Hemlock Falls is an isolated town surrounded by a treacherous forest. Winnie Wednesday’s family has been ostracized when her father is revealed to be a traitor. On her sixteenth birthday she sets out to participate in the trials to become a hunter and restore her family’s name. In order to survive Winnie enlists the help of Jay Friday to mentor her through the trials. Winnie and Jay discover a danger that Hemlock Falls is not prepared for. Winnie quickly find not all nightmares are confined to the dark and not all monsters can be slain.

The setting of this book compliments the story perfectly; a small town off the map with a secret that can never get out, Winnie’s character is very well thought out and she grows so much throughout the story. The side characters’ stories are developed well and it easy easy to understand why they interact with Winnie the way they do. This book focuses on a lot of world building that helped the reader understand the actions of the characters and why certain events take place. This was a page turner and I’m looking forward to the next book!

The narrator did a great job and was engaging throughout the story.

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for this copy. The thoughts expressed are my own.

This story was an absolute ride from start to finish. It was rich with world and character building and nothing fell flat. I enjoyed every chapter and the fascinating creatures that were in this story and I look forward to rereading it again and recommending it to my patrons!

This book felt very Middle Grade when it is meant to be YA. If it was a middle grade book, cool great! But because it is YA, I am judging it a little harsher.

The MC really read super young. Yes, she’s 16 but she acted more like a 12 year old.

I also didn’t really connect with the writing style of this book. It felt very repetitive. Some times I would read something and be like “did they just mention that two pages ago??” And also: HOW MANY TIMES CAN ONE PERSON CLICK THEIR TEETH. According to this author, 65 times in a single book. By the end of the book every time that came up, I full body shuddered.

I really enjoyed THE LUMINARIES by @stdennard ! It was a really fantastic spooky season read with an endearing main character, a forest filled with terrifying monsters, and a society of monster hunters tasked with keeping the world safe. I really thought Winnie was an adorable MC and really enjoyed watching her fight to become a hunter. I felt so angry for the way The Luminaries treated Winnie after her father betrayed them and honestly I wanted her to burn it all down, which I hope we get in the sequel. I thought that Ugh Jay was also a fun character and I lived for the banter between him and Winnie. There’s a small-town secrets vibe to this setting similar to Riverdale in this one and I was really interested to see how the different Luminary families were structured. I definitely was left wanting more at the end and I am really excited for more of Winnie and this world in the future!

The Luminaries is a gripping contemporary YA fantasy novel that will suck you from the first page!

Winnie Wednesday wants nothing more than to pass the hunter trials in order to redeem her family from their status as outcasts from the Luminaries. With little training, Winnie enlists the help of local bad boy, Jay Friday, to prepare her to face the nightmares that lurk in the forest of Hemlock falls. But when Winnie discovers a terrible new nightmare creature during her trials, none of the other Luminaries seem to believe her, and it’s up to Winnie to face the monsters lurking in the darkness as well as in the past.

The premise of this story was so much fun and I loved learning about the Luminary society (though I did want more clarity surrounding their relationship to regular people). Winnie’s story was a very compelling one and I was really rooting for her despite her flaws and mistakes. It was refreshing to read a “normal girl” main character who was actually normal and not somehow incredibly naturally gifted without training. I appreciated her so much more for her relatability and fallibility.

I did want more from the side characters as I didn’t feel I got to know anyone well enough to care about them aside from Winnie’s mom and maybe Jay. The twins especially I would have loved to get to know more through showing than telling, Winnie often repeated how nice they were but flashbacks may have been a better way yo convey that information. Similarly to how we keep being told how mean everyone else is to Winnie, I would have rather been shown that more.

Ultimately, what really kept this book from being 5 stars for me was that it felt like half a book. I get that this is a series and there is more coming, but the ending was so dissatisfying. We weren’t given a single answer to any of the questions I was dying to know about. Even the prologue was no addressed again. You need to have open plot lines to carry into a second book in a series, but each individual book should also have some sort of full circle moments and the only thing that really came to and end was the hunter trials. We got no information about the boy from the prologue, no information about the Whisperer, very little information about Winnie’s dad, none about the Werewolf… I was disappointed. I kept couldn’t put the book down because I was desperate for these answers and I wasn’t given any of them which really bummed me out as a reader.

I had a really fun time reading this book, I just wanted more of it to feel satisfied. Overall I do recommend it to fans of the YA fantasy genre, with the warning that it does feel very incomplete.

The audiobook was excellent and a great option for this book if you’re someone who enjoys audiobooks!

"Maybe one day he'll tell her why he pulled away and maybe one day she'll forgive him for it."

The Luminaries by imaginative fantasy author Susan Dennard is a fun intriguing start to a new YA contemporary fantasy series that has incredible potential for a whole new world of entertainment.

Hemlock Falls is not like any other place especially because it can't be found on Google maps, cell phones never seem to have any bars, and it's surrounded by a forest with spirits that create a nighttime fog manifesting nightmares of supernatural monsters from werewolves to the vampiric arachnid Vampira.

Willow Wednesday (residents have day of the week last names signifying their responsibility to the town like in Harry Potter being a Hufflepuff or Ravenclaw), has dreamed of being a part of the ancient order The Luminaries that protect Hemlock Falls and the world from anything escaping the forest. Since her father was forced to run when he was deemed a witch and traitor; her family have been shunned and she is worried all her studying and training to pass the three trials to join The Luminaries will be for nothing.

She has one hope and that is her once best friend, super hunter and Hemlock Falls resident bad boy Jay Friday. If she could just get him to like her again. If she only knew why he pulled away from her.

Narrator Caitlin Davies was so on point emphasizing Willie's frustration with Jay, the town and all the misleading information about the forest. Unlike many Willow has a curiosity and an honest respect for it and it's paranormal inhabitants.

I enjoyed the detailed world building, the tension between Willow and Jay, and the mystery surrounding Willow's father. I can't wait for book two to explore more of this illuminating introduction to a brand new world.

I received a free copy of this audiobook from MacMillan Audio via #NetGalley for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.

*This Review Is For The Audiobook*

A contemporary YA fantasy, The Luminaries is the start of a new series that I'm excited for! While this story was interesting in itself, it felt like it mostly served as a set up for future books. I did like the world-building and lore of this story as well as the introduction to the characters, but it mostly felt like this book had a lot of buildup with no real conclusion. That being said, I'm really looking forward to future books in this series.

“We are the lanterns the forest can never snuff out.”

Happy Pub Day, Susan Dennard! Thank you Susan Dennard, Macmillan Audio, and NetGalley for this ARC in return for my honest review!

Winnie Wednesday wants nothing more than to join the Luminaries, the ancient order that protects Winnie's town―and the rest of humanity―from the monsters and nightmares that rise in the forest of Hemlock Falls every night. Ever since her father was exposed as a witch and a traitor, Winnie and her family have been shunned. But on her sixteenth birthday, she can take the deadly Luminary hunter trials and prove herself true and loyal―and restore her family's good name. Or die trying.

I haven’t been reading a lot YA books lately, but this book hooked me from the beginning! “The Luminaries” is a YA Contemporary Fantasy that follows 16 year old Winnie Wednesday as she fights the nightmares in the forest to compete in the hunter trials. “The Luminaries” is the first book in this new series and the cliffhanger has me impatiently waiting for the next book! I can’t wait to see what awaits our heroine in the next book and to see what secrets she uncovers next! I gave “The Luminaries” 4 ⭐️’s!

QOTD: What book surprised you the most this year?

Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for the advanced copy!

This new series is immaculate. The fantasy and concept are really engaging, drawing from a variety of sources while also feeling like a series built today and not something trapped in the style of the last few decades. In this world, Luminary hunters protect the world from nightmares (Werewolves, Harpies, Basilisk etc.) that a sleeping spirit creates in its forest. The story and Dennard's characters really draw you in, and I couldn't stop reading. The character development is refreshing throughout the story, and not cliché in the slightest. The story also has a fair amount of diverse character design that I really appreciated. My only ask is that I want more world building. There are so many things I want to know about Luminary society and nightmare hunting. However, if I had to choose between more world building and the character development and inter-character relationships in the novel, I would keep the character elements Dennard focuses on. The main character, Winnie Wednesday, is taking her trial to become a Hunter within a society that has shunned her family after her father's betrayal. Winnie is so engaging because she is really earnestly processing who she is and whether or not she actually wants to be in this society that can so easily turn its back on her and who is truly her friend. The power of this story is in its subtleties. Nothing is handed directly to the reader, providing a really fun engagement of the imagination and sucking you into the story. I can't wait for book two! I'd highly recommend this series.

4⭐️
I really enjoyed this book!

If you're looking for a book with:
• spooky forest
• monster hurting families
• hunter trials
• paranormal creatures
• artistic MC
• secret society
• fast paced

Please give this one a shot, it's totally worth it!

I want to first off say thank you to @stdennard and @macmillan.audio for this @netgalley audiobook ARC.
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This book was GREAT. The attention to detail, and plot was fantastic. For a reader who doesn’t typically read sci-fi or fantasy…this book was truly fantastic. It started out by giving total Hunger Games vibes. The attention to detail and describing every scene, character, “nightmare”, etc. was incredible. While this plot and story wasn’t a romance and wasn’t my normal read, it was great! Very fast paced and easy to listen too.
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Remember how when you were a kid and your parents told you lies are like snowballs rolling down a hill. The more you lie, the worse it gets ? Well Winnie wasn’t quite honest, but you’ll find out that others weren’t honest either!
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You instantly love Winnie Wednesday! And feel for her and her family, and cheer for her until the bitter or bittersweet end ? Ill let you find out what happens!
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#fantasy #arc #advancedreaderscopy #sooogood #theluminaries #audiobook #macmillanaudio

This was a really fun, enjoyable start to a series. This story is incredibly fast paced, as I was able to listen to it in just a few sittings. As a fan of the author’s “Witchland” series, I really admired the transition between high fantasy and urban fantasy. The character development was fantastic and I can’t wait to see how that and the world building grow in the second book

If you've been missing the 2010's paranormal YA novels, then you might find yourself enjoying this A LOT.

Like many, I was there in the beginning when the author started telling Winnie's and Jay's story through a choose-your-own-adventure poll situation on Twitter. So, naturally, I was thrilled to get my hands on the finished version of that same story I chipped in on. And it was a fun read! Hemlock Falls is home to the Luminaries, a group of hunters whose job is to hunt the nightmares that rise from the mist every night. Entities called spirits live all over the world, and where they live, these monsters spring forth. And Winnie Wednesday is desperate to become a hunter too.

I really liked Winnie, but it was a bit hit or miss at times because of the audiobook narrator. Definitely wouldn't have been my first choice—she made her come across as quite whiny at times when she actually wasn't. I was still rooting for her though, because the kid has a big heart. Her dad effed them over by being a Diana in disguise, and even though her mom turned on him for the Luminaries the first chance she could, Winnie's little family group have been outcasts for the last few years. Entering the trials and becoming a hunter is her only chance to help get her mom and brother back into the community that abandoned them, and nothing will stop her from trying. Her age definitely showed a few times and I really wished she was 17/18, not newly 16. It was a little painful at some parts where all the signs were there and she did not put it together. I think I liked Jay a lot more, all quiet and moody, and I hope we get more of him in book two!

There are tons of monsters in this, and most are ones the reader will be familiar with. Banshees, basilisks, werewolves, manticores. There aren't a lot of original monsters, but that's okay. The big baddie of the year is new though, and it's a surprising choice. It's existence is probably what will have me reading the sequel, just to know what it is.

I think what made me not fully like this was the 2010's paranormal YA vibes. Some of it felt cheesy and annoyed me more than anything. Like every family's last name being a day of the week that also indicated what day they did their hunting. It comes across as uninspired and didn't make it any easier to keep them apart. Same with the mottos each family has. The Wednesday one was repeated often and I hated it. It's a two sentence mouthful that doesn't even make sense to me. And of course, she's never done it before but BAM she's the absolutely best at it! Also the constant reciting of the compendium as a way to not info-dump—I'd have preferred the info-dumping.

If I manage to snag a copy of the second book, I'll give it a go. There are definitely a lot of loose ends to work on, including one that I have a feeling will be a big twist later but was painfully obvious in this book.

I really enjoyed this magical story! It’s clearly the start of something more, with much of the plot unanswered and some holes in the world building but this is a solid start!

This book has a decent amount of everything someone could want in a fantasy story. There’s mystery, spooky-ish vibes, romance…I really can’t complain.

I was granted access to the audiobook through NetGalley and I love the narration! It really was amazing and I can’t wait for more!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I actually really enjoyed this book! It's spooky, it's mysterious, it's got plenty of monsters and a tiny smidgen of budding romance. My only real complaint is that I crave some more world building - I have so many questions still haha and almost nothing got resolved plot wise, though this is likely on purpose. But I think it is an amazing base for another book, which I really wish I already had, and the story and plot is different and refreshing. The audiobook was excellent and the narration kept me engaged the entire way. Looking forward to book 2!

Content warnings include: violence, some gore, death, bullying.

A huge thanks to Tor Teen and NetGalley for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

This was my first time listening to anything by this particular narrator and I think she did a fantastic job. All the emotions came across, she gave layered depth to the characters, and made me believe I was actually living the story through her eyes, I would definitely listen to her again.

I had not read the book prior listening to the audio so this was my first dive into the book as well. I was immediately hooked and fully immersed in this world. It reminds me of a few other books but definitely sets itself apart.

I liked this book! Thank you to Macmillan audio for giving me an advanced copy! I’d probably rate it a 3.75 stars but rounded up in the star rating down below. I was drawn into the world of the Luminaries quickly and I am intrigued to see where the story will go in the next book in the series. I did wish that the timeline had moved a little faster. That’s not to say that it wasn’t a fast paced book, because it was. I just wish we had found out a little more by the end and that more had been revealed about the werewolf and the whisperer. I can see why we were left hanging because that makes the reader want to continue with the series but I really wanted to see if some of my theories were correct by the end! I didn’t see the twist on Winnie’s father coming, I thought that the twist was going to be that the Diana’s weren’t really bad guys or something, not that he was framed so that was a cool surprise. I thought the author’s writing style meshed well with my tastes too. Overall, this book kept me entertained, I enjoyed the characters, and I do think I’ll continue with the series when the next book comes out.

Overall enjoyed this! I love the monsters and the premise, but I did feel like the world building was lacking. I felt myself struggling to understand the world at times and just needed a bit more info.

I won a copy of the arc in a goodreads giveaway and audio was given on NetGalley for free for a review

I really enjoyed this book. The world building, the idea of nightmares coming to life and people being in charge of keeping them at bay is a really interesting idea. I loved how the main character loved keeping tag of everything about each monster and how throughout things are happening little snippets of her dictionary knowledge are put in. You learn little bits here and there of how the monsters work and their anatomy.
I am looking forward to continuing this series and hoping for more of the relationship to build between Winnie and Jay. I also hope there is more information on the Diana’s.

Maybe I would have liked this more if I’d read it rather than listened to it, but so much of the dialogue (both inner and outer) was cringey. It sounded more like an adult imitating a teenager than an actual teenager. Additionally, the attempt at not info-dumping became weirdly interspersed facts/references that felt like speed-bumps in the flow of the story. Also, the book takes place over about a week and a half which does not feel right for the amount of stuff that supposedly takes place—and the injuries that manage to heal.

The creatures/luminary world itself was interesting and well thought out, but it wasn’t explained well. The author would have been better off having an index of creatures and a brief explanation of the different groups instead of trying to drop in bits of information at random. There were also too many instances of the phrase “buttery smooth” and certain cliched moments in YA romance—guy wraps arms around girl to show her how to do something, obligatory makeover scene, bullying of heroine that is never resolved, bad boy love interest that every other girl is in love with, “not like other girls” main character, and more.

Will I read the next book? Maybe. But I don’t know if I can commit beyond that unless the sequel is significantly better.