grammar, punctuation, spelling, word choice

Content (Developmental) Editing-5

Structure, coherence, continuity, accuracy

Formatting-5

Front matter, layout, font

Additional Comments:

I wasn't a fan with the use of language, but it did fit with story and didn't take away from the plot. Refreshing to read a well-edited book. I was able to understand the series even though it was the first book I was reading... And it made me want to go back and check out the other books in the series.

This is one of the best books I have ever read for indieBRAG and among traditionally published books. It is a superbly told tale with an intriguing plot, fast paced action, deftly crafted characters that kept me enthralled right up until its satisfying conclusion. I became totally enthralled by Firstie Jan Wisehart, and was distraught by her troubles and thrilled by her ultimate triumph. The author's writing style flows so smoothly that I simply could not put it down and read it from cover to cover in one sitting. The author's personal experiences as a West Point cadet enables her to paint a vivid picture of what life is like at the military academy as a young woman. My sincerest congratulations to the author for an outstanding book! I will now go back and read the other three books in the series.

I totally enjoyed reading this novel. I felt like I was reading a true story and found out after I read the book that the author actually did attend West Point during those early years when women were allowed and that some of the events were true. I feel as though the author put a lot of her true thoughts and feelings into her novel. It was so good that it made me want to read the other books in the series to see what other trouble Jan got into in her years at West Point.

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PRESS RELEASES! 

Readers' Favorite announces the review of the Fiction-Realistic book Area Bird by Susan I Spieth, currently available  

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Readers' Favorite is one of the largest book review and award contest sites on the Internet. They have earned the respect of renowned publishers like Random House, Simon & Schuster, and Harper Collins, and have received the "Best Websites for Authors" and "Honoring Excellence" awards from the Association of Independent Authors. They are also fully accredited by the BBB (A+ rating), which is a rarity among Book Review and Book Award Contest companies.

 

Reviewed By K.C. Finn for Readers' Favorite

Area Bird is a work of military fiction based on real events, penned by author Susan I Spieth. This coming of age novel is the second in the Gray Girl series, following the experiences of women cadets in the 1980s when the US Military Academy first began to admit them. We follow Jan Wishart as her fellow female cadets start dropping out of the academy all around her, and Jan becomes determined to find out why before she too falls victim to whatever is causing the problem. When the issue turns out to be all over West Point, Jan is determined to reveal the brutal sexism taking place for all the world to see.

Social issues, realism, and military life come together in this fascinating slice of life work by author Susan I Spieth. The narration of Jan’s experiences is packed with realistic details from West Point Academy, recreated perfectly from the author’s own personal experiences, and yet Jan is very much her own character and the narrative stays true to her rather than becoming too much of a memoir. The plot is filled with characters who reveal the most horrible aspects of human nature and the gender divide, but there are rays of hope and moments of triumph that peek through the struggle, giving the novel its raw emotional quality and high readability. Overall, Area Bird is an important work in the history of women’s fiction, but it’s also an engaging, dramatic read and part of an inspirational series.

 

You can learn more about Susan I Spieth and "Area Bird"                             where you can read reviews and the author’s biography, as well as connect with the author directly or through their website and social media pages.

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Readers' Favorite announces the review of the Fiction-Realistic book Witch Heart by Susan I. Spieth, currently available 

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Readers' Favorite is one of the largest book review and award contest sites on the Internet. They have earned the respect of renowned publishers like Random House, Simon & Schuster, and Harper Collins, and have received the "Best Websites for Authors" and "Honoring Excellence" awards from the Association of Independent Authors. They are also fully accredited by the BBB (A+ rating), which is a rarity among Book Review and Book Award Contest companies.

 

Reviewed By Kris Moger for Readers' Favorite

Witch Heart: Gray Girl Book 3 by Susan I. Spieth is a mix of the author’s real life events and a suspense-filled mystery. The main character, Jan, is entering her training at the Army Airborne School at Fort Benning. With few other options to get an education without sinking into debt, she is determined to do her best and graduate from West Point. Despite the issues of the previous year, she faces the challenges and her rivals with stubborn grit. Though she has her friends by her side, someone is stalking her and others are trying to get her dishonorably discharged. Are they one and the same? Or is she a witch who attracts trouble wherever she goes?

Though Witch Heart is not the first book in Susan I. Spieth’s Gray Girl series, it did not take me long to mostly catch up with the story. There were a few things I would like to clarify, so I would recommend reading the previous books first, but the writing is so good that it is easy enough to enjoy Witch Heart on its own. The journey that Spieth describes for Jan is filled with realism and frustration as she weaves in misogyny, bigotry, and betrayal. I can’t say that I always liked Jan and her friends, especially certain comments they make about one of the other soldiers, but I don’t know the exact nature of their history with her, as they happen in the previous books. Despite not always liking the characters, the writing kept me wanting to know more and follow them to the end, proving that not all main characters have to be likeable for readers to enjoy a story.

 

You can learn more about Susan I. Spieth and "Witch Heart"                         where you can read reviews and the author’s biography, as well as connect with the author directly or through their website and social media pages.

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I'm available to speak, read and sign about my award winning Gray Girl series at your next event. I'm an excellent public speaker with almost twenty years of experience. Just contact me with the details. I never charge a speaking fee. I'm always happy to talk about my books! Below are pictures from various reading/signing events: