We read this one for our 9-year-old book club, and honestly it was just a rollicking adventure— the boys and I loved it. Super short, fast paced, and with tons of voice. The character development along the way was awesome, and it definitely had some laughs too. Highly recommend!
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I read this aloud to my 9yo and 7yo boys and all three of us loved it. Cath’s reactions and thoughts felt so authentically preteen, and the story brought up so much for us discuss. I loved how they connected to Jason and were able to grasp both how Jason’s wheelchair & a communication book were a part of him, making him who he is— just like David’s autism.
My kids and I read this book just the 3 of us as we waited for the other kids in their book club to catch up, but now they want the other kids to read it too so they can all talk about it. And I think it especially hits home as the author also has a daughter and an autistic son.
Highly, highly recommend — especially for read-aloud or a young readers’ book club.
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I read this book for our local book club and it was very much not for me, so I won’t leave a star rating.
The last 25% is pretty solid, but the first 75% of this 20-hour audiobook were incredibly slow. The main twist was obvious to the reader (and the other twist extremely hinted/foreshadowed as well), which made the MC not knowing pretty frustrating. I sent quite a few frustrated texts to my friend on this one waffling about whether I would finish.
But I know others in the book club loved it, so if you don’t mind a romantasy that takes its time, this might be for you. (no rating)
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I love Abby Jimenez’s writing style, but this one didn’t work for me. I felt like Xavier was doing all the work and making all the sacrifices for their relationship, and some of their choices as a couple & family, I felt like weren’t very smart. I was a huge fan of the early Jimenez books that felt more rom-commy, but these are also a little heavy for me. Jimenez books used to be an auto-read for me, but I think I’ve got to take a break for now. Life’s Too Short remains my favorite of hers! (no star rating)
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So this book reads like vampires + Hunger Games. I liked the characters, it kept my attention throughout, the narration is great, and the twists, while not totally unexpected, were executed well. Honestly, I finished this book approximately five seconds ago, and I’m processing on my keyboard here as I try to figure out why this wasn’t a five-star read for me. I feel like it should be, but maybe I’m just in a reading slump? I don’t know, but I probably won’t pick up the sequel. I can only assume I’ve been broken as a reader somehow. That said, if you like vampires, dystopia, dark magic, and a little spice, you’ll probably love this one.
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I absolutely adored the Until the End of the World Series, and I love the realism and practicality Fleming depicts a zombie apocalypse with, but I struggled with the pacing on this one. Though I always love her found family vibes, for the number of words, we didn’t make quite the progress I’d hoped. The audiobook narration was awesome, but if you’re looking for a zombie apocalypse book, I still recommend you read Until the End of the World first. I’m not sure I’ll continue on with these.
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The number one question I get is about my books is: “Are you books ‘clean’?” That is a super hard question to answer, because everyone’s definition of ‘clean’ is different. So I’ve made these *very* specific content guides to help readers and parents determine if my books are right for them. Of course, if you have more specific questions, please be sure to reach out!
This post is specifically about The Gatekeeper of Pericael, but you can find the content guide for my Into the Churn series here and the Odriel’s Heirs series here. Thanks for reading!
The number one question I get is about my books is: “Are you books ‘clean’?” That is a super hard question to answer, because everyone’s definition of ‘clean’ is different. So I’ve made these *very* specific content guides to help readers and parents determine if my books are right for them. Of course, if you have more specific questions, please be sure to reach out!
This post is specifically about my Odriel’s Heirs series, but you can find the content guide for my Into the Churn series here and my upper-middle-grade stand-alone, The Gatekeeper of Pericael is coming next week. Thanks for reading!
The number one question I get is about my books is: “Are you books ‘clean’?” That is a super hard question to answer, because everyone’s definition of ‘clean’ is different. So I’ve made these *very* specific content guides to help readers and parents determine if my books are right for them. Of course, if you have more specific questions, please be sure to reach out!
This post is specifically about my Into the Churn series, but I will also make posts for my Odriel’s Heirs series and my upper-middle-grade stand-alone, The Gatekeeper of Pericael. Thanks for reading!
Loved the dark atmosphere, heartwarming themes, sweet romance, and strong found family in this enchanting fantasy with super strong Howl’s Moving Castle vibes. Definitely recommend for fantasy fans looking for a mix of gothic and cozy! And the audiobook is narrated by Carol Beth Anderson who is just absolutely lovely!
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Hayley Reese Chow 