violet_reads's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
braunm580's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
robotswithpersonality's review
As much adventure with quest elements as horror, a good mix.
Protagonist is managing grief, anxiety/panic attacks even as she is coming up against other less everyday challenges. Central message appears to be that empowerment is gained not only by how you brave and conquer new experiences alone, but also how you are supported by active efforts of friends as well as known love from family, how that allows you to move forward with confidence.
Thread of animal welfare/vegetarian concerns running through the story which I appreciated.
Credit to Alfredo Cáceres for the cover and the illustrations within.
Very happy to read further in this series whenever the next is published.
I could quibble at the relative ease of the journey's stops: obstacle met, obstacle overcome, helped by most who are first glance were adversaries, check, onto the next. But it kept a refreshing pace and I've suffered through enough tales that get bogged down with the minutiae of sidelines to appreciate the opposite problem. Also, middle grade means easier reading in a lot of senses, and my brain needs that today.
Protagonist is managing grief, anxiety/panic attacks even as she is coming up against other less everyday challenges. Central message appears to be that empowerment is gained not only by how you brave and conquer new experiences alone, but also how you are supported by active efforts of friends as well as known love from family, how that allows you to move forward with confidence.
Thread of animal welfare/vegetarian concerns running through the story which I appreciated.
Credit to Alfredo Cáceres for the cover and the illustrations within.
Very happy to read further in this series whenever the next is published.
I could quibble at the relative ease of the journey's stops: obstacle met, obstacle overcome, helped by most who are first glance were adversaries, check, onto the next. But it kept a refreshing pace and I've suffered through enough tales that get bogged down with the minutiae of sidelines to appreciate the opposite problem. Also, middle grade means easier reading in a lot of senses, and my brain needs that today.
dgrachel's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
This was a dark MG horror novel that deals with grief, fear, loss, and anxiety. The audiobook narration is done well, capturing the tension perfectly. I liked the characters. The Clackity is reminiscent of Tolkien’s Gollum, and the evil spirit is truly chilling. I’m looking forward to reading the next book in the series.
booksnteatourist's review against another edition
dark
hopeful
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
youraveragedave's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
hopeful
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
I've heard great things about this Middle Grade horror book and wanted to check it out. The story is pretty straight forward, just didn't connect with me (granted I'm not it's target audience).
Audiobook narrator (Kimberly Woods) was pretty great, her voice for The Clackity was awesome... Think Gollum but with glass and knives for teeth and tongue.
Audiobook narrator (Kimberly Woods) was pretty great, her voice for The Clackity was awesome... Think Gollum but with glass and knives for teeth and tongue.
thebiblioboo's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
hopeful
mysterious
tense
medium-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
4.0
As an adult reader who will read anything I thing sounds even mildly interesting, this little middle grade book surprised me. It had far darker themes than a book with the age suggestion of 10-12 would be thought to have. So I really feel this one would be better for more mature readers in that age range. But also for older readers. The book is built around the story of a serial killer, after all. Imaginative, dark, but fun, I really enjoyed this one and that surprised me especially considering I was afraid I'd find it too simple and geared towards someone much younger. A good Halloween read.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Murder, Mental illness, Death of parent, Death, Violence, Panic attacks/disorders, Injury/Injury detail, Grief, Body horror, and Fire/Fire injury
rouge_red's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
3.25
A neat little adventure with some inventive challenges for our protagonist. The serial killer and the Clackity were low key kind of scary, and I also liked the people we met/who helped us along the way. Plus it was a nice way to wrap up the story with our MC freeing these people from the weird dark place in return. I might continue on with the series. A promising start.
kirby_reads's review
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0