I was hooked on the intriguing premise of Sunderworld from the moment I read this book's synopsis, but the first book in this new series ultimately delivered a lot of setup for future books without really going much of anywhere in this one. The pacing was all over the place, and the plot jumps between several main objectives at dizzying speeds as the lines between Sunder and Los Angeles begin to blur.

At the end of Volume 1, there are still MANY questions to be answered about the inner workings of Sunder and its magic system and much to still be learned about the promising cast of characters. There was a lot of action without a lot of resolution, but it was interesting and entertaining enough that I'd like to see where the rest of the series takes us. 3.5 out of 5 stars

Shoot, I really wanted to like this and I just- I didn’t. 🥲

Which sucks because the cover rocks and the premise is a banger. I think if you’re into YA urban fantasy you’ll dig this book. I saw this and was like oh hell yeah, I read 1.5 books from the Miss Peregrine series and I’d love to see what else Ransom Riggs has got for us.

It’s my usual complaint for YA, I personally think I am too old to really enjoy it anymore. And let me be clear I am only speaking for myself, I am not speaking for you, dear reader. If you love YA, great, I love that for you!! This book will probably work for you and that’s awesome!

I say the same thing these days but it’s true, I don’t want to be a hater, I want to enjoy this book and have fun! But I simply did not. 17 year old me would have eaten this up and left no crumbs though.

But hope is not lost, maybe the second book picks up and gets better. Despite discovering that I don’t enjoy YA anymore time and time again, I refuse to give up!

Thanks to NetGalley, Penguin Young Readers Group, and Dutton Books for Young Readers for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Leopold Barry (commonly referred to by the rhyming nickname/surname combo of Larry Barry) has been perfectly average all his life. His father tells him so regularly. Other than his somewhat overactive imagination and the tragic premature death of his mother, Leopold has never had a single defining characteristic besides being basic. But when the supposed figments of Leopold's imagination start coming to life for real, Larry Barry may just have a change in fortune and future.

This book is an absolute delight. I felt positively giddy reading it, and cannot wait to explore more of Sunderworld in the continuing series. I was seriously so absorbed in the world building and characters that the ending took me completely by surprise; I couldn't believe I had already finished, and it left me hungering for more. Thank you to Netgalley and Dutton YA for the review copy.

I couldn't put this book down! The world for Leopold that Ransom Riggs created is so detailed! I can't wait for more!

Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for this review copy

Seventeen-year-old Leopold Berry begins experiencing bizarre visions from a long-forgotten 1990s fantasy TV show after his mother’s death, leading him to question his reality and seek help from his best friend, Emmet. As they uncover the truth about the magical world of Sunder, Leopold must confront his insecurities and prove his worth in a battle against darkness that challenges both his courage and self-belief.

HOLY. I was NOT expecting that. I loved loved loved loved this book so very much that I wish I had a paper copy to hug when I finished.

First of all - Leopold is SO freaking relatable that I wanted to be his friend. Emmet!! My sweet angel!!! Isabel - what an amazing person!! Norm - yes!!!!

I cannot even tell you how many times I laughed out loud and hard my heart squeezed reading this book. I got to 27%, stopped, and preordered. It is that dang good.

I could not stop turning the pages and when I realized how close I was to the end I knew there would be a cliffhanger. The action is fantastic. The love and friendship wonderful. The writing is sharp and witty. 100% Ransom Riggs’ best work yet.

No spoilers here, but I am absolutely OBSESSED with this world Ransom Riggs created. I love the friendship dynamics at play here, the chosen hero, and what it takes make your mark on the world. I literally cannot WAIT to get my hands on my copy. Oh and if you preorder, go sign up for a signed bookplate from Ransom Riggs on Penguin Teen!!

*I was provided a digital copy of this book by the publisher, all thoughts are my own*

"The much-anticipated new fantasy series from Ransom Riggs, his first since introducing the #1 global phenomenon Miss Peregrine's Peculiar Children series.

Seventeen-year-old Leopold Berry is seeing weird things around Los Angeles. A man who pops a tooth into a parking meter. A glowing trapdoor in a parking lot. A half-mechanical raccoon with its tail on fire that just won't leave him alone. Every hallucinatory moment seems plucked from a cheesy 1990s fantasy TV show called Max's Adventures in Sunderworld - and that's because they are.

Not a good sign.

In the blurry weeks after his mother's death, a young Leopold discovered VHS tapes of its one and only season in a box headed for the trash - and soon became obsessed. Losing himself in Sunder was the best way to avoid two things: grieving his mother and being a chronic disappointment to his overbearing father. But when the strange visions return - at the worst possible time on the worst possible day - Leopold turns to his best friend Emmet for help. Together they discover that Sunder is much more than just an old TV show, and that Los Angeles is far stranger than they ever imagined. And soon, he'll realize that not only is Sunderworld real, but it's in grave danger.

Certain he's finally been chosen for greatness, Leopold risks everything to claim his destiny, save the world of his childhood dreams, and prove once and for all that he's not the disappointment his father believes him to be. But when everything goes terribly, horribly, excruciatingly wrong, Leopold's disappointments prove to be more extraordinary than he ever could have imagined.

How do you battle darkness when no one believes in you - not even yourself?

Visionary storyteller Ransom Riggs weaves the familiar with the peculiar in a stunning tale of loss, triumph, friendship and magic, reminding readers everywhere that true heroes are made, not born - and that when you're never the chosen one, sometimes you have to choose yourself.

Welcome to Sunderworld."

Oh my, cheesy vintage TV shows that are all but forgotten and hold a secret is so my jam.

Sunderworld, Vol. I was my introduction to author Ransom Riggs, and I was impressed at how readable the book felt. I'm not the fastest reader, but I felt like I was flying through this one. Leopold, the main character, felt very relatable, and I enjoyed watching him gain confidence over the course of the book. Sunder, the magical world, introduces some bizarre experiences, though entering that world wasn't as strange as I thought it might be. I enjoyed the sense of adventure and mystery this book brought, with a decent amount of action along the way. I did feel like the book ended somewhat abruptly, leaving most things that were going on unresolved. I still have so many questions! I think this was a strong start to a new series, and this first book left me anxious to find out what will happen next.

Thank you to Penguin Young Readers Group, Dutton Books for Young Readers, and NetGalley for the review copy of Sunderworld, Vol. I: The Extraordinary Disappointments of Leopold Berry! All opinions in my review are completely my own.

Big thank you NetGalley and to the publisher for the chance to review this book pre-release. This was SUCH a fun read!! I really loved how fun, eclectic and engaging the story was, I finished it SO much faster than I was expecting to? At first there was a slow pace until about 50% of the way in, but I will say that there's a lot of world building that needed to be done, so it's expected to happen in the first book of the series. I can't wait to see what happens next for Leopold in book two! A more formal review will be available on my IG/TikTok and Goodreads.

The way that I finished this book almost entirely in one sitting tells you how invested I was pretty much from page one in this crazy, funny, adventure of Leopold “Larry” Berry! It has been a long time since I read the Miss Peregrine’s house series but I remember them also being extremely readable and bingeable - I was heartbroken that there was no next book yet in this new series because I just want to see what happens next!

Larry is just an average 18 year old just trying to figure out what life holds for him. No, really: he truly is just average - his career aptitude test scores prove it! His stepdad just wants him to be successful but Larry doesn’t want that kind of success. He would rather be filming videos like he used to as a kid when he and his best friend Emmett used to recreate their own episodes of an obscure TV show about a boy named Max and a world called Sunderland. Only now Larry is starting to see glimpses of Sunderland popping up throughout his hometown of L.A. and there’s this raccoon with a tail on fire and… well, things just kind of spiral from there.

Larry and Emmett find themselves in Sunderland but nothing is quite like it was on the TV show. In fact, things are quite a bit more dangerous than they first appear. Could Larry finally be somebody important here in Sunderland?

I loved the characters throughout and honestly, it was super easy and quick to read - really pulling you into the world within a world and making you root for Larry and Emmett to figure everything out! I will be reading the rest of this series as soon as the next books are released for sure.

Thank you to NetGalley, Dutton Books for Young Readers, and Penguin Teen for the opportunity to read this ARC and give my honest thoughts and review!

It is an interesting book with a premise that has great potential for future development, but I felt the current book took a little too long to get moving. It wasn’t until Leopold found the annotated guide book his mother had left behind that the story felt like it had some momentum. Then again, as the first book in what will likely be a series, it does have some heavy lifting to do, having to do a sizeable chunk of world-building and setup. I imagine that future books will be able to get moving more quickly.

I would also like to see more done with Richter. We see some flashes here and there indicating that he has more of an interior life and nuance than Leopold gives him credit for, but with so much other development needed to set up the series-wide arc, there’s not much time to explore this.

Ransom Riggs is back with this new story. Would recommend for supernatural and horror fans. I could see this being a boy book too, in the sense if they liked five nights at Freddy's or goosebumps they could graduate to this one!

Sunderworld 1: The Extraordinary Disappointments of Leopold Berry follows a “painfully average” teenage boy as he discovers a magical world hidden within Los Angeles. The “hidden magical world” aspect reminded me of Narnia, Harry Potter, and The Starless Sea. These books also have a chosen one trope that Sunderworld subverts in an interesting way.

This was a fun and easy read without an unnecessary romance like most YA books (although Leopold does develop a crush). The magic system is not complicated, which some readers will appreciate. My main critique is with the overall pacing of the book. Most of it goes at a medium pace and it feels like exposition until about the 70% mark, where things move very quickly. Then the book ends very abruptly. I understand this is meant to make me want to read the next book, but I would rather have an ending with more closure, that still leaves a few intriguing mysteries for a sequel.

Readers who like young-adult urban fantasy will like this read. Thank you to Netgalley and Penguin Teen for this ARC.

The cover initially made me want to read this, the title was catchy, and the premise sounded so fun, and this book did not disappoint!! I finished it a couple days ago and I am still thinking about it.
Leopold Berry sees all kinds of weird things in LA that are supernatural, and they are all connected to his favorite show, Max's Adventures in Sunderworld. After his mom dies he goes deep into the world of Sunder and he never really leaves. One day he sees so many oddities and finally his best friend does too. They learn of a doorway to Sunderland and realize everything he learned is real. He thinks he is the savior for their world and really tries his hardest, but in the funniest way he learns what real life is like in Sunder.
Woopsie will be one of my favorite parts of this book and Lunchtray will always make me chuckle. This felt like Spiderwick, Mysterious Bennedict Society, a little ESP Mcgee. It was a great YA fantasy, the language makes it more YA than a children's book, but easily could be for middle to high school ages if language isn't an issue. I loved it honestly and the themes throughout were grown up and talked about in a great way and his dad is a loser and I dislike him so much.
And I can't wait for the next book in this series!!
Thank you to NetGalley and Dutton Books for this eARC.

Ransom Riggs has done it again! After following and finishing his incredible series "Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children" over a 10-year time frame I became such a fan of his writing. Each book of that series had such an eclectic mix of characters, unique fantasy world building, and storytelling like I had never experienced before.

We see much of the same writing characteristics in Sunderworld, Vol. 1., but with Stanger Things vibes from the Upside Down added to the mix!

After meeting Leopold Barry (Larry) and learning about his odd visions and supposed mental health issues possibly stemming from the loss of his mother we learn that his visions into Sunderworld (thought to be a make-believe realm from an old, low budget TV series) may not be so fake after all. The journey into Sunderworld is a strange but exciting one. Full of magic and intrigue, Larry has finally found a place where he feels connected. However, Sunder is more then meets the eye, and Larry begins a journey to unravel secrets his mother has left behind with the help of both an old friend and a new one.

The ending had me enthralled and I cannot wait for the next volume of Sunderworld!

Thank you to Penguin Young Readers Group and Dutton Books for Young Readers for providing me with an eARC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This is my first NetGalley ARC approval, and I'm beyond excited that it was for one of my all time favorite authors!

This is going to be a great new series by Riggs. I loved this book so much. I actually like it better than his first series. Just a better storyline to me. I look so forward to more books in this one.

I was immediately drawn to Sunderworld's intriguing cover and synopsis. Unfortunately, this one fell flat for me. I devoured this book in just under a couple days but unfortunately, like Leopold himself, nothing truly memorable stands out about the story to me. The pacing felt increasingly off, and the plot was convoluted and disjointed. It takes about halfway through the book to get to the main, actual meat of the story.

I enjoyed the setting of Los Angeles and all the notable landmarks and specific details, however I found myself getting lost in the constant zig-zagging around the city and in the story. The fantastical elements of this book are a little hard to grasp onto: I felt like I was missing key details on how the magic system worked, and just getting random bits and pieces of magic thrown in at various places. While I appreciated the quirkiness of the story, it might've been a bit too abstract.

I just feel that there are so many concepts and trails to the story that we are shown only a little about. It is clearly a first book of a new series, so perhaps that is part of the reason, but it makes it a bit hard to focus on the story when the story is everywhere, and there are so many questions and bread crumbs to follow.

I thoroughly enjoyed characters that were unfortunately only introduced to us in the last 100 pages of the book. I really would've liked to spend more time with them and get some more clarity about the overall story. And while I really liked the idea of Leopold being totally average and basically a nobody, I think his character was driven a little too far because he was so boring. I could only read about him complaining and reciting the same negative self mantras so many times. It was accurate to his portrayal, but maybe too much so. Every once in a while he had a particularly funny or badass moment, but mostly he was, in fact, quite unmemorable.

While I didn't love this one I can definitely see the potential and would be interested in continuing the series. I would recommend for fans of urban fantasy, and lost media vibes. On that note, I wish the book had a touch more horror, I think the actual Sunderworld show itself could've been leaned into a lot more, but I suppose we'll have to wait for the next one to hear more about that!

Thank you to Penguin Teen for an arc in exchange for an honest review!

Ransom Riggs hits it out of the park with Sunderworld, Vol 1 : The Extraordinary Disappointments of Leopold Berry. Leopold is a teenager who struggles with the death of his mother and the disappointment of his father. He starts seeing weird and wonderous things that no one else can see and starts to wonder if he is having a mental breakdown. Until he accidentally falls into the world of Sunderland, a world he only knows from some VHS tapes his mom left behind.
This book is adventurous, comedic, and magical. Leopold is the awkward lonely nerdy teen who find himself on the adventure of a lifetime and we are along for the ride. The story is wholesome and refreshing. It is a coming of age story with a fantasy twist. I anxiously await Vol II to follow Leopold's Sunderworld journey some more.
Thanks to NetGalley, Penguin Young Readers Group, and Dutton Books for Young Readers for the advanced copy. The opinions are my own.

This story was a wild ride. You follow Leopold Berry as he learns how to enter Sunderworld a place he thought was just a show he found in his mom's stuff on some old videos. He then goes on a crazy adventure. I can't wait to read more of Sunderworld

A very bizarre read but definitely kept me hooked. I loved the fantastical elements, the LA setting. Leopold as a main character has my heart. Stranger things vibes for sure.
I'm looking forward to more because this book is just the tip of the iceberg.

**Thank you Penguin for providing this book for review via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.**

You had me at Ransom Riggs.

It is not often I read a book that made me feel the way Sunderworld did, but I am 100% here for the adventure.

Sunderworld is about a perfectly average 17 year old teenager embarking upon an extraordinary journey, but do not let his ordinaryism fool you- you will root for him the whole way!

The world building in this book is the chef's kiss. Ransom Riggs has done it again. You are a wizard.