Very well written. I enjoyed reading the book. It keep my attention. I do believe I did like this one better than the first book I read from this Author.

This is the third instalment of The Freaks YA series that follows a group of high school students in the sleepy area of Quapaw City, Arkansas. Gifted with supernatural powers, the self titled group - The Freaks are often finding themselves in wild trouble and this book is no different.

Rubicon starts well some strange goings on and a recap of the past adventures. I would definitely recommend listening to the series in order, but it’s always nice to have a little refresher to keep you on the right track.

This book really highlights the importance of friendship, how it can sprout from the most unlikely of places, resilience and camaraderie through adversity. I love that this covers a good range of topics that could come up in daily life in a very approachable manner, from bullying to racism, heritage and sexual identity. All very important topics for young people to broach.

All this tied into a tale of superheroes and adventure! I felt like the author really settled into the story with this one and took on board past criticism, they know their characters and this comes across really well making them more believable and well rounded.



The narrator is really great, which I don’t think I appreciated enough in the last 2 books. They make the characters identifiable and really immerse you into the city of Quapaw. I am looking forward to the next installment.

(A recap the powers of each freak/ characters

Jamie - Flight, empathy, emotion projection, mind reading
Gf Gabby

Kenneth - Super strength, speed healing
Gf is Ty

Micah - Temperature control, fire, ice

Christian - Super speed, can jump huge distances, able to boost olfactory senses
Partner Becci)

I've enjoyed how far the main characters have come in this group of what has felt like misfits from the beginning. How each one has progressed and their different opinions when it came and how to feel about the dragon. It ended also on a good note that I feel if the author were to continue of do a spin off about Micah as a continuation because I can see him turning evil with all the stuff that's happened with him. The narrator is on point as usual, I read the book and listened to the audio so when listening to it, it felt like I was transferred into Quapaw City.

I have enjoyed the Freaks series, so I am glad I got to read this next installment. However, I don't think this installment is as strong as the others which is a shame. This series has been very on-the-nose with its themes in the past, so that should come as no surprise to readers here. However, I did feel it felt a lot more preachy in this one to the point where it seemed the plot was secondary to the social messaging at certain points. I don't mind messages being shared through literature, but it could have used a little more finesse when integrating the messaging into the plot so that it ultimately feels more real and impactful. That being said, I still found the plot and character development fun and engaging.

I am grateful to be able to get an audio copy of Rubicons by Brett Riley from Netgalley and I was also given an arc of the book from Goodreads. So I was super happy to get best of both worlds. This book was rather interesting to say the least. Coming of age story with teens and abilities and learning how one thing can change everything. Including their friendship. You get a good view of each of the 'Freaks' as they call themselves and the toll having the powers mess with their everyday life, plus being hunted. Then both teams learn of a dragon and things just escalate from there. You can tell the next book is going to be crazy with how this one ends and I am actually excited to read it. I loved how each of the teens had such a different personality. It fit so perfectly. So if you enjoy the Young Avengers comics and teens coming into powers, you will absolutely enjoy this book. I recommend it!

We're back with the freaks and their supernatural powers fighting more of today's cultural problems, secret agents, and a new threat. It felt a little different this time. There was still some character growth, but the story felt tired and repetitive to me. The audiobook was well done, but the novel just lacked the same level of excitement as the first two books in the series.

I see it as an interesting take on Frankenstein’s monster intertwined with a superhero tale and geek puns.

A group of teenagers try to protect their loved ones against secret government agents and monsters while taming their superpowers and wondering what life will be like after they graduate.
Well written characters, interesting tension and conflicts that will keep you reading through the end.

P.J. Morgan adds a nice touch to the text making the tension more intense. Very agreeable to listen to, you’re easily through half the book without realising it. I could have dropped the book around 65% if I’d been reading the paper/ebook version, but the narrator kept me listening.

Be careful about one thing though: I would advise former drug users to avoid reading this book as one moment could trigger them.

I really enjoyed being able to listen to the audiobook as well as read the e-copy. It made for a super speedy read-through as a busy mum.
My kids even got to hear a little on the ride to school.
I loved the accents and the POV changes you could hear in the narration.
Absolutely a top read for me in 2023.

This was unfortunately a miss for me. The writing style was all over the place and I couldn’t relate to anything in the story and characters.

Unfortunately, this was a major miss for me. The previous installments had their fair share of "woke" content, but the plot and action was solid enough that it still drove the story and kept me invested. This one, however, was basically just one long rant with a little bit of plot thrown in. It was a big letdown, and it ruined my enjoyment of the story. I want a solid story about misfits getting powers, becoming an unlikely team, learning to grow and adapt together, and taking down some villains, not constant, over the top reminders of hot-button topics.

There was solid character development with Kenneth that I appreciated, but the way it was presented and verbalized was way too heavy-handed. Just let characters learn, grow, and change without making it into a huge spectacle. Other characters had interesting developments as well, and the focus on the daily life and development of teens was done well.

The new creature in this one really came out of left field to me, and it seemed like it was used just because it was the most convenient plot point to create a rift within the group and set up a larger, more sinister plan. It was just super random overall, but I guess in terms of supernatural elements, nothing's really been stereotypical up until this point.

I also thought this one would be the last in the series, so finding out that it continues was just meh. This whole story was just a filler bridge to get to the next installment, but I won't be reading the next one after this experience.

This audiobook took me on a captivating journey that delved into the complexities of relatable experiences faced by teens as they navigate the uncertainties of their transition into adulthood, while also tackling important societal issues.
The author skillfully weaved together the themes of personal identity and the challenges of growing up in a way that resonates with readers.
With themes of LGBTQ+ and racism, the story prompts reflection and empathy.
The plot was well paced, with relatable characters, and a good blend of supernatural and realistic elements to make it an engaging and thought-provoking read.
I would recommend this for fans of character-driven stories with a touch of fantasy.

The third installment in the Freaks series seems to suffer the same fate as the second. An interesting concept, and a real opportunity for character growth and worldbuilding. However, either due to writing style or misguided editing, the story fell flat for me.

Elements of inclusion and social disparities have been a hallmark of Riley's novels so far, yet outside of introducing it, he does very little to show what it means to the character, short of a "well deal with it" mentality.

The action, while decent, seemed rushed and overblown. Some great conflict was injected into our friendly do-gooding group, yet it seemed to barely scratch the surface of the questions raised. Also. There were a few good cliffhangers, but no real action from previous ones, or foreshadowing to make you really want to come back.

I think, for me, I am done with the series. I really REALLY wanted this to be good, as the premise and plots have been great, but with lackluster writing and two-dimensional characters, I'd rather not be let down again.

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

Rubicons is the third entry in the Freaks Saga. I was unaware of the Freaks Saga before this book but after finishing it I want to start at the beginning of the series. While this book worked alright as a standalone, it should be enjoyed after the first two entries.

I was able to follow the story after reading a summary of the first book but I just felt I was missing something. I really enjoyed Riley’s writing and the way he tackled serious topics with care and ease.

Being that I want to go back to the first one I am going to revisit this review at a later date. I liked this book and I think I would love it more with more context and attachment to the characters. For now, I will give it a score but after catching up on the series I will update it.

Audiobook Review - This is an enjoyable modern fantasy. Many elements will appeal to fans of D&D. Recommended wherever the earlier additions are popular.