"Unwritten" by Tara Gilboy will be released October 16th 2018. This was a fresh take on the "Storybook" verse "Real World" stories, it was well written, kept me engaged and moved fast. It is clear this is going to be a series, and I am looking forward to reading more.

http://seventhingstosay.blog/2018/05/19/7seven-things-to-say-about-unwritten/

This story follows Gracie - a young girl who was born inside of a story - but now lives with her mother in our world. She is plagued by "nightmares" of a fire and woman who beckons her - that are actually "glimmers" of memories of the story that she belongs in.

"The dreams are glimmers," Mom said. "Like a special kind of memory. We're not ordinary people."

She longs to know more about the story that created her but her mother refuses to talk about it. Gracie makes some decisions that go against her mothers wishes and end up putting them all in danger.

"Because it doesn't matter what she wrote." Mom said. "You're Gracie, my daughter. You can be whoever you want to be"

This story is about finding your true self - realizing that your story is not written for you and you can choose who you want to be - a hero or a villain!

This book is perfect for middle grade readers. It is not a long story and it is not difficult to understand. Anyone who is a fan of fairy tales and magic will like it. It reminds me a bit of "Land of Stories".
I was so happy to have a chance to read this book and I will definitely be buying a hard copy of it when it is released.

This book was provided by net galley for review.
This review is posted on Goodreads as well as:
https://vibookcrate.com/blogs/news/unwritten-by-tara-gilboy-book-review

This was such a fun little story! If you're a fan of 'Once Upon A Time', then this book is definitely up your alley. A great Middle Grade story with a positive message...anyone can change. Just because people may see you as one thing, doesn't mean you have to always be that way.

Gracie lives in the real world, but she's from a storybook. Her mother removed her (and a small group of others) from the story when she was a small child, to save her. That's all her mother has ever really told her. Not satisfied with this, Gracie goes looking for answers in all the wrong places, not understanding the serious consequences her actions will have for everyone she loves.

Overall, I absolutely recommend this book. I would have liked to have seen Jacob, Cassandra and Walter's family fleshed out a little more (especially Cassandra), which is why I knocked off a star, but other than that, great book. So glad I got a chance to read it.

***I received this book for free via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review***

I received a free ARC via netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I chose this book because it sounded like an interesting story: a character from a book, being taken from that book and growin up in our world. Being middle-grade, I did not expect such a complex story dealing with destiny, what makes a villain, can you change your destiny, even forgivness and relationships. In my opinion, the book might well have worked as YA if the character had been just a few years older.
The main character, Gracie, acts age-appropriate and sees things not too black and white (she acknowledges her own errors but also realises that adults do not do the right thing all the time).
The storyline including the author of the book Gracie came from is also an intersting one. When she describes how and why she wrote each chapter but also when she has to deal with the accusations of her creations.

I like to conclude with a quote: "Because what does it mean, really, to be labeled a villain? No one actually thinks of herself as a villain. We are all the heroes in our own stories."

As a middle grades book, I was unsure what I was getting myself into with Unwritten. The story of a girl haunted by her life as a character in a book was too tempting to overlook. While the audience of this short book may be children, this is a book for every reader. There is so much more to this story than a young girl trying to figure out her happy ending.

The struggles faced by the main character are relatable to readers of all ages. Who you choose to be, how you deal with anger and challenging obstacles, how you treat those who seek to hurt you, and deciding to be true to yourself despite the roles others say you should fill are all issues we face throughout our lives. Gilboy handles these complex struggles with clarity and boldness, encouraging her young readers through the actions of her young protagonist.

This short read is packed with beautiful characters, compelling plot twists (for a young reader), and beautiful language. I read this story as I woke up to this sunny weekend morning and it made for a brilliant, light-hearted mood with which to start my weekend adventures. I highly recommend.

Thank you NetGalley, Jolly Fish Press, and Tara Gilboy for an eARC of this brilliant tale.

I love a good middle-grade book!
I loved that novel very very much!
I am amazed at the writing of the author and I loved the action and the characters.
The first thing that got to me was the title and I immediately decided that I wanted this book ad that I wanted to read it ^^
I am not disappointed and I hope everybody else gets to enjoy it as much as I did.

What a fast, fun read! This book does not read like a young adult book. Well written, well defined character with an interesting plotline and an exciting setting, this book is a fantastic read for all ages.

*I'd like to thank the author/publisher/Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for a fair and honest review*

I thought this would be the usual, somewhat overdone storyline - regular kids go into a storybook, and yadda, yadda, yadda. I've read some in that genre, but never really liked them. Truth is, it is the same idea, but the writing is way better, and the characters and conflicts are way more complex than the ones I've read before. It grabbed my attention from the first sentence, and didn't let me go until the end. I finished it in one sitting.

First off, the characters felt so real. Their emotions and reactions were fantastically developed. I loved how complex the conflicts were, how Gracie had to fight her fear of becoming her written character, while trying to distinguish reality from false memories. It was very complex, and way better than I expected for a children's book. Of course, the writing is still geared towards children, but this offers a lot to think about, hidden in a beautifully written story.

I highly recommend this book for everyone.

Disclaimer: I received an advance copy through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. (Honestly, this was a great book!

ARC Copy...I did like the themes of fictional vs real world and how each world effects the other (ex. the real world inspiring the concepts of the fictional world) plus nice twist on the heroine's actual role within the "original" narrative of the fictional world, and how she eventually discovers it.

I love the idea of having different dimension waiting to told/written in a book or a story literally coming to life.. Isnt that what every book reader wish for? This book is it.. The adventures the kids had during the quest were thrilling.. Being a middle grade book, the only thing that bothered me was that the main character is so stubborn. We can clearly see that her stubborness brings her to a lot of trouble, a good example to let children know that sometimes courage and stubborness has a very thin line that separate them, that listening to THOSE WHO CARES for them is important, that sometimes it will save their life and the life of people around them. It's important to let children read. It's also important for the adults to ask their children what they learned from what they read.. And I think this book will teach every child a very good important lesson so long as the adults will guide them..

Gracie knows that she was rescued from a story by her mom. She had to tell her after she started having incredibly realistic dreams and visions of a beautiful woman and a fire. But all that her mom will tell her is that she saved her because she died in the story. She knows the authors name and that her mom doesn't like the author, but her mom refuses to tell her anything more than that and changes the subject whenever she brings it up. She also knows that her best friend Walter was also saved. But he doesn't know. Now Gracie has a chance to meet the author in person and ask her what really happened in the story. Should she go against her mom's wishes and try to find out the truth or trust that her mom is only keeping her safe?


This one was adorable. I love the idea of the main character being rescued from a story. The two plot lines worked out really well together and I never felt like it was too far fetched of an idea to pull off. I think my only issue is how dark one of the main plot points was. For a middle grade I thought it was a little graphic but I guess if you look at all of the stuff that happens in books like the Harry Potter series that it wasn't too bad. Overall I thoroughly enjoyed this one and I read it in one sitting. I really hope we get more books about Gracie!