I received a free ecopy of this book in return for an honest review. Many thanks to Netgalley and and the publisher for the opportunity.

The Journal of Curious Letters is a re-release. First released in 2008, it is presumably hoped that the success of The Maze Runner will help sales. This book is a whole different ball game. Unlike The Maze Runner, which is a Young Adult dystopian with a pretty high body count, The Journal Of Curious Letters is middle grade fiction with mild danger.

Reminiscent of the early Harry Potter books in its style and humour, TJCL is about a boy who receives a letter and strange things begin to happen. Unlike HP, this books explains these things with vague references to quantum physics. Most of the book involved Atticus (Tick) working out word puzzles and building up to a major event that didn’t occur till quite late in the book. I mimicked Tick’s impatience and felt the main action could have come along quicker.

I felt that some of the obstacles were overcome too quickly and easily, though given the age range this is aimed at, this may not be such a bad thing. Also some of the dialogue was a bizarre and perhaps based a little to heavily on stereotypes.

There were some great elements to the book though. You were given plenty of opportunity to work the puzzles out for yourself (I was too lazy for the most part). Also Tick has a lovely family, especially dad who is supportive without taking over. By the end of the book, there was still enough unexplained mystery to draw you to the next book.

This is a book that would provide entertainment and enjoyment to a younger, pre-teen reader (and some adults too).

I quite enjoyed this but it felt a little bit young at times, fun characters and some interesting ideas. Think it could have worked better if it had been aimed slightly older. I was expecting teen but this was very much 9-12.

A quirky and clever adventure tale for the middle grades, but one that is also perfectly enjoyable by anyone young at heart. Using a clever blend of magic and science, James Dasher takes his charmingly named hero, Atticus (Tick) HIgginbotham, and us as readers, on a thrilling treasure hunt that could save the world. Along the way we meet strange characters from alternate realities, some good, some a little less so, mysterious and monstrous creatures and a wise cracking Italian pasta heiress. By firmly grounding his main character in reality, Dasher allows the magical moments to really shine. Mixing in ideas from quantum physics, in a very easy to relate to way, and peppering the book with brain teasing clues for the reader to solve along with Tick and his motley crew, means the reader is really invested in the story being told. Two things really stood out to me while reading this book , firstly the really strong and frankly cool character of Sofia, but secondly and most importantly, the wonderful relationship Tick had with his father, something that is so often missing from books aimed at the tween market. Yes the writing style is simplistic at times, and there may be a cliche or two , but for a book targeting the younger end of the market, I would not hesitate to recommend this to fans of Harry Potter, Lemony Snicket and the like.

This is a very fun and exciting story that rockets through time, space, and realities. Lots of interesting characters and plot twists. Excellent story for upper elementary and middle school.

If you adore fantastical stories and books such as Harry Potter, then The 13th Reality series may be right up your alley!

A strange letter arrives for young Atticus (Tick) Higginbottom with a postmark of Alaska and signed just MG. This is just the first of 12 letters that he will receive.

For a while, Tick wonders if being a part of this something greater than him is a wise choice. But, with the help of his dad and a few other teens/tweens who he connects with over the internet, he makes the choice to do all he can to save the world.

I'll admit that it took me a little while to get 'hooked' into the story. But, now that I've finished this title I am eager to read the others which follow.

I Think I Need to Talk to Dad About This

This book has everything you expect in terms of a middle grade fantasy quest - clues, fantastic creatures, villains, multiple realities, great danger, a mysterious benefactor/guide, end-of-the-world threats, mystery after mystery, a gang of plucky companions, and an appealing early teen hero. It can clunky and flat and a bit labored here and there, but it has energy and a kind of sparks flying creativity. But it also has something else, something important, that is exceptionally rare in such books.

Our hero, Tick, is shy and maybe a bit passive, but there's clearly a hero within. He's smart, independent, goal oriented, resourceful, curious, and faithful. He treasures his family, (as much as a thirteen year old can), and his Mom, Dad, and two sisters all seem to be solid, decent sorts. But here's the thing. Tick receives weird anonymous messages. He is assaulted by dark scary creatures. He is seriously injured once. He is contacted by strange friendly creatures twice. At this point, maybe a quarter of the way into the book, he decides that perhaps he ought to level with his Dad and tell him what's going on. So, he sits down with Dad, shows him the clues and letters he's received, recounts his adventures to date and 1) seeks his Dad's advice, and 2) relaxes and feels better about the whole quest.

Have you ever read a middle grade fantasy adventure in which the kid levels with his folks and seeks their guidance? Usually, and conveniently, the hero kid is an orphan, or has been abandoned by his distracted parents, or finds his parents have been hypnotized or bespelled, or just sneaks around behind their backs. In less skilled hands the parents just fade out of the story and like an appendix that may have had a purpose once they ultimately just become vestigial organs.

Here, Tick values his Dad's advice. His Dad rallies 'round in a calm, decisive, and supportive manner. Dad trusts in and believes Tick. They decide to address the challenge together. As a matter of book structure this doesn't get in the way of the rollicking fantasy adventure, and Dad doesn't become a major character as such, but I was just struck by how refreshing and positive this little twist was.

In any event, putting aside that little pitch for family values, and for hiring your adult mentor from within instead of finding a wizard somewhere, this is a fine and cleverly constructed clue based fantasy adventure. The clues and puzzles are actually pretty good. The funny characters are actually funny. The hero has a sense of humor and a gungho style that goes down easy. There's a bit of edge and vinegar here and there, and some of the scary bits, (a mechanical wasp attack), are actually scary, but it's all good end-of-the-world fun and it has enough dry, deadpan humor to even amuse older readers. It gets a little hectic and over the top by the end, but I thought it was a neat find.

(Please note that I received a free ecopy of this book without a review requirement, or any influence regarding review content should I choose to post a review. Apart from that I have no connection at all to either the author or the publisher of this book.)

I found this book to be both enjoyable and frustrating at the same time. There was a lot of good and just enough bad to make me very indecisive about the story.
The characters were mostly fun-loving and relatable. Tick has his quirks and owns them nicely. He is a motivated kid with some hesitancies that make him a perfect character to follow in a children’s story. He was enjoyable and had a great sense of humor. Tick’s father, Edgar, was a typical dad, yet had a bunch of questionable parenting skills. Sofia’s character was very difficult to like. She was overly bossy, highly stereotypical, and not a good spokesperson for Italy on the whole. Mothball and Rutger were properly fantastical, but bordered on annoying. They did not get in the way too much when they were present and were kept to minimum and as needed to drive the story forward. Minor characters were added in nicely and fit the situations.
The story line was there, albeit out-there, yet was fun for a children’s fantasy/mystery. The clues we hard enough to keep kids guessing to the end, yet easily explainable. The story did drag here and there and had me stopping from time to time to get motivated to get back into it. I feel this was caused by too many quirks and not enough action at times.
After I finished this title, I found that this was one of Dashner’s earlier works and I can see now that he simply wasn’t as polished a writer, or lacked the extra editing that his young adult series has. This series could go a lot farther with some editing and rewriting to fine tune the plot and storyline to a more streamlined finish. I enjoyed this one, but wouldn’t recommend it in this state.

The premise was interesting, but I found myself quite uninterested throughout the story. I really love middle-grade adventure stories, but I think I may be a little too old for them now...

<a
href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/24885527-the-13th-reality" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px"><img border="0" alt="The 13th Reality: The Journal of Curious Letters / The Hunt for Dark Infinity (The 13th Reality, #1-2)" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1430942771m/24885527.jpg" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/24885527-the-13th-reality">The 13th Reality: The Journal of Curious Letters / The Hunt for Dark Infinity</a> by <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/348878.James_Dashner">James Dashner</a><br/>
My rating: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2206295388">2 of 5 stars</a><br /><br />
Big thanks go to Sweet Cherry Publishing, James Dashner, and Netgalley for the free copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased review.<br /><br />I️ cannot imagine at what audience this is aimed because I️ felt it was so dumbed down. The speech was so simple; the narrative seemed whipped out and never improved upon. I️ think it must be for young adolescents. They would get excited about time travel and the zany battle scenes. I️ think I️ would recommend it to about 10-12 year olds, definitely not the Maze Runner audience.
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/list/6595648-bam-the-bibliomaniac">View all my reviews</a>

DNF after over a quarter - I wanted to like this, but the whole 'these riddles will help prepare you' shtick was just too much and utterly illogical, the characters were clearly going to get on my wick, and it was just too long-winded, and needed a much firmer editorial hand on it. I can see why the author's other series is so much better known.

As soon as I found out that the same author who wrote the Maze Runner stories, wrote this series - had to request it!
On Amazon, they sell both book 1&2 together and boy, is the size of that book intimidating. It was much more manageable in the smaller size.
I really enjoyed this book so much that I will be purchasing the remaining books in the series. I actually didn't know quite what to expect heading into this one, but it was a good surprise! Lots of twists and turns!

Thank you for this reading. I enjoy it. The story is very interesting et a pleasure to read. Congrat

I would say four and a half stars, but since you can't do that, I'll settle with four.

(I can't wait for the sequel, if there is one, but it feels like there will, and should be.)

For starters, something that made this book so good, is that I loved all the characters. (Yep, ALL the characters.) I loved Tick, how he was clever, he wondered, he wasn't perfect, but he was something. I really admire Tick. And I like how he told his dad straight away. Actually Edgar Higginbottom was one of my favourites. Edgar wasn't handsome. In fact, he was overweight. But he was, and is, the ideal dad. He is funny, loveable, and he believes his son. I also loved Mothball, Rutger, and Master George. (Who was very humourous, flared up easily, and had a strange relationship with his cat, Muffintops.)

I liked Gunn, and I even liked Mistress Jane. (Well, not really. But I loved her character, the idea of her, 'a bald banana lady'.) I loved Norbert, Frupey, Billy Cooper (the goat), Sato, Sophia Pacini and her strange words (Americanese boys). Actually Sophia was one of my favourite characters. Her, Tick and Edgar.

But I loved the whole journey, the letters, how crazy it all was, but yet, how believable.

The only thing I would improve was the slight randomness.

This book was for a more younger audience than the Maze Runner, and more fantasy like, but I loved it all the more. I recommend this to anyone who needs a heart warming story to encourage them, or just wants a good read that will end up with them feeling satisfied, happy, and yet wanting more, which will come sooner or
later... hopefully.

A fun and different middle grade adventure. Tick is a great character. The story starts with him having to solve a variety of riddles. I loved the fact that unlike most stories, he tells his dad who supports him while he tries to solve them. The last part was the weakest for me, but still an overall fun read. It will be fun to see where he takes the story next.

I would highly recommend this book to 10-14 year olds, if you're in that age bracket or looking for a book for someone that age I would say it's a solid 4.5 stars and to go buy it. It was a great book, and honestly if the verbiage and social issues had been a little less targeted to the age range mentioned previous I would recommend it for all. As it stands, if you can get past those things as a high schooler or adult it still is an engaging book. Tick, our protagonist, is likable and endearing. He's not the most social of people, but he's got a solid head on his shoulders with very supportive parents and family life. Touches on some issues with bullies and self-confidence, and promotes open communication with parents. The plot has the potential to be complex, but I think it does a good job of explaining things for its intended audience. There are some riddles in there too that kept me engaged and that I tried figuring out before Tick. Has all the great hallmarks of an awesome fantasy series, and I look forward to the next one!

This was a fun book to start with. I liked the suspense of the postcards and Tick trying to figure out what was going on, but the book petered out towards the end. Apart from Tick, Rutger and Mothball, the characters weren't particularly interesting either (and must stay that the token girl character put me off quite a bit). Overall, I'd think that an average middle-grade reader would quite enjoy this book. As an adult, though, I couldn't get my head around Tick's father, who I thought was ridiculously irresponsible.

I'll start this off by saying that I really enjoyed this book and will read more in the series. It is well written and the plot, while not completely unique, is exciting and different enough to make it a very interesting story. As the science geek that I am, I really like the idea of introducing kids to big ideas at a young age and you can't get much harder for a layman to grasp than quantum physics.
The book follows Atticus "Tick" Higgenbottom, typical nerd in many ways but really just your average smart kid. One day he get a strange letter inviting him to participate in a dangerous, mysterious secret mission and his life is soon flooded with strange happenings.
Overall, definitely worth checking out for any reader, young or young at-heart.

When I started this book I didn't have a clue what it would be about or where it would go to. Somehow I expected a Harry Potter kind of story, in hindsight this was caused by the summary. However it never reached that level of magic it certainly created a likeable world with interesting characters which kept me reading on a daily basis.

The main character is the youngster Atticus Higginbottom, a smart and slightly nerdy boy who is dragged into a mysterious and dangerous queste. Most of this first book in the series is about the workup towards the queste itself and keeps the reader wondering whatever might be going on. A smart and interesting move of the writer in my opinion. The fun and interesting story is the strong characteristic of this book, the lack of depth of the characters and the way they sometimes become a caricature of themselves impress me slightly less.

All in all I believe this a beautifull and exciting book for teenagers who enjoy a bit of magic, for the average adult it might be a little shallow. For me it was definitely an enjoyable experience.

This is an engaging and fast-paced young mid-grade series with a fun cast of over-the-top characters traveling between alternate realities/worlds. It is a fun and empowering adventure for readers who like puzzles and progressive unfolding of clues.