Ravenous Things by Derrick Chow was received directly from the publisher and I chose to review it. I had never read this author before and I read this Young Adult novel due to it being in the prelims for a Bram Stoker award, in 2022. This story takes place mostly in the underground, thus dark, and is a Pied Piperish novel to do with children. If this sounds like your type of book, certainly give it a read.

4 Stars

Thank you to Netgalley for the review copy of Ravenous Things by Derrick Chow. I was intrigued by this one because it is a reimagining based on the Pied Piper Story. It begins with Reggie in the cemetery leaving a birthday gift at his Dad's grave. He is then approached by a mysterious man (who in my head looks like the bowler head guy from Meet the Robinson's) and told that he can see his dad again if he goes to the subway at midnight. When he goes, he meets Chantal and also sees his archnemesis, Gareth.

At the end of the line, he discovers his father, but all is not as it seems. Soon, it is up to him to save the other children from a certain deadly trap.

I would recommend this book to students who can handle talk about grief (all three children have lost someone close to them), and love creepy middle grade. It is imaginative and I love how dynamic the characters are. It was interesting to see them figure out what has happening.

3.5/5 stars

I got this link from the HWA as it's been nominated for a Stoker this year, a well-deserved honor!

If I was the target audience, I'd be delighted and a little spooked by this one. This was the type of book I would have stayed up all night with, reading by flashlight under the covers on a school night. It took me back to those days and that's a little magical.

Thanks to NetGalley & Disney Publishing Worldwide for the copy in exchange for an honest review. Sadly, I dropped the book at 20% of the way through.

This book is pretty dark and genuinely unnerving despite being a book geared toward children. I don't really recommend it for that reason--it looks like a lighthearted fantasy adventure book but it's reeeeallly creepy. If your kid can handle nightmare fuel involving the protagonist's deceased father go for it.

I also wasn't a fan of the writing style either.

This is fun and spooky and heartfelt. I think fans of the Small Spaces will enjoy this new take on the Pied Piper.

Ravenous Things by Derrick Chow is insightful, imaginative, unsettling, beautifully written, and more of an emotional rollercoaster than you might expect. It is my favorite young adult novel that I have read in a long time and one that caught me completely off guard in an unprecedented way.

I had no idea what Ravenous Things was about before I started reading it, and it unfolded into a story like none I have ever read before. Spooky rats and a few heroic kids, I initially thought. I wasn’t entirely wrong, but there is so much more to this story.

Ravenous Things is a stunning debut novel for author Derrick Chow which reimagines the tale of the Pied Piper. Both terrifying and hauntingly beautiful, Chow masterfully uses literal and figurative monsters to explore themes of grief and how we handle loss. The writing is simple, effective, and charismatic – the reader feels like they are a friend of Reggie’s, attempting to hold his hand as he deals with his father’s passing. The story is deeply sad in parts. Not only has Reggie lost his dad, but he has lost him mom too – she struggles to face each day without her husband and never leaves the house. It takes its toll on her, but also on her son. I teared up a few times at how raw and real Reggie’s struggle is, and how he would do anything to spend another day with his dad. It is something almost all readers will relate to, and it is an imaginative journey unlike any other. Rats and all.

The Conductor is that stranger we all pray we never meet. Someone who lures you to your demise with your greatest weakness as his one-way ticket. He is also symbolic of vices and “the easy way out” which may not always be what is best for us. While rats taking over the city may initially sound absurd and perhaps a bit childish at first glance, the story and its execution is anything but. The spooky themes tie in exceedingly well with the helplessness that one can feel when experiencing grief. Loss can be terrifying. The rats in this story are terrifying. They are familiar – almost human-like – but distorted enough to be truly scary. Fear takes many forms, and the way grief can manifest is interestingly explored in this way in this book.

The characters share a great dynamic. Reggie, Chantal and Gareth, while being a motley crew, are bonded together by loss (Reggie’s dad, Chantal’s sister and Gareth’s grandmother). Saving the city from the rats is ultimately up to them, and their team-up gives them each a sense of purpose, restores hope, and builds (and re-builds) relationships. Their personalities are also “real”. They are imperfect characters who need each other’s support. Reggie has a quick temper, Chantal is working on herself through therapy and Gareth is the school bully. There is much more to them than meets the eye, and they are ultimately not defined by their grief. They are the heroes of the story and they triumph over what is perhaps life’s greatest challenge – loss and all the doubt, insecurity and fear that comes with it.

A moving and powerful novel about losing someone special framed in a most imaginative scenario, Ravenous Things teaches readers about more than monsters. I not only recommend this book, but strongly encourage young readers to befriend Reggie and muster the courage to go on the journey with him.

A different take on the Pied Piper tale we learned growing up, this book is a great way for kids who have experienced grief (or those who want to understand it) to connect and feel seen and understood. It's a good book to help open up conversations with young readers.

This was a really great story! I could relate to the MC and what he was feeling. I loved how he freely expressed himself as well as how he sought to fix to the problem. I loved that it showed the angry side of grief and how it could look differently for everyone. I think kid would appreciate this book, whether they are grieving or not and I think they would enjoy the adventure/hijinx in this story.

A sweet and exciting retelling of the Pied Piper, Ravenous Things has all the creepy suspense you'd want out of a story of a mysterious man who lures children while also confronting ideas of grief, loss, and connection.

Love a story that's all spooky and also about grief and how grief and spooky things go together and how every ghost is just a manifestation of love. also, enemies to friends? creepy crawlies? a villain named the Mysterious Conductor? the realization that adults don't know everything and are just as flawed as kids? Ravenous Things has it all. it's not as good as Small Spaces, but it gets really really close. Four stars.

Thank you to Disney-Hyperion and NetGalley for this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
Reggie Wong is missing his father terribly since losing him two years ago. His mother is paralyzed with grief which means Reggie is often on his own. One day when visiting his father’s grave, Reggie meets the Conductor, who promises that he can make Reggie’s deepest desire come true. Reggie decides to meet the Conductor at the St. Patrick subway station in Toronto at midnight along with hundreds of other kids. The train takes them deep underground where the kids get off individually to meet with their lost loved ones. But all is not as it seems and Reggie, along with new friends Chantal and Gareth, must escape from the nightmare in this twisted tale version of the Pied Piper.
This book perfectly blends mystery with a deep creep factor, mainly, rats! The Conductor creepily preys on the kids’ grief to get what he wants. I enjoyed how Reggie, Chantal, and Gareth worked together to get themselves out of their predicament. This is a great debut novel by Derrick Chow. I highly recommend it for readers in grades 4 and up.
#RavenousThings #NetGalley #DisneyHyperion
This title will be available July 26, 2022.

I always love reading a fairy tale retelling, and it just so fun to see such an underrated fairy tale get a retelling. Reggie Wong longs for the days where his family was together and whole, but after losing his father he also feels like he has lost his mother. So, when a gentleman comes up to him in the cemetery and tells him to meet him at midnight and he will grant his hearts deepest wish, Reggie jumps at the chance of seeing his dad again. A mysterious journey through the subways with a bunch of other children drops Reggie off in a room where his dad is once more alive or so it would seem. Yet not everything is as it seems, and Reggie soon learns that looks can be deceiving. With the help of some newfound friends Reggie embarks on a journey to find out the truth behind the mysterious man that drew him down into the subway. Will Reggie and his friends be able to stop the pied piper before he takes over the city and destroys the world as Reggie knows it?
This is such a fun twisted tale. Reggie, Chantel, and Gareth make up such a great team of kids. All of them bringing different ideas and ways to look at things when going up against the pied piper. Which just makes the story flow so nicely. It also allows for such character growth. Especially with Reggie. From going to an angsty frustrated teen to being able to deal with those emotions by the end of this book and face them in a much healthier manner, just shows the power of how different perspectives on people can really help you come to a better understanding of others. This book is also the perfect blend of dark and light and moves quickly through the plot line. It is perfectly paced to draw readers in and keep them interested.

Thank you so much to Disney Publishing and Netgalley for allowing me to read an advance copy of this text.

Derrick Chow has given us a creepy, suspenseful, but totally fun new take on the Pied Piper story. This book will be a big hit with fans of children's books like Coraline: genuinely scary, with a touch of sweetness, and unafraid of taking on big, scary topics. Our protagonist Reggie is dealing with some big problems: the death of his father, his mother's depression, and a whole lot of anger. And now, he has to face The Conductor, a powerful and mysterious stranger who is promising him the impossible. It is when The Conductor's offer is indeed revealed to be too good to be true that this book really begins to shine. Both a powerful examination of grief and a totally scary rollercoaster ride, RAVENOUS THINGS is a real treat.

I would recommend this book to any middle grade reader that likes creepy, suspenseful books. This book does a great job at creating a certain ambiance that sucks you into the story. The creepy twists and turns are perfect for anyone that wants to dip their toe into the genre of horror. I also think that this book did a great job of portraying grief and provided important insights into the various ways that people process grief through these characters. I think that it is important to include characters with anger management struggles or characters that unapologetically see a therapist. I really appreciated the representation in this book that I think many readers will feel a kinship with. I rated this four stars because I did find myself slowing down toward the end of the book and I think that it could have benefitted from being just a little bit shorter to keep the audience engaged all the way through.

Thank you to Derrick Chow and Disney-Hyperion for allowing me to read an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

What worked:
Dealing with grief is a major topic in this book. Reggie deeply misses his father who died two years prior. His mother is devastated to the point that she’s feeling paranoid and won’t leave the apartment. Reggie has many fond memories of his father and often relives them in his mind. His sadness is accompanied by anger toward his mother since he feels forced to cope with his heartache alone. However, he later learns that appearances can’t reveal what others are experiencing and perhaps he’s not as alone as he thinks.
Reggie teams up with his “mortal enemy” Gareth and a girl named Chantal to figure out why the Conductor lures kids onto a subway train using false promises. Reggie has had fights with Gareth at school since second grade, and Gareth’s constant teasing is infuriating. Reggie’s temper makes the problem worse, so trying to work together to uncover the Conductor’s secrets is a struggle. Chantal has been seeing a psychiatrist since her twin sister died, and she offers some of the doctor’s advice as the team learns to face their problems. Readers may use those same suggestions in their own lives. All three characters learn that communication goes a long way toward identifying their issues and gaining the support needed to overcome them.
The world created by the author is imaginative but maintains connections to real life. The Conductor wields a magic flute that may remind readers of an old fairy tale, but the spells he casts are surely impossible. He commands an army of ravenous rats that project an air of danger within the underground Darkness. The Darkness itself is treated as another character with feelings and intentions, as the kids fear its presence. Reggie, Gareth, and Chantal encounter seemingly familiar settings only to find the images are illusions. The composition of the background scenery is a surprise, but a small bug and a balloon become unexpected allies.
What didn’t work as well:
The main characters are interesting, but not especially memorable. Their problems and issues are serious and relatable to young readers, but the characters themselves are quite average. Nevertheless, the creative story and comradery of the characters make this book entertaining.
The Final Verdict:
Problems must be given names to solve them. The fanciful story addresses serious, real-life issues including the many faces of grief. Readers will enjoy the characters’ efforts to stop the Conductor as the plot builds to an exciting climax.

A creepy retelling of the Pied Piper tale for kids and tweens, set in modern Toronto. For fans of fantasy and adventure, with some more creepy tones closer to Niel Gaiman's Coraline. Reggie is dealing with the loss of his father when a mysterious Conductor appears and promises him one thing: seeing his father again. He follows, as well as hundreds of other children, including Gareth the school bully and Chantal, who all travel underground. But they soon discover it's a trap, and Reggie, Chantal, and Gareth break free to the surface to find they've been replaced with rat-children. They band together to take down the Conductor. Recommended for collections serving middle grade fiction and looking add more titles.

Absolutely loved this creepy, adventurous book. It had Neil Gaiman vibes and was a fun, spooky read while still having loads of heart. This will definitely be a popular title with MG readers. Highly recommended.

Ravenous Things by Derrick Chow is a fantastically spooky middle grade retelling of the Pied Piper. With a modern city setting and a whole new take he brings the fairytale to the present day. The beginning of the book deals well with themes of grief and death. It shows that you are not alone going through loss. The characters are all very relatable. Ravenous Things helps to show that even if you could get what you wish for, it might not be as good as it seems. It has its tense moments but would be good for kids wanting to explore the "horror" genre. The only thing that I found lacking was the character development.

The Pied Piper...but in reverse? Promised a return visit with those they have lost and miss beyond belief, children are led into a trap of false promises and crafty lies. A darkness is living in the sewers beneath the city and kids have gone missing...when they come back though, they aren't the same. Something is off about them and the world seems to be going crazy. So how do 3 kids fix it all? They dive into the underground and attempt to figure out who is behind it and how to stop it.

RAVENOUS THINGS by Derrick Chow is a delightfully spooky and fun MG! The writing is wonderful and witty, the style so classic that I felt that I might have sunk into an old Roald Dahl book. Right away, I was hooked by the strange man who lures children into a train station at midnight. I don't want to give anything away because what happens next should be discovered on your own. However, the light spookiness is perfect for middle grade, whimsical and weird in the best way, and the friendship that forms between Reggie, Chantal, and Gareth is heart-warming. I loved it & would go on many more adventures with them!