allithebookgiraffe_'s review
4.0
I was given an ARC of this book by Booksirens.
This was an interesting portal fantasy type middle grade. The MC already knows about the world on the other side and is training to be a gatekeeper of the world on the other side of this door. He doesn't want to do this job, but he is forced into it when he is the only person around who can do so. This was such a fast paced novel! I can't believe so much happened in such a short amount of book. I also loved the MC Porter and his cousin Ames's friendship! I hope the author decides to write more within this world in the future, because I would read it all!
This was an interesting portal fantasy type middle grade. The MC already knows about the world on the other side and is training to be a gatekeeper of the world on the other side of this door. He doesn't want to do this job, but he is forced into it when he is the only person around who can do so. This was such a fast paced novel! I can't believe so much happened in such a short amount of book. I also loved the MC Porter and his cousin Ames's friendship! I hope the author decides to write more within this world in the future, because I would read it all!
aclopez6's review
4.0
For background, I am a high school teacher working with kiddos ranging from a 3rd - 11th grade reading level, so I’m looking at this book through the lens of an educator wanting to recommend books to students that meet their needs/wants.
This book jumps right into the world of Pericael, with different lingo and the reader needs to be able to immerse themself and suspend disbelief--definitely would recommend for fantasy lovers. I appreciated that the magic in this book (creatures, spellbooks, rituals) were described without being overly explanatory for a middle grade audience.
As someone who values a balance between battle scenes, dialogue, and solid character development, I enjoyed the book and its flow between common non-magical reality (primarily at the start and end of the book with one quick snippet in the middle) and magical world. The protagonist, Porter, is likable and relatable to the reader. He feels isolated with his secret responsibilities and power, and is reluctant to take on his role in Pericael. Ultimately he grows alongside his cousin, Ames, and a group of powerful individuals, and comes into his full self.
I would recommend this book to my students, but I would not teach the book necessarily (in Guided Reading), if only because many of the characters' feelings and motivations are directly stated rather than just implied--but it makes for a great bit of light reading!
This book jumps right into the world of Pericael, with different lingo and the reader needs to be able to immerse themself and suspend disbelief--definitely would recommend for fantasy lovers. I appreciated that the magic in this book (creatures, spellbooks, rituals) were described without being overly explanatory for a middle grade audience.
As someone who values a balance between battle scenes, dialogue, and solid character development, I enjoyed the book and its flow between common non-magical reality (primarily at the start and end of the book with one quick snippet in the middle) and magical world. The protagonist, Porter, is likable and relatable to the reader. He feels isolated with his secret responsibilities and power, and is reluctant to take on his role in Pericael. Ultimately he grows alongside his cousin, Ames, and a group of powerful individuals, and comes into his full self.
I would recommend this book to my students, but I would not teach the book necessarily (in Guided Reading), if only because many of the characters' feelings and motivations are directly stated rather than just implied--but it makes for a great bit of light reading!
pinknoface's review
Just wants for me, the world felt flat and things were not explained very well, also the characters descriptions Didnt exist. The author just throws you in the world without explaining and just expects you to under tand
tabatha_shipley's review
4.0
Electronic ARC provided by the author ;)
What I Did Like:
-Ames and Porter. They’re great characters, they have a great relationship, and they’ll appeal to middle-grade readers with their strong personalities.
-The fantasy world. It’s light and refreshing, keeping your interest but also not feeling too “serious” for middle grade. It’s satisfyingly new without being scary. I loved it!
-Magic System. I enjoyed the way runes were used to show the magic, instead of it being all inside of Porter. I think middle-grade readers would relate to this because it feels more like something YOU could learn.
Who Should Read This One:
-Fans of MG fantasy like Gregor the Overlander will love the vibe of this one.
-MG readers who like the idea of a kid JUST LIKE THEM falling into another world.
My Rating: 4 Stars. I loved the vibe of this one and I think MG fantasy readers will too!
For Full Review: https://youtu.be/8wYuuMSAma4
What I Did Like:
-Ames and Porter. They’re great characters, they have a great relationship, and they’ll appeal to middle-grade readers with their strong personalities.
-The fantasy world. It’s light and refreshing, keeping your interest but also not feeling too “serious” for middle grade. It’s satisfyingly new without being scary. I loved it!
-Magic System. I enjoyed the way runes were used to show the magic, instead of it being all inside of Porter. I think middle-grade readers would relate to this because it feels more like something YOU could learn.
Who Should Read This One:
-Fans of MG fantasy like Gregor the Overlander will love the vibe of this one.
-MG readers who like the idea of a kid JUST LIKE THEM falling into another world.
My Rating: 4 Stars. I loved the vibe of this one and I think MG fantasy readers will too!
For Full Review: https://youtu.be/8wYuuMSAma4
lailiving's review
5.0
Great world building! I love Pericael world, its language and all the different villages (and people) inside it. I can relate to Porter (to his trauma, his fears and doubt) and the improvement he made along the journey. At first, I was confused with some foreign terms and things happening inside the story, but then they were all answered step by step in the next chapters. If you're like me, who expected a boring journey to come back to the village before the villain, you won't be bored anymore because we'll get to see the 4 travellers introduced themselves and their story to you, and to learn and even change themselves. A nice story for everyone, not only those whose the same age as Porter or Conri.
facebehindabook's review
4.0
This book is action packed, fast paced and so well thought out in terms of character development and world building.
You are thrown in the deep end of this world right from the start. I really love how certain words in the language you discover in this book have no English equivalent but the author still has time to express what they mean.
I would really love to see either his mothers adventures or find out more about each tribe you come across during this story as I felt this was the only thing missing.
I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.
You are thrown in the deep end of this world right from the start. I really love how certain words in the language you discover in this book have no English equivalent but the author still has time to express what they mean.
I would really love to see either his mothers adventures or find out more about each tribe you come across during this story as I felt this was the only thing missing.
I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.
louturnspages's review
4.0
I was glad to receive a free copy of this book through NETGALLEY in exchange for an honest review.
This book was so much fun! I love a good, magical world and an adventure where the protagonist is thrown into the middle of a story much larger than his or herself and has to rise to the occasion. The Gatekeeper of Pericael provides both!
Caught between two worlds and between his desire for a “normal” life and his responsibilities as the gatekeeper between Pericael and Earth, 12 year-old Porter resents a role that alienates him from his peers and traps him in his hometown, even his home for the rest of his life. He fully feels that isolating sense of betweenness and deeply desires a place to belong.
When he and his cousin Ames wind up in the middle of a battle to protect the spirits of Pericael and Earth from the evil shaman Raspurn, Porter has to find his own way forward without the guidance of his mother or the shaman who trains him. With the help of the spirits of Pericael and some new friends along the way, he must overcome his own insecurities and save the worlds!
This is a magical coming-of-age story, and I loved it. I can’t wait to share it with my kids!
This book was so much fun! I love a good, magical world and an adventure where the protagonist is thrown into the middle of a story much larger than his or herself and has to rise to the occasion. The Gatekeeper of Pericael provides both!
Caught between two worlds and between his desire for a “normal” life and his responsibilities as the gatekeeper between Pericael and Earth, 12 year-old Porter resents a role that alienates him from his peers and traps him in his hometown, even his home for the rest of his life. He fully feels that isolating sense of betweenness and deeply desires a place to belong.
When he and his cousin Ames wind up in the middle of a battle to protect the spirits of Pericael and Earth from the evil shaman Raspurn, Porter has to find his own way forward without the guidance of his mother or the shaman who trains him. With the help of the spirits of Pericael and some new friends along the way, he must overcome his own insecurities and save the worlds!
This is a magical coming-of-age story, and I loved it. I can’t wait to share it with my kids!
bookarina's review
3.0
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the author (of which I am thankful for, thank you again !), this in no way affects my review my thoughts are my own.
This book was a peculiar read for me. There is a lot I enjoyed in this book, like the magic and world building. However, somehow, I found myself unable to connect to the characters. Maybe it is because I am difficult in middlegrade books I read and enjoy ?
Our main character is the gatekeeper of the gate that connects our world to the world of Pericael. The story truly begins as he is the last line of defense when an evil shaman decides to attack Pericael. The shaman steals souls of children and by accident Our main character Porter and his cousin Ames go through the gate and must hide in order to read the gate once more and run away with their soul intact. They end up getting together with the children of the village leader (a village in Pericael called K-something).
One of the characters is blind (Conri, long story short it was to save her life and is a side effect of that event) and while the rep excited me I found it detrimental to the community, while I cannot speak on it as I am not blind myself, the representation felt like an attribute or something to make them different rather than an actual badass character that happens to be blind (say like Toph in avatar the last air bender, she is so badass and funny and using her power of the earth to navigate the world through the vibrations of the ground). The whole time she is described as looking or making eye contact, which can happen but not without the person first talking or making sound, it is inaccurate to say a blind person is always making with no feedback eye contact and is looking at something. I wish it had been more realistic. While I can get the, she is a fierce fighter, it is unlikely that without someone describing or her knowing a place perfectly (even if she can see shadows and light to a degree) that she could fight right away or always save people ? She isn't affected at all by her disability, while it is very likely she can be highly independent, I wish there had been a spirit/mythical creature guide, animal guide or something that made for an explanation for the fights in unknown territories that were told as if she could see. So why make her blind if there are no instances of rep with blindness ?
I also disliked how Conri was always saving the day , our MC was just there, but not hero-ish or as cool or powerful as I had though a gatekeeper, which is a very serious job, should have been and it bothered me. While I in no way wanted them to be saving the day all the time it made me wonder all the time why Porter was the gatekeeper, it seemed like nothing set him apart, rather why wasn't Conri the gatekeeper wouldn't she have been perfect for the job, Porter could've been a gatekeeper in training ???
Overall packed with action and roughly a 4-5 hour read.
3/5 stars
Bookarina.
This book was a peculiar read for me. There is a lot I enjoyed in this book, like the magic and world building. However, somehow, I found myself unable to connect to the characters. Maybe it is because I am difficult in middlegrade books I read and enjoy ?
Our main character is the gatekeeper of the gate that connects our world to the world of Pericael. The story truly begins as he is the last line of defense when an evil shaman decides to attack Pericael. The shaman steals souls of children and by accident Our main character Porter and his cousin Ames go through the gate and must hide in order to read the gate once more and run away with their soul intact. They end up getting together with the children of the village leader (a village in Pericael called K-something).
One of the characters is blind (Conri, long story short it was to save her life and is a side effect of that event) and while the rep excited me I found it detrimental to the community, while I cannot speak on it as I am not blind myself, the representation felt like an attribute or something to make them different rather than an actual badass character that happens to be blind (say like Toph in avatar the last air bender, she is so badass and funny and using her power of the earth to navigate the world through the vibrations of the ground). The whole time she is described as looking or making eye contact, which can happen but not without the person first talking or making sound, it is inaccurate to say a blind person is always making with no feedback eye contact and is looking at something. I wish it had been more realistic. While I can get the, she is a fierce fighter, it is unlikely that without someone describing or her knowing a place perfectly (even if she can see shadows and light to a degree) that she could fight right away or always save people ? She isn't affected at all by her disability, while it is very likely she can be highly independent, I wish there had been a spirit/mythical creature guide, animal guide or something that made for an explanation for the fights in unknown territories that were told as if she could see. So why make her blind if there are no instances of rep with blindness ?
I also disliked how Conri was always saving the day , our MC was just there, but not hero-ish or as cool or powerful as I had though a gatekeeper, which is a very serious job, should have been and it bothered me. While I in no way wanted them to be saving the day all the time it made me wonder all the time why Porter was the gatekeeper, it seemed like nothing set him apart, rather why wasn't Conri the gatekeeper wouldn't she have been perfect for the job, Porter could've been a gatekeeper in training ???
Overall packed with action and roughly a 4-5 hour read.
3/5 stars
Bookarina.
onreviewbysara's review
4.0
Read the full review here: https://onreviewbysara.com/2021/05/14/the-gatekeeper-of-pericael-by-hayley-reese-chow/
I was lucky enough to read this book after the author reached out and gave me a copy. I hope the prospective reader will read this review fully before making any prejudgments on the book. I will give the book my thoughts. These thoughts are completely my own and not swayed in any way by anyone else’s reviews or opinions.
Check out my blog for more: www.onreviewbysara.com
My Rating: I rate this book a strong 4 out of 5 stars. It was an adventure that was fun. I enjoyed the book, but felt like I was missing the connection with the characters and storyline. I think that I would recommend books for younger readers. Middle grade readers would love this book. I think that even if I didn’t fully connect, I know that others will. This book was generally entertaining and one I would give to a twelve-year-old to get into reading.
I was lucky enough to read this book after the author reached out and gave me a copy. I hope the prospective reader will read this review fully before making any prejudgments on the book. I will give the book my thoughts. These thoughts are completely my own and not swayed in any way by anyone else’s reviews or opinions.
Check out my blog for more: www.onreviewbysara.com
My Rating: I rate this book a strong 4 out of 5 stars. It was an adventure that was fun. I enjoyed the book, but felt like I was missing the connection with the characters and storyline. I think that I would recommend books for younger readers. Middle grade readers would love this book. I think that even if I didn’t fully connect, I know that others will. This book was generally entertaining and one I would give to a twelve-year-old to get into reading.
alliwolfethebookgiraffe's review
4.0
I was given an ARC of this book by Booksirens.
This was an interesting portal fantasy type middle grade. The MC already knows about the world on the other side and is training to be a gatekeeper of the world on the other side of this door. He doesn't want to do this job, but he is forced into it when he is the only person around who can do so. This was such a fast paced novel! I can't believe so much happened in such a short amount of book. I also loved the MC Porter and his cousin Ames's friendship! I hope the author decides to write more within this world in the future, because I would read it all!
This was an interesting portal fantasy type middle grade. The MC already knows about the world on the other side and is training to be a gatekeeper of the world on the other side of this door. He doesn't want to do this job, but he is forced into it when he is the only person around who can do so. This was such a fast paced novel! I can't believe so much happened in such a short amount of book. I also loved the MC Porter and his cousin Ames's friendship! I hope the author decides to write more within this world in the future, because I would read it all!