Embarking on the enchanting journey of "Unicorn Island" by Donna Galanti was like stepping into a realm of whimsy and wonder. With a penchant for mythical creatures, this middle-grade treasure instantly captured my imagination, catering to the younger side of middle grade but radiating a magical charm that transcends age.

Sam, our spirited protagonist, leads us through a tale of constant movement and unexpected discoveries. As she finds herself spending the summer with her Uncle Mitch in the seemingly mundane Foggy Harbor, a hidden trapdoor reveals a room brimming with mystical artifacts. Suddenly, what appeared to be a dull summer transforms into a fantastical adventure.

The narrative unfolds with a delightful blend of fun and excitement, embracing the classic essence of middle-grade storytelling. Donna Galanti expertly navigates themes of belonging and self-discovery as Sam encounters mythical beasts and uncovers unforeseen dangers. The tale is a captivating exploration of friendship, magic, and the thrill of the unknown.

Woven into the narrative are captivating illustrations, each a beautiful complement to the unfolding events. They bring the magical island and its inhabitants to life, enhancing the overall charm of the story.

"Unicorn Island" serves as a promising introduction to a series, leaving breadcrumbs of potential adventures to come. The inclusion of a section at the end, offering additional information about elements in the story, is a thoughtful touch. It invites young readers to delve deeper into the captivating world Donna Galanti has crafted.

This captivating adventure easily secures a solid four stars. Donna Galanti has created a magical experience that leaves readers eagerly anticipating the next installment. As I await the arrival of book two, I wholeheartedly recommend "Unicorn Island" to fellow enthusiasts of mythical wonders and those seeking a delightful middle-grade escape.

Sam moves in with her uncle and soon finds out he takes care of unicorns. His job is to take care of them and keep the dark magic from hurting them. She wants to help him take care of them too.

While I think this may be too "young" for some of my students, I have recommended it to some of the kids when they are looking for something to read and hold their attention. I've had no complaints yet! A few have stopped to discuss the story and ask what is going to happen next. I've had to ask some of my students to refrain from giving the end of the story.

I was given the opportunity to read this book by NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me a free advanced copy of this book to read and review.

Any world with unicorns in it is a better one. That’s a given! So of course I wanted to read these books. Overall, I enjoyed the characterization. I probably liked new best friend Tuck and grumpy Uncle Mitch best, but that’s me. I like how Sam and Tuck came together with a complementary friendship.

The exposition of the secrets of Unicorn Island worked well. The first book ends satisfactorily enough, but it was clear that another book was planned.

Book two carries on with Sam and Tuck learning to be unicorn protectors, and Sam is loving it. Of course, life can’t carry on so happily, and there are problems and more revelations to be dealt with. The door is definitely open for this story to continue!

For me, the narrative style skewed toward the younger end of the intended audience, and Sam read younger than 12 to me—a bit innocent and naïve. There’s nothing really trailblazing here in either narrative or plot. That’s not to say it isn’t a good read; it’s just not an exciting read.

The illustrations are a definite plus in these books, helping the reader to visualize the atmospheric setting.

Possible Objectionable Material:
There are fantasy creatures. A single parent must travel for work, so their child has to stay with an unfamiliar uncle. Deception. Perilous situations.

Who Might Like These Books:
Unicorn fans! Those who like a little fantasy in their stories. Those who like friendships and protecting living creatures. Especially readers in the younger end of the suggested range.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing ARCs in exchange for my opinions.

These reviews also at https://biblioquacious.blogspot.com/2022/03/i-love-unicorns.html

I mainly requested this because I follow the artist on Instagram and was so fascinated by their work for this. I knew I had to read it. This was such a cute and cozy story and was a perfect read.

An adorable mystical must read story for young girls! Very well written story which includes incredible art work that enhances the story and helps bring the images of the story to life for the reader.

I read this with my unicorn obsessed daughter and she loved it. This was the perfect book for young readers.

As a fan of Unicorns I fell in love with this book. And it was a great read that i could read it to my niece and she absolutely adored it !!

This is a definitely a middle grade novel. It's a story about Samantha, who has to go live with her uncle when her mom has to travel abroad for her work. Her uncle lives in the secluded and faraway Foggy Harbour. When Sam gets there she starts uncovering some secrets about that town, her uncle, and maybe herself. She finds new friends and contemplates what she wants from life, after the life of travelling she led with her mother.

It's apparent that there's another book coming to this series, as it ends on a cliffhanger. The novel is accompanied by beautiful illustrations. But it was too predictable and the conflict was almost non-existent, but then, I guess I'm looking at it with the lens of an adult, not the actual target audience, whom I think will really enjoy the story and the illustrations.

I thank Netgalley and Andrews McMeel Publishing for the digital arc.

My daughter is ten years old and she enjoyed this book very much. She loves fantastical plots and uplifting endings for adventurous protagonists.

My Review: I can't help but continuing feeding that little unicorn loving little girl in my heart with more great unicorn books. This is definitely a book younger me would have loved and would have consumed the entire series! I enjoyed the main character, Sam seems smart and independent even though she has a rough go of things still seems to hold it together pretty good. I also really enjoyed Tuck and Uncle Mitch, it was great to get to know them. The mystery element also kept the pages turning and I like how all the questions aren't all answered right away, the open mystery keeps you coming back for more. The fact that this book takes place in a real world but with fantasy elements will be a great way to introduce young readers to the fantasy element, some kids struggle to imagine a high fantasy world so this is a great way to get started.

My Rating: This is a great book that will appeal to a wide variety of young readers, horse and unicorn lovers to mystery lovers to fantasy readers and those just getting into chapter books. I give it a rating of Four Paws!

I had a great time reading this book. When Sam finds out she is going to live with an uncle she barely knows, she isn’t excited about it. Once she gets there, it looks like this is going to be the worst summer of her life. Yet things start looking up a bit when she makes a new friend. After they discover a hidden room in her uncles house, the summer starts looking up. When her uncle turns up missing, Sam knows what she will have to do. What follow is an adventure that takes both of these kids on a magical adventure. As this tale comes to a close, it looks like this story is far from over.

This is the first book in a series and sets the scene as well as the characters up nicely for upcoming adventures.

Sam is shipped off to her uncle's for the summer, since her mother has a concert tour in Europe, but Sam doesn't know her uncle well...only that he was grumpy. When she arrives, he wasn't expecting her and would like her to leave but can't get ahold of her mother. Sam does her best to deal with the situation and soon runs into a boy in town. They quickly become friends. When the two discover a trap door leading to a secret room in the basement, they learn that there's a lot more to Sam's uncle and the fog surrounding the house than they thought.

Sam is quite a normal girl, and it's easy to connect with her when she's shipped off to an uncle she doesn't know. Her bravery and desire to be kind despite his grumpiness make her even easier to cheer for. Her new friend is the kind of person, who's ready for adventure and has a good heart. Their friendship is enjoyable, and they make a great duo.

The tale itself moves along at a steady pace with enough descriptions to bring the world color and life. The text is fairly simple, making it perfect for the younger end of the middle grade range. I wondered about the 200+ pages, but the font is fairly large, meaning there isn't an overwhelming amount of text on each page. Add the multiple illustrations to the mix, and it's a quick, easy read.

This is the beginning of a series, and the author uses this book to set the stage for the upcoming adventures. It took awhile for the adventure to really get going (after a bit more than a third of the book), but once it does, it dives into magic pure. I did find that the island and its creatures were much too easily accepted by Sam and her friend, and a few other moments happened without much depth or thought. It made some things to simple and a little hard to believe. But it's a cute tale, which magic and unicorn fans are sure to enjoy.

I received an eARC copy in exchange for an honest review from the publisher via NetGalley.

Epic, the world’s leading online children’s book subscription, brings us an original middle grade series; Unicorn Island.

Book one starts off with Sam being sent off to spend the summer with her Uncle Mitch in Foggy Harbor.
Sam has no friends; she misses her mom and Uncle Mitch had no idea she is going to be staying the summer!

The plot of the book is well done and intriguing, I enjoyed Sam’s curious nature and wanting to know more about Foggy harbor and its secrets.

The chapters are short, the text is easy to comprehend and follow. I can see elementary schools getting a frustrated at the unanswered questions.

However, what really fascinated and drew me to this read is the artwork by Bethany Stancliffe.
Mystical and magical the drawings tie in so well with the text and elevate it.

The read has underlying themes of friendship, sense of belonging, parent-child relationship, loyalty.

Waiting for the second part in the series!

Thank-you to NetGalley and Andrews McMeel Publishing for an e-Arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I was elated to see an Epic! Original available that I immediately put in a request. I find Epic! Originals to be so incredibly well written and engaging, that I knew my kids would love Unicorn Island.

We are first introduced to Sam and her mother, who is about to travel to Europe to perform with an Orchestra, sending Sam to stay with her Uncle Mitch in the small town of Foggy Harbour. With only a population of 3,230 and having only last seen her Uncle when she was 2, Sam longs for a sense of belonging.

It isn’t until Sam, along with her new acquaintance Tucker, discover a mystery that the adventure unfolds.

I thoroughly enjoyed the world filled with magic and mythical creatures brought to life by author Donna Galanti which were complimented by the beautiful illustrations provided by Bethany Stancliffe.

I think that this book would be great for early readers or as choice to be read aloud. I hope that the story continues in future installments and that the lingering questions I have will be answered.

Releases tomorrow!

UNICORN ISLAND is an epic book, both for its intriguing story for young readers and beautiful illustrations.
Like Frozen 2, UNICORN ISLAND will enthrall its young readers with a family mystery and magical creatures.
Readers will definitely enjoy this book and the continued stories to come in the series.

Thank you for the e-ARC Andrews McNeel and NetGalley!

I am a huge fan of the <em>Epic Books</em> platform and I'm always excited when they come out with a new book.<em> </em>Donna Galanti's <em>Unicorn Island</em> is once such book, filled with a mix of things that Epic has come to be recognized for, from gorgeous illustrations to exciting and fun stories. Like many of their chapter books, <em>Unicorn Island</em> is what I would call an episodic middlegrade novel.

<b>Episodic Middlegrade</b>

So, an episodic middlegrade novel is the kind of book that, were it to be adapted into a television show, could equate to a single episode and not a whole season. This happens rather often with middlegrade, unlike young adult novels which could account for an entire season. Often episodic middlegrade novels have one major point to a plot and little else. Sometimes they have multiple major points, but each happens so quickly that the overall story feels like a short episode.

<em>Unicorn Island</em> has two major plot points; that of what main character Samantha's uncle is up to and then the team banding together for an important mission. In essence, I think this book could equate to two episodes of a show at most. When it comes to books like these, they are <em>excellent</em> reads for young readers who are just getting into longer chapter books. They're adventuresome and they're quick.

<b>A Word on the Plot and Characters</b>

With episodic-like books, you speed through most of the adventure. Each move from one moment to another is fast and every plot twist is revealed just as quickly. This is done on purpose. The intent, of course, is to keep the young reader engaged every step of the way. And it's very effective to remove the time possibility for disengagement. However, I do feel that this takes away from having an intentionally thoughtful novel. It doesn't allow for a lot of time to develop nuanced thinking about the story because by the time you might do so, you've already moved on to the next plot point.

This is not to say these books are bad, of course. I'm actually quite fond of episodic middlegrade novels. But, I do think that they could be better.

Where <em>Unicorn Island </em>is concerned, it did feel rushed at times. More importantly, I <em>hated</em> the plot twist reveal at the end. It left absolutely no room for any mystery in the future, at least as far as the audience is concerned. In general, I'd consider it the equivalent of showing one's hand in a poker game. And it basically revealed the entire plot for any future novels.

And, sometimes, this okay. There have been plenty of novels where something is revealed to the readers that the main characters are unaware of. But it has to be done well. Unfortunately, introducing a plot twist out of the blue with absolutely no build up or foreshadowing does not equate to doing this well.

<b>Overall Cute, but Lacking</b>

In general, I did enjoy the story. I think the overall ideas behind it all were wonderful and I <em>loved</em> the artwork. The writing could use some improvement, but the characters were excellent. It definitely falls into the category of middlegrade books that I wouldn't mind recommending to young readers I know. But, at the same time, I the extremely fast pace and the poorly written plot twist at the end make me feel uninterested in reading the sequel.

I can recognize, however, that there is a lot of good in this book. There will likely be a lot of middlegrade readers who will deeply enjoy the characters and the story.

<em>I was provided a free copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.</em>

I received an eARC copy in exchange for an honest review from Andrews McMeel Publishing via NetGalley.

This book was such a delight to read; it is so wonderfully written, flowy, descriptive (including the illustrations), and I cannot wait for the sequel, as I am sure there will be one at least (there must be one)! And it talks about, no more no less - unicorns, my favourite mythical creatures!

Here, we follow Sam, a young girl full of life. She is sad about spending the summer with her uncle Mitch in Foggy Harbor, with no mum, and no friends to hang out. Not very promising, right? Luckily, she meets a young boy called Tuck, and they become friends. Together, they discover the secrets of Unicorn Island and her uncle's connection with the mythical creatures. But, there are still some secrets yet undiscovered.

Unicorn Island is an adorable young middle-grade story (do mind, I enjoyed it quite a lot). It is easy to follow, imaginative, and has a few beautiful illustrations that connect very well with the story.

The story itself may be slightly predictive (I think I already know what uncle Mitch's secret is), but then again - this is a middle-grade book, and I do believe it holds the air of mystery in it, especially for curious children, such as Sam and Tuck. If there is a sequel, I would certainly want to be there for it, to see what other secrets and adventures are laying ahead of Sam, and what Unicorn Island has hidden in its pockets. A great read, and awesome five stars from me!

Such a lovely book, unicorns and a mystery. Wonderfully written, I felt as if I was in Foggy Harbor with Sam. Sam was relatable character and open about her feelings. For such lighthearted book it was able to touch on some great topics. At the same time able to still able to stay mystical. The illustrations are absolutely stunning. I definitely would recommend this book to any young reader you loves unicorns and also enjoy mysteries.

Thank you to net galley and Andrews McMeel Publishing for sending me advanced copy.
#netgalley #unicornisland

*** I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.***

<b> The ARC of this book was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. </b>

3.5/5

This book was super cute! I really loved the art that was used every other page, and I think this is a lovely book to read to young readers or give them to young readers to start off with reading. Sam was a really cute character and I really liked reading about her.

For sure a purchase I would make if there's a young reader in my area I know.