A reasonably entertaining story but I feel it lacked some depth. The characters and their problems felt somewhat two dimensional. It might hold the interest of middle graders (upper primary for Australia) but I feel it would fall short for a young adult audience. There was certainly plenty of action, especially towards the end. The storyline itself has plenty of merit but I just feel the telling of the story could have reached greater heights.

I received this arc from netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley and Imbrifex Books! All opinions are my own!

A group of friends has been bullied for their differences for years. But when they accidentally open a portal to another dimension and discover that they have new superpowers, they think this might be their chance. But when other things crept through the portal, what will it take for them to protect the world?

I really have to say that I enjoyed the premise of this book! It was a refreshing take on the high school coming of age story, especially with the fantasy elements! There was also a lot of different representation in the book, and I appreciated that the characters were all so different and special.

I think my biggest issue with the book was that the characters just weren't likable for me. I don't know if they felt one-dimensional or if it was just their personalities, probably a bit of both. It just decreased the enjoyment and made me not really care or particularly root for them in their struggles. I just found myself being uncomfortable by a lot of their choices/reactions, and that really took away from the overall experience.

If you like coming-of-age stories with a little bit of fantasy, this might be the book for you!

The story telling made Freaks fell like a comic book or cartoon more than a novel but without the visual aspect to back up the plot. The story was fast, and we'll it didn't feel modern, it is a classic super hero/villian story.

An okay monster/superhero YA book; though not one that I would recommend for small or focused collections. Na'ul's world/background/ felt like it could have been fleshed out or explored more. And the treatment that the three bullies dolled out felt more old school and extreme for current day; a lot of the interactions/reactions felt very forced to me. I like the concept of this book, just feel like it wasn't as well fleshed out as it could have been.

Freaks start off with bullying, which has been a problem in schools for…well, forever. But what is odd is the type of bullying that is on display here. The type of bullying described sounds like it would be more inline with the bullying seen in schools during the 70s or 80s, not modern day. That being said, I was willing to roll with it, after all I’m sure there are plenty of old school bullies out there. Who’s being bullied? A group of four friends, self described nerds/geeks, though I must admit that some of the things they are being bullied for seems odd. For liking Marvel superhero movies? Really? I thought everyone liked those. Later, while messing around with a book belonging to one of the main character’s uncles, the four teens perform a cryptic ritual and end up opening some sort of portal which ends up giving them superpowers. Not only them, but one of the bullies as well, and of course something evil slips through as well. The four friends, as well as the bully who now feels like an outcast as well, suddenly have to deal with their new found powers, and of course save the day. I have to say the book seems to have a bit of an identity crisis. On one hand I love the idea of the kids suddenly getting powers (it would have been the exact thing I daydreamed about when I was young ….okay fine I still daydream about it, lol) and yet the language used seems geared toward an older audience. Overall I thought it was a fun if somewhat flawed story, but as I said, I’m also not entirely sure who Mr Riley’s target audience is. I think this is just the kind of story my youngest nephew would enjoy, and while I’m no prude or anything, I wouldn’t want him reading something with so much mature language.
I’d like to thank NetGalley and Imbrifex Books for the opportunity to read and review an eARC of Freaks.

I tried to enjoy this. The writing is just ok. It’s not great but it’s not awful. The plot is very linear but easy to follow. It’s a fast paced read which makes it more enjoyable. Typical ending and not a lot of twists and turns.

The writing was okay, not outstandingly good but not bad either. I think I mostly gave it 2 stars cause I had high expectations for this books that were not met. I also didn't like the main characters that much.

The plot has quite a few holes (maybe in the next books they'll get explained? If there's going to be more books) and the writer seemed out of touch with the age group this is written for.

The book however holds alot of potential and I can't wait to see how the writer will improve themselves :)

This was my introduction to Brett Riley, the great thing is that you will not have to wait too long for the second book, and there are a few sneak peeks of book two at the end of Freaks. The book "Freaks" does a great job as the first book of a series, you get the dynamics of the characters involved, you are invested in what is happening and their emotions and pains. There is pain involved, my heart hurt and sunk, in various chapters. You can't help rooting for some of the characters, and that emotional conflict that takes place in a high school. The imagery and all that transpired within the first book is a lot, you get it all at once which is good, there is no slowing down, and you really don't want to be slowing down with this book.

Thanks to NetGalley and the Imbrifex books for providing this copy of Freaks in exchange for an honest review. This is the story of four teenagers Jamie, Michael, Christian, and Gabby, who are often bullied. To vent their anger they practice by accident an arcane ritual that gives them supernatural powers but also sets loose a freakish otherworldly creature that starts feasting brutally on people who cross it's path. Also present at the ritual was Kenneth, one of their tormentors, and he too gains superpowers, which causes a rift between him and his bullying friends. The question is will the "Freaks" be able to let go of the bad blood between them to fight off the monster, and will they be able to keep their new powers hidden.

This was a very cinematic action driven straightforward read with a little gore on the side. But it also felt a little too familiar and clichéd. Do bullies really shove kids heads in toilets? I've mostly come across it on TV and Film, not thank heaven in real life. Cyberbullying is mentioned offhandedly in the middle of the book, but most of the harassments portrayed are very physical and somehow felt a little too old school. There are some interesting questions raised about bullying and the desire for payback, with the story indorsing a more forgiving approach and paints the one kid who is hankering for revenge as a self centered fool. All in all, a simple read predictable and fun.

it was definitely a interesting read with all the real life bullying kids usually face and how sometimes all we want is to escape!! i really enjoyed the book and cant wait to read more from the author

Thank you to NetGalley and Imbrifex Books for the opportunity to read this in advance.

I requested this one because I'd had the chance to read an advance copy of Brett Riley's "Lord of Order" and honestly thought it was one of the most imaginative and nuanced post-apocalyptic novels I've ever read.

This one is obviously very different and while not especially my cup-of-tea, I think retains the same level of imagination and connection with current events that the author brought to "Lord of Order."

I think it leans way more towards YA reading than I enjoy - and the main characters and setting make that an understandable directions - so I found it more of a struggle to complete than I imagined I would.

A clever and fresh twist on the superhero genre.
The book follows four teenagers who are both physically and verbally abused for being different at school. After they decide enough is enough, they recant a spell from an old grimoire without translating it from Latin, and summon an ancient demon who's out for blood.
It's a strong book, with graphic descriptions that will leave you on the edge of your seat until it's over.
Just don't read it before bed.

This book had a fun premise - a group of bullied underdogs perform an arcane ritual, get superpowers and decide to turn the tables on their bullies, sounded right up my street! Sadly, the execution didn't quite land for me. I struggled with the pacing, which at times felt lightning-fast, and at other times too slow and bogged down with descriptions. However, I did enjoy getting to know the kids and seeing the various dynamics unfold between them, and there were fun moments as they explored the limits of their new powers.

Thanks to NetGalley for providing an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

A spooky teenage story if I ever read one.
A group of friends accidentally summoning a demon and gaining superpowers? Sing me up for that.
But this story is much more than that. What we see firsthand is a tale of friendship, high school struggles and forgiveness. The characters that you can relate to on many levels only add to the experience.
And along with a deep story, you get a really action-packed plot that keeps you on edge through every page.
All in all, this is a beautiful and exciting read that I would recommend to every ya book loving person

Thanks for this e-arc.
Freaks tells us the story of a group of friends who are constantly being harassed by B3.

I liked the story, the powers of each one. I congratulate the author for writing this story.

I must confess that it took a long time to read it. In moments, which were very few, I got bored and stopped reading.

this book was just okay for me. The descriptions of bullying were intense (and right on the first page), but the characters all felt a little flat and blended together for me.

It's a little outdated but still a nice read! The characters were really relatable and the premise was quite interesting.

The story did not catch my attention at all, I was just going through the pages without any interesting in what may happen next as I could predict almost everything and there was no new elements that could keep me interested.

I was also not vibing very well with the apparent intention to make the reader empathise with the bully who suddenly is included in the "freaks" group, highlighting that he has problems and fears too. Not really here to feel bad for that type of people sorry.

Besides, there were several sexist and homophobic phrases which I was surprised to encounter in this era, specially since this book is targeted towards a younger audience. Some of the examples: boys referring to other boys as "pussy", "bitch", or to girls who complain about them as "she is such a girl". There was a scene in which a boy was talking about hugging another boy and literally said he would not do that since they "dont swing that way". I think we are way past this toxic masculinity traits.

This was an interesting read. I think it would work for a younger audience then intended, except for the swearing.

Freaks is the first book in a new YA fantasy hero/horror series by Brett Riley. Fast paced action centred around a group of picked upon high school kids who gain powers and fight against the monster they bring into the world, while dealing with issues of friendship, bullying and betrayal. Adult fans of superheroes and fantasy books don’t miss out, you are going to enjoy this book as well. I couldn’t put the book down and can’t wait for the next in the series.