It was not good. This was beyond disappointing. It felt childish and lacked substance. I am shocked Lukens wrote this. I've been a huge fan; rating many works 5 and 4 stars. These characters and the plot were all underdeveloped. The story was boring in many parts. I doubt they spent a lot of time writing this at all. The lack of effort is palpable.

Otherworldy is, ultimately, a love story, which, in the end, owes at least some of its inspiration to the legend of Orpheus. It is the story of Ellery, whose local area has experienced winter for 5 years, and Knox, a familiar of the goddess whose inattention to her minions has allowed that winter to persist. Ellery moved from their family's farm - suffering due to the enduring winter - to live with their cousin Charley and her girlfriend Zada. Knox - known then as "weird hot guy" - comes to the diner where Charley and Ellery work, but this time, he does more than pick up food; he is attacked by shades and saved by Ellery, who, until this point, did not believe in the deities that inhabit and influence their world. So begins an unlikely relationship between Ellery and Knox.

Ellery is 17; Knox is centuries old, but forgets his experiences every time he crosses over from the court of his queen, the goddess who created him to be a familiar - so his specific memories are limited to the five years he's been bound to the witch he was summoned to assist. Each of them is inexperienced in the world in general, and in relationships in particular, but as Ellery helps Knox escape further attacks by the shades, they begin to get to know each other. This is a story of first love that readers of all ages will enjoy.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Not my favorite Lukens book, but still a solid read. Ellery and Knox were pretty cool mains and Zada and Charley were excellent secondary characters. Tbh, the Orpheus and Euridyce ending made me enjoy it less than if the resolution was more novel. However, it was an enjoyable read with an interesting magic system.

Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book. It was really cute and I really enjoyed it. If you're looking for a great cozy read then this is it. Otherworldly did not disappoint. The character and world-building were fun and engaging. I couldn't put it down.

Honestly. This is a DNF. I can notget past the language used in the story it does not make sense. It was way to confusing for me to read

I will never be over how a book about a town trapped in winter managed to warm my heart so much. This book was absolutely adorable and everything I have come to expect from F.T. Lukens. For starters, I loved the characters. Knox was such a fun person and I loved his bucket list of human teenage things to do. But Ellery was my favorite. They had such amazing development, learning to put themselves first and trust those around them. They also have so much love, kindness, grit, and determination in their heart. It was impossible not to adore them. Of course, the side characters were also fantastic, and I loved the weird little found family that was created over the course of the book. As for the plot, I found it a bit predictable because of how it follows a well known myth, but I still enjoyed the little moments along the way. The ending was almost perfect, with great resolution for Ellery and Knox. However, I wanted a bit more resolution for Ellery and their parents. But overall this book was absolutely adorable and I highly recommend it.

Every book I read by FT Lukens just confirms the fact that they are an auto-buy author for me. I could not put this down, and will absolutely be picking up a physical copy for my shelves when it comes out.

This story was more paranormal than their last few books, and was most similar to Spell Bound. I think if you liked Spell Bound, there would be a lot about this story that would work for you as well. I always love the found family element that this author puts in their books, and was probably my favourite part of this one as well.

I found that towards the end the story got a little bit rushed, I would have liked one more chapter between the last two. I really appreciated the dual POV and while I understand why it was just Ellery for a while, I missed having Knox’s POV at that time. Those reasons are why I’m giving this a 4 instead of a 5 but I still really adored this. Definitely would both reread this, and recommend it.

Thank you to the publisher & NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review an advanced copy of this book! I voluntarily read this book, and all thoughts and opinions are my own.

Sort of a young adult version of Rachel Pollack's Unquenchable Fire novels with the snark of Luken's The Rules books with a smidge of Holly Black. In other words, it's weird and lots of fun.

I would define this book as a sweet, cozy romance.

Ellery, Charley and Zada are all living in world stuck in perpetual winter for the last 5 years, the latter taking Ellery in while they try to earn money to help their family back on their farm. Ellery doesn't believe in the supernatural. Until they meet Knox, a familiar on the run after a deal gone poorly.

I was so happy that Ellery was non binary, which is not common in many romances. Knox is sweet and naive and just really wants the human experience. The mutual pining between these two is *chefs kiss* and they are so gentile and adorable together.

I love two that side characters are well written and have stories of their own. I enjoy that the magic system isn't necessarily easy but not overly complicated in the story.

This was a perfect winter read and left me feeling all warm and fuzzy.

Thank you NetGalley and Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing for the ARC.

I am OBSESSED with FT Lukens's latest paranormal YA adventure!

Otherworldly revolves around Ellery, a self-proclaimed skeptic, and Knox, a liminal servant of the goddess of the dead. These two characters set the stage for a book full of self-discovery, love, and acceptance. Joined by a host of lovable characters, this is such a great adventure and I just found myself loving it more and more as I turned each page.

Let me start with arguably my favorite part of this story - the characters! First and foremost the supporting characters in this story are just so much fun. You have an exceptional singer who just so happens to be a river nymph, a rather disgruntled minor messenger god, an undead human who has questionable morals, and some of the most loving and supportive cousins to the main character. All of the characters each have a pivotal role to play in the story and when they all come together it feels like such a fun and loving family.

Another favorite component of this novel is just the plot itself. You have this fundamental difference between the two main characters that gets resolved. Then once that happens, you have this grand-inspired retelling of a classic Greek myth and let me tell you - I wasn't sure how it was going to wind up at the end, but I was LOVING EVERY SECOND. I love a bold and brash character who isn't afraid to stand up to deities and I got that in this novel.

I have long time been a fan of FT Lukens and their writing. I have devoured all of their other stories and love when they give us new material and this is going to be another hit by this fantastic author. GET THIS BOOK! You'll thank me later!

I did not want this book to end, that is how much I loved it! F.T. Lukens has a great way of creating a seamless world that is both realistic and fairy tale-like, and characters that are both relatable and could have walked out of a Greek myth. The love stories in their books are truly YA - just kissing and quite innocent but the feelings are also very deep and the characters are willing to make great sacrifices for each other. In this story there were a number of elements that gave one a Narnia vibe, and I loved that the villains were not that successful and were vanquished 3/4 of the way through the book. The rest of the story was a true hero's journey and that made the ending all the more sweet. I loved all the characters, the found family and the quirky supernaturals who inhabit these pages.
I highly recommend this and all Lukens' books to readers who love YA fantasy, adventure, and a truly diverse cast of characters.

Thanks so much to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC!

this book was so cute and cozy. ft lukens never disappoints. i loved the found family trope and the world building. knox and ellery were such a dynamic duo, i couldn’t get enough of them. i also loved charley and zara, they were everything. this book was so atmospheric and great for the winter season!

Another gay paranormal romance, get a warm cup of something and a fluffy blanket, this one is cozy!

The story was very cute, I loved both Ellery and Knox! YA isn’t always my ideal romance sub-genre, so take my rating with a grain of salt. Kudos for they/them pronouns! Booktok has a new obsession coming, I expect this to make the rounds on there.

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Children's UK for this ARC.

Thank you Simon and Schuster and Netgalley for this eARC, these opinions are my own. Another hit for F.T. Lukens! Ellery moved to the city from their family farm when the endless winter began 5 years ago. They’ve had non stop winter since but it only seems to impact their region. They moved to help send money back to their parents. The other reason was that their parents kept making offerings to the goddess and Ellery had stopped believing in those things. Know is a familiar, sent to help a witch with her task of finding the elixir for life. He’s been in the human realm for five years. When the shades, who sent Knox there, come for him, he runs. Runs straight into Ellery. This begins a long journey for the two and Ellery’s cousin Charley and her girlfriend Zada, to figure out why they have been stuck in an endless winter. Can they figure out what is going on? Will the shades catch up to Knox? And what happens if something more starts to grow between Ellery and Knox? I’m a huge fan of F.T.’s books. They’re always so magical and not just because they have magic in them! Otherworldly is sweet and charming, with magic and a swoon worthy romance! Plus a loving and supportive found family that’s all kinds of perfect!! I absolutely recommend if you like books with magic and romance! Can’t wait to read it again!

It was a pleasant surprise to have the main character of this novel be non-binary! Ellery is they/them and to have a non-binary character take center stage was a delight.

The story itself is lovely, with engaging and vivid characters. The relationships between Ellery and their cousin Charley was wonderfully done and Charley's girlfriend Zada was a constant source of enjoyment. I rolled my eyes along with Ellery at how cute they were together.

Knox was wonderfully written and you could feel his emotions clearly. As a liminal creature, he lives in the moment but he makes his moments with Ellery shine.

The secondary characters were well written as well and I'd love to explore more of this universe that the author created. Hale, Lorelai, and Bram were wonderfully distinct and lent a great deal to the story.

I won't spoil it, but there were definitely elements that stood out and Ellery is a brave protagonist and with a big heart. They made a bargain with something unknown and were changed for the better.

10/10 would recommend this book to anyone who wants to see magic in the ordinary world and love defying all odds.

A big thank-you to Netgalley for the chance to read this arc! I thought this was a delightful YA fantasy read. Ellery, our non-binary protagonist, is grumpy, relatable, brave, and communicates their feelings clearly. Their love interest, Knox, was so likeable with his awe & wonder of the human world. I loved that the found family they built together with Ellery’s cousin & girlfriend. A little bit of cursing, but other than that, completely clean. No drinking, sex, drugs, etc. I would definitely recommend this book to 14+ students for its strong themes of family, love, and sacrifice.

Thank you to NetGalley, Margaret K. McElderry Books, and Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing for this advanced copy! You can pick up Otherworldly on April 2, 2024.

This was such a cute and cozy YA fantasy! In Otherworldly, we’ve got a city stuck in eternal winter, a familiar and a skeptic making bargains at a crossroad, fantastic LGBTQAI+ rep, and an adorable found family.

I loved Ellery and Knox’s dynamic, but especially when they interacted with Charley and Zada. The four of them together just make the sweetest found family, supporting each other through harrowing supernatural encounters and teasing each other over innocent crushes.

If you’re in the mood for something sweet but slightly dangerous, with nonbinary rep and a fascinating Underworld (or Other World) element, this is your kinda book!

A big thank you to netgalley.com and the publisher for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

Ellery washes dishes in a diner in the city and sends their paycheck back to their mom to help pay the bills. Ellery lives with their cousin and her girlfriend and leads a very bleak life since the winter came five years ago and has yet to leave.

Knox is a familiar. A magical being who becomes tethered to a human while helping them complete a task or goal when they make a deal at the crossroads in exchange for their soul. When his current master completes the task of making a potion to give her eternal life the shades come for her soul before she can take the potion and Knox, sensing something isn't quiet right, steals the potion and runs away, right into the cute dishwasher that he has wanted to meet every time he went to pick up food for his master.

Now Knox and Ellery are in for an adventure as they try to unravel why Knox's queen deserted the humans in the area for five years, putting them in eternal winter, and letting Knox experience what it is like to be human.

I love F.T Lukens' books! This one did not let me down. There is one line that had me in stitches, but if I write it here I will ruin some of the story (Zada's line at the end of chapter 26). If you like fantasy this is one to pick up. I love the way the book ended but I wish we got to see more about Ellery's mom and the farm. I think some backstory would go a long way.

From the first line, this book felt like a fairy tale. I was hooked by the writing, by the imagery, by the pure magic of the setting and the characters. A town trapped in five years of winter? Supernatural beings afoot in a community that whole heartedly believes in them, for the most part, even though they can't really prove they're around? Everything about the world felt so mystical and enchanting.

And don't get my started on our two MCs! By chapter 3, I was already in love. Ellery is kind and brave and grumpy as all hells but so endearing. They care about those around them, and sacrifice so much in order to make sure those they care about are okay. That was clear from the end of their first chapter, and I was excited to see where the story took them, and was not at all disappointed.

And Knox! Mysterious hot weird guy. I LOVE HIM. Literally from his first scene sitting on the couch and watching TV I knew I was as much of a goner as Ellery was about to be. He's so endearing and feels so deeply and just longs for connection and love that isn't transactional. And when these two collide (literally lol, such a good scene), the story gallops ahead in full force and leaves the reader happily devouring the lovely little found family they form. Zada and Charley were some of my favorite characters, and I loved how involved in the story they were. Books often advertise found family but don't actually deliver, but this was not one of those stories. The tenderness they all had for each other was adorable and heart warming. (Not to mention the food service workers--as someone who worked for many years in various restaurants, I related a lot, haha.

And when they strike their bargain, I instantly saw the genius of the story that Lukens had crafted. The romance of it swept me off my feet. I felt the same way while reading So This Is Ever After--everything drawing the two of them together, despite all intents and purposes being quite different. And I loved it. In as non spoilery a way as I can say, the ending was peak fairy tale vibes once again. The whole book felt that way, but by the end of the story I really felt like I had read some wintery fairy tale of monsters and darkness and heroes and light, and it was such a beautiful and heart-warming journey.

Thank you so much to NetGalley for the advanced reading copy!

F.T. Lukens has a certain formula for building their books, and it works (for me) every time. I really liked this book, and this may be a minor detail, but I thought that it was nice that the nonbinary character was a person and not the supernatural being in the relationship. It’s fairly unimportant in the grand scheme of things (gender is incredibly not important in this story) but I appreciated it. Honestly I don’t have much else to say.