Thank you Netgalley and ECW Press Audio for this advance reader arc!
DNF 1 star.
I did not finished this audio book because neither the story or narrator were maintain my attention more than 5 minutes. I was not the intended audience and can not provide a honest review regarding this book. The premise was interesting which is why i request the audio book. However the story's pacing fell flat, and in return so did the characters. Also, the length of the audio book was daunting and made me re thinking how far i can get into the story. I believe i got to the 3 hour mark.

Unfortunately, this was archived before I was able to listen to it so I’m unable to provide a review as I was unable to listen to it.

A very cute, eccentric, and bonding story about two sisters navigating a new world of magic with characters who are not how they seem. This story starts when these sisters, Constance and Ivory are sent to a small town called Quixx. While the sisters are very different, this story shows the close bond between given family and found family. Very much suited for young readers but can also be enjoyed for those wanting a cute magical adventure.

Beiko's writing is engaging, and the story's pacing keeps you hooked from start to finish. If you're looking for a contemporary monster story that delves into the complexities of relationships and identity, "Stars of Mount Quixx" is a must-read. It's a tale that combines the darkness of monsters with the light of human connection, leaving you with a sense of both unease and hope.

I was very unsure on this book at the start, it felt very bland.

As it built and we met our good friend Derek things started to progress and the plot unfolded. Not sure I would rush to pick it up again but good for an easy read

This audiobook gave me chills! I did have the privilege of reading the book before diving into the story again with the audio and it was quite the experience! I really think reading first and having this as another way to enjoy the story is great. The audio will be great for accessibility as well.

Even the best intentions can bring down a mountain …

Sent away for the summer, the Ivyweather sisters were promised a family vacation by their wealthy, indifferent parents. Two at-odds opposites — Constance an anxious society sweetheart and Ivory an adventure-struck rebel — the sisters aren’t sure what to make of the dangerously decayed town of Quixx and its creeping fog that never seems to lift.

When Ivory disappears after a spat with her sister, Constance tracks her to the mountain, where the Ivyweathers learn the town’s hushed talk of monsters is more than just a rumor. There, the sisters meet Derrek, a dapper and talented astronomer who also happens to be a spider-like creature with a scientific mind, the best of intentions, and a tragic past. Together, they all must find a way to lift the dangerous fog that has ensnared the town and return Quixx’s long-lost stars. But they soon discover that something far more monstrous than beasts lurks in Quixx, and it’s poised to crush this sleepy mountain town, along with the dreams of those in it.

Death and discarded memories haunt every corner of Quixx, but kinship, romance, and family — the one we choose — are at the heart of this cautiously optimistic, unabashedly queer modern monster story.

Stars of Mount Quixx was a darling story. I found that the narration of the story added a great deal to the plot, especially when the pacing may have felt a bit off, as the narrator added necessary emotion that explained what felt like missing context at times. What I think that this author did amazingly well, however, was the inclusion of a diverse cast of characters with a wide range of gender expression and orientations, woven seamlessly into a beautiful tale of love, lost and found. I adored the relationships that were built and am excited to see how the author decides to expand a story that felt like a standalone into a series!

The Stars of Mount Quixx by S.M. Beiko is an interesting fantasy with a touch of forbidden romance and also Monsters?! This whole book had a very surreal ethereal feel to it and especially when you start meeting the monsters on the mountain, everything seems very dreamlike.. I enjoyed the world building and the conflicts within the town that the sisters were sent to. The magic system is really dreamy and seems more organic than witchy. Ivory and Constance couldn't be more different, but they also work well together. I like how each one deeply loves the other despite their differences and how they are constantly looking for and standing up for each other. The girls are both brave and smart so it's fun to watch them navigate the town and it's quirks. I thought the narrator did a great job of injecting whimsy and wonder into this tale.

Thank you Netgalley and ECW Press Audio for this ARC!

- This book is definitely very odd and fantastical! This would be a great read for anyone who likes mysterious ~vibes~ and lots of great queer characters.
- I agree with a lot of the other reviews that mention that this book is pretty hard to categorize. It doesn't feel very YA, but I wouldn't put it as a MG either. It's hard to pinpoint what time frame the book is inspired in, with a lot of conflicting clues (such as attitudes towards women from the 1800s, but also one of the characters is constantly described as wearing a zoot suit).
-I struggled with the characters that seemed to be the villains. They felt pretty superfluous throughout the book, and their POV chapters felt like they easily could have been cut without losing much.
- This book is so long, and the pacing is pretty slow at times. I definitely prefer faster paced books, so the audiobook was a lifesaver.
- There's simultaneously so much description and details, while also not enough worldbuilding for me to feel like I understand what's going on in the universe.

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

This was an interesting fantasy and a decent start to a series. I look forward to see what comes next.

When the 2 pole apart sisters are stuck in town covered by a cursed mist adventures are bound to happen. This was supposed to be their family vacation, but their parents ditched them as usual. But when the younger sister (Ivory) disappears, the elder one (Constance) has to unwillingly go look into the doomed mountain, where the strange creatures of the dark live.

Brimming with warm vibes of sisterhood, love in the strangest places and a discovery of your true self. The story is a full-on adventure. Although when I was 25% into the book, I kept wondering what will happen ahead. It was like a mini-story within the bigger story. Needless to say, it had multiple plot twists and a very engaging storyline.

It's a mood-read kind of book, so if you are searching for creepy creatures, magic, science and romantic vibes together, this book will be a good fit. It's not however a reread sort but definitely worth reading once.


Thank you @netgalley @ecwpress @ecwaudio and @samantha_smash for the entertaining ARC. It was a fun read!

P.S I had to give the cover artist a shoutout, it is beautiful 😻

Thank You Net Gally and Publishers for a chance to listen to this.
If you are looking for a book that is kind of Cozy, kind of gothic, with low stakes, and a soft plot you will like this. Its an easy listen where you keep going because everything is just likeable enough. This is most certainly meant for a younger YA audience , and tries really had to keep a reader engaged.

Thank you to NetGalley and ECW Press Audio for providing me with an audiobook copy of Stars of Mount Quixx.

The Stars of Mount Quixx reminds me of another book titled Alice in Wonderland.


Celina Sinden was the narrator and she did a wonderful job of keeping me engaged with the plot. She brought this story to life. If it was not for the wonderful narration I do not think I would have finished this book.
The Stars of Mount Quixx has a magical and whimsical feeling about it. However, there is something missing from the story. For me, it was not the characters. I enjoyed them.
The plot was more juvenile than I was expecting it to be.

Overall, not a bad book and not badly written. I did enjoy it but I do not believe that this is a young-adult book. I would allow children of that age range to read this book.

I had a tough time rating this. I am not sure the plot ended up being my favorite story wise, but I did love the characters and the magical creatures as well as the writing itself. It felt very gothic, which is one of my favorite delivery systems for fantasy writing and one that I don't feel is done often recently. I am giving it 5 stars because it hit my entertainment button, but I have a feeling that I will not remember much from this by the time a new book in the series comes

Thank you to ECW & NetGalley for the ARC

This was a fun fantasy with great representation in the characters, but I found that I had a hard time staying focused on it. I was listening as an audiobook, and I felt like I kept tuning it out. I think if I was reading this as a physical copy I might not have finished it. I wanted to like it so much more than I did - "queer modern monster story" sounds right up my alley! I might give it a try later on. Maybe I wasn't in the right mood for it, but I doubt I'll be quick to pick it up again.

Thank you Netgalley for providing a digital ARC.

This is a tough one for me, whilst there were elements I enjoyed (the eccentric characters and the relationship between the main sisters) I also think there was something distinctly lacking for me on the whole and I can't quite put my finger on what it is. I will also say the audiobook narrator was great and I felt she embodied the characters well..

The plot follows the Ivyweather sisters who are on a holiday to what they think is a quaint holiday town, but instead find the odd and rundown town of Quixx which features a ominous foggy mountain. This book's eccentric and eerie atmosphere immediately gave me Lemony Snicket vibes but then it treads more into Alice in Wonderland territory as the eccentric gives way to the bizarre.

As mentioned previously I highly enjoyed the colourful and eccentric characters in this story, of particular note are the Ivyweather sisters themselves who are not outright eccentric but have a very interesting relationship that features many ups and downs due to their very different personalities. Constance is very prim and proper outwardly but is in a near constant state of anxiety and suffers frequent panic attacks, Ivy on the other hand is carefree, curious and adventurous. Honestly their individual characters and their relationship as sisters was my favourite thing about this book as they often butt heads but also care for each other dearly.

The issues I think stem from the plot itself feeling fairly slow and low stakes at times and the book feeling like more of a middle grade read than a YA, which is not inherently a problem as I do sometimes read middle grade and can enjoy them but I think marketing this as YA creates the wrong expectation going in. I also just didn't feel the pull to keep reading or go back to reading once I had taken a break.

4.5 stars // this was super whimsical and fun!!! i loooove books that lull you into a false sense of security when it comes to the existence of magic and then WHAM suddenly it’s magic. This was delightful

representation: queer woman, gay side characters

spice level: none

Spoiler Free Review

Wow. What a fun and romantic read!

Celina Sinden did a fantastic job bringing this story to life. I loved how she differentiated the colourful cast of characters, and all their emotions.

Perfect for fans of ya queer romance, monster romance, strong sisterhood, sisters who love each other yet so different, multiple romances, a town that needs saving, and unique characters.

I ended up not finishing this book. I'm not one to dnf books especially if there isn't anything that I find morally or ethically objectionable, but I just couldn't engage in this story. I did listen to it and that could possibly have something to do with it I'm not sure. I just found the story uninteresting and the characters a bit annoying.