I remember enjoying this boom when i read it as an ebook. I think the audio definitely makes it an easier reading experience

Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher/author for providing me with an ALC in exchange for my honest review.

OMG!!! This book was exactly what I wanted it to be! I loved it. I will make sure to check out other books by this author. When I requested this I was just intrigued by the concept of it and I loved how it turned out. This story had a great plot and if you have read this and enjoyed it, This was so much. It was such a great story. I would say give this one a try. I will continue to follow this author. Way to go to this author for not letting me down.

I highly enjoyed the narrator of the audiobook. Kept me listening.

This is the 2nd book in the series.
It was a fun book, with lots of action and magic.
I still have mixed feelings about the characters. I feel like this book went in depth a little bit more on the characters but I am not feeling them really.
I think because I don't have a good feel and connection with the characters is why i am having a hard time really enjoying this book.
There is 1 more book, the 3rd book in this series and I will not be reading it.

I am glad I had the opportunity to read this book thanks to NetGalley. The above review is my own opinion, honest and voluntary.

First, I have to say that this second installment of the Freaks series is better than the first one, which was a nice surprise! It didn't feel as flat as I felt the first one was, it was nice to see them a bit older and see their dynamics grow, but I was still not very captivated by the characters, I have to admit.

I think overall it was an okay story, the story line with the task force was fun, but having read something similar before (Long Exposure by Kam Heyward) it probably didn't have the impact it would have otherwise.

In conclusion, I think it's not a perfect book but it's definitely a fun read for fans of YA sci-fi!

Also, I want to thank the publisher and netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Now high school sophomores, the self-styled “Freaks” are back in class in quiet Quapaw City, Arkansas. They grapple with the ordinary challenges of everyday teen life: cliques, cars, and crushes. While everything appears normal on the surface, looks have rarely been more deceiving. A secret government task force—fully aware of the unusual powers the Freaks have acquired—is determined to capture them. Even as the mysterious Baltar Sterne shares ancient wisdom and offers hope, a new menace silently emerges in the woods outside of town. Clever, inexorable, and far more lethal than the Freaks’ first superhuman foe, this traveler from another world possesses powers that can only be described as godlike. The Freaks and their town will be tested in horrific ways they are powerless to predict or even imagine.

I liked this book but I didn’t love it. I think that Riley is on to something here with this series with the main concept being this group of kids accidentally releasing entities into the world and gaining super powers. There is great characterisation and I really have an affinity for the majority of the characters in the book, but it’s the monster in this one that I had an issue with. I thought the whole ancient Indian entity was a little strange and incongruous with the rest of the book and it’s style and for me it didn’t resonate and I didn’t get its role as the ‘bad guy’ making the whole build up to the face off a bit meh.

For me, both times in this series, the book felt like it needed better editing as there were parts which dragged and didn’t add anything to the plot. Nevertheless I will be keeping my eye out for the next book because as I said, I am on this journey with the group now and I need to see how it ends.

In was so excited to read this one after loving the first! I really loved the premise of this book, but I felt it was a bit jarring that the first half and the second half were so different in tone. I loved the snippets of romance and the magic was thought provoking. Overall a pretty fun but not phenomenal read.

I'm use to fast read books. To me this was a slow read for me. Also like others I did not know this was the second book in a series, but still was able to follow. Although this is not my typical read it was good.

This book was not great, at least for me. Sci-Fi is not my fave genre, so perhaps it was that. I will not be reading more books in this series if there are any. I didn't really love the first book in the series, Freaks, but feel that it was better than this one. I finished this one to say that I listened to it all but I really wasn't here for it. I am sure that people who like this type of book will enjoy it as the book seemed to be well-written and cohesive.

#Travelers
#NetGalley

I love this book! I was so excited to see I was selected to read the second one. It's fast paced and I relate to the characters so well, being a former outcast in high school.

First, thank you netgalley for the opportunity to listen to this audiobook.

Unfortunately I did not realize this was the second book to a series. That being said, 25% of the way through there was barely any ominous tension in this book. Maybe that because it was built up in the first book, I’m not sure. Unfortunately I did DNF this book. I was waiting for more to happen than what already had within listening for 2hours at that point.

That being said, I’m sure if you enjoyed the first book, you know what you’re getting into and will enjoy this read

This is the second book in the Freaks series. The narrator, PJ Morgan, does a great job. The story continues with a new character coming in. This new character is an uncle that was supposedly dead but somehow is not. The main characters are still dealing with loss and the government watching them. One of the main characters even has a bad run-in with the government. The main "villain' in the story has an interesting story arc. I enjoyed the story and can't wait to see what happens next.

I want to start by saying thanks to Imbrifex Audio and NetGalley for a copy of “Travelers” by Brett Riley.

I should start by saying that I did not realize this was the second book in the series and I DID NOT read the first book. However, this book discusses in pretty great detail what I believe to be the plot of the first book which allowed me to feel like I understood where they were coming from despite not having read it.

The Plot: We follow high school sophomores, a group of misfits the “Freaks” who are starting fresh this school year in their quiet town of Quapaw City, Arkansas. Together they deal with some of the most ordinary experiences of adolescence like maintaining friendships, getting their first cars, and having crushes. While they appear to be the most normal teenagers they all have their own secret powers and a secret-agent task force is determined to capture or kill them - whichever happens first.

What I Enjoyed: The narrator in this book was FANTASTIC an easy 10/10. They are dynamic and engaging and do a good job of creating clarity when the perspectives change. The book is “inclusive” and includes details from modern times. One of the characters is non-binary, and there are several instances of recent events being referenced.

What I Wish was DIfferent: In all honesty, this was the first ARC book that I could not finish. The book just didn't have a flow that seemed coherent or engaging, and the characters were just very very flat for me. I started this book and thought that a quick break with a better book before coming back to finish would help but instead, it just continued to show that the book wasn’t as well executed as it should have been.

Sadly this book will be a DNF at 1 star.

This book was much better than the first one. I really enjoyed the enemies perspective this time and I felt like the person who narrated the book did a good job with his voice. I felt like the characters grew more in this book and the ending made me want to read the next installment.

I am overjoyed to reviewing and reading the sequel to Freaks by Brett Riley.

The plot and characters really stepped up the game. At first this begins at a slow-pace and thankfully speeds up. Travelers then kept me on the edge of my seat and is truly a page-turner.

Refreshing with a ya where there are multiple factions fighting for their own goal, whether it is survival, justice or simply following orders from above. How these teenagers deal with making and keeping the friends they have been set up with because of a spell gone wrong is fun and frustrating with plenty of conflict keeping the story interesting between the action scenes. I generally liked the story and plot, however there are some minor issues I have with how its written.

We love a non-binary character, but as a fellow queer and pronounce user myself I have never come across someone writing out their pronounce as they/their/them, it's simply they/them. Nit picky I know but maybe the author has seen someone use they/their/them.

I'm a young millennial/old gen Z and I know 90s slang when I read it. Do not write teenagers using slag if you do not know how kids talk 🙃 this book reads like it's taking place alongside Buffy. Which is a vibe, but not the one I think the author was going for. If you're above the age of 35 and dont have teenage kids, you should probably dive into youth culture to accurately represent it in present day.

All in all, with my head canon is that this is set in the 90s, this is a good read/listen

Teen superheroes, alien entity, friendship bonds and trials, love, excitement- what could be better?
A group of outlier teens become friends through a common bond- they’ve been gifted with superpowers! They become the city’s secret protectors against “the Rabbit”! They must find a way to conquer “the Rabbit” while constantly outrunning the law who maintain perpetual surveillance on them, stifling their progress. Will they succeed?
P. J. Morgan was given a massive task when asked to create voices for so many characters. This was well done while considering this. With that said, at times, it was hard to tell the difference between characters. The pace, rhythm, tonality fluctuations, emotionality, and rapid changes in different character voices was outstanding!
I found the book to be very enjoyable and appealing, even as an adult (YA book). It was able to meet my expectations in genre, creativity, literacy, and narration.
I would definitely recommend this book to young and older adults who love Sci Fi.
Thank you to NetGalley and Imbrifex Audio for the audiobook copy to evaluate and review. All opinions are my own.

https://blujeansbooks.co.za/review-travelers-by-brett-riley/ my full review can be found here on my blog. I will post it on Goodreads etc soon.

I was given the ARC Audiobook for this on Netgalley.

Story 3/5 stars
Characters 4/5 stars

This is the second installment in the Freaks trilogy.

The characters were already well established which allowed the story to just pick up running.
It did hit a bit of a slow down in the middle that caused the story to drag out a little but then towards the end it picked right back up.

The fantasy was enjoyable, but it still had enough of a modern take that it didn't fall to far into the fantasy genre, which if straight fantasy is what you are looking for may be a bit of an issue for some being as it is labelled at a fantasy book.(I will add though I do think it does fall under the fantasy umbrella. just not to the extent that some readers may be looking for)

I thought this sequel to Freaks was really good. We follow the same characters, who are now fighting a carnivorous huge bunny rabbit. They all stick together and some new romances start. If you liked the first book, I think you will like this follow-up. The narration for the audiobook was very well done. I want to thank the author, the publisher, and Netgalley for giving me a copy of this audiobook, in return for an honest review.

I liked this second book more than the first. I liked getting to know more about the characters and even meeting new people, all of whom I was suspicious about the whole time. I liked the action and I’m loving the unique “characters” who were let into our world in the first book. I want to see the freaks develop even more in the next book and get some questions answered about Uncle Baltar and what exactly he’s doing.