Thank you Netgalley and Greenwillow Books for the gifted book I read along with the library audio.

Six months ago (in the previous book, Unseen Magic), Fin had to contend with the reality of magic in her hometown of Aldermere and save it from exploitation. But now, the magic is threatened when a team of myth-busters arrives in town to track down the rumored monster living there.

Instead of the relaxing spring break Fin has anticipated, Fin and her friends, find themselves in possession of a baby bigfood separated from her pack and launched onto a journey to keep the baby safe, hidden from the film crew in town, and protect their town in the process.

This is a story about friendship and secrets, and which ones are worth keeping and which are worth fighting for.
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I love some magical realism and although there are layers of magic in the land of Aldermere, it is grounded in reality and I can easily imagine walking through an unmarked door into somewhere I didn't intend to be. Emily Lloyd-Jones writes with such skill that her books are so easy and enjoyable to read. You are just happy to be on this reading journey. This book delivers a story that is easily digestible and isn't over inflated with boring details.

If you are looking for an entertaining middle grade read with just the right amount of magic and a message about loyalty and kindness, look no further, this one is worth the read.

This was requested when I first found out about NetGalley and I had requested so many ARCs that I could not get to all of them before they were archived. I really wanted to get to this one, as it seemed interesting. If I can find this somewhere for a reasonable price, I will try to get it! I am giving this book three stars, as I don't want to give it a good or bad rating, since I did not get to it and we have to leave a star rating.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for granting me free access to the advanced digital copy of this book, as this book has already been published, I will not share my review on Netgalley at this time.

Aldermere is a magical town, but that's not something that everybody gets to know. Quick visits from tourists are fine, but the locals know to keep the secrets to themselves. Even people who move in have to prove themselves before they are told the secrets of living there. So when a paranormal research team comes to see what they can find at the same time as mysterious giant footprints appear, Fin and her friends are determined to make sure that the magic of the town stays a secret. Unfortunately for them, keeping things is a lot harder when they find a baby bigfoot they need to reunite with its parents.

Unspoken Magic is the sequel to Unseen Magic, but reading them out of order would be fine. The book references the events in the first book, but the story and events are completely separate. While the first book has a lot to do with Fin coming to terms with her anxiety and learning that getting help for those things is okay, this book doesn't have that kind of focus. It's just a fun story about kids having an adventure in their magical town. Because of that, this book doesn't have as much of a grip and impact as the first one, but it's still. a fun read nonetheless.

The book is fairly simple. It doesn't have a lot of plotlines. It's simply about Fin and her friends trying to protect the town from the supernatural investigation team. That focus helps the book go by quickly, and nothing feels superfluous. It's cute and whimsical, and readers of the first book will likely enjoy this one too.


Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for giving me a copy to review.

This review is being withheld until the workers of the HarperCollins union receive a fair contract.
This review is being withheld until the workers of the HarperCollins union receive a fair contract.

Unspoken Magic is a charming story about a girl and her friends who would like to protect their bizarre little magical town from being discovered by outsiders (that is, they don't want the magic part discovered; apparently the place routinely gets a lot of hiking tourists). It has a perfect blend of heart, friendship, mystery, and weirdness that made me fall a bit in love with the town myself, even if the magic isn't the kind one might expect.

It's worth nothing that this is a sequel to Unseen Magic, but I didn't know that when I requested it from Netgalley (oops), so I read a couple chapters to see if it functions as a standalone, and I really think it does! There are references to things that happen in book 1, but they're always so clearly elaborated on that I didn't feel confused, and the story itself is entirely separate, not a continuation from book 1. So pick this one up first, read Unseen Magic first. Either way should work.

I had some initial questions about how Lloyd-Jones would focus the plot. "Make sure a paranormal research team doesn't discover anything strange or magical" seems very broad, and I had imaginative flashes of the team almost encountering magic left and right and the townsfolk scrambling to stop them, like putting out little fires everywhere. Lloyd-Jones didn't do that. The book focuses on ONE very noticeable magical thing protagonist Fin and her friends must hide/fix without the investigators. This keeps everything neatly together, and I liked the approach.

I also liked Fin. She's anxious but working to overcome some of her roadblocks. She clearly means to do well and be kind to others. She has a great relationship with her cousin, who is outgoing and sometimes a goofball but also seems like a very nice kid. And there is Cedar, who is equally kind and also has some interesting psychological insights into other people for a kid. They're a fun trio, working together to have fun over their spring break and enjoy the strangeness of their town.

Together, they have a quick adventure, hiding things from both their parents and the paranormal investigation team. They run into a few snags, sneak about the woods, all kinds of fun stuff. It's just a nice romp of a book. A quick read, and definitely worth it if you like middle grade.

As a big fan of The Bone Houses and The Drowned Woods, I of course had to pick up Unseen Magic which (surprise!) I also loved! I was incredibly excited to get the chance to read the next book in the series, Unspoken Magic, and it was an absolute delight! The story follows a young girl named Fin who lives in a magical town that becomes at risk of being exposed by a team of myth busters. Fin and her friends do whatever they can to prevent that while also searching for the family of an adorable mythical creature in the process. These books are adorable, wholesome, and the anxiety representation for young readers is always a plus in my book. Loved this one!

Unspoken Magic by Emily Lloyd-Jones - 4/5

After saving the small town of Aldermere from it's magical ways being exposed all Fin wanted to do was rest, until Fin and her friends stumble upon a baby bigfoot seperated from her pack. With a film crew in town the friends band together to keep the baby bigfoot out of their sights.

This is such a cute sequel to Unseen Magic. The growth of friends that come together to save their town, monsters and secrets. This is a cute book that easily keeps your attention and is cozy enough to enjoy more than once.

Thank you so much to Harper Collins for sending a copy of this my way in exchange for an honest review.

I’m a bit sad I didn’t enjoy this as much as the first book. The story went a bit slower and there really wasn’t a whole lot of magic which didn’t keep me as entertained. I grew bored with the book but still ended up finishing.