Reviews

Arlo Finch in the Valley of Fire by John August

kathrines_bogrum's review against another edition

adventurous medium-paced

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

4.0

henrietteterkelsen's review against another edition

5.0

The 10yo gives this book 5 stars. They find it exciting and well written with great characters and cool world building.

barberchicago_books's review against another edition

5.0

Loved Arlo, his friends, his tenacity, and his skepticism. The things he was doing hint at AWESOMENESS to come, or, as Wu said, “No one can do what Arlo can do. I believe him. I don’t need to know why or how.” I can’t wait to see where Arlo’s journey takes him and the Blue Patrol.

sassenachthebookwizard's review against another edition

5.0

It only took me like 4 hours to read this book!

This book was so adorable! The team-ness and kids-seeing-monsters-ness and the Rangers and the family...was just so sweet! I'll definitely read the next one!

cwrite's review against another edition

4.0

I haven't had as much fun reading a book in a while. Innocent and imaginative, Arlo is a great character to spend time with. I'm already anxious for the next in the series, and ready to start earning Ranger Badges of my own.

thislibrarylife's review against another edition

I think I really wanted this to feel like a Percy Jackson book, and it just didn't. I might come back to it later with some different expectations. 

meggsreads's review against another edition

4.0

4.25/5 This book was a pretty fun read. The mix of Rangers (scouts) and magic keeps the book interesting. There are lots of questions that are not answered in the first book but will be later in the series. I’m definitely looking forward to the next book in the series.

holmesstorybooks's review against another edition

adventurous challenging funny lighthearted mysterious medium-paced

3.5

gerandpa's review against another edition

3.0

*3.5

jessieweaver's review against another edition

5.0

I read this aloud to my 9-year-old daughter, and we both really loved it. It’s a brand-new middle-grade fantasy series from John August, who has been a screenwriter up to now. Arlo has a tricky family situation: his dad is wanted by the FBI for something he didn’t do and fled to China, so his mom has had a rocky time with Arlo and his teenaged sister, Jaycee. At the beginning of the book, the three move in with Mom’s brother in Colorado. The book takes place over winter, as Arlo is introduced to the Rangers, a scout-like troop, who camps, earns badges, and learn to tie knots. But they also deal with otherworldly creatures, some of which seem to be after Arlo. The more I think about this one, the more I LOVE it. I hope it’s a big thing! We can’t wait for the next book in the series; Libbie’s devastated that it won’t come out until next Spring.