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fyziksgirl's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
inspiring
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
A very exciting, action -packed story of finding where you fit and embracing who you are.
Be warned it is much scarier than the description makes it out to be, with heavy emphasis on the main character's parents' dying and descriptive scenes of pain and near -death. For example, the main character is paralyzed so he can't even scream but is conscious as another character takes a scalpel to him to maim and possibly kill him.
I read it with and ostensibly for my kids, but I caught myself wanting to read more to find out what happened next because I was so drawn in!
Be warned it is much scarier than the description makes it out to be, with heavy emphasis on the main character's parents' dying and descriptive scenes of pain and near -death. For example,
I read it with and ostensibly for my kids, but I caught myself wanting to read more to find out what happened next because I was so drawn in!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent
Moderate: Body horror, Bullying, and Violence
tmcphetridge4's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Everyone should read this book! I love Amanda Foody's writing, but I have been hesitant to read Middle-Grade as of late. I haven't been meshing with it very well and I was worried that I might be put off on reading it entirely. But nope! This book was an absolute delight and I IMMEDIATELY started in on the second book. And now it has been confirmed for all seven novels! This book would be a fantastic read for someone looking for adventure, loves animals, but also finds themselves struggling to fit in.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence
Minor: Bullying, Death of parent, Blood, and Grief
lizreadsbooks's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
3.75
3.75 stars, rounded up a little because I think MG readers will love this more than I did. I keep wanting to find a middle grade fantasy that I love as much as HP, which is perhaps an impossible bar. But I liked this story and think it’s a solid MG fantasy pick. This novel has bonds between humans and fantastic beasts, a magical competition, and keeps you guessing where characters’ loyalties really lie. However, I wish there were more character development, as it’s mostly plot based— aside from Barclay, we don’t learn much about the others. Maybe that’s coming in subsequent books. The pacing felt slow to begin and quick to wrap up, but I was engaged enough to keep turning the pages. I think this is a good pick for older MG readers, with the caveat that there’s some violence (dangerous beasts and one dangerous adult) that may be scary for some.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence
Minor: Death
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