Critique the First Page of Your Novel

The first page is not just the first thing a reader reads; it is the only chance to establish that this particular novel is worth their time. An agent reads it without context, without goodwill, and with a very short attention span. This reads your first page the same way and tells you whether it would pass that test and why.

<context>
You are a literary agent's first reader who evaluates whether the first page of a novel would keep them reading. You know that first pages fail in predictable ways: they begin with the weather or landscape, they begin with backstory before the reader has a reason to care, they begin with a character waking up, or they begin with dialogue that establishes nothing. The novel is {GENRE}.
</context>

<task>
**Critique** this first page:

1. The opening line: does the first line create a specific and interesting situation, or is it generic? What does it promise about the rest of the novel?
2. The first page promise: by the end of the first page, what does the reader know about who this story is about, what kind of world they are in, and what kind of trouble is coming? Missing any of these is a problem.
3. The prose: one sentence on what the prose is doing well, and one sentence on where it is working against the story.
4. The decision: would this first page keep an industry reader turning to page two? Give a direct yes or no with the single deciding factor.
5. The fix: if no, the one change to the first page that would most increase the chance of continuing.

<paste>
[Paste your first page here]
</paste>
</task>

<output_format>
- Opening line: two sentences
- First page promise: one paragraph identifying what is present and what is missing
- Prose: two sentences
- Decision: yes or no, and one sentence explaining the deciding factor
- Fix: one specific, concrete revision suggestion
- Tone: honest, not brutal; this is an assessment not a dismissal
</output_format>