Plot:

The Marvelous follows three of the six contestants participating in the competition of a lifetime, hosted by Jewel Van Hanen, the creator of Golden Rule (a popular video sharing app).
I am not the best at riddles and solving word puzzles. I could probably figure them out if given enough time, but certainly not in a competition setting – which is exactly what our contestants are expected to do. At the beginning of the weekend they are given a nonsense recipe and told to solve it. The two winners will receive $500,000 each.
Honestly I spent the majority of the book in a state of confusion. I had vague idea of what was going on, but absolutely no idea how the characters were actually solving the riddle. Which left me open for a big surprise at the end when all is finally revealed.
I did enjoy the overall storyline. It felt Alice in Wonderland meets Willy Wonka.

Characters:

There are a handful of important characters in this one, but the story is told through the perspectives of just three: Luna, Stella, and Nicole. Nicole was my favorite of the three – famous for her skit style videos and just so caring and like a mama hen with the younger contestants. She isn’t afraid to stand up for herself or the others and has no hesitation putting the competition aside to ensure the wellbeing of the others.

Stella is a bit – intense? She’s been essentially locked up inside her house her entire life and this is her big weekend out. A chance to socialize and make friends. I’ll be honest, I struggled with Stella in the beginning. She just didn’t seem to care about anything other than seeing what kind of reactions she could get out of people. I found her personality to be a bit grating. But about halfway through, I started to warm up to her, and I was loving her by the end. She’s hard to put into words (without a whole book to do so) and there’s a lot to her character. But don’t write her off, because she’s a freaking genius and deserves all the love.

Luna is only 15. She’s one of OG members of Golden Rule and also happens to be absolutely adorable. She’s fearless and kind and her energy just vibrates through the pages. Being under age, she’s there with her best friend Alex. I loved their dynamic and thought it wasn’t too much (except one scene towards the end that seemed a bit out of place). The scene itself was fine, the timing just seemed a bit off.

Writing:

Did I mention I spent most of the book confused? I’m absolutely sure that was the point of this story, but it made it difficult for me to want to keep reading. I wish there had been more obvious hints because I definitely needed the help! But I liked the use of multiple POVs, video transcripts and riddles to add variety to the reading experience. It really helped to keep things interesting and moving along.

Overall:

The Marvelous was an intense, confusing, and fun read that did a really excellent job of exploring the ins and outs of the characters and their personalities. I wish it had been a little easier to understand, just so I could have felt like I was participating in the adventure a bit more. But overall, it was enjoyable.

"Jewel isn't the person any of us think she is. That's not necessarily a bad thing--it's okay if the Jewel in your head doesn't match the Jewel in real life--but being loyal to an idealized version of her is."

Happy release week to Claire Kann's book, The Marvelous. Thank you to Kann, Swoon Reads, and Xpresso Tours for a free eARC in exchange for an honest review. 

This book is fun and will have you on the edge of your seat! It was a fresh blend of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and Clue with a mixture of The Westing Game. Four users of the vlogging social media app Golden Rule are invited to an exclusive weekend at the creator, Jewel's, mansion. When they arrive, they discover that Jewel has created a game filled with puzzles, challenges, team work, and secrets. With plenty of twists and unreliable narrators, this story will keep you guessing the whole way through.

The story is told from three of the players' perspectives, which I did feel to be a little too big of a bite to chew, and the amount of characters involved made me wish for a longer book in order to actually get to know all of them. I still feel like I don't really know Harlow or Francis.

Kann's writing is engaging and descriptive, giving you just enough of a peak behind the curtain to keep you hooked. As this is my first book by this author, I'm definitely going to have to get my hands on her other books!

I received an advanced copy of The Marvelous through NetGalley so I could share my review with you!

Stella, Lucy, Nicole, Harlowe, Alex, and Francis were all invited to Golden Weekend X, an extremely exclusive retreat hosted by one of the biggest celebrities of their generation. Jewel Van Hanen, eccentric heiress and founder of the ridiculously popular social media app, “Golden Rule,” has selected the six of them to come play an elaborate game on her estate, with the potential to win a million-dollar cash prize. Jewel created Golden Rule as a place for people to share their stories and truths in a video format that demands accountability and honesty from her users. But, honesty is far from guaranteed at Golden Weekend X, and the puzzles are more dangerous than anyone would’ve expected. If the six competitors want to win, they will have to work together to solve riddles, and piece together the story that Jewel wants them each to tell.

You can get your copy of The Marvelous today from Swoon Reads!

Authenticity, public/private lives, and influencer culture collide in this thrilling new novel! I’ve read both of Claire Kann’s previous works, so when I saw that she would be releasing something so different from her other novels, I had to pick up a copy. I adored both of Kann’s contemporary novels, and was delighted by how well her writing translated into a thriller! Her integration of social media into the story was quite skillful, and Golden Rule felt like it could be an actual app on my phone today. While reading The Marvelous, I felt like I was trying to solve the puzzles right along with the characters. Each riddle and hint pulled me deeper into the story, keeping me guessing until the very last page!

My Recommendation-
If you love mystery stories jam-packed with puzzles to solve, you need to pick up a copy of The Marvelous! I would especially recommend this book to fans of One of Us is Lying and Ace of Spades!

WHAT DID I JUST READ????? (real time reaction after I read The Marvelous). BUT, it's important to note that this book is not a thriller!! This is coming from someone who likes the ideas of thrillers and stuff but really can't deal with being even more inside of her head lol. Honestly, with The Marvelous, I was laughing a lot, mostly about Stella tbh. She is a glorious character!

In the beginning, the storytelling was more medium paced, so some might read and think it's a bit slow. However, you have to set up everything, get to know the characters, the mansion, and the like. I was actually thinking that it may be a bit on the slower side for some, and then I looked up and I finished this book in less than two days!! Essentially, the story is like a snowball rolling faster and faster down the hill of Jewel's game.
I sort of got knives out vibes when reading. For me, it was the humorous, not really taking ourselves all that seriously feeling but also being in a situation that has some consequences.

Sidenote, but I think reading The Marvelous so close to finishing The Parker Inheritance (great middle grade by the way!) just made my puzzle-inspired mine go off the charts. I, reader of this review, however, do not have the kinds of brains that these characters do. Riddles make my head hurt, but I’m competitive and can never say no to a challenge, so I’m up for solving these riddles anyway.  

THE CHARACTERS!!!! (Yes, this has to be in all-caps and have multiple exclamation points at the end) The plot was great, too, but it’s the characters that make this story literally shine. I promise you, these characters leap off of the page, and you get so quickly sucked into their stories and why they are playing Jewel's game. In particular, I found myself drawn to Stella. I went from despising her (sorry) to being like okay you’re my favorite (she's so unapologetically gay and flirty and has such a dry sense of humor; love it). And there's asexual rep! Here are some other details about the book that Claire tweeted (there's also a prequel on Wattpad!).

I need to stop my review here because my notes are currently: "okay okay can’t write that much because spoilers and it’s just amazing to witness everything unfolding yourself in real time and AHHHHHHHHH."

One last thing, though! There are some small SHINee references, plus I just loved this idea of "shiny-ness/brilliance/marvelous"!

Thanks to Netgalley and MacMillan for the advance Kindle copy of this book. All opinions are my own.
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⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 for this mystery. Six teens are chosen for a game hosted by the creator of a social media space. They are locked in her mansion for a weekend, with puzzles and games that should lead to two of them winning $500,000 each. Each contestant was chosen for a reason based on their personas on the site; however, something else is at stake. This is very different from the author’s other works and is sure to find readers on middle and high school libraries. Recommended for grades 7+.

I wanted to love this, as Claire Kahn’s debut, Let’s Talk About Love, is fabulous, but like her previous book, I found this one scattered and disjointed, perhaps even more so due to its multi-character focus. The characters have some relatable characteristics, but there’s no time to really empathize with them in the midst of this promising, yet convoluted premise.

Jewel Van Hanen has always been in the eye of the public whether it's as an actress, heiress, or creator of a famous app, Golden Rule. After suddenly disappearing for a year, she returns to the public with unexpected news.

Four of Golden Rule's users will be invited to Jewel's private house (mansion) for a weekend of excitement. But when the four lucky people arrive, they realize that it's not quite how they would have imagined.

Instead of a chill weekend hanging out, the contestants are now thrown into a wild game that brings out unexpected talents from each person. To beat the mastermind of the game, Jewel, they must all work together to win the prize of one million dollars.

The first I'd say 70% of the story was slow and I was a little confused on some of the plot and characters but the last part was SO exciting and I was hooked. I absolutely couldn't put the last part down.

What I was a little confused about was that the story was told from only three out of the four contestant's perspectives. I thought it may have been fun to see the fourth contestant's point of view during the weekend.

Overall, The Marvelous was a book that had many twists and riddles to solve from the beginning of the weekend. I enjoyed seeing time pass and would say to try it if you can hold out the first half of the book.

**Review will be posted soon with Xpresso Book Tours!**

- THE MARVELOUS is THE WESTING GAME filtered through social media, and I loved every second of it. Kann's fictional app nails the taxonomy of influencers, particularly when talking about what it takes to make it big.
- The central riddle and mystery was quite fun to try to solve along with the players, especially given that most of the characters were playing with hidden motives or only sharing partial information.
- It did take me a bit to be able to keep straight who was who since there are a lot of characters and we go from their usernames to their real names fairly quickly. But once I got a handle on that, I was in for the ride, strange clues, shifting loyalties, potential romances and all.

Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory meets The Inheritance Games in The Marvelous by Claire Kann.
Told through multiple perspectives, this was a really engaging story with lots of interesting twists. I never knew what was coming next and that made it super captivating. The diversity in this book was fantastic and I really appreciated that aspect as well.
The characters were so well-written and I loved the found family aspect of the story. The banter between the characters was so great and it was interesting to see all of their relationships develop over time.
This was a really fun read overall and it felt like I was there playing the game with the characters the whole time. There were some points where I felt that the plot was just trying to do too much and there were certain plot lines that were started but never concluded. I was left with a lot of questions at the end and I'm not sure if this was the authors intention or not.
Thank you to Netgalley, Fierce Reads and the author for providing me with a copy of this book!

3.5 stars.

Claire Kann's The Marvelous shows what happens when four followers of a popular social media app get invited to the founder’s house for a weekend, and discover they’re in for more than they could ever imagine.

Jewel Van Hanen has always been in the public eye. As an heiress and actress her every move was captured, so it seemed only natural that she’d create a video-sharing app. Golden Rule becomes extremely popular—and then Jewel disappeared for a year. No one knows where she went.

But now she’s back and has decided to make a splash by inviting four of Golden Rule’s followers to her private estate for the weekend. And when they arrive, they realize it’s not quite the weekend they imagined—Jewel has planned for a series of challenges and puzzles and obstacles that will require every last ounce of cunning and intelligence they have. But is money the only thing at stake?

The Marvelous was a really interesting story told from the perspective of three of the followers. (Why not all four followers I'll never understand.) The concept of the book reminded me a little of the idea behind Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory in that an eccentric person lets people into their world. But no Oompa Loompas here, lol.

My challenge with the story is that there were a lot of unanswered questions. Many plot points were introduced or mentioned and then never touched on again. But at its core, the book was an interesting exploration of the ever-changing world of social media as well as a fun challenge for those who love puzzles and riddles.

My thanks to Storygram Tours, Swoon Reads, and Fierce Reads for allowing me to be part of the tour for The Marvelous, and for sending me a complimentary advance copy of the book in exchange for an unbiased review!

The book publishes 6/8.

4.5 Stars
content Warnings at end of review.
Thank you to Netgalley and Fierce Reads for an arc of this book!

Six young people are chosen off a social media app by the creator to come spend a Golden Weekend with her. This is the 10th Golden Weekend that the mysterious Jewel has hosted since founding her vloging app, Golden Rule, but everyone can tell that this one is different. When the participants get there, they are thrown into a mysterious competitions filled with riddles and teamwork to compete for one of two possible half a million dollar prizes, but not everything is how it seems.

This was a whirlwind! It alternated between three different POVs as well as information from the Social Media app, so it was a little bit of a mixed media story as well. I truly loved the experience of this book. It is very heavy on the Willy Wonka themes, and the mysterious benefactor--Jewel, is such an interesting character! I wish we had been given some POV chapters for her because I cannot even begin to imagine what could be going on in her mind during this!

The narrators are all super unreliable because they are very sneaky and hide parts of the truth. It made for such an interesting read. I loved all the riddles and challenges that were thrown in and I was definitely trying to follow the bread crumb trail to predict the ending, but I gotta say I was off more often than I was on. I really loved this writing style and the humor imbedded throughout this story!

Pub Date: June 8, 2021


Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement and Panic attacks/disorders

Moderate: Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Grief, Gun violence, and Kidnapping

CW- manipulation, buried alive, controlling parents
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The Marvelous follows six teenagers as they solve clues in an effort win a game created by a young billionaire.
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I really enjoyed this book! I think that all the puzzle elements were done nicely, and I loved the banter between the characters.
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This book also included some great themes about found family. I loved how the three protagonists’ bond developed, and I thought the secondary romantic subplots were an excellent addition.
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My only issue was that it took a second to get into because the POVs were a little all over the place. At the beginning it was difficult to understand why the characters had POVs while the others didn’t, but it still turned out well I believe.
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I recommend this for fans of Escape from Mr. Lemoncello’s Library, but for an older audience.
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Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing a copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

This book had a solid and enticing foundation--a young woman named Jewel creates/popularizes a video diary app where people are forced to keep their faces in view of the camera, but can choose what to say (as long as it isn't deemed hate speech or intentionally offensive/violent. We open into a Inheritance Games meets Charlie and the Chocolate Factory vibe with contestants/app users being notified that they are invited to Jewel's home to take part in a competition/retreat. Little do they know...the reward is more than money...and the risk is a whole lot of trauma.

The book's pacing is relatively quick--Kann gives us enough detail from each challenge so that we can try to solve the book's riddle on our own, but not quite enough that the reveal is clear. The characters felt a bit underdeveloped, but there were also so many, that it makes sense that we would not get a strong sense of Nicole, Stella, Jewel AND Alex, Ethan, and Luna. I would recommend this to students who like light mysteries/game shows, but would not teach this book in a course.

There was a lot I liked about The Marvelous but a few things I couldn't quite connect with so I was never fully immersed in the story. I loved the setup and the scavenger hunt nature of the game, plus Jewel's house was bonkers in the best way. I never fully got a grip on who Jewel really was and what her true motivations were, but maybe that was the point. I do think this will be popular with my teens so it's one I'll be recommending to them at the library.

I had few expectations of this book before starting, other than the premise sounded interesting. But as I started reading, I soon couldn't put it down! Here, an elusive heiress and social media app founder Jewel invites four of her site users to her estate for some "Golden Weekend." There's megafan Luna and her best friend Alex since she's 15, Nicole the big influencer with thousands of followers, Stella the user no one knows but she has very strict parents, Harlow the last girl invited no one really likes, and Francis who's the mysterious last player for the game and a late arrival with secrets of his own. These users all get a GW invitation to spend the weekend at Jewel's mansion, but there's a catch. They have to play some game full of riddles and challenges for a cash prize. This story is all very mysterious but intriguing, thanks to some dishy and engaging language that has me hooked. While it may be a tad confusing at first to keep up with all the shifting viewpoints that aren't easily labeled, I still really enjoyed this one. I don't think I've read a single book like this one and I liked it for precisely that reason. All in all, it's so captivating that made it unputdownable.

Disclaimer: Thank you to sourcebooks and netgalley!!

I love the body positivity messages and the witty banter. My favorite part was the puzzle element in this novel!! I highly recommend this and I'll be doing an in-depth review of my blog.

The Marvelous was quite a departure from Claire Kann's first novel, Let's Talk About Love, but it is one that I think lots of teens would enjoy and find something they could relate to in it. I think teens would LOVE the concept behind the app in the book, Golden Rule, which is like a kind, whimsical version of TikTok or YouTube. The cast of characters in this book is very vibrant and intriguing, and is made of both older and younger teens, which could also widen the appeal of this book. I also loved how naturally queerness was included in this novel and enjoyed having many romances and couples to root for as more characters were introduced. The mystery aspect of this book was fun and wacky, and I was left guessing who the winner of The Cruelest Jewel, the game devised by The Golden Rule's founder, would be. This was a really fun, quick read that I will appeal to lots of teen readers and easily keep their interest until the final page.

This book was a really fun read! I loved the imagery and the drama created with Jewel's wild mansion. I was reading two books at the same time that both involved teens meeting their celebrity idol and things going wrong (the other was One Great Lie by Deb Caletti), and the experience of both those books at the same time was really interesting. Some of the riddles and clues were too dense and confusing- I was not engaged in solving them myself, and I wanted to be. That would have put this book on the next level!! However, I still really enjoyed reading this and would give it to my teens.

The Marvelous was an entertaining YA read. I enjoyed reading it and was interested in how the story would end. I found the characters to be completely unrealistic and strange, however. I could not identify with them at all. I think some teens will like this book, but it's not for everyone. If I were purchasing for a high school or YA section at a public library, I would strongly consider it for purchasing.

The Marvelous follows three teens who have been invited through a social media app to the wealthy young founder's home for a weekend retreat and find themselves in the middle of a giant puzzle. I stumbled across this book while I was still in a book hangover from The Inheritance Games, another YA puzzle-based mystery in a mysterious mansion, and this was the perfect read for after that. I loved the descriptions of Golden Rule, and the explanations of what each character got out of their online interactions felt very true to life. I also really enjoyed the characters, particularly the three point-of-view characters and their separate stories. Each one had very real concerns about what was going on in her own life, but the story managed to stay relatively light and fun despite that. The wordplay puzzles and the interpersonal interactions both got to shine equally. Overall, this was just a dishy, fun read that will find a lot of fans at my library.