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.

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

I've thought quite a bit about how I wanted to start this review, and I've decided upon this: Sunderworld was one of my most anticipated reads of the year, and I am ecstatic to announce that Ransom Riggs did not let me down.

At many points during my reading of this thrilling adventure of a novel, I found myself thinking "Wow - I am reading the next big series" - and having concluded the book, I have great conviction in saying that I truly feel like I've rubbed shoulders with something special. It is not often I read a book that made me feel the way Sunderworld did, but it's one of those books that reminds you of why you enjoy reading, because boy, there is a lot packed into these pages... It's a rollercoaster of a ride, and it goes fast.

Sunderworld is about a perfectly average kid embarking upon an extraordinary journey, and I feel that my partners in mediocrity will delight in and be warmed by the tale of Leopold, a 17-year-old teenager who is the farthest cry from the Harry Potter-esque "chosen one" trope that you can possibly imagine. And yet, like me, you will find yourself cheering for him every step of the way. There is not a single character in this book that is unlikable, and the world of Sunder takes on a life of its own through Riggs' seamless wordsmithing. I cannot say enough good things about the worldbuilding - you truly have to read it to understand.

I've only just finished this book, but boy, I am hungry for what Vol. 2 has in store. Where's my token to Sunderworld?

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read an advance copy of this novel in exchange for my honest opinion!

Where do I even begin with this book? First off, I absolutely love anything by Ransom Riggs so I was THRILLED when I was approved to read this. And Ransom Riggs did NOT disappoint with this kooky, weird, supremely fun story about Leopold Berry and his (not really) hallucinations of Sunderworld. I love the battle with the "Chosen One" trope that Leopold must go through, the way he's written so earnestly made it very easy to cheer him on at all times. Ransom Riggs is also a master of intricate storylines, I can tell he's really setting this up to be a fantastic series that really draws you in right from the beginning. All of the characterization and world-building is just phenomenal, I honestly can't wait for the next book in the series!

This is definitely a different type of book in that it reads like a common coming of age book but with a twist of a main character that seems to be going through a psychotic break. The premise seems to be that the main character Leopold Berry your typical boy who doesn't want to grow up starts seeing creatures in the real world that come from a childhood cartoon that his deceased mother would show him. Then he finds away into that world like stepping into Narnia in which he finds himself the hero of his childhood adventure. Several points annoyed me about this story in that the Sunderworld is a generic childhood cartoon of I assume the 80's like fraggle rock or something. The author assumes the reader has prior knowledge of the world and takes their sweet time explaining the mechanics of this. So its a lot like reading the sequel of something in that the new reader feels lost in what going on most of the time. I think this would have been more fun if it explored an actual world of the 80's giving the reader real nostalgia to latch onto.

Sunderworld, Vol. I: The Extraordinary Disappointments of Leopold Berry

"It was strange; Sunderworld was no longer Leopold's embarrassing childhood obsession. Now it was the only training he'd ever had for a fight that could cost him his life."

Thank you Netgalley for an ARC of this book! Out August 27, 2024. The quote above is from an unpublished edition of the book and may change by final edition.

Leopold Berry's life changed in more ways than one when his mother passed away a few years ago, because when she died, he found VHS tapes of Sunderworld, a one season show, that is virtually unknown. He becomes obsessed with it as a kid, hoping he, may too, be invited to Sunder to escape the reality that is his completely ordinary life with his estranged father, and maybe possess a little magic, like the "Sparks" on the show. He even has moments where he witnesses bizarre things, like what happens in the show, and it's attributed to hallucinations due to grief from losing his mother.

Everything changes when Leopold does find himself in Sunder, with his best friend Emmet. What starts as a dream come true for Leopold, becomes a nightmare when a series of events leads him to being connected to a magical object linking him to an illegal magic dealer and his niece, a damaged best friend that can only be fixed with magic, and becoming a wanted fugitive in not only Sunder, but in Los Angeles.

This is my first book I've read by Ransom Riggs, and I enjoyed his writing so much that I bought Miss Peregrine's Peculiar Children series. It's been a long time since I've read an urban fantasy, especially with such an ordinary main character who cannot escape Murphy's Law. I adored Leopold and can't wait to see where his character goes in future books. The last 20% of the book was so action-packed, I couldn't put it down. My biggest complaint was that the story wasn't longer and now I have to wait for book two. It really put me in the mindset of Stranger Things and Scott Pilgrim Vs The World, so if you're a fan of these stories, pick this up!

-urban fantasy
-YA
-ordinary hero
-magic
-third person POV
-MMC

**Thank you to Penguin Teen for the eARC. This in no way changed my rating**

I have to believe the high ratings from other users before release are largely due to good will left from Miss Peregrine cause this was not it. I really liked the ide of the book and the COVER! The 80s video cassette was a cool idea! But it felt like a novella that got streeeeeeeetched out to be a series (although I’ll give that the chapters are so short that it took me a while to realize I was more than halfway in and barely anything had happened).

I found Leopold very whiny. He’s upset he’s not a chosen one. He’s upset about his dad (which, fair. He’s a jerk). He’s upset about his junk car. He’s upset about his mom dying. He has siblings who might as well not be in the book for all they matter (I don’t know their names. They don’t matter at all). He’s upset his bestie has other friends. He just spends a lot of the book being upset about everything.

The “Sunderworld” part is so short, I thought I was mistaken when it started. The initial visit is like 5-6 chapters. And then he’s on the run the rest of the time, so you never get to really explore Sunderworld or what makes it appealing in the first place. Wish I could tell you why there’s a mechanical wolf on the cover but that wolf never shows up. That raccoon they mention in the synopsis? Also not part of the plot. Most of the “weird things” Leopold sees before going have no bearing on anything.

Also, the plot changes multiple times from “We need to get to Sunderworld” to “I’m on a scavenger hunt from my dead mom!” to “I need to save my friend.” He doesn’t have a straight forward goal of the book, so it feels aimless.

I’ve also heard a lot about this “twist that’s going to make you want book two immediately.” I finished the book. The twist is not that big a deal. I don’t think I care enough about the “world” or the lack of plot to read another book in this series.

This was such a wonderful and enjoyable read!!!! I loved this book and highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys this genre. Thank you so much to the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Like many folks who picked up this book, Ransom Rigg's Miss Peregrine's series holds a special place in my heart. I can still remember how transporting it was, how desperately I wanted to live in the world that he'd crafted. At fifteen, I thought I was past childhood whimsy, but Riggs' series cracked that door wide open again. Now, getting my hands on Riggs' new series a full decade later, he's managed to conjure up that magic once more.

The Extraordinary Disappointments of Leopold Berry is Miss Peregrine's darker, stranger cousin. Leopold, like Jacob from Miss Peregrine's, is an ordinary eighteen year old boy living an extremely ordinary life. His mother died years ago, leaving him with a cold and overbearing father, and only memories of the world he and his mother used to share: Sunderworld, a crappy 90s TV show about a boy whisked off to a life of adventure. Though Leopold sees Sunder everywhere he goes, he knows Sunder isn't real, just a coping mechanism. Until a chance encounter on the worst day of his life lands him directly in Sunder Hill, battling monsters and having enchanted slices of pie with his best friend, Emmet. Leopold will do anything to stay and be the hero Sunder needs...but what happens when the world decides he's too average to be the hero? And what can Leopold do to prove Sunder Hill wrong?

As always, Riggs' worldbuilding is absorbing and his writing is cinematic. I loved the friendship between Leopold and Emmet, which is beautifully drawn. There's a perfect blend of humor and darkness, and it's compulsively readable. I think my biggest complaint is Volume I doesn't feel incredibly complete; much of the story is exposition, and it feels as though it ends just as it's getting started. Cliffhangers don't particularly bother me--and my appetite is definitely whet for the sequel--but I would've loved a bit more resolution. That, for me, stops this just short of being five stars. Still, it's weird, it's wild, and it's sure to thrill those new to Riggs' writing and delight old fans of his work.

Many thanks to NetGalley, Penguin Group, and Ransom Riggs for gifting me this e-ARC in exchange for my honest review! I can't wait for Leopold's journey to continue in Volume II!