f_outdoorreads’s Reviews > Alpha/Beta Read > Status Update
f_outdoorreads
is 6% done
Okay so Emily Keira told me you may be taking Grimalka back to edit for a bit at the end of September. I wish I could say I have the time to keep reading but alas, I do not. BUT I do want to keep reading and I do love the story! Don’t feel disheartened that it’s awful bc it’s not automatically getting 5 stars from everyone. This is probably gonna get a 4.5-5 from me anyway even with the things I pointed out!!
— Sep 14, 2026 05:52AM
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f_outdoorreads’s Previous Updates
f_outdoorreads
is 6% done
Not very far, my life has gotten rlly crazy lately so I’ve had no time to edit my own stuff, let alone someone else’s. I will get around to finishing what Emily sent me, definitely by the end of fall and before winter. It’s just slow going rn
— Sep 05, 2026 07:24AM
f_outdoorreads
is 6% done
I know everything i’ve said so far sounds rlly negative but did I am loving this book 👏Emily you are actually a phenomenal writer don’t let the edits and critiques make you think otherwise! They’re just there to help make sure it’s the best it possibly can be and honestly you should be proud! I really have hardly any critiques besides the few earlier (which aren’t even big changes)
— Aug 26, 2026 11:12AM
f_outdoorreads
is 6% done
Not sure how far I am into Grimalka but my thoughts thus far from both a reader and an editors standpoint.
Reader standpoint: Very intriguing. I def want to keep reading and know more. I love Cuba, Lilian, and Beebe, though I’m not connecting with Fallon all that much. The world building is this books strongest aspect rn.
(cont. in comments)
— Aug 25, 2026 09:50AM
Reader standpoint: Very intriguing. I def want to keep reading and know more. I love Cuba, Lilian, and Beebe, though I’m not connecting with Fallon all that much. The world building is this books strongest aspect rn.
(cont. in comments)
f_outdoorreads
is 2% done
this is so httyd coded *melts in a puddle* i can’t even start to explain how big a httyd fan i am. like it was my life blood growing up and my world basically revolved around it for the better half of my childhood
— Aug 21, 2026 05:03PM
f_outdoorreads
is starting
That’s right everyone I’m reading GRIMALKA OH YEAHHH
(i’m actually so hyped for this, but unfortunately it’s gonna be slow going bc of school and my already slammed reading schedule)
Emily thank you thank you thank you for letting me read this! I’m so excited to finally partake in the world I’ve heard so much about!
Rating prediction: 4.5-5 stars
Favorite character assumption: Cuba
— Aug 21, 2026 04:21PM
(i’m actually so hyped for this, but unfortunately it’s gonna be slow going bc of school and my already slammed reading schedule)
Emily thank you thank you thank you for letting me read this! I’m so excited to finally partake in the world I’ve heard so much about!
Rating prediction: 4.5-5 stars
Favorite character assumption: Cuba
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we are all here for you, we all want to help you, and we love you and your writing and stories! if you ever need help with edits, let me know! i really truly love helping edit
Beautifully said, Finch! We write for the few readers the story will touch, knowing most readers probably won't give the book five stars. Especially a debut novel; those are not expected to be absolutely stellar and out of this world because that's just the way writing works. And yes, you see all the edits 😭 I work on my writing for about 3 hours every day and think about it 24/7. It's garbage until at least the 3rd draft
Don’t feel disheartened and think it’s awful* i worded that weird and now it seems like i think it’s awful 😭 it’s not it’s awesome pls don’t think otherwise you are such an incredible author!!! and trust, you will get so many 5 stars girl. i know it’s so easy to compare yourself to authors like Keira bc she seems to flawlessly get 5 stars, but (and she’ll tell you the same thing) she almost quit Revival bc of imposter syndrome and she didn’t think it was good enough. The beta readers don’t get to see the rewrites, and the edits, and the overthinking and the fixing sentence after sentence that she does. I know bc I help her edit 😭 her books are never perfect, they go through a lot of edits, rewrites, fixits, etc and that’s with all writing. Heck, I hardly write anymore bc of imposter syndrome and believing my stories will never be someone’s favorite. And maybe that’s true for most people when they read your story. It might not be their all time favorite, but there WILL be someone who comes along, picks it up, and it touches some part of them that they never thought would be touched again. That’s why you write. Not for the masses to be this amazing automatic 5 stars girl author (that doesn’t exist btw) you write for the few people who will pick it up and adore it for all their lives. And maybe that’s non of us Gr girls rn. Maybe it’ll take a little while, but you will have people come along like that bc you are that kind of author. Heck I’m 100% confident all you favorite classics authors and authors went though a lot of times where they thought thier stories were horrible and worthless and garbage, and think how much you treasure those stories. It’s just the life of the writer.
hope this was some encouragement!!