Did you know this book literally started as a Choose Your Adventure on Twitter? Like, what?!? Amazing!!

Winnie Wednesday wants, no, needs to join the Luminaries. She has to redeem her family's name after *the incident*. Not ready to turn to her mother or brother, Winnie turns to an old friend - Jay Friday - one of the few people in town who still talk to her. But there's more lurking in the forest than the hunters know. Can Winnie and Jay unravel the secrets and save the town? Will Winnie become a Luminary? Does she even want to?

This book reminds me so much of the Alice in Zombieland series in all the very good ways. It's fun, it's well paced, it's got complex themes without being too convoluted or difficult. I love the familiar complexities and societal pressures demonstrated in the book. While it's a YA book, these are complex issues that so many of us manage well into adulthood.

There's clearly a lot more coming and I'm fully intrigued!

There is a lot to like about this book: it was a great concept and a really interesting world, but something about the writing kept me from getting truly immersed in the story.

First, the good:

- I loved the forest and the Nightmares, that is a really cool idea and I wanted to know way more about the sleeping being that creates the forest magic.
- I liked the Luminaries, and the idea that they all had different roles to play in their society.
- I liked the backstory with the dad and how that affected Winnie’s family and friends.
- I liked Jay! Of course I liked Jay.

What I wanted more from:

- I know this is the first book in a series so there will be unanswered questions, but I really felt like more needed to happen in this first instalment. I know from other reviews I’m not alone in thinking that it ended in an odd place. I was expecting to at least have the reveal of the werewolf before the end of this book, even if it would have been a bit of a cliffhanger.
- I feel like Winnie backed down from things sometimes and it drove me crazy. When she found the letters and didn’t immediately try to solve the cipher I was yelling at my book. How could she just sit on that?? I would need to know immediately.
- I felt like Winnie spent a lot of time telling us about her clothes and transportation, and I just didn’t need so many details on that!
- The world building was given in small pieces— I feel the author might have been trying to avoid info dumping—but I felt like we needed more.

Also to me it read more middle grade than YA (not sure if that was the intention or not).

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

4.5 ⭐

An absolutely magical coming of age story, not at all what I was expecting!

I requested an arc of this as I love the Truthwitch series, and while this was entirely different the author still manages to inject a sense of mystical whimsy into an urban setting. Perfect for readers who enjoyed Akarnae and the Night World series.

This was a really great one! Loved Hemlock falls, and adored Winnie Wednesday. Writing was amazing, as well as plot-development, and I can’t wait for more from this author. 4/5 stars!

Stop whatever it is you are doing and read this book now! If you are a fan of YA fantasy, this book is such a fresh unique niche of the genre satisfying that need for something new and exciting while falling in the realms of the paranormal. I typically am not a fan of present day fantasy, but this book is outright changing my feelings on the matter. I've been scouring the internet all afternoon, trying to figure out when book 2 will come. I need more!
This book takes place in the town of Hemlock Falls, which seems completely unconnected to the rest of the world and a hub for paranormal activity. The town is plagued by nightmares, that are revealed by a mist every evening. It's the job of the luminaries to hunt these monsters each night, protecting the town from their wrath. The luminaries are divided into clans. Each clan's family name is a day of the week subsequently, their last names coincide with their night of their hunting duty.
Winnie, our main character, wants nothing more than to be a luminary, but thanks to her dad's involvement in the rival group the Diana's, Winnie, her brother and her mom are left outcasts, stripped of any luminary activity for 10 years. Winnie's best friends Jay and Erica also abandoned her, leaving her with a lot of free time to study the Compendium. A book detailing all the monsters that roam the forrest in Hemlock Falls.
However, Winnie's 16th birthday rolls around, and even outcasts can participate in hunter tryouts. So Winnie attends, finding more than she bargained for in the forest.

Well this certainly exceeded my expectations! I’m a huge fan of contemporary fantasy and the fact that Dennard skillfully had modern flair but still managed to create a unique setting is no small feat. The concept of the book was interesting, different, and totally had me hooked. I really liked the main character, Winnie! She is scrappy and someone you will definitely root for, it was nice watching her character grow confidence throughout the book. Overall, I didn’t feel there was a ton of resolution in this one but it certainly does a fantastic job setting up the series (Trilogy? Duology? Not too sure.) and I will absolutely read on! The awesome twist, albeit unsurprising, at the end has me soo mad that I need to wait forever until book 2! Highly recommend to all YA fantasy lovers.

WOW I read this in one sitting and really loved it! Winnie was such a scrappy main character and I really loved reading from her. The romance didn't blow me away but was fine.

World-wise, this was really unique with a slightly secret society and a lot of information that came across really easily. I was shocked by a few of the twists at the end and I can't wait for book 2!

This was a YA fiction novel with a dash of dystopian flavor. I found that while the world building was very full and detailed, the story itself at times was a little flat. That being said, I really enjoyed this book and think now that the groundwork is in place that the next novel will be even better. I look forward to reading this series.

The Luminaries is a YA contemporary fantasy that is addictive and captivated me from the first line. The characters are relatable and likeable, the pace and plot were well done. The world building was incredible and oh my if you love your monsters there is plenty in this book. The authors imagination is incredible. I’m very excited to continue this story in the next instalment. Also Jay is adorable. 😍

I LOVE this book! Thank you, Susan Dennard for a fantastic read. While I typically prefer first person, I didn't mind reading The Luminaries in third person. I still felt a great connection with Winnie's character. Her feelings, motivations, and obstacles all felt realistic and difficult--and I couldn't keep from reading once I'd started. The other characters, ranging from Winnie's family to her ex-friend Jay and her group of new friends brought the world to life. This story felt unique and exciting, and I was definitely disappointed when it ended. Reading the first of a series is always a little hard when the next book(s) isn't out yet, but this was still worth it! I am excited to follow Winnie and Jay's story as it progresses. There is an element that I feel like will soon be turned into a big plot twist that feels very obvious to me, but I don't think it impacts the quality of the book. Dennard's writing is inviting, charming, and believable. I can't wait for this series to progress! Highly recommend!

**Thank you, Netgalley and publisher, for giving me an electronic ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.**

Reading The Luminaries by Susan Dennard felt like a werewolf bit me and didnt let go, I was obessed and read it every spare moment. Culture runs thicker than blood. In Hemlock Falls there is a forest that holds monsters, or in the book they are more aptly named nightmares. Winnie and her family are outcasts until Winnie brings them back into society through her Hunter trials. At sixteen, they are thrown into the forest to kill a nightmare, Winnie does that too. But there is one thing that separates her from the rest of the victors. It's all a lie. There is something else, something that consumes the nightmares. Although there is one group of creatures in the forest that I completely love. And those are the ghost deer. Mentioned in multiple chapters but this one on chapter twenty-seven was my favorite "It is a ghost-deer— a ghost-doe actually, with two ghost-fawns beside her."

This was such a fun story and now I’m mad I have to wait for the next book!

Winnie’s family have been labeled as outcasts for ✨reasons✨ but Winnie is doing what she can to try and get back into the good graces of the Luminaries. To do so, Winnie must become a hunter. And not just any hunter… a hunter of nightmares.

This story has action, monsters, misfits, family bonds, friendship and more. It was a truly delightful story and I am looking forward to what comes next! Thanks to NetGalley for this advanced readers copy!

This book was absolutely incredible! Honestly one of the best I’ve read so far this year. The writing was impeccable. I could visualize the entire story as I was reading. You find yourself identifying with Winnie as she hopes to join the Luminaries despite being shunned by the community. You find yourself lost in this amazing world and you will not want to leave. Thank you NetGalley and Susan Dennard for letting me review this book and I can’t wait for book 2.

This is so good. I didn't like the author's previous work so I didn't have high expectations but this is really well written and engaging. Highly recommended for YA shelves.

"Death is a part of life in Hemlock Falls. It's part of life beside the forest. You lose your family, you lose your friends, you lose yourself. The sooner 'the children/ learn what the forest can do to them, the safer and happier they'll be."

Winnie Wednesday and her family are outcasts after her father betrays their society of Luminaries, hiding the fact that he is a Diana, or a mortal enemy of the Luminaries. Frustrated watching her family perform the lowliest of tasks and enduring poor treatment from almost everyone around her, Winnie decides that the only course forward is to attempt the first trial to become a hunter, a group of elites that risk their lives in the forest to protect the world around them. When the night arrives, things go awry, and the outcome is everything that Winnie could have dreamed of while also changing the course of her life irreparably.

"Culture runs thicker than blood."

What a cool concept! Dennard employs the use of nightmares created by a sleeping spirit, and I loved the detail in which each one was characterized. The usage of The Compendium was perfect for providing the information, and Winnie's experience as a corpse collector made her anatomical understanding believable. Furthermore, the vivid descriptions of the forest itself were atmospheric, offering a nice contrast to the urban world in which the Luminaries reside.

My main issue was the abrupt ending. Unlike a cliffhanger, it didn't feel like a natural stopping point. I was disappointed that the vast majority of the questions that came up throughout the novel were never answered prior to the conclusion. Even so, I found myself consistently thinking about THE LUMINARIES after finishing the book, and I know that I'll be picking up the sequel. Thank you, Tor Teen and NetGalley, for the early copy in exchange for an honest review. Be sure to check this one out when it hits the shelves in November, and let me know what you think!

A couple of random thoughts:
1. I would love to see a glossary dedicated to the various nightmares and the clans/their respective mottos.
2. The story about how this book came to be is fascinating, and I wish I would have been able to "play along"!

This was an intriguing plot, and I appreciated the execution though I felt like the world building needed a little more work.

This is the first book I have read by Dennard, and it definitely won't be the last.

The basis of this story is intriguing and was well executed. From the very start I was completely entranced by the concept of the nightmares and the trials required to become a 'hunter'. Winnie's character was relatable and left you sympathetic to her situation. Although the romance portion - if we can call it that really - was predictable, it did leave me wondering more about what will happen with this relationship. The only qualm I had with this book was the description of "teeth clicking" that was constantly used in conjunction with our MC.

Grateful that this will be a series, but wish I could read the next one immediately. I have so many questions regarding the storyline and where it is going, and so many theories on the questions that were left unanswered.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan-Tor/Forge for the ARC of this eBook in exchange for my honest review.

Susan Dennard writes a haunting story about an unknown place called Hemlock Falls and its unlikely heroine Winnie. It is a fringe place whose inhabitants slay terrifying creatures coming from the forest mists: vampira, banshees, werewolves, harpies, etc. After she and her family are cast out from her clan for disloyalty, Winnie must endure terrifying feats in order to win back the approval of her people and prove that she is one of them.

  There were many thrilling and interesting components to the novel. I particularly liked the scenes from the forest where Winnie must use creativity and cunning to survive. I also liked that elements were shrouded in mystery that left the reader questioning, are the nightmares all bad? Who is Winnie’s dad? Are there other nefarious people/nightmares at work?
 
   There were a few parts that I didn’t love, the first being the weak and predictable romantic subplot. Not every book needs an angsty teen romance. In addition, while I recognize that this book is intended to be a series, I really dislike it when you are forced to read another book in order to solve the riddles in the preceding book. There is a fine line between leaving the reader wanting more because the plot is mystifying and leaving the reader frustrated because very few questions are answered.
 
Many thanks to Macmillan-Tor/Forge and Netgalley for this title in exchange for my honest review.

The luminaries by Susan Dennard takes a monster-fighter fantasy and gently interweaves a social and political commentary throughout. Although the main characters are 16 years old and the book is categorized as YA, I believe it will appeal to middle grade readers as well.

𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘰 𝘕𝘦𝘵𝘨𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘔𝘢𝘤𝘮𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘢𝘯 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘷𝘪𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘢𝘤𝘤𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘈𝘙𝘊

The Luminaries reminded me of The Angelfall, which came out in 2015; I'm not sure why, perhaps because the concept is a YA fantasy, but I liked it. It just feels nostalgic; aside from that, it gives me a dystopian vibe, and the characters' last names are unique because they use the names of the days according to their community group. It depicts Hemlock Fall, a city plagued by monsters and nightmares.

The Luminaries are an ancient order tasked with guarding its citizens against monsters and nightmares. Winnie Wednesday, who wants to join the association, must face a series of trials dealing with monsters and nightmares that could endanger her life, especially when she discovers a new danger lurking in Hemlock Fall.

To be honest, I was completely unaware of what was going on, including the plot of this book, but about halfway through, I realized where the story was heading. Winnie's trial was riveting from start to finish. I loved it!