Firstly, I must thank Netgalley, the author and the publishers for providing an Audiobook of this book for me to review!

Relatively Normal Secrets is a Middle Grade Fantasy narrated from Zed Furst's point of view, as he and his sister question everything their parents do and don't, and once they are thrown into a whole new world, literally, they slowly start grasping the foundations of the world, and discovering that their pet dog, is a little more than just a big smart dog, amongst other great findings.

I want to start by saying this book was definitely listed properly, and I knew what to expect and wasn't disappointed by what I faced when I started reading. This one said it was middle grade fantasy and it was aimed at children, and it was written for that exact category!

I will say, as a 25 years old adult, I might've immersed myself in the story a little too much! Lol.

The book was extremely enjoyable and the narration was super exciting! The plotline was intriguing and the characters just good enough! I loved that it was literally in the last two chapters that we discover everything, and yet there are so many questions left unanswered.

I for one, am excited for the rest if the journey!

Relatively Normal Secrets?? Huh? These secrets don't seem like anything relatively normal at all.

Zed and Tuesday are suspicious by nature, which, in the end, turns out to be well-warranted. Despite all of the crazy theories that Tuesday, Zed's older sister, dreams up, when Zed and Tuesday end up being transported to another world with their mother's pet dog that isn't a regular dog at all, their theories don't even come close to the truth. Separated from their parents and left to fend for themselves in another world called Falinnheim, Tuesday and Zed have to work together to solve riddles and survive in this strange place.

Relatively Normal Secrets is an imaginative, unconventional story for middle grade readers. C.W. Allen has a playful way of using language, and often her descriptions and unique turns of phrase cause me to smile. In the book, Zed and Tuesday encounter many engaging and interesting characters and solve puzzles in their efforts to find a way back to their parents and back home. I like middle grade fiction, in general, and enjoy reading it to find new, interesting books for my students. When I first began this book, I was a little skeptical. In the end, I had changed to really liking it. I would highly recommend checking it out.

Additionally, though the book contains some violence, nothing in the story is graphic or inappropriate for the age of the audience. A clean, appropriate read.

Thank you to Cinnabar Moth Publishing LLC and to NetGalley for providing a copy of this book for review. The opinions contained above are my own.

Zed and Tuesday have been suspicious of their parents for some time, they have no relatives to speak of, their mother keeps the huge family dog Nix with her 24 hours a day, their father is in some mystery employ. They must be hiding something … but what?



Fed up with feeling like the odd ones out at school, and with more than an inkling their parents are hiding something; Tuesday and Zed decide to investigate their clandestine behaviour whilst their parents are both suddenly called away on a last minute ‘business trip’.

A really fun and exciting YA book with little riddles and things to get them thinking, I enjoyed it thoroughly even as an adult!

The narrator is expressive and entertaining, great for kid’s books.

This was a cute middle grade book. I really like the concept and felt it was eaily readable without being boring. I recommended it to anyone with younger kids or those who are starting to read independently.

This is a delightful genre-bending series starter that mixes sci fi and fantasy remarkably well. This is book 1 in The Falinnheim Chronicles series. I loved Zed and Tuesday from the very start and all the quirky characters they meet along the way. This is so fun, I can't wait to read the next book! Great for fans of Sanderson's Alcatraz series.

The blurb is interesting for me to check it out but I ended up dnfing it. I might go back to the book some time later but just not right now. I really wanted to know how everything went down but after listening to it for several chapters, I couldn't bare the audio of it at all. The audio is very echo-y for whatever reason. I thought it was my earbuds at first, so I tried different brands of earbuds and headphones I have laying around in the house. I tried everything to make the audio better but nothing really worked without me enhancing and fixing up the audio itself in order to listen to it. Doing this amount of work is ignoring as a reader, I shouldn't have to help fix the audio before listening to it not to mention not everyone knows how to fix audio and background noises. Regardless, I still want to give this book a chance again but I think I will read the book instead next time around.

Spy kids meets Falinnhiem! Relatively Normal Secrets is written in the perspective of Zed, the youngest Furst child who has a sister called Tuesday. Tuesday and Zed often think that they were adopted or kidnapped as young kids due to their parents vague responses to questions regarding family and their jobs.

The Furst parents went on a business trip – as they were packing there was a sneaky glimpse into the lies they had been telling the children, why did they needs cloaks and weird looking rings? When Tuesday and Zed came home after school, they decided to use this time to snoop through their parents things to see if they could find some answers to their questions. As they were snooping, there was a knock at the door, and Tuesday forgetting all the rules her father said including ‘don’t open the door unless you know who is the other side’ opened the door without checking who was there first. Behind the door were two legions from another dimension! The legions told Tuesday that her father was a traitor, and as they tried to kidnap the children, Nic’s their family dog turned blue and appeared to be covered in flames.

After a bright light, Tuesday and Zed ended up in Falinnheim, which is another dimension. After talking to a man for a bit, they were given cloaks and left on their own devices. As they went around trying to figure things out, they found nursery rhymes dotted around where some words were different to the original. Using these rhymes, Tuesday and Zed were able to find out that someone was leaving them messages. But who?

Before long, Tuesday and Zed were caught by the Resistance and took to their base. When the General believed their tale of what had happened so far, Tuesday and Zed were given full access to the base to help out in duties. During their time at the base, Tuesday and Zed were able to find out a bit about the Resistance history, and how it was formed.

During the end two chapters, Tuesday and Zed left the Resistance base without telling anyone and was almost captured by the legions again! But this time, their father was there to help them! Shortly after this, someone from the Resistance got the Furst family back to the Resistance base. There are some twists and shocks in this final chapter which I won’t reveal here!!

Overall, this was a truly exceptional book full of intrigue, the importance of working together and of course, mystery! The narrator was engaging and used different voices to show emotions and feelings of the characters. One thing I loved, was how Zed would sign off the chapters with ‘excerpt from Zed’s notebook’, summarising what had happened. I will definitely be listening to the next book in this series!

I enjoyed this book. I could pick out inspiration from much loved children’s fiction but the story is original enough it doesn’t feel copied. The narration was a bit abrupt at the beginning & the end but the narrator is fun to listen to. I enjoyed the characters Tuesday and Zed but the dog was my favourite. I loved the family reunion at the end and I feel like this will be a fun series to follow.

Thanks to NetGalley and Cinnabar Moth Publishing for the chance to listen to this fun story.

I would like to thank Netgalley and Cinnabar Moth Publishing for providing me with an audio arc.

This was a very engaging and fun book. The narrator did an excellent job. They captured the voices of the characters very well. There was some very interesting and fun worldbuilding. I absolutely loved getting to know the world. I also enjoyed the characters as they navigated the new world that they had fallen into. Like many other readers, I loved Nyx, who was their dog. Nyx was a great addition to this book. The only issue I had was that it felt a bit rushed at times but otherwise, this book felt perfect for its intended audience. I enjoyed the messaging of embracing your differences and weirdness. I also absolutely love the cover of this book.

Super fun book that my son really enjoyed on audio. Tuesday and Zed are trying to figure out what their parents are hiding from them. They know it's something, but they just cannot figure out what. Their parents go on a trip and the kids are left to escape evil villains, they find out pretty quickly what the parents' secret is. My son is a second grader with a love for reading and patience to listen to audio books.

Cozy adventure perfect for 8-10 year olds. Strong initial hook, clever riddles any kiddo can feel good deciphering for a high-five moment, and a satisfying twist ending. Chapter length and pacing make it ideal for before bed, chapter-a-day reading. Largely tech free which leaves it feeling a wee bit nostalgic (typewriter mention made for fun conversation). Would be extra fun as a grandparent read. I did speed up the audiobook to improve listening experience.

I received an advance reader copy of this book to read in exchange for an honest review via NetGalley and the publishers.

Relatively Normal Secrets is a middle grade book written by C.W. Allen, and the audiobook is narrated by Ivy Tara Blair. It is currently scheduled for release on September 7 2022.

Tuesday and Zed Furst are perfectly normal children with perfectly strange parents. Their father won’t discuss his job, their mother never leaves the house without her guard dog, and the topic of the family tree is off limits. When a last minute “business trip” gets the adults out of the way, Zed and Tuesday decide to get to the bottom of things once and for all. Too bad some thugs with shape-shifting weapons have other ideas. Their escape leaves them trapped in the modern-meets-medieval Falinnheim, where everyone insists their father is a disgraced fugitive. They hope whoever is leaving them coded clues may have some answers, but they’re not sure they’re going to like what they learn. If they ever want to see their parents again, they’ll need the help of a smuggler with a broken compass, their unusually talented dog, some extremely organized bandits, and a selection of suspiciously misquoted nursery rhymes. Zed and Tuesday may not have all the answers, but one thing is certain—when it comes to normal, everything is relative.

I thought Zed and Tuesday's story was well done. I liked the premise and the characters. I thought the slow reveal was handled well, and I liked the way the siblings worked together even when they did not necessarily agree. I liked the combination of action, fantasy, science, and mystery and think that it will appeal to a wide range of middle grade readers. I did have some trouble pinpointing the kid's ages, and I thought some of the things included in the story were a little too predictable or common for the genre, but I am also someone that has read more than my share of it and middle grade kids are likely to find it much newer and fresh than I did. I like that the book wrapped up the immediate questions, giving readers a satisfying ending but still leaving plenty of room for sequels.

I liked the narrator's inflections and the spirit she put into the work. However, I have to admit that sometimes when she I would not be able to make out what she was saying, no matter how high my volume was. It could very well be my hearing, but when certain characters were talking I had to work really hard to make out what was being said, and sometimes I still missed words or phrases. I would turn up the volume and then Tuesday would be talking and I would have to turn it back down. It become very frustrating especially since I listen to my audiobooks in the car and cannot often rewind to catch up with what was missed.

Relatively Normal Secrets is a good middle grade fantasy, but I think I would recommend reading a print copy rather than listening to the audiobook.

Tuesday June First tries to convince her brother Zeb first that they’ve either been kidnapped or adopted, he isn’t buying it. She has many qualities that the father possesses and he takes after their mom. When she brings up The strange dog Nick‘s he concedes she may have a point but he is just a silly dog right? Can’t all dogs turn on the air conditioner and Radio are waiting for you in the car? When their mom decides to go with their dad on a “business trip.“ They think this is their chance they can snoop around the house while their parents are gone and find out why they have no relatives and why they have such strange names but on the first Day bear parents are away they come home from school to find two crazy looking assassins in their living room and then Nick‘s turned into a fireball and starts fighting them with ninja moves… This is normal right? This book was so cute they going to learn what it is their parents have been hiding from them and also why despite the fact the dog bites like a war hero he keeps stealing their porkchops author play. I loved this book and thought it was adorable I thought the narrator did such a great job kudos to her this is just an all-around great book for children if you’re looking for quality books for your child I would definitely let them read this one or listen to it that’s what I did. It truly is a great lesson! 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.

This book is an excellent adventure/fantasy read for the very young end of the middle grade spectrum. I love the whole concept of parents with supernatural secrets that lead to a whole new fantasy world--such fun!

I can see this book being a hit with fans of Spy Kids. It would make for a fun made-for-TV series on the Disney Channel.

My only gripe is that the narration is stilted, making it hard for me to engage with the story. This would probably be easier to read via paperback with illustrations.

Big thanks to the publisher and to Netgalley for the free ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Relatively Normal secrets follows the story of Tuesday and Zed, two kids with parents who are mysterious. Their parents seem to have little answers to Tuesday and Zed questions about their Jobs and family. Plus a weird dog that can open fridges and start cars. The story follows their adventure as they unravel the answers to their questions. The book is a start to a new middle grade series, with a story that can keep anyone interested to find out what happens next.

I really enjoyed this book. I think children will love the story. Because what kid doesn't want to spy on their parents and come up with crazy theories about their family. It's a great story to show kids to embrace differences between people.

Relatively Normal Secrets by C.W. Allen is a wonderfully family centered fantasy adventure for young readers.
What I Loved
-non generic fantasy world
- strong sibling bond
-an underlying element of mystery as the kids determine not only what this fantasy world they have landed in is but also what has happened with their parents.
What Didn't work as well for me
-The dialogue of children characters felt older than what seemed intended in several places
-The book is incredibly short leaving me craving the sequel yesterday
Who I would recommend this book for
Relatively normal Secrets will be a great read for fans of The Wild lore series by Amanda Foody.

Great read (audiobook) for Middle Graders and fun for adults too!

Entertaining and plot twists throughout, “Relatively Normal Secrets” is packed with hidden family secrets, an unknown realm, and puzzles for our young adventurers to solve along the way.

The audiobook was a fast, easy listen, and I could easily see these adventures growing into a series.

A sincere thank you to NetGalley, Cinnabar Moth Publishing LLC, and Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA) for providing me an advanced audiobook copy of “Relatively Normal Secrets” in exchange for an honest review. I am grateful to have had the opportunity to listen to the story and leave my review voluntarily.

Thank you NetGalley and Cinnabar Moth Publishing LLC for accepting my request to audibly read and review Relatively Normal Secrets.

Author: C.W. Allen
Published: 09/07/22
Narrator: Ivy Tara Blair
Genre: Children's Fiction -- Middle Grade -- Sci Fi & Fantasy

I had the audiobook. Sadly, I was not able to connect with the narrator. Respectfully, that lead to trouble following the story. Her interpretation did not equal my expectations.

Briefly, the story centers around a family with supernatural secrets. The children learn about their lives after a series of events occur, and they are accidentally transported to their parents homeland. This creates an unrealistic tale for me. Even with the genres labelled, I couldn't visualize the story.

I would suggest evaluating the physical book and applying your findings to your recipient.

I have very mixed opinions about this book, and partly that's due to the narrator of the audiobook who I just didn't get along with. I know this is a Middle Grade novel and as such the performance should be engaging for children, but almost every sentence was over emphasised to the point where I found myself not wanting to go back to listen to what happened next. The clues along the journey were intriguing, but from the moment of the Resistance being introduced into the narrative it felt lacking.

That being said, I really appreciated that Fallenheim wasn't like your average fantasy world in that it had some really advanced technology whilst also everyone had the requisite outfits of capes and tunics. I wish there were more instances of holograms integrated into the world, although I do understand why most of the technology (and magic) was restricted to the military.

My favourite character by far was Nyx. When she burst into flames for the first time I audibly gasped! I also really enjoyed when she was visibly unimpressed by all the tests on her abilities because she's better than that.

Thank you for providing a copy of the audiobook.

Relatively Normal Secrets by C. W. Allen was a surprising delight. It is targeted for Middle School, but I enjoyed it all the same and will be purchasing this for my middle schooler.

Audio book review.

story line: 4/5
character building: 4/5
world building: 5/5
writing style: 4.5/5
narrator: 5/5
target audience - middle school: 5/5

Siblings, Tuesday and Zed, start to realize they do not know much about their parents outside of their house. No knowledge or jobs, relatives, friends, past life. As normal teenagers like to do, Tuesday and Zed question their parents but get nowhere except open ended answers that only adds to their curiosity. When a business trip turns to almost kidnapping and transportation to another dimension that leaves Zed, Tuesday and their family dog stranded in a strange world yet again looking for answers.

I truly enjoyed this book and would recommend.
Thank you NetGalley and Publishing for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.