Title

The title for this book, The Unknown Days Until, is interesting as it begins to make me think straight away and wonder what the book is going to be about. The unknown days until what exactly? It seems like something big is about to occur, but no one really knows when it's going to happen. They just know that it is going to happen. I feel like it's going to be a sci-fi or adventurous kind of book.

Cover

The cover is very simple with an image of a sky full of colour which makes it stand out. It also has rain in the background, so it's like a storm is on its way. This could represent something big happening, something that could be dangerous maybe.

The font and colours of the text used don't really go well with the cover and clash a bit with the background due to the use of a grey coloured text on a black background.

My feedback would be to try and use images of high quality that are clear to see. Try to ensure that the images used are actually related to the book in some way, and think about the colours and theme on the cover as well as it says a lot about the book.

Blurb

The blurb is actually good, and it interested me. I can see that you've combined the genre of zombies and sci-fi together, as you have this outbreak of disease that is affecting everyone. I like how there's a bit of mystery included in the blurb as well as the mentions of a character who was once part of the international foreign disease control who now has to find out who is really responsible for the disease outbreak in the first place. There's intrigue with the notion that they already know that it's someone who they once worked with. It seems like the book is going to be a mysterious and adventurous read.

First Chapter

The first chapter kind of delves into what's currently happened and we see characters trying to protect themselves from the deadly disease. It's like a short prologue showing us how Eleanor and the other characters got into the situation and place they are in now. I'd say it was a good chapter; it did make me curious as to what would occur next and whether it would be a trap or  they would actually be safe from the Gen.

Some feedback would be to try and avoid including too much background information in the first chapter as I personally would have wanted to find out about the Gen maybe a little later in the book. Try to split or break the information down and include a little in each chapter so it's not too much for a reader as they may lose interest.

Plot / Theme

The development of the book is good so far; you're making it original and adding your own features into it. I like how the plot goes at a reasonable pace and is not rushed, everything is explained and shown through the thoughts, actions, and words of the characters. As a reader, I'm able to see how the disease progresses throughout the chapters and how it begins to affect the people including the main characters who are worried for their safety and lives.

I can't really say that there were any specific themes which I picked up whilst reading the book. If there are any themes throughout the book, then I would say you need to try harder to include them through your writing as not all readers will be able to pick up on them very quickly.

Writing

Your writing is good because you don't bore the reader. You're not throwing masses of boring information at me and that is what made me continue to want to read the book. You've managed to set the scenes and explore the thoughts of the characters really well and included a mixture of descriptive language.

Some feedback would be to try and build up your theme more throughout your writing as you want the reader to be asking questions, and build up the anticipation for them so that they want more. Spelling and grammar needs to be worked on. I did come across many spelling errors which could easily be corrected with some editing.

There wasn't much varied vocabulary in there; I would have liked to have seen more unusual words popping up throughout the story. Using a range of vocabulary does not only keep the reader interested but also improves your writing so you're not having to use the same words repeatedly throughout the book.

Characters

The development of your characters is still in early days I'd say; there's definitely some improvement to be made of course, but there are certain aspects of them which I liked.

Their thoughts and emotions were portrayed and shown throughout all the chapters, not only through what they were saying but in their actions as well. I felt you really put yourself into the characters' shoes when writing as all emotions and feelings seemed %very realistic.

Some feedback would be to try and show the different sides of the characters and maybe a bit more of the background of the characters so the readers know what they've been through. Sometimes this can help to build up the mystery and a reader would begin to wonder and ask questions about the actions of certain characters.

Overall Impression

The way the book has been written makes the reader feel as if they're almost the character themselves as they're able to relate to the characters and evoke emotions within themselves. It's a book that I would read if it had been fully completed and edited. I don't read much of sci-fi usually, but this book seems like a good read and I enjoyed reading the chapters published thus far.

Like all books though, there is room for improvement. I would like to see more originality and creativity when it comes to the development of the characters and the plot as it's your book so you should be able to really change everything about it, and make it different and stand out from other works.

Spelling and grammar needs to be worked on of course. This is a common area of improving. Poor spelling and grammar can drive the readers away instead of attracting them.

Personally, I enjoyed reading the book because it's not bad, and it is interesting. I'd say this is like a starter book for sci-fi if you've never really read a book of that genre before.

Reviewed by: Pixie