Audience: Middle Grade

Format: Hardcover/Library Copy

My earliest memory is of a crib, a darkened room, and three shadows slipping through the doorway with bad intentions.

- first sentence

 

This is such a charming book with fun characters and an exciting story. The story includes Grotesques, Bone Masons, Netherkin, Shadow Men, and the Boneless King. It has danger, mystery, good & evil, and suspense. I really liked it.

Penhallow is a gargoyle but he wants you to call him a grotesque. He protects his building and his wards from evil. When he loses his two best friends and faces a new enemy, he feels completely alone, until Viola turns up on his roof.

I loved Penhallow and Viola's relationship. They are cute together and she is stronger than she seems. I also enjoyed Penhallow's way of looking at the world and talking. He calls college students, "practice adults". Here is the definition from Penhallow's glossary:

Practice Adults:

Nocturnal creatures who seem to serve no useful purpose other than to keep taverns and pizza delivery people in business.

I highly recommend this book to middle-grade readers who enjoy dark fantasy with a touch of humor.

I read this for Snakes and Ladders space #16. Genre: fantasy.

I'm also using it for the Goodreads HA a to z challenge. :)

I love this series. This book is as good as the first. I didn't want it to end. It's full of magic and whimsy. I can't wait to read the next one.

Another fabulous entry in this series! It's official, The Luck Uglies has become a new favorite series and I have Paul Durham to thank. Do you love action and adventure? Are you a fan of courageous heroines and all manner of mischief? If you are, trust me when I say that this series is for you. This is the type of story that stills my MG loving heart. I love exploring new places, and Durham hasn't disappointed me yet.

If you've read my review of the last book, you already know that I'm a huge fan of Rye O'Chanter. She's scruffy, mischievous, and full of that fire that I just can't get enough of. Rye is a quick on her feet, and smart as a whip. I think my favorite part about Rye though is how much she loves her family and friends. She's loyal to the end, and willing to do whatever it takes to protect what's important to her. Throw in a whole cast of well built, intriguing characters? You have my utter devotion. 

Where the last installment of this series had me wishing for a bit quicker pace, this one moves at a perfect clip. Action sequences are interspersed with introductions of new characters. Best of all, this time Durham whisks the readers away from Village Drowning and into a whole new part of Rye's world. I was giddy as I traveled along with our motley crew of characters. Witty banter, devilish schemes, I ate it all up and was eager for more.

Yes friends, I'm not ashamed to admit that I have a new favorite series. Whenever a second book manages to keep me engrossed, I find myself with big expectations for what comes next. I truly can't wait for more of the O'Chanters! They're absolutely brilliant.

In my mind, exploring new worlds is the best part of reading. Imagine my excitement when The Luck Uglies transported me to the Village Drowning and gave me enough rich backstory to fully immerse myself there. I was dropped into a world where magic and mischief rule the day. Where dark things lurk in the shadows. A story where a brave heart means everything. Needless to say, I adored my trip to Drowning. I honestly can't wait to go back.

Rye O'Chanter is a wonderful main character. She's brave and resourceful. The type of young girl who readers of all ages will easily fall in love with. In fact, Durham writes a whole cast of characters who are fully formed. From the dastardly regent of the land, to the blind boy who becomes Rye's ally, each one of them were beautifully done. It's not hard to fall into step with them. I had a lot of fun getting to know these characters.

The story is where this first book suffered a little bit. As I said, the world is large and the characters vivid. It takes a lot of descriptive writing to get them to that point. While there was definitely a fair amount of forward movement in this, and some moments of action-packed goodness, there were big portions of explanations. In my case, it didn't really phase me too much. I love getting to know more about the people and places in my books. Just giving a warning to those of you who might feel that things are a bit slow. Keep going! By the end I promise you'll be extremely eager for more.

Last month was a tough reading month, and this book helped immensely with getting me out of that slump. It was just so much fun to read! I'm thrilled that The Luck Uglies was only the first installment, and that Rye O'Chanter will be back for more adventures. I can't wait to go back to the Village Drowning. 

*hugs book tightly*

After last month being filled with so many lackluster reads, I'm loving The Luck Uglies!

The characters are wonderful, the writing is crisp and descriptive. Best of all, it has so much adventure! I'm glad I'm reading this rather than listening to it. It's fabulous!

ONWARD!