I'll start by saying, I am not the audience for this book. The description caught my attention and it was overall enjoyable, but I have no desire to read more. I'm sure the alliteration will entertain children. One of my main issues is the stereotype of Maria the Chupacabra who makes really good tacos.

Who doesn’t love a middle grade ghost story?! My students can’t get enough!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC.

My students are going to eat this book up! I can't wait to order it for our collection. You can't have too many creepy middle-grade books!

I find too often, middle grade books that sort of talk down to their audience. I think even for a middle schooler the book was too simple and not really fleshed out

A solid concept here, though not an uncommon one. The characters are not especially deeply developed. The plot is a bit simplistic but easy enough to follow for elementary kids. And I can see where it is building to something bigger with further volumes of the series, so it may improve over time. Gently scary, akin to the Baily School Kids.

Thank you to NetGalley and Inkyard Press for the review copy of The Supernatural Society by Rex Ogle. I was looking for this book to fill the Scooby-doo craving in my heart, and it didn't disappoint. The story follows Will, who moves to East Emerson from New York City. He soon realizes that the monsters he sees walking down the street are not only NOT Halloween costumes, but he is one of the few people that can actually see the monsters for what they are.

When the town pets begin to go missing, Will teams up with his reluctant neighbors, Ivy and Linus, to take on monsters and mayhem. The story is a bit far-fetched, but also really fun. I would recommend this to someone who wants to dip their toes in thriller but isn't ready for a lot of scares or gore.

In this middle grade fantasy, sixth grader Will and his mom leave their home Brooklyn to move to East Emerson to start over—and immediately upon their arrival, Will notices that things aren't quite right in his new home. Everywhere he looks, Will sees supernatural beings of all kinds. What’s even weirder is that no one around him seems to be noticing them. Will befriends his neighbors Linus, who lives a life grounded in logic, facts, and science, and his sister Ivy, who also sees the same monsters and creatures that Will can see. When his beloved dog Fitz goes missing along with many other neighborhood pets, Will joins forces with his Ivy and Will to uncover the mystery behind the disappearance of the animals and save the town of East Emerson in the process. This was a well-paced enjoyable read with well-defined characters and lots of action and suspense. I was rooting for Will, Ivy, and Linus as they found themselves in one sticky situation after another and hoping that they would be able to reunite Fitz and the other missing pets with their owners. I’m looking forward to reading the next installment in this series!

DNF... I liked the characters, but the narrator breaking the 4th wall constantly took me out of the story.

I enjoyed this book. It reminds me a bit of A Series of Unfortunate Events. I enjoyed the various uses of alliteration when it came to describing the various supernatural creatures that are around.

Loved this story. I found it very funny and exciting. The pace was good. I even liked the commentary by the narrator, however, I think there could have been a little less interruptions from the narrator. In some cases it was totally warranted in other not necessary. Still liked the story a lot and would recommend it to my kids.

This is a fun, easy, quick read surrounding a town where only certain people can see that it is filled with mythological creatures, monsters, and magic. Will, new to the town, is one of those people. Feeling lonely and scared, Will discovers a girl his age with a magic ring that allows her to see everything too, and her brother, who is highly logical and thinks his sister is making everything up. Together, they form a really endearing friendship that takes them on some pretty scary adventures (but nothing kids can't handle). The narrator being a self conscious deprecating monster is a great twist.

The Supernatural Society is the first of a new series by Rex Ogle. It is an irreverent fantasy that is a bit uneven, but it has great heart. The story is narrated by a monster, which is one of the things that doesn't quite work for me. But the story eventually hooked me.

Will and his mom just moved to East Emerson for a fresh start, after Will's dad left them. As they drive through town, Will notices that the town is inhabited by all kinds of monsters that no one else seems to see. He becomes friends with siblings Linus and Ivy, who are about as opposite as siblings can be. Linus is all about logic, facts and academics, while Ivy is all about sports, taking naps in class, and learning about monsters, whom she can also see, thanks to a ring she wears.

The first night in town, Will dreams about a witch trying to resurrect an evil being, and a glowing silver fox who tells him "Find the animals, destroy the crown. Save the animals, and save the town." When animals start disappearing around town, including Will's dog Fitz, he realizes it wasn't just a dream, and it is his duty to do something to save the animals and the town.

I enjoyed this story, and look forward to reading the next in the series! Thanks to Netgalley for the advance copy.

I love this middle grade read about a group of friends with, well, abilities. Some kids can see the monsters around them - monsters that are concealing their true nature as normal humans (think vampires and zombies disguised as teachers and shopkeepers). Will, new to the area, needs to make friends and finds common ground with one of the children living across the street, Ivy, who also sees the monsters. And while Ivy's brother doesn't see them, he's really, really smart and agrees to help them figure out the mystery of the missing pets. And there are a lot of missing pets, virtually every pet in town is gone... The tone of the book may be off-putting to the target group, as the era of Lemony Snicketty snideness and commentary seems to be over. But if they can get over that, this could lead them to an interesting series about a very diverse town (humans and non-humans included).

eARC provided by publisher via Netgalley.

I love these types of stories for my students because of the decipher parts. That was always my favorite thing in books when I was young. This book gives of Lemony Snicket meets Welcome to Nightvale vibes. However, I absolutely despised the “monster” narrator. I looked it up and this is recommended for ages 8-12 and if I were a 10-12 year old reading this, I would get annoyed that the narrator was talking to me Dora the Explorer style. There is mention of a “next narrative” and how no one would want to read that and then it goes on to say, “you do?” as if the reader was speaking to the narrator. I find that a little “meh” because what if the young reader didn’t enjoy the book? The narrator also has no connection to the story (yet). Not sure if they will be connected later. Overall, I thought it was an enjoyable read but the deciphering was my favorite.

Thank you for giving me the opportunity to read an ARC of The Supernatural Society!

I thought the premise of this book was fun - a town populated by various kinds of monsters that only a few select people can see. I'm also generally into the overall story arc of "lonely kid moves to new town and finds friends/family/adventures." However, I found the execution a bit lacking here, and I never felt completely immersed in the story. I enjoyed getting to know the main character, Will, as well as his friends Ivy and Linus, but I didn't think there was anything special enough to set any of the characters apart from similar characters in other, similar books. I also really disliked the narrative asides from the perspective of Adam Monster, and I felt like they continually took me out of the story in a jarring way. I don't mind that kind of thing in general, but I felt like it really didn't work here, and I would have preferred the author to just stick with the main plotlines. While this was a fun book overall, it was just lacking some of the elements that would have made it truly great.

This story reminded me of Thirteens- only a little funnier. which means Middle-Grade kids are going to adore this mystery.
Monsters and the supernatural mixed with being the new kid in a new town? It's a full-proof formula for adventure kids will love!
We're placing it in our Bookish Society lineup for Fall!

What a fun adventure. I loved this book from page 1.
I loved how the author immersed us right in the oddities of the town and moved the story at a quick pace to keep the excitement building.
I loved the narrator and the ciphers.
I can't wait for the next book!

This book gave off Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events, Goosebumps, and Halloweentown (movie) vibes. Will is a biracial boy who moves to a weird town. He sees monsters and mythical creatures everywhere. Except, no one else sees them. He is visited by a mythical fox that warns him of dangers to come. Will meets another 6th grader, Ivy, who can see these creatures too. Later Will, Ivy, and her brother Linus form The Supernatural Society. The Society work together to decipher codes, solve a mystery, and try to save the town from monsters.
This book was a fun read, packed with adventure. Kids will love the spooky, funny, and relatable bits. There are some scary parts, especially if you're scared easy.

A fun blending of the doomsday narrator voice of Lemony Snicket and the puzzle aspects of Chasing Vermeer. This slightly creepy yet fun book has likeable underdog characters and a very strange town. Very engaging quick read.

** “The fates have led you straight to here, to stop the End and conquer fear. You must gather the force of Three, to save this town, then you’ll see.” **

Rex Ogle delivers a fun story that will appeal to kids of all ages in “The Supernatural Society,” a story that deals with braveness, loyalty, and spooks and goblins.

When Will Hunter begrudgingly moves to a new town, he discovers something unusual — he can see all the supernatural beings that also live within the town. And when all the town’s pets start disappearing, he joins forces with his neighbors, siblings Ivy (who can also see the supernatural beings) and Linus (who cannot).

Surrounded by “monsters, myths, magic, and mad science,” the middle school trio go on an epic adventure to rescue the pets and save the town from evil doings.

Ogle develops great, relatable and intriguing characters, including an adorable dog named Fitz. “The Supernatural Society” is a fun read filled with secrets messages for the reader to decode, mystery, and some good lessons, like: dealing with fresh starts; trying to fit in; curiosity can lead you on adventures; you can’t run from the truth; the importance of teamwork; and be open to new beginnings.

A big theme to take away from this book is quite simple yet important: Be kind.

I’m looking forward to Book 2 to see how Will’s, Ivy’s and Linus’s adventure continues while they work toward saving the town.

Fans of Lemony Snicket, Jason Segel’s “Nightmares” series, Neil Gaiman and Chris Colfer will love “The Supernatural Society,” which is due out Feb. 1.

Five stars out of five.

Inkyard Press provided this complimentary copy through NetGalley for my honest, unbiased review.