Before we jump into reviewing vooks let’s quickly go over what a Vook is -
A Vook is basically a video-book that is 40% video, 40% book and 20% of social networking. There are 4 views -
- Watch View is videos, approximately one per chapter, that go with the story. You can pull down a layer with the vook text and read while watching the video.
- Mix View is videos in between the text, just as you would have on a webpage.
- Read View is just text.
- The Social View is something else – there’s a Twitter Stream, ability to post comments, share on Facebook. There’s also information on the author, filmmaker, cast and weblinks.
There are also two good usability options -
- Change the Font Size.
- Full Screen Mode.
It’s definitely different from a book.
Let’s quickly review the 4 vooks that have been released (review copies courtesy Maria at Vook.com).
Promises – A Romance Vook
The video-book integration works really well here.
- The first video is interesting and the videos in general are well done.
- The layout is well done and its easy switching between videos and text. You can read while watching video too.
- I thought the writing was ok – However, it’s my first romance novel so no idea what’s considered good.
Would be cool if some romance novel readers chimed in with their feelings.
Score: 8 stars out of 10.
The 90 second fitness solution – Exercise Vook
The intro video is good. The target demographic is women too busy to exercise so it’s not exactly for me.
This perhaps isn’t the best example of a Vook – It’s more like an exercise manual with a few introduction videos and videos for the exercises.
Score: Incomplete.
Return to Beauty – Natural Beauty Vook
If you’re getting the feeling Vook are targeting women you’re not the only one.
- The first video is cool - a really good introduction.
- The concept of the book is pretty cool and the Vook format is ideally suited to it.
- Not sure why the fitness vook didn’t impress me and this one really does.
- The videos could have been longer.
- There are a ton of recipes and ones for each season.
- This definitely feels like a product I’d pay $6.99 for – well if there was one tailored to men or to health remedies.
- Do read the last chapter for a home made facial.
Score: 10 out of 10.
This definitely made me feel Vooks have a future.
Embassy – Thriller Vook
Was looking forward to this one and it was worth the time. Its the only one watched in its entirety and here are my thoughts –
- The first video is great – love the boots.
- The hostage in the second video is the most unconvincing hostage ever – Am I going to be on a hostage video? Let me slip into my argyle sweater. It doesn’t help that she looks as if she just spent an hour doing make-up.
- It’s a bit confusing - in the flow of reading its difficult to remember to watch the videos.
- The plot was just a little too unbelievable – however it kept moving.
- Definitely worth the time. Is it worth $7? perhaps.
Score: 7 out of 10. Perhaps an 8.
Overall – Vook Review
Movies work. Books work. Will Vooks work?
Based on these 4 Vooks it certainly seems like they might.
Factors working against Vooks -
- You have to bring together a really good writer, a really good filmmaker and get them on the same page. It just makes things tougher by a factor of 10.
- If the writing or the movie outshines the other it kills the balance – in the thriller vook the writing is better than the videos (for example, they re-use a police scene).
- It really is a big, ambitious leap and pretty high risk.
- Seems like creating high quality vooks would be very expensive.
- The Social part isn’t really well designed.
The factors working for Vooks are -
- A lot of people are much more used to TV and movies and not really having to use their imagination and Vooks will appeal to them.
- You can trigger a lot more senses.
- If used correctly the switches between film and text can be used to create a lot of impact and even to incorporate twists.
- It allows creators a ton of freedom.
- The social aspect, when it’s hammered out (perhaps by using something like Google Wave), could help create much stronger connections with readers/viewers.
Overall though, Vook are definitely onto something. Apple have also been pushing something similar to Vooks (basically there are some Apple designers helping out a Vook like project) and some writers have been trying out their own Vook like creations.
Kudos to Vook for going all out and starting a company that does nothing except create Vooks. There’s a definite future here.
Related Blogs
- Related Blogs on From Books to Vooks
- Vook Debuts Digital Books





