Tag Archives: NetGalley

The Fib

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Pedro Iniguez, Nathan Kwan. Gloo Books, (32p) ISBN: 9781962351300. Picture Book, read 14/04/25, eBook ★★★★☆

The Fib

The Fib

Picture books with clear stories, with a simple moral are always great for kids, especially when they are fun as well.

More so when the story feels as though it’s getting out of hand.

It all starts with Pepe being too embarrassed to share the comic book he had been working on all summer with the class, and it is here where he introduces the fib to the class.

and this is where things start to get out of hand, to defend the initial fib Pepe has to keep adding to the fib.

Initially the fib is a cute little green fuzz ball, but it gets bigger and bigger all the time and gets more destructive as it goes on.

This is a brilliant metaphor for lying and works really well, and the monster is wonderful in it’s growth and, eventually, in its reversal. The reversal is also excellently explained.

Really enjoyed this for its vibrant illustrations and straightforward clear explanation of what can go wrong when you lie.

I received this from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

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The Lost Sunday

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Ileana Surducan, Oni Press, (72p) ISBN: 9781637157756. Graphic Novel, read 23/03/25, eBook ★★★★★

The Lost Sunday

The Lost Sunday

Again I chose to ask for this on NetGalley because of the beautiful artwork on the cover, and the story sounded really interesting.

Both didn’t disappoint, the artwork is glorious throughout and has an energy and life that really makes you embrace the storytelling full-heartedly, exploring each page for all the lovely detail that expands the story from the words to much much more.

The story takes us to the world of Nina, a world where there is no free time only drudgery, each day is full of work, but work that is never satisfying or completed. There are always mistakes or ways of making more work.

and most importantly of all there is never a Sunday, a day to rest, a day to relax, a day of frivolity and food in your best clothes.

Nina sets out to find what has happened to Sunday and see if she can restore this to the town.

Full of wonderful characters which support Nina there is a strong fairytale feel to this story, to be more precise a Slavic influence, especially in dress and the Wolves but this there is also a strong thread of this in Germanic storytelling.

I wolfed this down and had to go back and read it again immediately, this is also a book I’m going to have to buy for myself as a keeper, loved it!

I received this from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

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Snails of the Unexpected

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Terrie Chilvers, Firefly Press, (160p) ISBN: 9781915444882. Middle Grade, NetGalley read 01/03/25, Electronic Format ★★★★☆

Snails of the Unexpected

Snails of the Unexpected

Loved the cover of this so I just had to ask for it, it’s feeling good reading books for younger readers again, quite refreshing.

Fergus and Shelby are a couple of snails who’ve found the good life in the garden they live in as they get treated to lots of different salads and are allowed to eat what they want, including fresh crunchy cucumber!

But there is something afoot in the world of gastropods…

Slug-life is on the rise and the benefits of slugs are being promoted everywhere and Fergus wants to find out why, and they find out more than they were bargaining for.

and oh yes, they both can transform after a puddle they were drinking at got hit by lightning…

Fun little adventure with some great illustrations from Brenda Figueroa supporting the fast-paced story telling.

I received this from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

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Monsterland

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Nicholas Jubber, Scribe Publications, (352p) ISBN: 9781915590299. Mythology, NetGalley read 12/02/25, Electronic Format ★★★★☆

Monsterland

Monsterland

Wasn’t sure what I was getting into here before starting this and I’ve got to admit that from the cover I was expecting something a bit lighter, and in a really good way I was glad I was surprised.

Nicholas Jubber takes us on an expedition around the world to visit the sources of some of the most enduring monster myths, if not the sources at least to places where the monster myth is lived and breathed.

From Cornwall to Kyoto, Nicholas explores the local myths, customs, and festivals that surround a dozen of the worlds monsters, new and old. Looking at their development and dissemination and how they have been embraced and what this means about the human psyche.

As I said at the start I was expecting something lighter but I’m so glad it wasn’t just a quick survey of monsters of the world and it was this more in depth exploration which mirrors Nicholas’ personal journey where he became as involved as he could in the communities and festivals surrounding his research often taking part in the festivals.

This was such a wonderfully written exploration and journey that I really took my time to get the most out of it, absolutely loved this book and the worlds that Nicholas took to.

I’ve had ‘The Fairy Tellers’ by Nicholas on my shelf for such a long time and this has certainly encouraged me to bump it up the TBR pile.

I received this from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

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Scuttler’s Cove

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David Barnett, Canelo, (368p) ISBN: 9781804367537. Horror, NetGalley read 31/01/25, Electronic Format ★★★★☆

Scuttler's Cove

Scuttler’s Cove

A story of Cornwall myths and legends, sacrifice and love, incomers and locals, all set against the heights of the land and breadth of the sea.

I’d not long finished ‘Withered Hill’ by David, which I Loved and it made me push this up the TBR to the top.

We follow Merrin Moon’s return to the village after a 13 years absence when her mother dies and at the same time there are Londoners moving into the new houses on the ancient site overlooking the main village, I mean what can go wrong?

Loved the almost Hallmark bit with Taran, local nerd boy takes over fishing and hunks out.

This is another great example of British folk horror written with a great eye for detail and storytelling, with some great set pieces that really hinted at the depth of the mythical world that David is building.

There was enough tension and twists to keep you going through the whole book rooting for the people you were meant to, and the end that ties worlds together was really well done.

Looking forward to the next in this universe.

I received this from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

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Root Rot

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Saskia Nislow. Creature Publishing. (140p) ISBN: 9781951971250
Root Rot

Root Rot

I got this from NetGalley and have been working my way through it quite slowly as it was a tough one to keep a track of, especially when I was on a low ebb reading wise.

The narrators point of view keeps changing throughout the book, coming from inside and outside the group of children, coming from an individual, and everything else.

This adds to the slow creep of the threads that run through this short but powerful story.

Set at the Lake House of their Grandfather we meet various children: The Liar, The Secret Keepet, Twin Brother, The Others, and more and follow a slow descent into a strange world where the boundary between group and individual becomes extremely blurred and entangled.

This sits in the cosmic fungal school of horror and really works at scratching at the back of your brain.

I wasn’t sure where this was going but the end was not what I was expecting.

Well worth a read!

I received this from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

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