Reviews

The Supernatural Society by Rex Ogle

candypop's review

2.0

I think my review is biased but I just wanted to read a spooky book around Halloween but note to self, you are less likely to enjoy this book if you’re not a middle schooler.

emburklin's review

adventurous funny mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

3.75

mangoaggy's review

adventurous funny lighthearted mysterious fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

readjoyfully's review against another edition

adventurous dark funny mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

This book is scary in the way that isn’t all jump scares and gore. It’s definitely got more monsters than you could possibly imagine but that is also what makes it charming and funny. Definitely has a wit to it. 

pvdjones's review

adventurous funny hopeful lighthearted mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

A fairly fast pace, with a narrator/monster who speaks to the reader. Diverse set of characters, with the main character new to the town. Will/main character has moved to East Emerson following the divorce of his parents. His new friends/neighbors are adoptees.

shiny_raccoon's review

adventurous hopeful mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

3.5

This is a common example of fantasy fiction for middle grade readers. Monsters attacking (and living in) the town.  So though it was a different spin, it felt too reminiscent of other recent fantasy books. 

This is obviously the first book in a series and the ending leaves the reading hanging, but ready to read the next book.

I found the monster narrator somewhat annoying at times and would have preferred the omniscient narrator without the monster’s lived experiences commentary. 

betcei's review

3.0

Will and his mom and his dog move away from new York where he has always lived. They move to a town full of monsters, creepy crawlers and things that go bump in the night...BUT apparently no one but Will can see these creatures. Then his dog goes missing, and Will teams up with his neighbors to find him. I would recommend this book only to children who don't scare easily.

lazygal's review

4.0

I love this middle grade read about a group of friends with, well, abilities. Some kids can see the monsters around them - monsters that are concealing their true nature as normal humans (think vampires and zombies disguised as teachers and shopkeepers). Will, new to the area, needs to make friends and finds common ground with one of the children living across the street, Ivy, who also sees the monsters. And while Ivy's brother doesn't see them, he's really, really smart and agrees to help them figure out the mystery of the missing pets. And there are a lot of missing pets, virtually every pet in town is gone... The tone of the book may be off-putting to the target group, as the era of Lemony Snicketty snideness and commentary seems to be over. But if they can get over that, this could lead them to an interesting series about a very diverse town (humans and non-humans included).

eARC provided by publisher via Netgalley.

missmeganmann's review

dark mysterious tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

This was…slow. I hate long chapters and these felt long for no reason. I felt like they could have been shorter and the pacing would have been a lot better. It was a really interesting story. I’ll probably switch to the audiobook for the second one, if that’s an option. The pacing just really threw me.

mbladams's review

4.0

The Supernatural Society is the first of a new series by Rex Ogle. It is an irreverent fantasy that is a bit uneven, but it has great heart. The story is narrated by a monster, which is one of the things that doesn't quite work for me. But the story eventually hooked me.

Will and his mom just moved to East Emerson for a fresh start, after Will's dad left them. As they drive through town, Will notices that the town is inhabited by all kinds of monsters that no one else seems to see. He becomes friends with siblings Linus and Ivy, who are about as opposite as siblings can be. Linus is all about logic, facts and academics, while Ivy is all about sports, taking naps in class, and learning about monsters, whom she can also see, thanks to a ring she wears.

The first night in town, Will dreams about a witch trying to resurrect an evil being, and a glowing silver fox who tells him "Find the animals, destroy the crown. Save the animals, and save the town." When animals start disappearing around town, including Will's dog Fitz, he realizes it wasn't just a dream, and it is his duty to do something to save the animals and the town.

I enjoyed this story, and look forward to reading the next in the series! Thanks to Netgalley for the advance copy.