I really enjoy books that are written in unconventional ways and are formatted differently than what is considered standard. This is what jumped out to me after I started reading. However, due to not developing the world or characters in anyway before jumping right in, it made it hard to connect from the beginning.

I believe the book had a great premise and a unique way of telling the story, however, the execution didn’t quite live up to its potential and we were left with a story that didn’t fully achieve what it set out to do.

I really wanted to enjoy this book, unfortunately I just couldn’t get past the writing style and the near full and immediate immersion into a world that didn’t feel wholly developed. I had received this as an arc from NetGalley and had went to Goodreads to double check that it wasn’t a sequel because I felt like there was context I was missing.

I sadly decided to set this book aside. I think the concept had a lot of opportunity and potential, but the way it was developed was rather hard to understand. I found it difficult to picture what was going on and the particular prose just felt too flowery and overly complex. It felt like it was simultaneously meant for a younger audience, but also too complicated to grasp.

If the author were to decide to rewrite this book with the same concept, I think I might try to read it again being I really enjoyed the idea and think it had so much potential. I just couldn’t follow the writing style.

I did not really enjoy the book, it is confusing and most of the plot is a mess. the idea seems interesting but unfortunately it was not well realised.

I’d like to thank Lancelot Schaubert, Net Galley and Vale Publishing for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Overmorrow follows Ellie and her two younger siblings-Levi and Annie- on their journey through New York and the magical place of Overmorrow to find their missing older brother, Charlie. While on the quest to find their brother they learn someone has been stealing the magic rains, and they believe the person involved is also behind Charlie's disappearance.

I can tell the author has a lot of passion for his story and his craft, however I think he had a lot of ideas that he wanted to put all in one book. At that as well, he was heavily influenced by Narnia and The Never Ending Story. Even in the edited version of this book there were still a lot of unnecessary dialogue bits, and even though a lot was removed it was still incredibly hard to follow because nothing was properly explained. If Ellie had a suspicion it was based on zero evidence except for some whim she had and making decisions in the fly after having a conversation with someone that made no sense.

All this being said, I can tell Schaubert had a great idea and a lot of passion for this story, and I think it would make either a good middle grade or YA series as it will continue on to other books, or a philosophical fantasy for people who have bigger brains of understanding than I do.

Trigger Warnings I Gathered: kidnapping, addiction, underage drinking, alcoholism, abandonment

Unfortunately, Overmorrow didn’t quite work for me, although I can see the ambition and beauty in what the author set out to do.

The prose is undeniably lyrical. It’s dreamy, magical, and rich with atmosphere. But for me, the style occasionally became overwhelming. The writing was so abstract at times that I found it difficult to clearly visualise scenes or stay grounded in the world. As a result, I struggled to connect with the characters and follow the narrative thread.

The story itself felt a bit scattered to me, without flow. There were moments of intrigue and emotion, but they didn’t quite come together in a way that felt cohesive or satisfying.

That said, I think readers who enjoy experimental or poetic storytelling may find something special here. It just wasn’t quite the right fit for me and I also wonder if that’s because of it being marketed as a Middle Grade book and I’m just not the right demographic...

I really don't like giving negative reviews, so I'll keep this short.

I really tried with this book. The writing is all over the place, and it's so confusing. There is no transition between scenes. It just read as nonsense. I hope there are people who enjoy this book, but it wasn't for me.

Oh how I wanted to enjoy this book. The cover looked cool, the blurb was amazing... and yet I wish Oblivion had visited me instead.

The whole thing felt like a fever dream, abstract and strange. With too much bizarre detail and simultaneously not enough information, it was confusing, with scenes that just happened and then were never explained. Charlie was meant to be the driving force of the story and yet at over 70% of the way through I still had no idea what had happened with him, and it was only by reading the blurb that I never they thought he was being used as a memory drive - it was not presented that way in the book.

Every now and then however there would be a flash of brilliance, a poetic line that kept me going, but then there would be whole pages of just short lines. Not adding much. Taking away from the flow. Feeling jerky. Unpleasant to read.

The whole sub-plot with Levi? Weird. I think he was about ten? I've never been to New York, and I know this is a fantasy world, but a ten year old running nine miles to central park in the early hours of the morning, to then do a two hour run of the park? And then it just got weirder with the seawine, Sammi... characters were introduced and thrown away without any links.

There were a lot of childish gross moments, farting, weeing etc, that reminded me this was meant to be aimed at younger people but I can only imagine how confused they would be. I certainly was.

I kept reading in the hope that things would start to make sense because I really wanted to enjoy this, but I'm sorry. It wasn't for me.

Some of the writing style was amazing, the world was cool, if under baked and I loved the idea of this world within our own. It just needs some work.

DNF at 28%
The premise is brilliant and if the story had followed the synopsis it could have been great. Unfortunately the execution is just not there. The narrative is non-existent and is confusing. A lot of it has been internal dialogue that has little to do with the plot or character development. Sentences start new scenes and developments without context and I had to re-read constantly to make sure I didn't miss a scene change. There were a few typos that I noticed in addition to the disjointed syntax.
I would not recommend this book as is, if it was re-written and the internal musings and storyline cleaned up I would love it.

'Overmorrow' is an engaging blend of urban fantasy and magical realism. Ellie's quest to find her kidnapped brother, fuelled by the magical rain that awakens senses to hidden wonders, is a journey of self-discovery. Schaubert's dreamlike logic and abstract elements might not appeal to all readers, but this original read has some A Wrinkle in Time and Narnia vibes.

Let me first say that I am not one to DNF a book. However, I pushed myself to get to 36% and just couldn't go any further.

As many others have said, the story was not as presented in the synopsis given. I found the story difficult to follow and a bit confusing. It pains me to say that I would not give this my recommendation.

I DNF'ed this book at 15%.

The premise of the book sounds incredibly cool; however, the writing of the book was nothing like the writing in the synopsis. It was incredibly whimsical which was unexpected and jarring, and I found it difficult to follow. I even re-read the synopsis for the plot a few times to make sure I had an idea of what was going on because I wasn't entirely sure when I read the novel if I had any clue of what was happening. I am sure this would be a lovely book for some readers, but it just wasn't for me.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC; all thoughts and opinions are my own.

I received an ARC (advanced review copy) for free from Net Galley, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

If the synopsis had read like this book did, then I would have known right away that this was not a book for me.

The writing style of this book is beyond eccentric and unconventional. With too much bizarre detail and simultaneously not enough information, it was confusing.

At 4% I pushed myself to get to the 10% mark. Once I got there I decided that this book was too outlandish for me to continue.

DNF - 0/10 would not recommend

I received a copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

I will say, that I have never quite read a book like this one. The descriptions were out of this world, if a little confusing. I definitely can appreciate the creativity that goes into creating something so out of the box. I just think it was a little bit much for me

The only positive thing to come out of this was that there was some resemblance of a plot at times. But other than that, I did not like this book at all. It was jumpy, confusing, and it felt like I needed to have read at least one book prior to this to have some semblance of what is going on

Though the world seems familiar and predictable at first glance, twelve-year-old Ellie Wright is about to discover that there is more to her world than she ever expected. Ellie’s mother has been suffering from memory loss in recent weeks, and her slow decline has Ellie worried. Ellie’s concerns are amplified when her older brother Charlie is kidnapped, and Ellie and her younger siblings are thrown apart from their parents and into the care of the mysterious Author. With care, the Author introduces the children to the truth hidden in Overmorrow, and together, they must do all they can to rescue Charlie and return their world to rights once more. This deeply contemplative novel is reminiscent of classic middle grade stories like A Wrinkle in Time and The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. Magic realism abounds in the narrative, and elevated thoughts and references enhance the intelligence of the story. Because of the amount of careful reflection and challenging vocabulary incorporated into the novel, the plot’s progress feels slow at times. However, readers who appreciate being able to dive into immersive storytelling will appreciate the care with which this narrative is delivered. Recounted in the third person primarily from Ellie’s perspective, the novel features descriptive language and details with dialogue embedded where necessary. This design places readers inside of the protagonists’ minds as they grapple with their new reality and the countless questions they develop as a result. Deep and slow moving, this thoughtful narrative is a unique addition to contemporary library collections for mature middle grade readers, and it is primed for a sequel.

I received this book as an e-ARC from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.

3 stars out of 5

After a somewhat frenetic beginning, I started to feel like there were shades of Narnia in this book, but shades where all of the children were in fact Edmund. Not identical versions of Edmund, but still, somehow in that kind of tween age stage of their lives that makes them just a little bit annoying. It's understandable given the upheaval at the start of the book, but I couldn't really find any connection with the characters.

So why three stars? Because despite a bunch of tweens running around being (rightfully) traumatised, I liked the plot. I liked the setting. I think if I was twelve again I would have liked this book more. It's definitely one for the more confident young reader to get their teeth in to, with the odd bit of juvenile humour and over the top description I used to enjoy when I was younger.

Thank you to NetGalley, Lancelot Schaubert, and Vale for providing this eARC in exchange for an honest review. This book will be officially published on August 22th, 2025!

I unfortunately ended up DNF-ing at 20% due to how difficult it was to follow. I was drawn to the premise: it sounded unique and full of potential.
From the very beginning, the book begins with a complex conversation that left me confused. There were heavy use of descriptive language and layered metaphors that, while clearly intentional, made scenes feel dense and hard to visualize. Another challenge was the lack of narrative context. Important scenes would happen abruptly, without explanation. I often felt I lacked information that would help me understand the world or the story's direction.
This book may resonate deeply with readers who enjoy abstract narratives and doesn't mind doing a bit of interpretive work to piece things together. However, the combination of dense prose and unclear storytelling made it hard to stay invested. I hope it finds its audience as I can see the ambition and meaning behind the concept - it just didn't connect with me personally.

I sadly DNF'd the book at 37%.
I really liked the concept of this book and the underlying story it tries to tell, BUT I feel like the way it was written made it too confusing to be enjoyed.
From the first chapter we get a very confusing conversation and I found myself unable to follow the dialogue between the characters. The insane amount of descriptions and comparisons, made everything very complicated to visualize and almost too cluttered.
Another aspect I did find confusing and almost misplaced, were the various philosophical discussions between the adults and these very young children (the oldest is 12!). I am almost 30 y/o and couldn't follow half of what was being discussed, yet these children could? Once or twice I get it, but in one of the chapters I read, there were MULTIPLE discussions in a row!
NOt to mention we were left in the dark about everything. Nothing was explained or contextualised to us. There is a part where the adult has to perform a ritual and we are never told why this is happening and what it means. It's just glossed over! And this happens regarding most interactions!

It got to a point where I was so lost and confused, I just couldn't bear it anymore.
I do think it's a book that requires a lot of brainpower and it's better indicated for lovers of philosophical queries, and this should be mentioned in the blurb. On the other hand, if it's a teen book, then maybe things should be made more clear and simple, instead of such complex and confusing rhetoric.

It just was not for me but I hope it finds it's audience!

I tried to read this book, but it just came across really confusing and I wasn't quit sure what was happening so I DNF'd.

It was an interesting premise. But I DNF'd at 60%. Both the plot and the writing were confusing. If I am over halfway through a book and not hooked, I don't have an incentive to read it.