Doctor Who and An Unearthly Child - 5.5/10

This is the first ever target novelisation I've ever read and I did quite enjoy it.

I don't like An Unearthly Child on the best on days but I do have to say this target novel helped me see it a bit differently and for me personally gave those episodes 2-4 a little bit more character to them, which they desperately needed.

The only thing I can say when comparing the tv story to this is that the tv story's episode 1 is undeniably better than the retelling in this book, as it is what started it all and to this day is one of my favourite 25 minutes of television I've ever sat through.

As previously mentioned I don't really like the story that much to begin with (well by that I mean episodes 2-4) but this novel did try its best to make it entertaining at least, when reading 80 odd pages about blokes arguing over fire its admittedly a difficult task to achieve.

While the regulars can feel strange at times I feel the way they're written is faithful enough and isn't egregious at any point (at least not that I noticed that is) and they work in the story as intended.

What I will say in its praise is that the character of Za definitely felt fuller if that makes sense, the caveman setting was also well realised and made for some decent description to the environment throughout the book.

Overall Doctor Who and An Unearthly Child gets a 5.5/10 because while an improvement over the tv story in some ways I still don't have a love for this story much at all. Well except for episode 1 that is.