Title

The title for this book is something different because I've never heard of it before. I was thinking, what on earth is a skylark, but I figured out it must be something related to the whole book, obviously. I did manage to find out what it is once I read the description though.

Cover

The cover is fairly simple and I'd say not related to the book. It doesn't exactly reach out to me and scream 'Read me'. However, the colours used on the cover do make it stand out as you have a bright yellow against a dark black which makes it look good. It's simple yet attractive in a way.

Blurb

I felt like you tried to describe the characters in the blurb and reveal a little bit about them like an introduction which is good. However, the way you've worded it seems like you're telling me what's happening to the characters and in their life. It's almost like the blurb is turning into a story and that does put me off from wanting to read. That's just a personal opinion, though.

First Chapter

One thing all readers tend to do is judge a book by its first chapter meaning if it's interesting and they like it, they'll continue reading. Reading the first chapter of your book, I did begin to enjoy it at the start as you really set the scene and delve into what's going through the character's mind, and I personally like that in a book. As I continued reading, I noticed that it was very descriptive but at the same time chunks of information were being thrown at me.

The chapter was VERY long, I feel like it should be split into two chapters: maybe one setting the scene and introducing Jeane and the other introducing the rest of the characters. The ending of the first chapter was something I liked, as it did leave me wanting to carry on reading and find out more.

Plot / Theme

The rest of the chapters were also very descriptive which is a good thing because it wasn't overly descriptive but it intrigued me as I got to know the characters more. The plot was going at a reasonable pace, there was always something going on with Jeane and her crew and Maura who were all dealing with the aftermath of their situations. It definitely put me in an adventure mood as the characters were exploring their lives and making decisions which were leading them elsewhere.

Writing

The writing was good; your use of descriptive language and words helped to make it more interesting. Of course, like any book, it has a few spelling and grammar errors. However, that can easily be sorted. The main thing I realised, though, is the chunks of information, such as Jeane's thoughts, all being together in one long paragraph. Try avoiding putting all the information together. Maybe summarise it or don't add unnecessary detail to it because it makes it longer than it should be.

Characters

I liked Jeane throughout the book as she was a very adventurous character, not wanting to give up and trying to find solutions. I feel like more of Maura's personality should have been portrayed throughout the book as I could understand how she was feeling in her situation but I wanted to see more of her and what she's like.

Overall Impression

It wasn't a story that had me hooked and wanting to read more due to the chapter length as I feel like some of the chapters were a little too long. However, the plot was fairly interesting, and I liked the development of your characters as they dealt with everything going on around them. I feel like with some further editing and improvement, the book could make a good read for your audience.

Reviewed By: Pixie