Member Reviews
I know my students will love this book and I have requested copies for my class library. Obviously as an adult it wasn't written for me but I found it an enjoyable enough read.
In hindsight I shouldn't have requested this one as I do not have a good time with middle grade reads or magical books. This book just read way too young for me and I couldn't finish it.
A fun, unique and exciting world has been created in this magical book! The story was fast-paced and complex, with deep characters and an intricate adventure. I can't wait to see what comes next for Parker Pennymore and her siblings!
I do not thin it was my time to read this book: I put it away for now and I will be coming back to this once in the mood for that genre.
I loved the concept and storyline of this book, but I had a hard time getting into it at first. After the first few chapters it got better and I found myself enjoying the book. Definitely a great magical read for middle graders and young adults
This is not the next Harry Potter despite it's blurb but it has potential. It didn't flow as well as it could have. At the same time, I can see it being enjoyed by young readers and will recommend it once we have it.
I am always looking for fantasy fiction books to add to my school library collection. I try to read a good bit of middle grade fiction to determine what I should add. I was not disappointed with is selection. I could see this book being great for censorship discussions. Maybe even interpersonal relationship discussion. I enjoyed the plot and think this would be a great addition.
Thank you Netgalley for allowing me to read and review this book.
I don’t read a ton of middle grade anymore but I’m glad I tried this one. This is a whimsical story with lots of magic and adventures and it definitely keeps you turning the pages to find out how it ends. I would say as an adult reader some of the writing is repetitive and over explanatory but that’s because it’s written for a younger age. Loved it!
This was a brilliant story that started as a bedtime story. I think it was so much fun and one that both children and their parents can enjoy
Ich fand es war ein wirklich schönes Jugendbuch und es war auch wirklich toll geschrieben. Sollten wir mal wieder jemand in dem Alter haben, der gerne auf englisch lesen möchte/kann wird es definitiv empfohlen!
First of all, I want to give thanks to the Eric Koester and New Degree Press for asking me to read an ARC of The Pennymores and share my thoughts. While this is not my typical genre, I do have grandchildren that I buy books for and thought perhaps this might be something to share with them.
I thought wrong. I liked the premise of this book and am fond of children-centric novels with intrepid and creative young people. For me, however I found the plot a bit hard to get into. I must have started the book three times. There is a lot keep track of and a younger child would definitely need to be reading this with an adult. In addition, sensitive little ones may find this a bit dark, so I'd recommend it for older middle grade kids for sure.
I applaud the author and his family for the way they got to this; the efforts and creative energy are commendable. I also like that profits from the presales go to the Malala fund.
I reached almost 70% of this book with great difficulty. I read a sporadic amount of middle grade fantasy fiction and usually enjoy them. This one is quite dense and if it had been a little shorter or broken up into different book, I might have appreciated a little more.
Maybe children who are looking for something more complicated than their usual reads would better appreciate this.
The magic is quite complex as are the loyalties but since I was unable to read it all the way through I would not be able to provide a full length review
Honestly I tried reading this and have to about 45% of the way through. The plot felt like it was going nowhere. The characters weren't exactly likeable and they were all kind of weird. There's a lot of weird hypothesis with no real ground gained so I gave up.
Sorry it's a no for me
The cover is so attention grabbing and appealing. The book was also great! It was a little slow in the beginning, but it got better as I kept reading.
The Pennymores and the Curse of the Invisible Quill is the first book in a new middle grade reader fantasy series by Eric Koester. Released 24th April 2022, it's 376 pages and is available in paperback and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately.
This is a wonderfully well written fantasy adventure for ~7-12 year olds (and all other ages, really). It's a rollicking sibling adventure on the surface which also manages to tackle age-old themes of censorship, kindness, loyalty, and bravery in an age appropriate but unflinching manner.
I loved the depth of the world building. It feels organic and real. I also really loved the interplay between the siblings who are distinct and have their own personalities and act like siblings. They argue and squabble, but when it matters, they support one another and if one is threatened, they band together. This book apparently grew out of the bedtime story-telling ritual of the author and his children and it feels authentically delightful.
Four stars. Definitely a good choice for public or school library acquisition, and home use. I'm looking forward to finding out what comes next for the Pennymore siblings. A portion of the proceeds from the book go to The Malala Fund for Children's Literacy.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes
I was drawn to the cover art for this book and stayed for the story.
It was wonderful! A true hero journey. The girls Parker, Quinn and Aven are wonderful as are the rest characters we meet.
Everything from start to finish is pure unadulterated wonderful storytelling at its finest. I recommend to anyone .
There's a lot going on in this book and some great characters, but too much going on for me to get invested in everything here. While I won't be continuing with it for now, I'd definitely be interested in checking out other stories by Eric Koester.
The Pennymores and the Curse of the Invisible Quill by Eric Koester is an absolute great read for middle schoolers and adults. The author did not miss a beat with the story line or writing style. It truly grabs your attention from the very first chapter and continues to be a page turner all throughout. The world building is phenomenal and all the little details that top it off really takes the cake and transport you to the Land of Fonde. The Pennymore siblings and all the characters throughout the story are great to read about and follow.
The story line is great and is such a powerful lesson that I think people sometimes overlook. Writing can be a magical experience and it can create both good and bad depending on how you wield it. So, in a world where the quills hold power, what would you write or erase?
I do recommend this story and am thrilled to share this with my middle schooler one day. Thank you NetGallely, Love Books Tour, New Degree Press and Author for the ARC.
This was an enjoyable book to read, even if sometimes I found it a little bit naive and predictable, above all I was left a little with a sour taste in my mouth by the ease with the main characters resolve their quests. Also, in some scenes and in some locations the book reminded me of Harry Potter saga, which is not a bad thing but only an homage to a beloved setting. In any case, the atmosphere we breathe reading the book is the typical one of a book with a young audience as a target: rich in possibilities and adventures.
The magic system is not complex, yet is interesting because it brings to "life" the connection and simile between writing and magic.
I have to make an honourable mention to the gorgeous colored illustrations that you can find in every chapter that stroke and fascinated me so much and for me they give something more to the story.
Another thing that I appreciated so much is the relationship between the sisters because for me is realistic. In fact Quinn, Parker and Aven are different persons and therefore not every time they get along, they have different opinions, they envy each others sometimes, they argue and express their opinions and at times they do so strongly (but always in accordance with their young age). Of course eventually they make up with each other quickly not only with words, but also with everyday acts that permit to restore the balance between them. An for me this is more real than many other representations of sisters.
The three sisters are indeed the protagonists, but there are other characters as well. We their family and especially the sidekicks that are both young kid like the sisters and fantastic beasts (for example talking animals and dwarf), everyone with a personality and a function in the story, even if only for a few chapters. of course here are also antagonist as well, but they are less depicted and remain more mysterious.
In conclusion, this is a good first book in a children series with good starting points and themes (like the neutrality of magic and writing, it's their use that really matters) that can be explored in the next books and that can provide an help to read the world.
I finish with a little consideration about the language for the non English native speaker like me: I would say that English is between A2 level and B1 level, in general there aren't complex sentences and there are many dialogues, but sometimes there are more difficult words and descriptions that elevate a little the language level.
Thank you for a Digital Advanced Reader’s Copy in exchange for an honest review.
The Pennymore's is an incredibly fun tale about the magic of writing... literally. In a world where magic can be done using words scripted on a page (or on a fingernail), Eric Koester brings to life an enchanting family and their very fun friends.
Parker's adventure in this story is absolutely... magical, for lack of a better word. The characters in this story are diverse and full of fun, and I loved the different lands that they adventured to.
I do wish we'd gotten to see more of the Plumes, but I imagine they will show up again in a future book! I cannot wait to read more of Parker's adventures!