Title

The title 'Between Shadows and Light' makes me think that this could be a fanfiction book but I'm not entirely sure to be honest. I'm also thinking this could be about some kind of big war between two groups of people: one of which is the light group and the other's of the shadows. I'm also assuming there's going to be one main character who's trapped in the middle of it all. I'm just assuming at this stage anyway. I'll find out when I actually read the book.

Cover

The book cover is extremely simple; it's just an image of some characters. I noticed that the cover doesn't even have a title. This is the first time I've seen something like this, and it's disappointing. I'm not sure if the cover is related to the book in any way because it doesn't look like it is.

Some feedback would be to use an image that is related to your book. Think about the themes of the book, and try to get them across on the cover. For your title, choose a suitable font that will go well with the background, and think about the colours, size, and positioning.

Blurb

The blurb feels like one big spoiler to me. I feel like you're telling me everything about the main character and what's going to happen when I'd rather read the book and figure it all out for myself. When I see a blurb like this, it really is a shame. No reader wants everything spilled out on the blurb. They just want a sneak peek and nothing more.

Some feedback would be to summarise and shorten the blurb. Try not to include too many details. Keep it short and interesting so that the reader wants to read your book and is curious to find out more.

First Chapter

The first chapter was interesting at first because I was being introduced to the characters and Raven's family, but as I continued reading, I noticed that the chapter is incredibly long for a first chapter. It is a bit overwhelming, so I would suggest that you split the chapter up.

Maybe just write about Raven's family and give us some more background information in the first chapter rather than a whole scene occurring because it's too much. I would also suggest trying to make it more interesting so the reader gets attached to the book by the first chapter and wants to continue reading it

Plot / Theme

I was right about the book being related to two different groups, such as the Lights and Shadows. I figured it out whilst reading the rest of the book and quite liked it because it's something different. However, I can see that the plot is also rushed, and I feel like you haven't really planned it in advance. It seems as though you're writing off the top of your head.

My feedback would be to reconsider your plot, not the whole thing, but just go over it, and plan it properly so you know what's going on, and then try to write the chapters. This will make it easier. Make the plot your own by adding different ideas; you can use your source of inspiration, but make it more original.

Writing

Your writing is standard. You're able to construct sentences with some detail and descriptive language, but this is not consistent throughout the book. It feels like you've put more effort in some chapters than you have in others. Try not to rush your writing and only write when you feel motivated because your effort does show in your writing.

There are a few areas of improvement for your book. The first one is spelling and grammar because, as soon as I started reading, I spotted spelling errors, grammar errors, and misplaced punctuation. It did make me feel like I should stop reading the book as I was paying more attention to the errors than the book.

My second piece of feedback would be to really go over your book and take out unnecessary details in sentences and split your chapters up because they are very long, and I've noticed there's always too much going on in them.

Characters

You've done a good job of portraying Raven's character as well as her family members. I noticed each one of them had different personalities. This is good because it allows the reader to get to know each character individually rather than think that they're all the same and boring.

Raven comes across as a strong, young girl who's willing to protect herself and her family no matter what; you can see throughout the book that the family is very close to one another.

Some feedback would be to show more of her emotions in the book. I want to know what she is thinking and how she feels as these are not always shown through her actions.

Overall Impression

The book is okay. I feel like you know where you're going with the book, and the development of your characters was good, but the plot did feel like it was rushed. It was like you were cramming everything in a single chapter which resulted in your chapters being far too long. You may need to go over each chapter and split them up.

Spelling and grammar is a must when it comes to improvement as no reader wants to read a book full of errors. I'm not sure if you do or don't have an editor but I would consider getting one for your book.

It says, "Raven starred awkwardly at her feet." The word 'stared' has been spelt wrong. If you already do have an editor, I don't want to seem harsh, but they're not doing a very good job considering the fact that I spotted spelling errors on the first line of the first chapter.

I'm hoping my feedback can help you improve your work somehow. Good luck with your book!

Reviewed by: Pixie