Synopses reviews in review! Plus one more.

I promised to evaluate a children's book before I finished this mad crusade to unlock the secrets of synopsis greatness. Since I don't write children's fiction, I'm unsure what it will teach me, but I don't want to dismiss potential epiphanies.

What have we learned so far?

From The Da Vinci Code we learned that the point of a synopsis is to describe the book well enough that those reading it know what they'll get, and that can include everything from plot and character description to quailty of the writing (unfortunately.) We also learned to avoid unnecessary modifiers because they waste space, weaken language, and make Jen cry.

Old Man's War taught us the importance of focussing on what makes a story unique and interesting, rather than falling back on cliches. It also showed us that a synopsis can be mysterious and compelling, and doesn't have to dryly recite facts and events.

The Silent Girl's synopsis told us that if we're writing a series we need to keep the synopsis both unique and familiar enough to satisfy both new readers and old fans. It also made a sad point about how popular books don't need brilliant writing in their synopses because people will buy them anyway. But that doesn't help us much until we're all famous.

The synopsis for Bridget Jones's Diary demonstrated how much flavour can come over from the style and genre of the book into the synopsis. It showed that a book with a lot of personality can let that personality speak in the synopsis to great effect. It also reminded us that publisher chosen reviews printed on a book's cover are not useful.

Finally, It's synopsis pointed out that although repeating ourselves drives the point home, it doesn't create any more interest or tension than saying something once. There's no need to waste the space. It also shows that even a popular, well-read and extremely best-selling author can have a dull synopsis right on their very own website. Alas.

And now, a children's book. I'd like something popular, accessible, that most people will recognize. Whatever will I choose?

I will evaluate a longer synopsis than seen on this back cover.
If I didn't I'd be finished already.

Harry Potter is an ordinary boy who lives in a cupboard under the stairs at his Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon's house,

First of all he’s ordinary. Then he lives in a cupboard with his Aunt and Uncle. I don’t know if this would fascinate a 10 year old, but it’s caught me.

which he thinks is normal for someone like him who's parents have been killed in a 'car crash'.

I’m not sure a 10 year old would recognize why the ‘car crash’ is in quotations, but I do, and I wonder. I also like that he thinks his life is normal.

He is bullied by them and his fat, spoilt cousin Dudley, and lives a very unremarkable life with only the odd hiccup (like his hair growing back overnight!) to cause him much to think about.

Juxtaposition rules all in this synopsis. First of all the ordinary versus bizarre, and now the odd hiccup like growing your hair back overnight. It’s all very fascinating.

That is until an owl turns up with a letter addressed to Harry and all hell breaks loose!

I want to laugh out loud. It’s a fun idea, owls with post.

He is literally rescued by a world where nothing is as it seems and magic lessons are the order of the day.

Oooh, owch. I was so impressed by the clarity of language until now. "Literally rescued?" As opposed to figuratively rescued? I like the magic lessons, but “nothing is as it seems” is so cliché and boring compared to the great last few sentences.

Read and find out how Harry discovers his true heritage at Hogwarts School of Wizardry and Witchcraft,

“True heritage” makes me think of boring speeches at historical centres. Heh.

the reason behind his parents mysterious death, who is out to kill him, and how he uncovers the most amazing secret of all time, the fabled Philosopher's Stone!

Excitement. I love it.

All this and muggles too. Now, what are they?

This is a wonderful final line. This final line is better than any of the others I’ve evaluated. What are they, muggles? It would be difficult to pull off quite the same thing in an adult book, but they should at least try, rather than drizzling away to cliché as they reach their conclusion.

So this synopsis starts great and ends great. There’s an awkward middle, like someone edited the thing to make sure it fit the boring quotient of the average synopsis. Otherwise it’s pro. Difficult to compare this to adult synopsis, because this much cheery weirdness would be annoying for a lot of adult novels, but it’s good to be reminded that a little wonder goes a long way.

I'd like to review the synopsis of a book I haven't read, but I want to find out afterwards if it was effective. Anyone have a suggestion of a book they've read that I might not have read, so I can evaluate the synopsis and see what we can reveal?

Also, if anyone wants to throw themselves into the fire and allow me to evaluate their own synopsis... I'm willing if you are.