The Murky Mess

by Adrienne Christin, Kat Powell (Illustrator)

The town of Fin Lake has darkened and none of the axolotls know why. Twins Amethyst and Aqua work together with their friends to solve the mystery of the murky mess. The cause involves land dwellers, who are known to be dangerous to axolotls. They encounter many risky situations along the way. What will be the cause of the murky mess? Will the group of friends succeed? The murky mess is just the first adventure for these friends. There will be many more to come!

This first book in the Axolotl Agency series contains a glossary as well as some study questions for educational purposes. This book also discusses pollution and environmental issues that affect wild axolotls in Lake Xochimilco in Mexico City.

This is a fun, engaging chapter book series about fictional axolotl characters that is great for ages 7 to 11! Kids will love the illustrations as well as the humor, mystery, and problem solving included in each book. Parents and teachers will love the educational aspect that it provides.

Genres: Chapter Books

112 pages, Hardcover

Published November 17, 2025

About the author

Adrienne Christin lives in North Carolina with her family. She has always loved animals and has a few pets of her own, but no axolotls. The idea for the Axolotl Agency series came to her when she noticed her daughter’s magazine lying on the kitchen table that happened to feature an axolotl. She immediately started planning out the first book and the series was born! She enjoys working with her family on this book series and looks forward to many more books to come. When not writing, she enjoys being creative in other ways and playing games with her children.

Reviews

[Sara Glantz · Rating 5 out of 5]

My 11 year old son, who has ADHD and usually finds reading overwhelming, absolutely loved this book! The combination of short, easy to follow chapters and colorful illustrations made it the perfect fit for him. He was completely engaged for almost an hour, something that rarely happens with longer books. When he finished, he couldn’t wait to tell me all about it.

He described the story as “inspiring” and said the pictures really helped him imagine the world of the axolotls and the problem they solved as a team. As a parent, I appreciated how the book struck a wonderful balance between fun storytelling with a great message, and visual support.

This book is a gem for kids ages 7–11, especially for reluctant readers who need a little extra encouragement, or any child who loves axolotls. It’s sweet, imaginative, and full of heart.

*I received a digital ARC copy of this book and am leaving my honest review.

[Ashley Griffith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review from 5 year old “Reader/Listener”: the book was “really good”, she would give 100 out of 5 stars!
She loved that the characters were axolotls and the cute drawings that helped the story come to life!
Her favorite part was when the (SPOILER) axies burrowed in the sand to hide from the tilapia.
She says she liked jade and hopes she has a bigger role in the next book!


Mom review:
The book does a great job of sending an environmentally conscious message. I loved that the humans (land dwellers) they found spoke Spanish! The inclusion of a dictionary for the bigger words is an awesome edition and the quiz at the end was super fun and a great idea for reading comprehension!
My five year old loved the story, and the adorable illustrations really helped keep her interested.

Bravo!

[Cassandra Bergman · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received this book as an arc for my honest review. I read this book to my 3 kids (ages 6, 8, and 10) and they loved it. I would read a little each night and they enjoyed guessing what would happen next. They never wanted me to stop reading. “I love it” and “It’s amazing” were some of the things they said. They are huge fans of axolotls and their grandma has a pet axolotl. The pictures in the book were super cute and allowed them to get an idea of what the characters looked like. The story was nice and easy for kids to read. I liked that there were some fun questions/facts at the end. I think this series could be really great. My kids already can’t wait for the next book.

[Rachelle Whynott · Rating 5 out of 5]

My 5 year old and I read this together and we both really loved it. He loved the mystery of the murky mess and trying to figure out what was causing the darkness in the water. He also loved learning about axolotls, like when they bury themselves in the sand to stay safe. Overall this book was a great read about teamwork and awareness for safety for water dwelling animals. My son and I took turns reading it aloud and while it was challenging it was still fun.

I received an ARC of this book and am leaving my honest review voluntarily.

[Shannon · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received this book as an ARC and I am voluntarily leaving my honest opinion. I read this adorable story to my kindergartener. He normally doesn’t sit still for chapter books, but he loves axolotls. He listen to the entire book, split between two nights. He wasn’t quite old enough to read it, but it would be great for probably 2nd grade and up! It is a cute story of coming together, solving problems and overcoming obstacles. I would recommend to any child kindergarten and up! Can’t wait to see what happens next!

[Katherine · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was gifted a copy of this book. This is my honest review of The Murky Mess.

Reading this book with my 8 and 13 year old son's was a lot of fun. Our family loves axolotls. We thoroughly enjoyed this story and the characters. My son's enjoyed using different voices for the characters.

The different personalities of the characters really helped my kids feel connected to them.

We are really looking forward to what will happen next.

[Crystal Copeland · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received this as an ARC. Read this to my 6 year old and 2 year old, they loved it!. My 6 year old loves learning about all animals so the question and facts at the end were awesome!
My 11 year old can’t wait to read it as she loves axolotls and has recently loved getting into books that are series.
We are definitely looking forward to book 2!

[Kristen Tiu · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such a cute story! The phrasing fits upper elementary school kids. I love the glossary and "quiz" at the end. It's a fun and educational read; my 8-year-old enjoyed it so much. Can't wait to read the next book ❤

[SavageMom_reads_316 · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received this as an ARC. I read this with my 9 year old Daughter and she loved it. She is obsessed with Axolotls. She said it was a very exciting read. She loved the questions and all the facts at the end of the book! She cannot wait for the next book! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

[Susan Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was wonderful! My 5&7 year old loved all the fun facts and the theme of it! My seven year old read it independent and I read it to my five year old! The 7 year old said it’s “better than the wimpy kid” (which he’s obsessed with!) he read the sneak peak of book two and is ready for it!!!

[Callie Hopper · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was so much fun to read with my axolotl loving 1st grader. It was a quick fun read that kept her attention and had a good story behind it. We are definitely excited for book 2!

[Madison · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really liked this book and my favourite part was when they made the agency,and I just honestly never wanted to put this book down!!!! It was a amazing book but I do think you should make the chapters a bit longer but it was really good and I loved the characters names so creative

[Christy Tardiff · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was so cute!

The Axolotls, Amethyst, Aqua, Pearl, Jade and Onyx are all friends and in this book they find a way to help their town, Fin Lake. Both of my boys (7 and 8) enjoyed this and found it easy to read and follow along with.

[Dianna · Rating 5 out of 5]

My daughter (10) read this book in a couple hours. She likes how it was easy to read and a fun story. You can imagine what the author is describing. The illustrations are great. There is even a fun quiz at the end of the book. She immediately started reading book two right away.

[kym ✨ the midnight review · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Murky Mess is the first in a series about a group of spunky, sweet axolotl agents who band together to save their small town from a mysterious threat - cloudy, murky water.

I read this middle grade chapter book with my 7-turning-8-year-old. When asked what she would tell her friends about this book, she told me, “I LOVED it. It’s about cute axolotl friends who were brave and saved the city from the murky mess. The axolotls talk!” Her closing comment was "Is book two out yet?!” And her star rating out of 5 is "600… no, 1000!”

I would give this book 4¾ stars. It's super cute, has an easy to follow but interesting plot, and touches on humans endangering wildlife AND axolotl’s natural predators. Adrienne Christin even includes a helpful glossary and discussion questions. I think I would add a few more words to the glossary, since my daughter and I had a good time highlighting the words she didn't know and talking through them. But.. maybe simplicity is better and the author doesn't want to bog kids down with too much forced learning 😂

This is a really cute, solid middle grade novel with sweet illustrations and endearing animal protagonists. What else could you want?

⭐⭐⭐⭐¾

Thank you Adrienne Christin for the eARC.

[Amairani Parra · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have Axolotls and I got excited to read this book.

It’s amazing, even for me the underlined words are new and I appreciated Miss Opal telling the meaning at the end of the book (because English is my second language).

I love that there are real facts about them, the problems they live on a daily basis and their names were wonderful.

The writing style is fast paced and understandable. As an artist, I LOVE THE ILLUSTRATIONS AND THE LITTLE DETAILS FOR THE AXOLOTLS 🌟

It’s really cozy and wholesome.

As a Mexican I really appreciate this approach to teach children about Axolotl, in fact they are in danger of extinction so what a beautiful and creative way to start the AXOLOTL AGENCY!!!

[Bibi Sofia Haq · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lovely chapter book

It is a charming and engaging children’s chapter book that introduces the Axolotl Agency Series with creativity and heart. The story follows Axolotl twins Amethyst &Aqua as they investigate why their home, Fin Lake has become dark and polluted drawing readers into fun and suspenseful mystery.

The pacing is well balanced, keeping young readers interested without feeling overwhelmed.

The characters are likeable and show positive values such as teamwork, courage and problem solving.

Short chapters and simple language make the book ideal for early readers.

The illustrations add personality and help bring the underwater world to life.

I like how the book gently introduces environment awareness in an age appropriate way.

[Desirae L · Rating 5 out of 5]

*The Murky Mess* is such a cute and creative story! My 5 year old daughter and I loved the idea of a series featuring axolotls as the main characters. The group of friends has such a fun adventure, and it’s great to see them working together. The story moved at a nice pace that kept my daughter’s attention from start to finish, and we really enjoyed seeing the illustrations throughout — they added so much charm to the story. I also appreciated the educational aspect woven into the book — we both learned something new! The vocabulary and quiz at the end were a wonderful touch and made reading together even more interactive. We’re already looking forward to more adventures in this series!

[Julie Childs · Rating 5 out of 5]

Okay, the cover on its own sold me on this book. It was so cute!! I loved these vocabulary that was used in the story. The characters are so perfect. Onyx is giving off major The Little Mermaid vibes, and I’m there for it. Each little axolotl has their own quirky personality and it was lovely. The illustrations were just icing on the cake! So beautifully done!

My son even loved it. He is 5, so I think on the younger side for this one. But he loved giggling at their shenanigans and looking at the pictures while discussing the story. There were even vocabulary words on the pages that led to great discussions.

This is so cute and we can’t wait for the next one!!

[Laci · Rating 5 out of 5]

ARC review from my 10 year old.
Thank you so much Adrienne for allowing Barrett to ARC read this!
This is his honest review and is completely voluntary.

The adventure and problem solving in this book was really good. I enjoyed following along with the twins and their friends trying to figure out the mystery of why Fin Lake was murky. I loved how each character had their own personality and they were all named after minerals or gems. I enjoyed reading about them going to the dock to investigate since axolotls are amphibious. This book made me laugh and I really enjoyed it. I can’t wait to add this one to my little library and for book 2!

[Shawnda Mac · Rating 5 out of 5]

My 9-year-old daughter absolutely loved the book! I loved the problem solving and that it's a fun and educational read.

Her review:

I really really liked the book! Each of the characters had their own personality that I felt like fit them. I like that the chapters aren't super long and that there are pictures too! I mean come on we are getting bigger too but we still like to see pictures too! it was super fun to read. Is the next one out yet? (she's not excited at all).

She went to school and told her teacher about it and she may get a copy for the class! library

[Noelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

“I liked that there was a problem and the axolotls figured out a way to make the problem fixed. I liked the names she chose for the axolotls. I found it interesting. Things I would say about it - adventure, perseverance, creativity, teamwork, and friendship. I’m excited for book 2”
- by O, age 8


I enjoyed reading this book to my daughter. It was a really fun and cute read. The storyline was perfect and engaging. The axolotls were cute characters and each had their own personalities. It was fun to learn how the axolotl agency was formed and it set it up perfectly for future books.

[Amanda Zamora · Rating 5 out of 5]

My girls (ages 6 & 7) and I absolutely adored this book! We all took turns reading it and they were able to read with little help as well as comprehend it well. We all enjoyed the story and the characters were funny, brave, and my girls loved them! The fact that there is a glossary in the back is helpful. We had fun looking up the bold words throughout the book. There are even questions at the end! I mean how much more perfect can a book get?!

[Cianna Keeney · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought this book was great it was entertaining but also had a lot of facts about axolotls which was wonderful! Especially since it's meant for younger readers so they can hopefully take a interest in learning more about endangered animals. I appreciate the author for sending me a copy of this wonderful book to review.

[Jeni · Rating 5 out of 5]

My daughter read this and said -
I liked this book because it has axolotls and other real creatures and reminds me of another book, Max a little axolotl. It was adventurous and I like that kind of book.
As a mom I loved that the book had discussion questions at the end for us to use to review and talk about the book.

[Holly Gonzales · Rating 5 out of 5]

An absolutely adorable book perfect for elementary readers. Cute axolotl characters, entertaining story, easy to follow for early readers. Themes of friendship, working together and problem solving. Love that it has a glossary for vocabulary words throughout the book and comprehension questions at the end. This would be a great classroom book for schools.

[Brianna · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received this book as an ARC. I read it with my 9 year old son who loves Axolotl’s. He loved all the different characters. The illustrations were adorable and helped him stay interested in the book. He will definitely be rereading it I’m sure. We can’t wait for book 2!

[Angelina Drake · Rating 5 out of 5]

Super cute little book. I read it to my neice and she is 3. She loved it and the graphics. Highly recommend this book, regardless of how old you are. I enjoyed it also. Super cute and can not wait to read more from this Author.

[Brianna LeClere · Rating 5 out of 5]

My 8 year old LOVES AXOLOTLS and loved this book!! Can’t wait to read the second one.

[Jenn Renee · Rating 5 out of 5]

“The Murky Mess” was such a simple and fun read for children in love with axolotls. I love how the story was easy to follow, easy to understand, and included words to help expand a child’s vocabulary with a glossary at the end. This book tells the tale of a group of young school age axolotls coming together to save their home from a mysterious dark mess. I was impressed how the author included facts about axolotls and their home lake in the story without taking away from the story.

My family owns an axolotl and this story sparked my kids to create stories of their own of what our axolotl might do when we aren’t watching. Such a wonderful children’s but that even axolotl loving adults will like!

Thank you to the author for a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review!