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Pettikin
Aunt May's funeral was strange, but things get stranger when fourteen-year-old Allie Thomas encounters Pettikin Periwinkle, a gnome with a love of sweets and a penchant for screaming, who is stranded on Earth after the death of its only Gatekeeper. To get Pettikin home, Allie must enlist the help of a powerful, yet unconventional, Guardian and prove to him that she has what it takes to be a Gatekeeper. With three alpacas to guide her, a month's supply of cookies, and zero training, she sets off with Pettikin through three secret realms. But there is a Contractor here working with the evil race of sslorcs to stop her. And on top of that, she just might be falling for the Guardian.
282 pages, Paperback
Published December 14, 2016
248 people are currently reading
1602 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews
February 26, 2017
Finally a well-written fantasy without all the heavy, violent darkness that is flooding the minds of young (and old) adults these days! Pettikin offers wholesome, pure and timeless tales of courage, true love and personal evolution in a fresh and engaging way. Intriguing for adults, inspiring and empowering for teens. It’s a great book that makes me laugh or cry and this book did both. I couldn’t put it down and really hope there is at least a sequel, and better yet a series!
December 7, 2018
Y.A. is not my favorite genre, that said, I really enjoyed this book. I want to encourage the author to continue writing.
January 3, 2022
A Magically Fun Adventure and Nice Read.
3.5 Stars.
Pettikin is over all a very nice book with a few rough spots here and there.
The things I enjoyed about the story:
Characters in Pettikin are very distinct, fun, and endearing. Allie is a great main character. She was actually smart which was very refreshing. She had relatable flaws and a kind heart. Pettikin Periwinkle was absolutely loveable. Usually in stories gnomes are irritable, rude, and selfish. Not Pettikin. He is the sweetest character I have ever read! That little gnome will climb out of the pages of this book and nestle into your heart.
The descriptions of places and people were excellent. It has been a long time since a book has made me feel as if I were standing in the place and talking to the characters. Each magical destination in the book gave me a different and vivid emotion.
The humor was spot on and chuckle worthy. It had a whimsical and creative flare I have not seen before.
The creatures were very creative and fun!
The magic system was an interesting mix of hard a soft magic system elements. It was just sciency enough to be believable and soft enough that it contained a certain wonder.
The themes were a little under developed but all in all I found them uplifting and inspiring.
Things I didn't like:
There are minor editing errors sprinkled through the book like misspelled words, phrases that should not have been capitalized, and formatting issues.
The pacing was nice and steady in the beginning and middle, but the climax and ending felt rushed.
There are some plot holes and exposition that never gets clarified. I couldn't tell if this was intentional or not.
The villain felt flat. He is never fleshed out and isn't dealt with in a satisfying way. He is just kind of evil, and the reader is told rather than shown that he is bitter about not being the chosen Gatekeeper. He has very few lines of dialog so the reader doesn't get much of a chance to get a feel for him. He is like the big-badie in other stories that is only ever bad because other characters say he's bad. The villain is also supposed to be evil because of the work he does, yet the reader is never clearly told what that is, though it is inferred that he has something to do with the oil business or land development. (Side note: the evil oil/land developer trope seems very tired. Why not try another evil occupation?)
The final issue I had with this book is the random and unnecessary inserts of characters saying stuff about climate change. If those parts were cut it would have no affect on the plot. That is how little they mattered. It seemed as if the author just put those parts there to have a soap box moment.
In conclusion, I really enjoyed this book the settings, characters and creatures were memorable and fun. If it had been polished just a bit more it would have been a 5 star book. I would read this book and author again.
3.5 Stars.
Pettikin is over all a very nice book with a few rough spots here and there.
The things I enjoyed about the story:
Characters in Pettikin are very distinct, fun, and endearing. Allie is a great main character. She was actually smart which was very refreshing. She had relatable flaws and a kind heart. Pettikin Periwinkle was absolutely loveable. Usually in stories gnomes are irritable, rude, and selfish. Not Pettikin. He is the sweetest character I have ever read! That little gnome will climb out of the pages of this book and nestle into your heart.
The descriptions of places and people were excellent. It has been a long time since a book has made me feel as if I were standing in the place and talking to the characters. Each magical destination in the book gave me a different and vivid emotion.
The humor was spot on and chuckle worthy. It had a whimsical and creative flare I have not seen before.
The creatures were very creative and fun!
The magic system was an interesting mix of hard a soft magic system elements. It was just sciency enough to be believable and soft enough that it contained a certain wonder.
The themes were a little under developed but all in all I found them uplifting and inspiring.
Things I didn't like:
There are minor editing errors sprinkled through the book like misspelled words, phrases that should not have been capitalized, and formatting issues.
The pacing was nice and steady in the beginning and middle, but the climax and ending felt rushed.
There are some plot holes and exposition that never gets clarified. I couldn't tell if this was intentional or not.
The villain felt flat. He is never fleshed out and isn't dealt with in a satisfying way. He is just kind of evil, and the reader is told rather than shown that he is bitter about not being the chosen Gatekeeper. He has very few lines of dialog so the reader doesn't get much of a chance to get a feel for him. He is like the big-badie in other stories that is only ever bad because other characters say he's bad. The villain is also supposed to be evil because of the work he does, yet the reader is never clearly told what that is, though it is inferred that he has something to do with the oil business or land development. (Side note: the evil oil/land developer trope seems very tired. Why not try another evil occupation?)
The final issue I had with this book is the random and unnecessary inserts of characters saying stuff about climate change. If those parts were cut it would have no affect on the plot. That is how little they mattered. It seemed as if the author just put those parts there to have a soap box moment.
In conclusion, I really enjoyed this book the settings, characters and creatures were memorable and fun. If it had been polished just a bit more it would have been a 5 star book. I would read this book and author again.
July 23, 2017
Disclaimer: I received this book free from the author as part of Goodreads Giveaways. This is my honest opinion.
Pettikin is such a magically unique book. The characters like Mrs. Widget, Bob, and Professor Theopolus, are colorfully painted. Especially Pettikin the gnome. I came to love his quirky behaviors and compassionate heart. The worlds are crafted so beautifully that they felt real even though they were fantastical. I loved this book so much. The only reason I docked a star is because there is so much going on that has to be explained, and I thought it was slightly confusing. It also took me a little while to get into. But once I did I really enjoyed it. I definitely would recommend this book to anyone looking for a good literary adventure!
Pettikin is such a magically unique book. The characters like Mrs. Widget, Bob, and Professor Theopolus, are colorfully painted. Especially Pettikin the gnome. I came to love his quirky behaviors and compassionate heart. The worlds are crafted so beautifully that they felt real even though they were fantastical. I loved this book so much. The only reason I docked a star is because there is so much going on that has to be explained, and I thought it was slightly confusing. It also took me a little while to get into. But once I did I really enjoyed it. I definitely would recommend this book to anyone looking for a good literary adventure!
October 21, 2020
Some science but too much exegesis, too much American teenager (not in a good way).
July 21, 2018
5 Stars
FABULOUS!!!! Even if you don't read YA books you want to read this story. It is as fun as reading the first Harry Potter books. The world created is enticing, drawing you in, keeping you engaged until the story is done. The potential for more stories are there -- can't wait to see what this author does next!!!
FABULOUS!!!! Even if you don't read YA books you want to read this story. It is as fun as reading the first Harry Potter books. The world created is enticing, drawing you in, keeping you engaged until the story is done. The potential for more stories are there -- can't wait to see what this author does next!!!
April 13, 2020
Awesome!
I loved this book. It may every one of my reader expectations. If there was a sequel I would gladly read it. There were a few things but at least she didn't let out a breath she didn't realize she was holding. The world sounds awesome and I would love to explore it more.
I loved this book. It may every one of my reader expectations. If there was a sequel I would gladly read it. There were a few things but at least she didn't let out a breath she didn't realize she was holding. The world sounds awesome and I would love to explore it more.
January 10, 2019
Fun read. It's like Stargate meets gnomes. It's well written, I could tell the author made a huge effort to edit content to make it easy to read for her audiences - something you don't always see in small- and self-published reads. Good clean fun.
April 16, 2020
It was good.
I am an older reader and I sometimes likes to read teen books. This one is a little more middle school but a nice new concept. This lead character can really grow with the story. I think this a nice start.
I am an older reader and I sometimes likes to read teen books. This one is a little more middle school but a nice new concept. This lead character can really grow with the story. I think this a nice start.
November 20, 2020
A wonderful read for pre-teens and older
I thought this book was imaginative, graphic, and fun. Pettikin was delightful and I had no problem imagining him as he rode around on Allie and Socrates. This would be a wonderful book to read aloud to your children.
I thought this book was imaginative, graphic, and fun. Pettikin was delightful and I had no problem imagining him as he rode around on Allie and Socrates. This would be a wonderful book to read aloud to your children.
April 2, 2022
This is a well written book. It reminded me of several older books by C.S.Lewis and Madeleine L'Engle. The dangers faced and the pace of the book itself made it really hard for me to put it down. Where is the next book in the series??
September 7, 2023
Pettikin
Mixed feelings about this book, most of the time I enjoyed the story, but I.didn't like.the.characcter, Pettikin, I don't read many.books of fantasy, so. am probably not the best to judge. Worth reading though, her imagination is entertaining.
Mixed feelings about this book, most of the time I enjoyed the story, but I.didn't like.the.characcter, Pettikin, I don't read many.books of fantasy, so. am probably not the best to judge. Worth reading though, her imagination is entertaining.
April 1, 2024
Interesting
I enjoyed the premise of this book, portals connecting different dimensions with gatekeepers managing all inter-dimensional travel. But I found the story slow to develop and needing to be tightened.
I enjoyed the premise of this book, portals connecting different dimensions with gatekeepers managing all inter-dimensional travel. But I found the story slow to develop and needing to be tightened.
August 16, 2017
I loved this book it was so funny. Pettikin is such a cute gnome you love him right when they meet him. So get a box of cookies and get ready for a fun story.
September 3, 2017
This was a thoroughly enjoyable book, suitable for adults and children alike. A well put together fantasy.
November 5, 2017
Great book for kids!! Great plot!!
January 26, 2018
I received this book free for a honest review. I usually like adult books, still this is a very enjoyable read.
July 22, 2018
This is an adorable book. I loved Pettikin and the two girls. The llamas are llamas but they are a big part of the book. Well written and enjoyable. Now time to buy the next book.
December 30, 2018
I enjoyed the creativity of this book! I feel like I really got to know Pettikin! This was a delightful, light-hearted, post Christmas read!
January 30, 2019
Delightful
Enjoyed storytelling skills. Charming characters I would like to read more about them. Scary parts just right . Keep writing Abby Smith.
Enjoyed storytelling skills. Charming characters I would like to read more about them. Scary parts just right . Keep writing Abby Smith.
August 13, 2019
Very good read.
This book was a lot of fun to read very exciting held my interest very good highly recommend this book
This book was a lot of fun to read very exciting held my interest very good highly recommend this book
June 30, 2020
Fun
This was so much fun to read. Great characters and interesting world building. Kids of all ages will enjoy it.
This was so much fun to read. Great characters and interesting world building. Kids of all ages will enjoy it.
December 24, 2020
Two stars
Fanciful book to be sure. Great imagination put forth. Ideal read for teens perhaps, but I thought it was cute
Fanciful book to be sure. Great imagination put forth. Ideal read for teens perhaps, but I thought it was cute
January 3, 2021
An Amazon Unlimited book—I couldn't finish because of the level at which it was written.
June 25, 2021
Fun and exciting
I liked the characters a lot! I also liked that the author was able to wrap.the story up in o e book.
I liked the characters a lot! I also liked that the author was able to wrap.the story up in o e book.
September 6, 2022
An interesting concept of a connection between worlds and the adventures of a teenager learning how to travel through them. I am waiting for the sequel.
October 6, 2023
Fun fantasy
Great book for those wishing to visit other dimensions or worlds. Adventure, best friends, magic and some girl crushing for young readers
Great book for those wishing to visit other dimensions or worlds. Adventure, best friends, magic and some girl crushing for young readers
December 22, 2024
Terrific world building, nice moral principles, a tiny bit of romance, kindness wins over cruelty, I hope there will be more! Great for preteens and teens.
October 8, 2019
Great Read
This book kept me engaged from the moment I opened it. In what world do Alpacas, Gnomes and Guardians exist together? Danger, love, philosophy all together in one great package. I recommend it.
This book kept me engaged from the moment I opened it. In what world do Alpacas, Gnomes and Guardians exist together? Danger, love, philosophy all together in one great package. I recommend it.
March 14, 2017
This book is a charming mix of fantasy and reality. Abby Smith captures the voice of an American 14 year old girl beautifully while telling a story involving a captivating gnome, other worlds, and the bravery of a girl willing to explore them. Even if Abby were not a friend, I would still recommend it highly!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews