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Hijacked
425 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 25, 2026
About the author
Ryleigh J.S. King
1 book5 followersRYLEIGH J.S. KING is a young adult fantasy author with a flair for the whimsical and the chaotic. Armed with a degree in creative writing, she embraces the quirky and unconventional in every story she tells. Her books are packed with goofy characters, page-turning banter, and power-hungry villains flanked by loyal-ish henchmen. Ryleigh invites readers into worlds brimming with love, laughter, and just the right amount of mayhem. When she’s not writing, she’s rescuing strays, dancing in the rain, or curled up with a good book.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
June 9, 2026
*I received this book as an ARC*
This was such a fun book! 4 stars because there were a couple scenes that felt a little intense for YA, but nothing inappropriate. Overall such a fun book! It’s about kids age 5-17 who have gene mutations that allow them to turn into different animals and back to human. They’ve been taken to a place to be studied and have created somewhat of their own society there abiding by the strict rules that have been put upon them.
I loved that even in such an intense scary situation they were able to find joy in their situation by making up games, etc. I LOVED the character of Bucky! This book left off at a bit of a satisfying cliff hanger that I won’t spoil, but I’m very excited for book 2 and I’m dying to see how the character Quinn evolves.
This was such a fun book! 4 stars because there were a couple scenes that felt a little intense for YA, but nothing inappropriate. Overall such a fun book! It’s about kids age 5-17 who have gene mutations that allow them to turn into different animals and back to human. They’ve been taken to a place to be studied and have created somewhat of their own society there abiding by the strict rules that have been put upon them.
I loved that even in such an intense scary situation they were able to find joy in their situation by making up games, etc. I LOVED the character of Bucky! This book left off at a bit of a satisfying cliff hanger that I won’t spoil, but I’m very excited for book 2 and I’m dying to see how the character Quinn evolves.
June 26, 2026
This dystopian genetic shapeshifting fantasy hooked me with it's intrigue, suspense and a twisted scientist. Told through the FMC POV. She was interesting, though sometimes lacked emotional awareness in key moments. The MMC, however, completely stole the show for me. He became my favorite character.
This is definitely YA, with cute crush moments, but I will say a couple of scenes felt a bit darker and more intense than expected for the category. Still, it added an edge to the story.
The world building was vivid and immersive, I loved hoy the characters came together to fight the bigger power exploting others. They creat their own little society, with things like therapy circles and games that add such a lovely, youthfull and unique touch.
Overall, an engaging and imaginative read with strong themes of unity and resistance. I'm excited for book 2 to see how ecverything unfold.
Thank you to the author for the eARC, this is my honest review.
This is definitely YA, with cute crush moments, but I will say a couple of scenes felt a bit darker and more intense than expected for the category. Still, it added an edge to the story.
The world building was vivid and immersive, I loved hoy the characters came together to fight the bigger power exploting others. They creat their own little society, with things like therapy circles and games that add such a lovely, youthfull and unique touch.
Overall, an engaging and imaginative read with strong themes of unity and resistance. I'm excited for book 2 to see how ecverything unfold.
Thank you to the author for the eARC, this is my honest review.
Review of advance copy received from Author
3.75 ⭐️⭐️⭐️ (rounded up)
This is a TRUE YA book. It’s clean, no spice and no language. It’s a dystopian shapeshifting style fantasy that has a lot of intrigue and mystery surrounding the plot.
A large group of children get kidnapped and placed in an experimental facility. After reading the book there’s still a lot of questions to be answered because it ends on a huge cliffhanger.
There’s a fake dating micro-trope and some great found family. There’s fun banter and elaborate plans.
I would definitely be comfortable handing this book to a child 13+ (the characters are 15). The only content warnings I can think of would be for the initial kidnapping, off page torture of children (mentions hearing screams through the vents), and physical assault (including a forced kiss).
Thank you to the author for this ARC! It was a fun read.
This is a TRUE YA book. It’s clean, no spice and no language. It’s a dystopian shapeshifting style fantasy that has a lot of intrigue and mystery surrounding the plot.
A large group of children get kidnapped and placed in an experimental facility. After reading the book there’s still a lot of questions to be answered because it ends on a huge cliffhanger.
There’s a fake dating micro-trope and some great found family. There’s fun banter and elaborate plans.
I would definitely be comfortable handing this book to a child 13+ (the characters are 15). The only content warnings I can think of would be for the initial kidnapping, off page torture of children (mentions hearing screams through the vents), and physical assault (including a forced kiss).
Thank you to the author for this ARC! It was a fun read.
Review of advance copy received from Author
Delightfully funny and a true-blue YA story, “Hijacked” was a fun read. Bucky — the MMC — totally stole the show and quickly became my favorite character. The world Ryleigh built was intriguing and “lived in” if that makes sense. I appreciated how the characters — although vastly different in appearance and personality — all banded together to fight the “bigger power.” The world we live in now is riddled with “Docs” — people who take advantage and exploit others for selfish gain, and “Hijacked” proves to be such a good example to YA readers who may need to stand up to a problem or situation which may seem too big or impossible to overcome.
A favorite quote: "Either you stand up to their power and deal with the consequences, or you let them use it to make our lives worse. Then you end up living a nightmare."
Overall, a good read! Thanks for having me on your ARC team!!
A favorite quote: "Either you stand up to their power and deal with the consequences, or you let them use it to make our lives worse. Then you end up living a nightmare."
Overall, a good read! Thanks for having me on your ARC team!!
Review of advance copy received from Author
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Favorite Quote:
“The nightmare is over, but the adventure has just begun.”
Thoughts:
New Era of YA?? It’s a true YA, characters are in their teens, their conversations are full of banter, and there’s a fake dating micro-trope which is so cute. Oh and shapeshifting!
The characters are fun, the side characters have depth, and I really want to know the backstory for the “evil doctor” and his henchmen.
It’s clean and full of intrigue. It’s not like anything else I’ve read. Some scenes had me holding my breath while others made me smile. I’m left wanting more and more! I NEED to know how this story unfolds. I can’t wait for the rest of the books in the series to be released.
Favorite Quote:
“The nightmare is over, but the adventure has just begun.”
Thoughts:
New Era of YA?? It’s a true YA, characters are in their teens, their conversations are full of banter, and there’s a fake dating micro-trope which is so cute. Oh and shapeshifting!
The characters are fun, the side characters have depth, and I really want to know the backstory for the “evil doctor” and his henchmen.
It’s clean and full of intrigue. It’s not like anything else I’ve read. Some scenes had me holding my breath while others made me smile. I’m left wanting more and more! I NEED to know how this story unfolds. I can’t wait for the rest of the books in the series to be released.
Review of advance copy received from Author
An amazing debut book by the author! I was completely caught up in the story and really enjoyed it. The story is believable and you can almost see it really happening. It is easy to follow and the pacing is really well done. You get a chance to get to know the main characters pretty well and are invested in their story. This is a single POV tale from the FMC. I can't wait until book 2 to find out what happens!
Review of advance copy received from Author
It's been a while since I read a YA novel. This one was intriguing, a bit suspenseful, and has a super twisted evil doctor/scientist (that you only get a glimpse of at the start of the book. I bet he will be more involved later in the series). I enjoyed the comradery between Bucky and Sandy. Cute teen crush flutters here and there. The "goblins" were definitely filling the "do not like" shoes (as intended). It was a fun book!
Review of advance copy received from Author
Such a fun book with a twist on mutation! If you liked the series Sweet Tooth, you will enjoy the plotline of Hijacked. A fantastic mix of teen banter and a life-threatening problem to solve. The main character is likeable and believable! A great book for teens that is age-appropriate and fun.
Review of advance copy received from Author
I really enjoyed reading this book and I’m so glad it’s part of a series. I was highly impressed with the professionalism and quality of the story development. You really fall in love with some characters and others you really don’t like. The descriptions really allowed me to visualize everything clearly. I’m excited to get to know the characters and their story more in the next book. If you are looking for a no spice, YA book this new author is great.
June 26, 2026
This was a great read! Not a typical, cookie cutter book, which was refreshing! I enjoyed it!
Review of advance copy received from Author
Mutant DNA with a character who shapeshifts into a Golden Retriever
This was a fun book that had me simultaneously horrified at the treatment of the characters and impressed by their resilience and resourcefulness. Children from ages 5-17 are kidnapped and experimented on by a doctor, who readers meet in the prologue but remains mysterious and off-page for the rest of the book. The kids create their own society within their confines. It was neat to see some of their activities like the therapy circle and the combination games like Risk Capture the Flag. Bucky is one of the best characters ever, though wow does Sandy make him spill a lot of his past secrets, which are pretty traumatic. Sandy's a pretty good character albeit lacking in emotional awareness at times with the timing of some of her questions.
The plot is intriguing. I feel like there's definitely mystery about the place. What are the experiments? What happened to the kids taken up? What happened to Sandy's sister, Havana, who disappeared before Sandy was taken? There is much to like about this book. The characters are young but not distractingly so. They know things are bad, but they're still young enough that the graphic nature of what could have been is not fully realized, except for in a couple scenes.
The book is clean in language and content. Tonally, most of the book reads like a younger Middle Grade YA book, such as Holes by Louis Sacher. It's primarily captive children learning to live within their terrible circumstances. Therefore, the mannerisms and speech patterns of the characters is younger. However, certain moments are much darker like what would be more common in an upper YA or New Adult book: there is a guard that physically assaults (kissing and touching only) Sandy in a couple scenes that result in very strong, realistic emotional turmoil for the character. Bucky's past is pretty traumatic, too. 4.5 stars because I liked the book, but the content felt more mature than it's tone. While I think readers as young as 11 or 12 could read this book, it would be best read by Middle Grade YA readers comfortable with mature themes.
*I received an ARC. All opinions are my own.
This was a fun book that had me simultaneously horrified at the treatment of the characters and impressed by their resilience and resourcefulness. Children from ages 5-17 are kidnapped and experimented on by a doctor, who readers meet in the prologue but remains mysterious and off-page for the rest of the book. The kids create their own society within their confines. It was neat to see some of their activities like the therapy circle and the combination games like Risk Capture the Flag. Bucky is one of the best characters ever, though wow does Sandy make him spill a lot of his past secrets, which are pretty traumatic. Sandy's a pretty good character albeit lacking in emotional awareness at times with the timing of some of her questions.
The plot is intriguing. I feel like there's definitely mystery about the place. What are the experiments? What happened to the kids taken up? What happened to Sandy's sister, Havana, who disappeared before Sandy was taken? There is much to like about this book. The characters are young but not distractingly so. They know things are bad, but they're still young enough that the graphic nature of what could have been is not fully realized, except for in a couple scenes.
The book is clean in language and content. Tonally, most of the book reads like a younger Middle Grade YA book, such as Holes by Louis Sacher. It's primarily captive children learning to live within their terrible circumstances. Therefore, the mannerisms and speech patterns of the characters is younger. However, certain moments are much darker like what would be more common in an upper YA or New Adult book: there is a guard that physically assaults (kissing and touching only) Sandy in a couple scenes that result in very strong, realistic emotional turmoil for the character. Bucky's past is pretty traumatic, too. 4.5 stars because I liked the book, but the content felt more mature than it's tone. While I think readers as young as 11 or 12 could read this book, it would be best read by Middle Grade YA readers comfortable with mature themes.
*I received an ARC. All opinions are my own.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews