I didn't expect to love this book quite as much as I did. Susan Dennard created a vivid, fascinating world, full of mythical creatures, monster hunters, and espionage. It's always a good sign when one finishes a book and either wants to re-read it or read the sequel immediately afterward, and that's how this particular ARC made me feel.

Thank you to NetGalley for supplying me with a free copy in exchange for an honest and fair review. I'm giving this book 4.5 stars out of 5

4 stars.

Really fun new YA series starter. Imaginative world-building that comes together super well. Really enjoyable, believable characters. A *Heroine's Journey* storyline that digs deeper and deeper into your feels as the book progresses. This book does its job in hooking you in and ensuring that you are fully invested in certain characters' outcomes ... of course, to be continued further on in the series! And, while adventure, action, and drama are maintained throughout, this thankfully isn't the kind of YA that relies exclusively upon adrenaline to fuel readers' frenzy and addiction. This book is much better written than that, allowing for periods where readers can rest for a moment and anticipate the next mishap. I also LOVE how inclusivity vs. exclusion, and power-dynamics are explicit parts of the ongoing narrative.

Honestly, I can see this series being adapted into the next über-big YA movie franchise. I, personally, look forward to finding out what happens to our new fave characters in future books in this series (though I do hope for more personal growth and character development as they age and experience more).

The audiobook was very well read (except for some incredibly blatant mispronounced words that had me cringing - why don't audiobook readers ASK when they don't know how to pronounce something?! Like, at least look it up online!).

So much gratitude to the publisher, MacMillan Audio, and NetGalley for an advanced copy of the audiobook to enjoy, in exchange for my honest review.

3.5 stars rounded up.

I enjoyed the world building and the premise of the story just had a few issues with the pacing and where the book ended.

So we know that Winnie has to complete 3 trials in order to become a hunter, what I didn’t know was that was going to be the entire book. And there were so many questions raised that we don’t get answers to. The new creature in the woods, who the Diana’s are, why her old friend thinks the locket is hers, what is Jay/what is his deal?? So much went unanswered. I am definitely going to read the next installment I just wish I had more information than questions at the end of this one!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of the audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

“you either trust the forest or you don’t, winnie.” 🦌 //

The Luminaries by Susan Dennard @stdennard - 4 of 5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I am so pleased with this audiobook! It was captivating, unique, and thrilling.

Highlights:
-Unique worldbuilding
-Relatable characters
-Anxiety representation
-Captivating antagonists/monsters
-Plot twist at the end, especially regarding Winnie’s father!
-Dark and twisted atmosphere, amplified by reading this during the fall

Lowlights:
-Lack of background on antagonists, like her father’s family nature
-Lack of worldbuilding for why the spirits exist or why they create nightmare monsters

Overall, I really enjoyed this novel by Dennard. This was my first time reading something by her, and I was impressed by her pacing and prose. I would recommend this to fans of YA fantasy, YA scifi, and thrillers involving monsters.

Thank you so much to Macmillan Audio @macmillan.audio and NetGalley @netgalley for providing this free audiobook ARC in exchange for my unbiased review!

The Luminaries by Susan Dennard and narrated by Caitlin Davies.

The narrator does a pretty good job at transporting the reader into a creepy, spooky atmosphere . This is definitely a positive as who does not want to be transported into another world when reading.

The story centers on Winnie Wednesday a 16 years old girl that lives in Hemlock Falls, a town like no other. It cannot be found on Mapquest or on any maps for that matter. Ever since she can remember Winnie wanted to join the Luminaries, an ancient order that protects the city and its inhabitants from the forest'’s wickedness.
Her father has been accused of treason since he was discovered to be a witch , therefore her family is shunned. But now that she has turned 16 years of age she had a chance to join the Luminaries hunter trials where she believes she will be able to prove to herself, her family and everyone in the town that she truly is a real hunter. Becoming a real hunter will allow her to restore her family’s name.
Dennard's language in this book was really flowery at times and settings were well depicted . I think my issues with this book stem from the story not having enough space, and some plot points being hinted
at, but not expanded upon in this book.

I know that this is a series, and I will definitely be looking for the second in its series as it may answer all the unanswered questions.


Thank you NetGalley, Mac million audio for allowing me the opportunity to listen to this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A fun, fast-paced supernatural mystery with lots of monsters and a bit of romance!

I'm a huge fan of Susan's Witchlands series, and this is a definite change of pace. Single POV, short chapters, very much a page-turner, and a fantasy set in our contemporary world instead of an entirely different one. You can really see the author's background in biological sciences shine through here with the detailed descriptions of various monsters. And it was fun to get a heroine who wears glasses where the glasses actually matter to the plot!

Winnie Wednesday is a Luminary- a secretive group of people who protect humanity from the monsters created by the nightmares of these spirits. Note that this part of the world-building is cool, but I wanted more information. Knowing Susan, I'm sure SHE knows a lot more, but I wish the reader was let in a bit further in book one. Winnie's family are outcasts because her father was discovered to be secretly helping the Dianas (villainous witches we don't learn too much about, but definitively enemies of the Luminaries). Winnie is determined to complete the Hunter trials and win back her family's respect in their society. And of course there is a boy...

This is a fun book that you will finish quickly and be left wanting more. I think my biggest complaint is that I wanted a few more answers than we got in this installment. The ending feels a little abrupt and wasn't as satisfying as I might have liked. Yes, you get a full story arc with the three trials, but the mystery elements feel a bit too drawn out. That said, I trust Susan has plans to answer all of those questions and has left plenty of clues, so I look forward to book 2! I easily could have read more and flew through this. If the Witchlands books were too dense and complex for you, this is a very accessible option to pick up instead. The audio narration is excellent and does a great job with spooky vibes in the forest. I received an audio review copy via NetGalley, all opinions are my own.

I didn't not like this book. It's well-written, and the plot is intriguing enough, but I don't think I'll continue reading the upcoming series.

Winnie Wednesday desperately wants to be a Luminary, like her family before her. Luminaries protect the small town of Hemlock Falls from being overrun with "nightmares," monsters who appear in the forest at night. However, her family has been shunned due to her father's betrayal, and her only chance to get her and her family back in is to pass the 3 trials to become a Luminary hunter. There's a lot fast-paced action, and the story ends on a bit of a cliffhanger after a huge reveal.

My issue with this book is that a lot of the story is repetitive, with Winnie constantly telling herself the same things over and over again in her head. I think this was done to represent teenage angst, which is something I also don't love. I read a lot of YA novels and while I don't mind SOME angst, it was almost constant in this book.

There's a lot of onomatopoeia as well (Winnie's clicking teeth, Mario's popping gum), which might have read ok in book form, but was annoying in an audiobook. I did like the narrator, and she did a great job with Jay's voice - Jay might have been my favorite character by far.

I hate rating this book 3 stars because I'm sure other people will like it, but it's just not for me!

I received this book as an ARC in exchange for an honest review. My opinions are my own.

Personally, I didn’t care for the writing. It was kinda clunky and didn’t have great flow. The main character also gives off major "I’m not like other girls" energy, and she lacks some depth.

A second book is set up in the end, but I can’t say this one grabbed me enough to anticipate its release.

The trials and action were pretty good along with the observations of taboo/social outcast.

Childhood friends —> something more?
Coming of age
Friendship

I liked the narrator. No criticism.

Oh my gosh I absolutely loved this audiobook! It was delightfully creepy and I loved all of the world building!

This story had such a nostalgic feeling to it! The trails of a young fighter, young love, and the main character having to find their place within the family was pure nostalgia in the best way. I really rooted for the main character as she got swept up in her snowball of a story line! However there was a repetitive phrase of the main character “clicking her teeth” that I grabbed on to and then could not stop hearing throughout the story that I didn’t quite understand?

I loved the idea of this world, the monstrous spirits and the evil Diana’s were super intriguing. I do hope to learn more details about the world and the Diana’s in the second book!

The audio quality and narration was amazing, as it always is with Macmillan Audio! Such a pleasure to listen to.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio, Macmillan Young Listeners, and NetGalley for access to this free audiobook for my honest review!

I didn’t think I would love it as much as I did but I couldn’t put it down. A secret group of hunters who fight nightmares and monsters? Fantastic. An outcasted family with the main character giving it her all to prove herself and become a hunter herself? Yessss. Stolen glances, growing secret feelings for your old friend who’s now training you? Absolutely here for all of it. I can’t wait to see where this goes and unravel the hidden drama.

I am intrigued by the town of Hemlock Falls and by the Luminaries. The overall story was interesting even if I felt like the plot stumbled a bit. I'm not sure why Dennard gravitated to saying that Winnie's teeth clacked/clicked, it ended up being distracting noticing how many times it occurred within the text.

I didn't love it, but I enjoyed it enough that I might check out the sequel when it comes out.

Caitlin Davies does a good job with the audiobook narration.

Advanced Reader’s Copy provided by NetGalley, Macmillan Audio, and Macmillan Young Listeners in exchange for an honest review.

I was provided an audio arc of this book from Macmillan Audio via Netgalley, all opinions are my own. I enjoyed the narrator and felt she did a great job with this book!

I loved this this! I'm a huge fan of Dennard's Witchlands series and was excited to hear that she was bringing us a new YA paranormal/fantasy series. This follows Winnie Wednesday, an aspiring "monster hunter". Winnie lives in a world where the paranormal is normal, her mother was hunter until their family was outcast. Now that Winnie is 16 she can enter the trials to become a hunter herself and potentially end the 10 year shunning her family is under. No one including Winnie thinks she is quite prepared to take down a nightmare on her own, but through a series of unplanned events Winnie finds herself moving forward in the trials and needing help from her former best friend. She has a hard time reconciling the people that used to be her friends and the warm welcome she receives after passing the first of the three trials. She also doesn't understand why no one seems to care about the mysterious new nightmare that only she has seen in person and all the other nightmares seem to be terrified of.

I thought the world building in this was done well. Each of the creatures or nightmares was described with great detail so you could really picture what they looked and even sounded like. The Luminaries have a compendium of knowledge that Winnie often recites when she is nervous so we get to know alot about the monsters she is facing when she is out in the woods alone and scared. I thought the idea of the Luminaries themselves was really creative with each branch belonging to a different day and specialty while all belonging to the larger collective group. I'm not quite sure how the Luminaries stay contained from the rest of the world and I don't think that was really explained. There was a bit about screening outsiders or nons before they are let into the Luminary world though so there must be some magic at work there. I liked Winnie's character development throughout the story. She's got alot going on and alot to deal with. She still has some growing to do as she learns more about what happened with her father and figures out what this new nightmare is, but she came a long way from the girl on page 1. I'm looking forward to seeing how she grows in the future and what is in store for her in the next installment. This doesn't end on a cliffhanger persay but there are some big plot threads left open at the end of this book that I'm expecting we will get more info on in book 2.

This is a fun YA urban fantasy. The plot isn't super complex as you would expect of an adult fantasy and the characters act their ages. They are teenagers faced with hunting monsters, but also dealing with regular teenage stuff like school, friendship, birthday parties, and family drama. At times they are fearless and brave, while other times they are regular teenagers.

The Luminaries is the first in a series about a community of people tasked with eliminating creatures of nightmares in the nearby forest. The main character, Winnie, and her family have been ostracized and ignored by former friends and family based on the actions of her father. Winnie has the opportunity to redeem herself on her 16th birthday, and does so despite her lack of preparation in comparison with the other potential "hunters". A former friend, Jay, begins to help her train for the other phases of the trial, and the rest of the community welcomes Winnie, her brother, and her mom back into the fold with open arms.

Despite now being included, there are clearly things amiss, questions unanswered, and deceptions within the community. The story ends leaving more questions asked than answered, so I am looking forward to the sequel.

Unique world and premise for a fantasy. Great ending that left me interested in what was to come, but yet wasn't the dreaded cliff-hanger.

Well-narrated by Caitlin Davies, who never disappoints.

I knew when picking up The Luminaries that I wasn't the intended audience and I should of trusted my gut.

You'll follow a shunned Winnie Wednesday, a young girl living in a community that hunts monsters in the town of Hemlock Falls.You'll watch as Winnie desperately tries to earn her families way back into the towns good graces after her father, a traitorous witch, left them as outcasts. Danger lurks around every corner and an ill times misunderstanding plunges Winnie straight into the middle of it.

I was in a bit of a dilemma when I saw this book announced. I adore Susan Dennard while simultaneously having a deep dislike for Urban Fantasy. I knew it was a roll of the dice trying this one and sadly it just didn't work for me. I certainly don't think that's a fault of this book though. The writing is strong and the characters are likable. If you are someone who really enjoys urban fantasy, that skews on the younger side, this will easily be a five star for you!

I was lucky enough to get an early copy of both the book and the audio version and I read them interchangeably. The narrator of the audio really adds to the youthfulness in the story. It's a wonderful option for someone who's looking for a listen!

Endless thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the review copies.

This wasn’t for me.

The set up is the same old ‘different’ girl, who still has THE guy’s interest, and is somehow an s axing warrior/survivor surf limited training.

It just wasn’t very interesting. Or maybe it was the narrator’s version that put me off. She definitely shad our MC sounding pretty annoying.

Anyone newer to the trope may eat this up. It’s not a bad book. Just not interesting for me.

4/5 stars

Thank you to Netgalley for offering me access to an eARC!

This was such a fun novel! I love that the author paid homage to her followers, first of all! Super heartwarming. I really enjoyed this book! It was very reminiscent of early 2010s YA fiction, but in the best way possible. I really liked the main character—I want to wrap her up in a blanket and shove copious amounts of tea at her.

I see many people saying that this is not a unique concept, and I don’t disagree, however, I believe that the way it was written was what made the story fresh and enjoyable. I am looking forward to reading the rest of the series, and will be purchasing a copy for my library. I have many teens who would absolutely adore this book.

I loved the world/lore building in The Luminaries, the first book in Susan Dennard’s new series: The Luminaries. I’m going to try to keep this as spoiler free as possible. All Winnie Wednesday ever dreamed of was joining the Luminaries: an ancient order that protects the world from those things that go bump in the night. Unfortunately years ago her father fled when he was unmasked as a traitor, leaving behind his family that were then labeled as partial outcasts. I say partial outcasts because when we first meet Winnie she is on ‘corpse duty’. And while this is something she’s allowed to do, ever becoming a full member of the Luminaries seems out of reach…almost, because there is still one slim chance…and that chance just happens to be at hand. She has one shot to undergo the trials to become a member, but without having any real training for years now what chance does she really have to survive never mind pass the trials? Ill prepared she enters the woods determined to prove herself. The first part of the trials doesn’t go as she’s hoped, and yet she still exits the woods with an objects that makes other view her as a hero. Though she feels somewhat guilty about this and is confused by what she had seen in the forrest, she doesn’t correct the misconceptions and pushes forward hoping she can pass the rest of the trials. This was such a fun story. I found the town of Hemlock Falls and the various families/clans (call them what you will) absolutely fascinating. I can’t wait to see where Susan takes the story in book 2. Thanks to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley I was able to listen to an advanced copy of the audiobook and I have to say Caitlin Davies does a wonderful job with the narration.

https://www.amazon.com/review/R3TM6VDRTNP3IG/ref=pe_1098610_137716200_cm_rv_eml_rv0_rv

I haven’t been in the mood for fantasy lately so I thought I would struggle to get into this. I was sucked in right away! Loved the main character and the way the story was told. Can’t wait for the next one!

The Luminaries introduces a contemporary young adult fantasy where there are nightmares that come to life in the forest every night. The reigning societies around the world have hunters of these nightmares as their royalty.
Winnie Wednesday and her family are outcasts because her father was of a group that opposes all that the hunters stand for and do. The reader joins the story four years into a 10 year exile without being forced to leave their society.
Winnie is turning 16 and wants to become a hunter. The rules allow for her to take the trials.
She does and life shifts again for Winnie, her brother and her mother.
There is so much teenage angst in this story. I get that Winnie has all sorts of good reasons to feel as she does, but it didn’t make it any easier to listen to the audiobook than back in the day it was easy to read book 5 in the Harry Potter series.
It’s an interesting story but so much remains unclear because we have Winnie’s perspective and level of knowledge about what is going on in this world.
As an adult, I’m on the fence about recommending this book. But a teenanger who felt misunderstood would likely connect well with the story.
The narrator was good.
Thanks to Netgalley and MacMillan audio for the opportunity to listen to the book.