The kids are back in book two there’s a menacing monster in the woods outside of Quapaw city
So on top of the normal every day teenage issues they have to defend their town from the newest threat and try it steer clear of the government agency that wants to capture them. This book was a little lighter than the first because the first was almost like a horror book but this is still definitely in the sci-fi scary range just not the same scary as book one. I think Brett Riley is establishing the characters in a great way and I think Michael who still has attitude issues may just in the end uses powers for evil… I hope not but just a thought. The rest of the kids were who I expected them to be and I truly love the introduction of the non-binary Rebecca and can’t wait for the third book in the series. I really like and appreciate the direction Brett Riley is taking the series I thought the narrator was awesome. I read the first book on kindle but if she narrates book 3 I am totally down to listen to that. She was awesome and thought she had great character distinction in an awesome tone to her voice a totally great choice for this book collection. I received this book from NetGalley and the publisher but I am leaving this review voluntarily please forgive any mistakes as I am blind and dictate my review.

I think this should have started out with maybe a recap of the following book with the main characters instead of right into the bad guy monologue. The plot was a little muddled to me and I was confused for a lot of this story..maybe i need to go relisten to Freaks?

I liked this book so much... Definitely fun, the characters are so colorful, the mystery is exciting, without a doubt worth a listen. I can't give it 5 stars tho because somethings didn't work for me personally, but it's still a fun book!

3.5 stars

Definitely a step up from the first one, but throughout the book it felt very preachy and heavy handed when discussing certain topics. It would have been less jarring for the reader if these things were handled through dialogue only or through a mix of dialogue and subtle (emphasis on subtle) hints in the narrative.

Christian was one of the better characters in the first one, and her role ended up becoming even more important to the overarching story this go around. I enjoyed finding out more about her family's history and how that history connected her with everything going on with this book's villain. She's certainly one tough kid, and I respect the mess out of her for that!

Micah dealt with more than enough trauma in the first book, and now there's been added emotional distress flung upon him. He wasn't quite as insufferable here as he was in the first, but he's still an extremely unlikable character 95 percent of the time. I'm interested to see where his character arc is going in the next book.

The villain this time was a good balance of menacing, interesting, and deadly. While the first book really had more of a creepy factor when it came to the baddy, this one brought more of a mental game to the table. You really had to watch your back and not trust anyone, and that helped add to the drama and severity of the situation. I liked how it drew on past cultural beliefs and customs with the villain and created what, on the surface, could seem innocent until you see its true power.

Overall, Christian and Micah were the main focuses of this installment, and I liked the added depth they gained. It's going to end up becoming a major fight between good and evil, and I'm sure it will tear the Freaks apart. But we'll see how the next one goes!

There's something about Brett Riley's books - they're *almost* the best, you know what I mean? The plot is interesting, the writing is well done. What is it that is makes the reader lose that important reader-to-book connection? I'm not quite sure. I really want to like these, and maybe I'll try reading again in a few years.

Thank you NetGalley for a copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.
This is the sequel to Brett Riley's Freaks. First I would like to comment on the audio narration, I think that the narrator did a wonderful job voicing the characters. For the story, I think that the development seen out of the characters was done well, my one complaint is I think that the plot had more potential than what was given, but nonetheless this was still quite a wild ride, and I really enjoyed listening to this book. This story sets up the stage for the next installment which is set to release in August 2023. I would recommend this series! The Freaks are back and the government is coming for them. Will they be able to outrun them, or will they meet a new fate?

I will post additional reviews on Amazon, and Instagram within the week.

If you’re a fan of the powers of “Animorphs” and the Saturday morning super hero-y feel, with a tad bit of Riverdale, you’ll like this. It can feel like a CW drama but one thing I will say is that unlike the CW shows these characters see very decent development and the tasteful introduction and handling of the nonbinary character was something I, as a queer person deeply respect. While this book has its issues such as varying cliches I found myself enjoying the villain as well and how cute little Rabbits are secretly very dangerous creatures (those teeth!). All in all, this book was awesome. Not perfect but it's awesome. 4 out of 5 stars from me!

It wasn't clear to me that this was the second book in a seri a so I was a bit lost .... It was a little confusing to follow. I think if I had know and read the first one it would have made a lot more sense

I rated book one in this series a 3.5, and Travelers sits in the same range.

This is a fun YA series, a group of teenagers find themselves with superpowers and now hide them, whilst protecting their town! This instalment of the Freaks series gave me Buffy vibes (even having a character nicknamed Giles), and I loved it. There was no 'middle book syndrome' with this, as the character development was solid, as well as the big bad of the book.

These are just an entertaining read all around, I recommend and look forward to book three.


**Thank you to Netgalley and Imbrifex books for allowing me to read to this book. All thoughts are my honest opinions.**

Thank you Netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for a review.

Travelers is the second book in the Freaks series and I have not read the first book. Having said that the book explained enough of what happened before that it could work as a stand alone, I didn't feel lost.
The book contains as much about the characters and their relationship dynamics between the friends, all who see themselves as outcasts is just as fleshed out as the supernatural elements. Many are recommending this to fans of 'Stranger Things' and I would do that as well.

In its sophomore story, the Freaks series continues to be... pretty good.

As we have developed characters in the first book (Freaks), the action starts basically right away here, with yet another extradimentional threat that our broken hero must fend off... all while keeping a low profile and evading the authorities.

What I like: There were some really good moments of teamwork in this one that shows our non-conformity friends are learning to work together, putting aside feelings. I feel like this is a key component that can't be overlooked, but often is just assumed. Also, I feel like the villain really amped up in this one, with some great factual Lore backing the story up.... chefs kiss.

What I didn't like: Dialogue still felt stilted and one-dimensional, not really giving any character depth or showing growth. I'm still in awe of the lack of parental oversight being brought up, with MANY loose threads being left all over, which taxed even MY suspension of belief. With cleaner writing, or maybe more invested editing this could be a quick fix... low hanging fruit. Finally, I feel like this grapped with some complex issues.... but kinda didnt...? Like, it just throws them at the reader, saying "This Is A Thing"... but its not reflected in the rest of the story or actual character growth. Instead of deeply meaningful windows into a characters motives, it felt a little hot-buttoney, which put me off.

A note on the narrator, as I indulged in the audiobook. PJ Morgan reprised her role, and again turned in a solid performance! Honestly, as pedantic as I can be about character growth, she really showed thru and made the characters feel real.

Overall, a good ending with a solid hook at the end that will probably have me coming back.

My thanks to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

As I'm reviewing the audiobook version of this, I want to say that I absolutely think they could not have chosen a better narrator for this particular series.

Book two is great in many ways, but the political messaging is strong. There's a lot crammed into it, and not so subtly.

Follow up story to The Freaks. A good second novel that brought more depth to the superhero aspect of the story. The Native American tie in made the story much stronger in my opinion. A solid novel for those looking for a superhero book.

It was a good story, but I wasn’t fully invested in the characters as much as the first one. I felt like the only reason I kept listening to it was just to find out what happened in the story. But the characters I couldn’t care much about. And that stinks when it switches POVs amongst them all.

I would like to thank Netgalley for a copy of this book in audio format. The narrator was great. This was a great read as a YA fantasy book set in current times with a group of teenagers with superhuman powers. This is the second book of a series but I read it without reading the first book and I've got to be honest this did not feel like I missed anything. I know there are mixed reviews of the first book. I enjoyed the reference to god's and the changing complicated relationship between the group of friends. I do feel that there needed to be more about Micah's uncle and also not enough development in Micah and his uncles relationship. Equally not a fan of Micah his character just annoyed me. Great book.

It was granted by Netgalley, an arc of the audiobook of Travelers by Brett Rilley in exchange for my honest opinion.

This is the second instalment of the Freaks trilogy.
Keeps going strong with a good world-building description and characters that are displayed very pleasingly.
An engaging plot to follow, with a heavier vibe than the first one, but made the ambience better, the struggles and issues between being teenagers and the powers they gained and have to manage along to keep themselves and the town safe from their new enemy This book had a good look at the current world but manages to still give us a dystopian and fantasy vibe.

I got this book and had no idea that it was part of a series, oops. But I still enjoyed it. The story centers around some teens who band together to use their superhuman abilities to save their town. The author balanced the drama with the personal trials of the kids without hindering the other so that they’re relatable and have great character development. It’s kind of a Stranger Things vibe. Overall it’s a good read, might have been better if I had read the first installment, but it’s on my TBR.

Thanks NetGalley and Imbrifex Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Unfortunately, this book wasn't for me. I didn't know that this is a sequel, so I didn't understand a lot of things. I really did give it a try, but it just didn't grab my attention. I loved the queer reps, and the narrator did a great job on the different characters' voices :)

Thanks #netgalley. I hadn't read the first book in this series but it was easy to pick the story up. I loved this story and will be reading the first book now. Highly recommend

"Travelers" was different than what I thought I would be getting into. It was less exciting and interesting than I expected. It was maybe a book my daughter would like, but it was not for me. I could never get into the characters and found myself caring less and less about how they ended up. There was enough recapping the last book that I understood how it all related, but then it kind of kept churning those same conversations and the same disgruntled relationships and it got old really fast for me. The concept sounded solid, but the book didn't unfold well for me to maintain interest.