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emburklin's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
3.5
amotisse's review
4.0
Fast paced second instalment.
Reminiscent of classics like Famous Five and the likes...
A group of friends saving the day against the odds, what an adventure!
Reminiscent of classics like Famous Five and the likes...
A group of friends saving the day against the odds, what an adventure!
mnstucki's review
4.0
I thought this was just as good, maybe even better, than the first. It added more nuance to each of the main characters! I'll be glad to read the third book in the series when it comes out in September!
ambernh1984's review
4.0
I originally read Darkdeep to review for the middle school I worked for, to show it would be appropriate for the kids. I just happened to really enjoy it! So when I found out there was a sequel I had to read it as well.
While this is a YA series, I've very much enjoyed the camaraderie with the characters, how quaint the little town seems to be, and the craziness that is the Darkdeep.
It's a little Stranger Things meets Black Mirror, but with middle school kids as our protagonists.
Looking forward to the next, and seeing what Dax found back at home!
While this is a YA series, I've very much enjoyed the camaraderie with the characters, how quaint the little town seems to be, and the craziness that is the Darkdeep.
It's a little Stranger Things meets Black Mirror, but with middle school kids as our protagonists.
Looking forward to the next, and seeing what Dax found back at home!
bloopers's review
4.0
Okay wow, this book felt so much better than the first one. Let me explain.
Topic 1: Characters
The characters here all get somewhat equal amount of book time without it getting too overboard. Thing is, you don't get to learn any more about them. In the last book, you got to learn about how his dad was able to save a bunch of owls, but here, there is little to no mention about that, and there is no new information about the kids' families. So while the characters were introduced more, they didn't give more pieces of their own lives.
Topic 2: Worldbuilding
You don't exactly get to learn more about really everything since the gist of it was written in the first book There are a few more bits and pieces near the end, but overall there are few new things introduced in the book.
Topic 3: Writing
This is somewhat like the saving grace of this book. First of all, the dual viewpoints. They actually matter in this book with more of the character's thoughts and separate reactions really taking place, and the book would've felt like a different experience without them.
The authors do a good job of hooking the reader in and while not making me scared, it did have me looking behind my back from time to time.
Topic 4: Should You Get This Book?
Yes, I would definitely interest people to get this book. Not counting the condition of reading the first one, The Darkdeep, it's not overly scary, but it does have a plot that gets you running to the end.
Topic 5: Final Thoughts
A fun and perfectly paced book, The Beast gets a 3.5 stars from me.
Topic 1: Characters
The characters here all get somewhat equal amount of book time without it getting too overboard. Thing is, you don't get to learn any more about them. In the last book, you got to learn about how his dad was able to save a bunch of owls, but here, there is little to no mention about that, and there is no new information about the kids' families. So while the characters were introduced more, they didn't give more pieces of their own lives.
Topic 2: Worldbuilding
You don't exactly get to learn more about really everything since the gist of it was written in the first book There are a few more bits and pieces near the end, but overall there are few new things introduced in the book.
Topic 3: Writing
This is somewhat like the saving grace of this book. First of all, the dual viewpoints. They actually matter in this book with more of the character's thoughts and separate reactions really taking place, and the book would've felt like a different experience without them.
The authors do a good job of hooking the reader in and while not making me scared, it did have me looking behind my back from time to time.
Topic 4: Should You Get This Book?
Yes, I would definitely interest people to get this book. Not counting the condition of reading the first one, The Darkdeep, it's not overly scary, but it does have a plot that gets you running to the end.
Topic 5: Final Thoughts
A fun and perfectly paced book, The Beast gets a 3.5 stars from me.
story_sanctuary's review
4.0
If you liked DARKDEEP, hang on, because THE BEAST packs even more of a suspenseful ride. I love the way the characters come together as a team, and the way they’re all different from each other. Emma is my favorite– her spunky, can’t-be-kept-down attitude would probably annoy me in a real life crisis, but she adds a lot of pizzazz to the story.
I think THE BEAST is a bit scarier than THE DARKDEEP. I think THE DARKDEEP was eerie and strange, but maybe because Nico and Opal were only just figuring out what was happening, it didn’t really ramp up in intensity until the end of the book. But with THE BEAST, Nico, Opal, Tyler, Emma, and Logan are already in trouble and desperately trying to get things under control.
This is definitely a quick read– because so much keeps you on the edge of your seat! It’s hard to find a place to drop a bookmark and stop. I think fans of THE DARKDEEP will really like this sequel and enjoy seeing where the series goes next. If you haven’t read THE DARKDEEP, you need to read it first before starting THE BEAST or you’ll have a hard time following the story.
Note: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
I think THE BEAST is a bit scarier than THE DARKDEEP. I think THE DARKDEEP was eerie and strange, but maybe because Nico and Opal were only just figuring out what was happening, it didn’t really ramp up in intensity until the end of the book. But with THE BEAST, Nico, Opal, Tyler, Emma, and Logan are already in trouble and desperately trying to get things under control.
This is definitely a quick read– because so much keeps you on the edge of your seat! It’s hard to find a place to drop a bookmark and stop. I think fans of THE DARKDEEP will really like this sequel and enjoy seeing where the series goes next. If you haven’t read THE DARKDEEP, you need to read it first before starting THE BEAST or you’ll have a hard time following the story.
Note: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
danielvicens's review
adventurous
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
the_fabric_of_words's review
5.0
In this sequel, the five teens -- Nico, Opal, Tyler, Emma and Logan -- discover that perhaps they haven't totally shut down the Darkdeep afterall. The leaks -- beginning with a full-fledged Pokemon Charizard -- start coming at the worst possible time, right before the town's Saturday Halloween festival and the Torchbearers' daggers are mysteriously no longer working to dispell the creatures.
To make matters worse, rumors of "The Beast," the sort of Lochness monster haunting / protecting the waters around the island where the Darkdeep is hidden, have trickled down to the producer of a reality-TV show, Freakshow, Colton Bridger. Bridger is determined to find the source of the rumors and rake in the ratings, at any cost.
But then Opal starts getting messages from the green Thing in the jar. She trusts it, a decision which turns out to be far more important than any of them could have imagined. It holds both the key to the Torchbearers understanding their new roles and restoring balance to the breach in the portal between worlds.
Emma infiltrates Bridger's crew as a grip and tries to keep them away from the The Beast and the Darkdeep, but things quickly spiral out of control and before they know it, it's full-video'ed mayhem at the festival, with monsters and goblins of all sorts and even The Beast making an appearance.
I won't spoil the ending, just know there's no clear bad guy here -- well, maybe Bridger, but even he's pitiable by the end.
A fun Halloween-inspired read!
Visit my blog for more great middle grade book recommendations, free teaching materials and fiction writing tips: http://amb.mystrikingly.com/
To make matters worse, rumors of "The Beast," the sort of Lochness monster haunting / protecting the waters around the island where the Darkdeep is hidden, have trickled down to the producer of a reality-TV show, Freakshow, Colton Bridger. Bridger is determined to find the source of the rumors and rake in the ratings, at any cost.
But then Opal starts getting messages from the green Thing in the jar. She trusts it, a decision which turns out to be far more important than any of them could have imagined. It holds both the key to the Torchbearers understanding their new roles and restoring balance to the breach in the portal between worlds.
Emma infiltrates Bridger's crew as a grip and tries to keep them away from the The Beast and the Darkdeep, but things quickly spiral out of control and before they know it, it's full-video'ed mayhem at the festival, with monsters and goblins of all sorts and even The Beast making an appearance.
I won't spoil the ending, just know there's no clear bad guy here -- well, maybe Bridger, but even he's pitiable by the end.
A fun Halloween-inspired read!
Visit my blog for more great middle grade book recommendations, free teaching materials and fiction writing tips: http://amb.mystrikingly.com/