↻ AUTHOR ࿐྄ྀ VeraChendra
↻ REVIEWER ࿐྄ྀ lilacgyu
First Light :: 17/20
» Title :: 5/5
The title is not only apt to the plot, but also sparks a feeling of intrigue in the viewer. The title does it’s job of attracting readers perfectly along with being refreshing and unique.
» Cover :: 7/10
The cover’s color theme suits the plot and the graphics have been done well. However, it doesn’t give an idea of how the story goes because of the lack of a description/subtitle. The other parts of the cover have been made perfectly. I suggest adding a subtitle to give the viewer a better idea of the trope of the story.
» Blurb :: 5/5
The blurb does it’s job well. It gives the perfect gist of the trope of the plot, along with initiating suspense in the reader. Information about the plot has not been overshared, but at the same time, there is just enough revealed to interest viewers.
Dawn :: 9/10
The start of the plot has been executed greatly, arousing curiosity in the reader. It checks all the boxes: well described, hardly any grammatical errors and a proper introduction to the characters. There has been a great use of imagery, metaphors and similes - right from the first chapter - and this kept the readers interested in the plot. Just the right amount of information was shared in the start of the book, which kept the tinge of mystery intact. The effort put into the plot and writing is clearly visible. I did, however, find a few grammatical errors.
[Suggestion :: The grammatical errors I found here were the wrong usage of the ellipsis. I have explained this under the grammar section. I also found that subject-verb agreement has not been followed in this sentence - “Blood stains on his cuff sleeves and quick thinking, that is how Ivan has survive.”]
Plot and Idea :: 20/20
The plot is unique and different from other books of the same genre. The execution was also great, right from the start. The way the story was taken forward was great and the book was an interesting read. Mystery is quite hard to properly write, the plot can be ruined easily if there is not enough information shared throughout the plot. However, oversharing will kill the element of surprise. But throughout the book, the element of suspense was maintained well. Kudos for that!
Characters and Emotions :: 13/15
The characters were relatable and their emotions were understandable. The emotions of the characters were easy to understand because of the great description. It was easy to slip into their shoes and view the world through their glasses. However, there were a few parts that were not as eloquently described as the rest, making them dull in comparison.
[Suggestion :: I suggest proofreading a bit more. This will help you spot places where details haven’t been described properly and edit it into something more descriptive.]
Writing Style :: 14/15
The writing style was great! Along with the proper description of even the smallest details, the flow and pacing was great too. There was a generous use of metaphors and similes, and the imagery was done really well. The vocabulary range was wide, and well used. The only flaw I found here was the under-description in a few places, which I’ve already mentioned before. Uneven descriptions might make a few details seem unimportant.
Grammar :: 17/20
» Tense inconsistency : Tense consistency is when the same tense is used throughout a sentence/paragraph. I found that there were a few places where this wasn’t fulfilled. Here’s an example :
“...the sounds of the city could barely be heard from the little hillside cafe that I sat in. The palm trees sway above me from the hilly breeze.”
Here, the present tense of ‘sway’ has been used. However, in the previous sentence, and throughout the rest of the chapter, past tense has been used. So, ‘swayed’ will be the correct form of the verb to be used here. The correct sentence will be :
“The palm trees swayed above me from the hilly breeze.”
» Punctuation errors : I noticed these scattered throughout the entirety of the story. The main ones that I noticed were the omission of commas, the wrong usage of fullstops and ellipses.
There were many places where fullstops have been used before ‘and’, which is a conjunction. Conjunctions are used as sentence connectors, so usage of a period before them will be grammatically incorrect.
Ellipses have three periods, and when used after a sentence, four (three for the ellipsis and one as a full stop). However, there has been a usage of six or seven periods in an ellipsis throughout the book.
» Typos.
[Suggestion :: My suggestion to reduce these grammatical errors is once again, proofreading. Proofreading will help you spot typos and places with tense inconsistency. This will also help you edit out any punctuation mistakes you might have made.]
TOTAL :: 90/100
Reviewer's Note :: This book was a great read! The description along with the plot were top tier. The writing style was exquisite and enhanced the reading experience. All this book needs is a bit of polishing to be perfect. I hope my review could help even the tiniest bit! You can contact me if there are any doubts, or if I haven’t covered anything properly. Thank you, and all the best! :)
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Yours Truly,
SeeSaw Fam.