Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me access to the free advanced digital copy of this book.

"Grounded for All Eternity" by Darcy Marks is a whimsical and imaginative children's fiction book that takes young readers on a delightful journey filled with magic and adventure. Marks' storytelling prowess shines as she crafts a tale of curiosity, friendship, and the joy of discovery. The book's relatable characters and enchanting plot create an immersive reading experience that resonates with young readers. Marks skillfully captures the wonder of childhood imagination and the excitement of exploring the unknown. "Grounded for All Eternity" is a charming reminder that even the most ordinary moments can lead to extraordinary adventures, leaving readers with a sense of wonder and a smile on their faces as they join the characters on their imaginative escapades.

I first came across this title around May when it ended up in a suggested purchases cart I get from TS360. The moment I read the description, I knew I had to get my hands on it. And the cover? Absolute perfection! Especially after reading and getting to know Malachi, Lilith, and Crowley. My only regret is that I wasn't able to finish it before the publish date.
There are so many things I'd love to talk about with this book, but my main focus is how much I absolutely adore all of the characters. Each of their details and stories are well fleshed out, even those that we don't get to spend a lot of time with. Cassandra, a seraph who tries to kidnap Mal and his friends and take them to Heaven, quickly became one of my favorite characters. She is a delight and seeing her character change over a few chapters I think was done really well. I already loved her, but her letter to Mal really sold it for me.
Plot and setting are super important to this book's success. The storyline is original and well-executed and I look forward to more adventures with Mal and his friends. Hopefully next time we get to see more of Alister and learn more about his role as member of Mal's squad.
Overall, I love this book so much and it has earned a special place in my heart and on my bookshelf. If you're looking for a fun, middle-grade Halloween read with delightful characters and an original story rooted in Salem's dark history, this is it!

**Thank you to Simon and Schuster/Aladdin, the author, and NetGalley for providing this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

Everything about this book sucked me in from the first page. A fantastic good vs evil tale with unique and amazing characters. This book had elements of so many things (Good Omens, Last Kids on Earth just to name a few) that made me enjoy it even more. Perfect book for the rough-around-the-edges kid who loves Halloween and a little rule breaking.

Thank you NetGalley and Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing, Aladdin for the opportunity to read an advance reading copy.

Have you ever chosen a book based solely on the cover? I totally grabbed Grounded for All Eternity because it looked like a FUN middle-grade read - and it did not disappoint.

With a completely original storyline, we follow a group of friends who sneak out of Hell for the night ... on what happens to be Halloween and end up on a crazy adventure. If you love stories about teamwork, friendship, and shattering expectations then you will love Grounded for All Eternity.

I really enjoyed this book! Mal is such an enjoyable character and I really liked the world-building used in this book. It was really interesting to see how the characters were built and I also enjoyed the relationship Mal had with Sean and the way that we got to see that blossom. I really enjoyed this book!

When I saw that cover and title come across my dashboard feed on NetGalley, I just knew that I had to see what it was about. Once I read the summary I knew that I had to read it, and although there were a few flaws, for a debut it was brilliantly written with great characters and a really nice take on the good vs. evil trope.

The story is told solely through Malachi’s point of view which was great. He is really great character who has a lot on his plate and it was fun watching him grow and learn throughout the book. Mal is destined to be the leader of his squad, a role he is not sure he wants, but has no other choice. This leads him to make some iffy choices, but ultimately he does come to understand that being the leader might not be so bad, especially if he does it on his terms.

The other characters were also well developed and a lot of fun to hang out with. Mal has a great relationship with his friends, Crowley and Lilith, and they work together well, even when things get a bit tense between them. The two witches they meet on earth, Sean and Charity, are also well fleshed out and add a nice dynamic to the group. There is also an angel, Cassandra, who wants to take Mal and his friends to heaven instead of allowing them to go back to hell. I liked her alot and enjoyed seeing her character change.

The stars of this book though are definitely the plot and the setting. The book starts off in hell and the description of the suburbs is wonderful and kind of amusing. The kids all live with their parents who all have different jobs in the running of hell. On earth they are in Salem, MA on halloween night and I loved how mystified Mal and the gang were about the things the humans were up to. There was some nice social commentary as well. The whole capturing of the soul and who the soul was added some nice historical perspective to the story with some information about the witch trials. There were some nice surprises about who Mal and his friends really were and what their roles in hell were all about, but a bit more information about that would have been nice. The plot was fast moving with a lot of snarky comments and interesting insights to keep kids interested.

While there is no indication that this will be a series, I certainly hope it will be. The ending certainly left things open enough for another book, hopefully from the point of view of one of the other characters. Get the word out to all of the middle grade kids you know to pick up this book this summer. I know they will enjoy it!

Kids who live in Hell go to Earth to capture an escaped soul before their parents find out they left and are grounded for all eternity? How can I refuse? First, the cover. I don’t like to admit I am usually drawn to books by their covers and have been known to acquire books based only on the cover without knowing anything about the story. So yes, the cover drew me in at first then when I read the description, I knew I was in because it sounded like so much dang fun!

Malachi, Crowley and Lilith are your typical teenagers. On school break, looking forward to hanging out, playing video games, sleeping in, grabbing a latte. The only difference is these kids can fly using sharp black wings and they live in Hell. Who knew there were suburbs in Hell? When the alarm is raised that a soul has escaped the pit, their plans are cancelled as the entire place is on lockdown and they are all restricted to their homes. So, so boring. If you can’t have any fun on school break, even if it’s Hell, what’s the point of living? Well, you guessed it. Malachi and his friends sneak out and decide to go check out the veil. It is Halloween after all and the veil between realms is at its thinnest. What they didn’t plan for was being pushed through the veil inadvertently bringing the escaped soul with them. They find themselves in Salem, Massachusetts and oh yes, the escaped soul happens to be the Reverend Samuel Parris, the man who is thought to be the driving force behind the witch hunt resulting in the Salem Witch Trials in 1693 and personally profited from the hysteria. Now that he has escaped Hell, he plans to continue his reign of terror using the residents of Salem once again to commit acts of evil. In order to return home, Malachi and his friends must capture him. If they don’t capture him, they will be stuck there and the powers of Heaven are planning to smite the entire city to ensure Samuel is stopped.

I have never read anything by this author before, but I really enjoyed the setting she created even if you have to suspend disbelief that anything coming out of Hell would be looking to protect the humans on Earth. Malachi and his friends are very likable and easy to relate to. I also liked teenage witches, Sean and Charity and the angel, Cassandra who tries to bribe the kids from Hell with cookies to come to Heaven. The pacing of the story was good, though there were a few moments, very tense moments, I might add, where I was clutching my fists wondering if they were going to be successful on their mission, because the alternative is death, or worse, being grounded for all eternity.

My Final Verdict: The ending of this story leads me to believe we haven’t seen or heard the last of Malachi, but without proof, there is only hope. I hope there will be more. I highly recommend this story to readers in middle school and high school as well as adults who like to be entertained but don’t mind that the protagonists are juveniles.

**Thank you to Simon and Schuster/Aladdin, the author, and NetGalley for providing this eARC in exchange for an honest review. This book will release July 26, 2022.**

“*If you think protecting people and seeking justice is falling, then I will choose to fall every time.”*

Mal and his squad live in the suburbs of Hell, and their school vacation is starting to feel like one, too. A soul has escaped from the Pit and is on the loose, which means their on lockdown, even during Halloween, one of their favorite holidays. When Mal, Lilith, Crowley, and Aleister decide to goof off in the woods near a tear in the veil to Earth, they accidentally fall through into Salem. But the town is more chaotic than usual, and it’s starting to seem like something ghostly, something infernal is going on—and they’d better figure it out before the veil closes, they have no way home, and they’re... grounded for all eternity.

This book is like if *Supernatural* were a show for middle grade students, and Percy Jackson was the star, which means it is extremely close to perfect. I love the author’s take on sort of modernizing Christian angelology and giving it the fun, snarky treatment as the reader gets a look behind the scenes, all while not straying too far from what powers are actually supposed to do. In fact, it’s pretty spot on, from what I can tell. We also get a little bit about other dimensions, with mentions of Heaven, Faerie, and Purgatory, which I just think is so cool. All the little worldbuilding details of the parts set in Hell are nice, too, like the scent of the air, the ambulatory leaves, the witty names of the shops, and the different origins of the populace.

Aside from the elements that the lapsed Catholic in me is totally geeking out about, I really love the message here, which I think can be boiled down to: “You may have a destiny, but you can carry it out your way.” The way things have always been done doesn’t have to remain the *only* way, and younger generations can reinvent the rules. Mal and his squad are a fun bunch of kids, and I loved watching them and the friends they meet while on their self-appointed mission (Charity in particular is so refreshing in her enthusiasm, and I love Cassandra’s almost inept social worker vibe) realize that responsibility isn’t always a bad thing, and that doing the right thing is more important than the seemingly good thing, regardless of perception. Of course, Mal comes to this conclusion in a way less boring way than I just did, so honestly? Just follow the squad through the veil, and you’ll be in for a Hell of a Halloween.

Now just imagine Mal popping up and giving me the stink eye, saying “Not there,” and vanishing. But he’s right, it’s not totally their fault.