About book critiques:  I would not trust critiques written on book covers.  There are several types of critiques:  self-opnionated ones; dishonest ones; sweet ones; trustworthy ones; plain laughable ones.  So, I usually ignore them, and just dive into reading the book.

Which one is better, books written in present tense or past tense?  Of course, regardless a book’s quality, it really depends on writers’ choice for his or her book.  If a writer thinks that present tense is a better fit for his or her book, it should be written in present tense, or vice versa.

Usually I like books written in past tense.  Books written in present tense, however, give you a sense of immediateness of the story, which is why some writers choose the method for her or his book.  When I want present tense for my book I would only use it for the first paragraph or first chapter, and then switch to the past tense for the rest of the story.