By alysepetrone

Here we go...

BOOK COVER

The book cover is such an important element. It's crucial in deciding if your book is going to attract the readers you deserve or not. The book cover for 'Spark' is perfectly fitting for the book name, and the vivid purple cover really draws the eyes of people browsing, causing them to instantly click on your book, like I did :D. Also, I love books with one-word titles, so that's another positive thing I see in 'Spark'. Good going!

FIRST CHAPTER

I love the way the beginning goes, the way you find out about the character's history through a back story. The reader is kept guessing, as to what the history is and how the situation became like that. A few grammatical errors I spotted:

In the third line of the second paragraph, ("...He watched them as if I'll they could...") the word 'I'll'  seems to be added accidentally, so it can be removed. Next, in the sentence: "...As far as I knew, the systems haven't broken ..." I suggest changing the word 'haven't' to 'hadn't' to keep the tense constant. A few corrected sentences-

"...And even if it did, it would be of no use to us..." (the word 'of' had been added)

"...from the ladder opening, away from dad's sullen..." (an apostrophe has been added)

"...Seconds later, they lay motionless..."(tense has been changed to past tense)

The first chapter has a lot action as well, and it has been described skillfully, so good job done!

SECOND CHAPTER

This chapter is one of my absolute favourites! The fact that it's been written in first person really makes a difference. I really like the way the thoughts in Alivia's head have been described, and the details of people's expressions  give the reader a feeling of actually being there. I was completely engrossed in reading this chapter, so I may have missed a few grammatical errors, but I couldn't help being so absorbed! Great work.

THIRD CHAPTER

The transition from scene to scene is like it's been done be some sort of master. I absolutely love the dialogues, and the slight awkwardness between Alivia and Cal makes the readers smile in understanding because it all seems so genuine. However, you might have to review a few errors in tenses and replace present with past to keep it constant. At this point, all I want to do is keep reading, because I feel that there might be a few surprises along the way! The work done is great, and I'd like to stress again that you've got a talent for describing scenes in detail, and this really hooks the reader on in no time.

FOURTH CHAPTER

It takes quite a while for the contrast to sink in. One side, the Royals bring to mind images of majestic Viking kings and generals. On the other hand, it throws you off guard when you see that electricity is playing a major part here. It's a puzzling contrast, but that is exactly what creates such an interesting and unique storyline. I'm sure that last line had people yelling in frustration, as to what happens next and what becomes of Alivia and her powers. Although the characters each have different personalities as described, readers can't help liking all of them, and I'm sure even Marcel will gain fans along the way!

Note: At the time of critiquing, 'Spark' only has four chapters, which is why only four chapters have been mentioned here. 

FINAL NOTE

'Spark' is truly a new and unique story that is part of the rising genres of now. The character names are totally unique and have a distinct individual style. I wold definitely buy the book if I saw it on a bookshelf in a remote bookstore. The book cover, book name and the story elements all come together to create an entertaining little piece of literature. A great effort has been put into it and I'm sure it'll gain popularity not too far away from now!