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3.69 AVERAGE
3.69 AVERAGE
An action-packed middle grade into younger young adult fantasy that keeps you guessing the whole way. There's plenty of spookiness to satisfy tweens and teens as two 12-year-old thieves break into a house and get more than they bargained for when they discover that a mirror world of their 1910 town exists, and that they may be the only ones who can save the real world from being taken over by nightmares. Imaginative world-building, great character development, fully fleshed out secondary characters. Fans of Lemony Snicket will eat this up.
2.5 stars
This is not a middle grade adventure fantasy. Ought to be YA, though there it might be for the younger YA. There is some creepy scary stuff, but also one solid vulgar comment that really put me off. I enjoyed this book for the most part but had to push to finish.
This is not a middle grade adventure fantasy. Ought to be YA, though there it might be for the younger YA. There is some creepy scary stuff, but also one solid vulgar comment that really put me off. I enjoyed this book for the most part but had to push to finish.
I deeply enjoyed this utterly original middle grade read. There is magic, mythological creatures, portals to a mirror universe, a fun in-world literature element, and ghosts. There are 3 main characters and one of them is irritating, but the others make up for it. I am truly excited to find out where this story goes in the sequel.
another one of the middle grade stories that was too stupid and badly written
adventurous
This was another interesting middle grade fantasy featuring magic and new ways of thinking about fantastic elements in a story.
It features 12-year-old thieves Arthur and Wally in the town of Kingsport. While Arthur's the scheming type, eager to work his way up the Black Feathers gang (which he'll have to pay his drunken father's debts first, if he hopes to climb in the organization), Wally just wants to pay his brother's asylum hospital bill and have enough left over to eat.
Wally needs money and he squirms his way into a scheme by Arthur to rob a supposedly "deserted" mansion. Except, even when no one's in Weirdwood Manor, it's still alive -- watching. The boys step inside and the corridor stretches and twists upside down and turns, totally disorienting them, but they manage to make it to the end and through a door to the Imaginary world.
There the members of an order that are tasked with maintaining balance between the Real and the Imaginary capture Wally, but Arthur escapes. Wally learns Kingsport is having some Imaginary world break-through rift issues, and is on the brink of disaster. Arthur manages to break in to the Manor a second time and rescue Wally, but back in the Real, the boys discover a truly dangerous foe who is to blame for the rift.
I won't spoil the plot; it's super complex and there were twists and turns that kept me reading and guessing, which almost never happens in middle grade stories any longer. The plot is not predictable, which was a delightful surprise.
I highly recommend this one for your holiday gift-giving!
Looking for more book suggestions for your 7th/8th grade classroom and students?
Visit my blog for more great middle grade book recommendations, free teaching materials and fiction writing tips: https://amb.mystrikingly.com/
It features 12-year-old thieves Arthur and Wally in the town of Kingsport. While Arthur's the scheming type, eager to work his way up the Black Feathers gang (which he'll have to pay his drunken father's debts first, if he hopes to climb in the organization), Wally just wants to pay his brother's asylum hospital bill and have enough left over to eat.
Wally needs money and he squirms his way into a scheme by Arthur to rob a supposedly "deserted" mansion. Except, even when no one's in Weirdwood Manor, it's still alive -- watching. The boys step inside and the corridor stretches and twists upside down and turns, totally disorienting them, but they manage to make it to the end and through a door to the Imaginary world.
There the members of an order that are tasked with maintaining balance between the Real and the Imaginary capture Wally, but Arthur escapes. Wally learns Kingsport is having some Imaginary world break-through rift issues, and is on the brink of disaster. Arthur manages to break in to the Manor a second time and rescue Wally, but back in the Real, the boys discover a truly dangerous foe who is to blame for the rift.
I won't spoil the plot; it's super complex and there were twists and turns that kept me reading and guessing, which almost never happens in middle grade stories any longer. The plot is not predictable, which was a delightful surprise.
I highly recommend this one for your holiday gift-giving!
Looking for more book suggestions for your 7th/8th grade classroom and students?
Visit my blog for more great middle grade book recommendations, free teaching materials and fiction writing tips: https://amb.mystrikingly.com/
adventurous
emotional
funny
inspiring
mysterious
tense
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:
Yes
What a journey! This book did at first seem like it was so scary and would be better suited for older kids, but it softened a bit after a spoooooky beginning... (I should also note that I am a chicken when it comes to spooky stuff!) :D
Action-packed, a LOT going on... I did start to feel a little overwhelmed and the middle slowed down a little, action-wise, but this was probably because it was building up to the dramatic. (No spoilers!)
I love the maps in the book. I'm a sucker for maps and I pored over them. I felt like a kid again. Really fun read, good for older middle schoolers and above.
Action-packed, a LOT going on... I did start to feel a little overwhelmed and the middle slowed down a little, action-wise, but this was probably because it was building up to the dramatic. (No spoilers!)
I love the maps in the book. I'm a sucker for maps and I pored over them. I felt like a kid again. Really fun read, good for older middle schoolers and above.