★ Letters to JongIn [85.7%]

[On Glory's Edge] The Archives
FICTION BIO
Letters to JongIn
by -heartfelt
 
Featuring: EXO
Type: Chaptered
Genre: Angst, Drama, Mystery, Romance
Main Characters: Kai, Kyungsoo
Status: Ongoing (reviewed with 6)
Rated: None
Warnings: Sensitive Topics
 
DESCRIPTION

Meet Kyungsoo, Do Kyungsoo. A seventeen year old high-schooler struggling to find his place in society with a near-unbearable anxiety problem. Still coming in terms with his uality, he spends his time writing to Jongin—or at least, that's what everybody calls him.

Meet Ki—Kai, just Kai. A seventeen year old student who aspires to be a dancer. Recovering from a tragic past, will a broken Kai come to terms with who he really is, or will the reality of what he has done eat at his conscience forever?

EXCERPT
I am writing to you because you are the person I love most in this world. And that seems weird because I have never even spoken to you, and I'm positive that you don’t know that I exist. Well, I am almost positive, and a part of my heart hopes that you don't know who I am, because I'm sure that if you did, then you would probably only know me by what you've heard, and sadly, I'm sure those things aren't going to be nice things. But I think that maybe one day if I got to speak to you we could be good friends.
Story Review by xODarkMistOx (257/300 - 85.7%)
Title (15/20)
Your title is so simple and beautiful at the same time. It's something that isn't that unique however, but it does grab attention! This sort of story doesn't disappoint and I really like how classic the title is. IT's this sort of title where it's not unique, but is rather classically beautiful so that it still grabs you in. Well done.
Foreword and Description (20/40)
Your description was nice. I would say that I enjoyed the fact that it had a bit of the character's personalities in it. Kyungsoo's a quiet, demure, mellow kind of guy and Kai is that sort of cool chill dude next door. I liked how there's a stark difference between both characters but somehow they match together well. It's like the real D.O. and Kai almost. They seem quite different, but they make great friends, and in this case lovers.
Also, I didn't really like how you said Kai had a tragic past. It was like implying that I HAD to feel sorry for this character in order to like him. I would've taken that part out and just said he was recovering from his own past.
There wasn't anything in your foreword apart from you know...crediting the graphic shop and reviews, well done on your part.
Jokes aside, I can say this about your story and writing. It's common, but you write in a style that makes it still interesting. However, you're just barely coming there into the interesting bar. You can do classically beautiful things, but remember the wow factor. It's something that you can't miss out on and since this is the very beginning of your story, you really need to reel people in.
Some people just won't enjoy classically beautiful things and you will really need an amazing foreword and description. It would be sad, since people might just skip your story for how it starts. So yeah, a wow factor is needed. Just a bit of advice, thats all.
Readability (40/40)
This story is not only readible, its entrancing. I don't know what it is, but there's just something about this story that makes you want to keep reading. The way you write is encompassing, and it just makes you crave more and more and I honestly read this ALL in one shot but have been so busy that I haven't had the time to review it.
The way Kyungsoo writes his letters, its so articulate and upsetting that you crave more and more and you're left to the very stop at where you still have to post. So yes, bravo on your story's readiblity.
Characterization (40/50)
As much as I adore your writing, I just have two tiny bones to pick. It's just the realistic aspect of your characters. They're so stuck to their personalities, that it seems unnatural. It's as if they don't have other sides you know? They're not fully three dimensional. You write and it only focuses on only parts or one part of Kai and Kyungsoo's personalities.
There's no inner thoughts or feelings or anything else to just make us believe that they could be real. They seem full fictatious and I feel like they could better if you added some other parts to their personalities. Kyungsoo doesn't always have to be demure and Kai doesn't always have to be that badass over there. It's that part that I didn't really enjoy while reading. It was just that part where I was waiting to see inner feelings or inner thoughts that would make me believe that "yes these people could be real" and I find that a big part in writing anything.
You need to make the fictional character, not even be fictional. You were almost there, but not quite, so just add in more dynamic aspects to their personalities.
I would have to say that Kai is more three dimensional than Kyungsoo though. Kyungsoo is just SO wrapped up in this love thing that I'm like, "you seem too perfect to be real." Kai however is an at times and calls Minseok fat and Yixing too Chinese and all that. I think that he was more three dimensional in that aspect, in which I could dislike what he was doing. Kyungsoo however. I didn't resonate with him. I didn't really even feel sorry for him I was just like, "Grow a pair and confront yourself please." because he kept dragging it on like he was a hopeless puppy. I wanted to see some conflict with himself like, "Is this dude REALLY worth my time? Am I just letting my hormones taking control of me?" and try and fight with himself rather than just be obsessed with Kai.
Originality (29/30)
This story's plot is brilliant! I would say that despite the letter part being SLIGHTLY overused in the many fics I've filtered through on this site, it's used in a whole new way!
The story began with strictly following only the letters, as we readers could only know the world through letters. It was then that I was like wow this is something new. The originality of Kai's character is something that I greatly enjoy. As not only do I want to wring his neck and snap his legs so he can never dance again, but I also appreciate him for that reason. He's someone that is flawed and I do not dislike him because he doesn't have any flaws but because he has them!
The story changed and showed the outside world, which was something that sort of bummed me out and I was really intent on just learning through the letters and trying to figure out things. It then became just like any other story utilizng letters. There's a letter and then stuff happens in the world in which we see it.
Plotline (80/90)
Your story is relatively slow at the beginning and I feel like it could turn some people off. It didn't do that for me, however I do wish things could've happened more in the first few chapters rather than suddenly picking up. Your plotline is something that isn't that original, but like I said you have a way with words and you make everything seem your own. Bravo. I did enjoy your plot though and how Kyungsoo and Kai think and act.
Structure / Mechanics (30/30)
Well this section is going to be really short because...you were absolutely amazing with spelling and rhythm. I swear, its been a REALLY long time since I was SO engrossed with a fic and I actually did murder my left mouse button.
Bonus (+3)
Your writing style is something I greatly admire. It's something truly entrancing and each word just seems to mean something.It makes everything just feel more real than it should and that's why I have more feelings and emotions towards the characters than I usually do when reading fanfiction. You make me believe it's real, even though it its totally not. You make me believe the situations are real and that is something really brilliant.
Reader's View
As a simple reader I can say that you really have a talent in writing. You wrapped me in at night when I was actually quite tired and needed some sleep. I really only noticed the flaws of your story after analyzing it when writing this review.
Additional Comments / Final Score (257/300 - 85.7%)
Your poster is really cool haha! By the way, I'm awaiting the next chapter :3 I subscribed and upvoted a while ago! ^_^ so sorry for this taking a reallllyyyy long time. I'm sick right now and I am utlizing this time ^__^ so I hope you enjoyed my review~and I am looking foreward to your story's growth and developement ^_^
Credit
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peanutoast
#1
Chapter 77: Thanks for your reviwe of Lacrimosa! I just subscribed to it and thanks to you I´ll read very carefully <3
informantxgirl
#2
Chapter 35: I just read glitz. It was lovely, thanks for the rec! :D