"Debut" Books

by Raelene Gorlinsky

I'm a reader of professional reviews, such as the ones in Publishers Weekly and other industry sources. So I found this article hysterical because it is so, so true. You can tell what a reviewer really thought about a book by the adjective they attach to "debut".

http://blog.pshares.org/2012/05/18/blurbese-a-_____-debut/

To quote part of the article:

1. “a promising debut”: “This author already signed a two-book deal.”
2. “a timely debut”: “A book about racism.”
3. “a clever debut”: “This book has a twist ending.”
4. “a solid debut”: “I have an irrational dislike of this technically unimpeachable book.”
5. “a touching/heartbreaking debut”: “Someone dies.”
6. “a chilling debut”: “Someone dies, and then we discover a terrible secret about them.”
7. “a memorable debut”: “This book has a lot of sex in it.”
8. “a bold debut”: “This book relies on a gimmick that, considered independently, is kind of obnoxious.”
9. “a slender, tightly wound debut”: “Sorry, I was thinking about my new watch.”
10. “a stunning/dazzling/ breathtaking/auspicious/knockout/ splendid/winning debut”: “I want my name to appear on this book’s dust jacket.”