Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the e-ARC of this book.

I have a hard time with talking animals. I want to move past it, but it's so implausible that I struggle. I knew Allen talked to a llama in this one, and I was apprehensive. Plainly put, I loved this book. It was so well done. I loved it all, even the llama. I look forward to more by this author and can't wait to share it with my studens.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this wonderful story. Allen is trying to adjust to his new home where he and grandmother have moved to hopefully help him make more social connections. He meets Max, an older girl in his school who is assigned as his mentor. After meeting a llama at a holiday fair, memories start to come back to him and he realizes that things are not as he has been told.

When you're from upstate NY and you about a story set in upstate NY, written by someone who lives in (kind of) Upstate NY, it's an instant win. And then when you dive into the story that has themes of family, found family, human and animal connection, mystery/suspense, and dealing with trauma, it's A HUGE win. I couldn't put this book down; the quick chapters make it accessible for younger readers and the balance of lightheartedness and seriousness engulfs the reader. While of course I love the main character, Allen, I really really felt a deep connection to his grandmother and his mentor, Max. They were both just so real; they could have come from my life! I was a bit turned off at first with the magical realism AND I"m not really sure if communicating with animals is really magical realism; I do think some people have that gift. This book left me thinking about that days after I finished it...and I really want a llama now!

Definitely recommend for middle grade readers AND those who love middle grade stories....especially if you're from upstate NY!

This was a different one, outside of the box but at the same time a call to some nature/survival classics we grew up with. It was an interesting grief story but with a fresh take on all usual elements. Easy to read, not too long, this standalone is a journey of memory and coming of age of one who must face the ghosts of trauma and trek the right path for his future.
The author created tension by limiting the technological resources of the characters, no phone reception, no way to ask for help added to winter weather, inexperience to hike aggravating the survival conditions. But even risking his life, he doesn't quit trying to save Yana. I love the idea of a boy speaking with the llama.
Themes: loss of parents, dealing with sadness, isolation, lack of friends, lack of belonging then finding a place to call home, finding new friends, fighting for truth, justice and what is right. Bullying (as kids and adults). Call to nature with awesome quotes and mention to Shakespeare quotes as well for wisdom.
Alopecia representation.
I am.glad the author added that epilogue.

Thank you netgalley and publisher for this e-arc.

This was a very well written and engaging young adult novel, the main character was likable and quickly had you rooting for them. And who doesn't like a llama???

I felt this was a good story.
It started a bit slow to me. I felt it needed more in the beginning to get to know the boy and his connections. I did love the dream. The fears kids have as well as adults. I also liked his journey to a new place. The magic was great! Talking animals helping kids is a great premise whether is magical or not. I was more engaged towards the end. I say give this title a try.

Spellbinding. This book was instantly engaging and held my attention throughout. There is great character development, lots of suspense and tension, disability representation, and there's even a fun sprinkling of Shakespeare quotes.

At its core, this is a book about self-discovery—learning how to embrace what you have and let go of what you don't, whether it's the small things, like cell phones, or world shattering things, like the death of parents.

A beautiful, moving, tearjerker of a read.

I instantly liked the main character, Allen. His journey was very moving and included such a wide array of emotions and growth. I really enjoyed commiserating with him and cheering him on at various points. The story flows well, but I did often wonder, ‘when do we get to the part about the llama?’ The part with the llama was well done and I enjoyed it very much, I just had to forget about looking for that point to finally happen and enjoy the journey getting there because it really is an enjoyable story throughout. A great story with so many great discussion points if you want to use it in a class.

Absolutely loved this adventure about Allen moving to the north with gramma (parents have been gone eight years) because she’s hoping he’ll make connections. Allen loves humming and when Bridie hears it she tells him she likes his humming. Allen meets Zach and he thinks he likes these new friends, Allen wonders why he keeps having recurring nightmares and wonders if gramma has told him the truth about what happened to his parents. When Max, his mentor, takes him to a winter carnival he sees a llama, Yana, and Allen realizes he can understand what the llama is say from the humming. Allen can see his parents when Yana hums. What does it mean? Allen wonders how could I hum all this time not knowing it was llama language? When Allen finds out Yana was sold to a bad man, he steals Yana and takes her to the mountains. What happens then?

A soul-wrenching solo journey through the mountains. This is the path of growth and self-discovery that Allen - the young protagonist of this story - must undertake. I loved every single page of this book, every emotion gently brought to the reader's attention. With a few literary quotes and an extraordinary ability to describe the characters, the novel captures your attention until the very end. There are so many scenes where you want to discover more, to reach the point where what you hope for finally comes to pass.
I wholeheartedly recommend this book with all the peace and love in the world because it engages and envelops the reader in the narrative, offering food for thought and allowing them to feel a deep connection with the protagonist, fully understanding and loving every choice - whether you agree with them or wish for a different outcome.

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