Dorian’s second novel manuscript, The Hiding Girl, advanced to the semifinals of the 2017 Publishers Weekly BookLife Prize Contest, where it received near-perfect scores (9.5/10). Of 700 entries, The Hiding Girl was one of five Mystery/Thrillers–and the only unpublished manuscript–to advance to the semifinals.
Here’s the Critic’s Report:
2017 BookLife Prize–Semifinalist
Plot/Idea: 9 out of 10
Originality: 9 out of 10
Prose: 10 out of 10
Character/Execution: 10 out of 10
Overall: 9.50 out of 10
Plot: This dark and gritty novel is an exceptional, heart-pounding story full of raw emotion, deep-seated fear, and an undercurrent of hope and innocence.
Prose: Deeply atmospheric without extraneous detail, the prose leaves plenty to the imagination. Even though the story featured a young girl placed in very adult situations, she never lost that young freshness of voice.
Originality: The novel is without peer in contemporary mysteries/thrillers. Oddly—it’s neither of those, and both of them, at the same time. That contradiction is what makes it work so well. It calls back to movies like The Professional and Disney’s The Journey of Natty Gann while being wholly and freshly contemporary.
Character Development: Watching the characters evolve (and devolve, in some cases) was absolutely amazing. Subtle nuances were plentiful and guided the reader into horrified admiration and a desire to protect them all.
The Hiding Girl will be the first book in a series about an usual girl named Emily Calby. Book 2 is nearly complete.
Good luck matey. How is the hunt for an agent going?
Hey there, Jason – Great to hear from you, my man. See you have a new blog going. Fantastic. I finished The Hiding Girl and am working on the sequel. Decided a series was the way to go, so I’m holding off doing anything with The Hiding Girl until I get farther along on book two. Say hi to Rupert for me!