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The Slug Queen Chronicles: Season One
She never believed in fairies... until one set its sights on her little brother. Now, she must risk everything to get him back.
On her twelfth birthday, Cricket Kane uncovers a chilling secret--tooth fairies have stopped collecting single teeth and have resorted to kidnapping children instead. When her brother is taken, the fairy leaves a changeling and a toxic black dust in his place. The dust soon infects the rest of her family, but to her surprise, she's immune!
With the guidance of a mysterious cat, Cricket follows the fairy to a magical land where legendary creatures are real. When Santa himself takes her under his wing, Cricket learns she's the only one who can harness the power of the dust to rescue her brother and the other missing children. But doing so might cost her life.
Can she summon the courage and strength to save her family and herself?
Find out now in this middle-grade fantasy for fans of Nevermoor and The Land of Stories!
On her twelfth birthday, Cricket Kane uncovers a chilling secret--tooth fairies have stopped collecting single teeth and have resorted to kidnapping children instead. When her brother is taken, the fairy leaves a changeling and a toxic black dust in his place. The dust soon infects the rest of her family, but to her surprise, she's immune!
With the guidance of a mysterious cat, Cricket follows the fairy to a magical land where legendary creatures are real. When Santa himself takes her under his wing, Cricket learns she's the only one who can harness the power of the dust to rescue her brother and the other missing children. But doing so might cost her life.
Can she summon the courage and strength to save her family and herself?
Find out now in this middle-grade fantasy for fans of Nevermoor and The Land of Stories!
317 pages, Kindle Edition
Published March 28, 2020
2 people are currently reading
1490 people want to read
About the author
S.O. Thomas
10 books43 followersS. O. Thomas is the author of the middle grade novels #GraveyardChallenge, book 5 in the FrightVision series, and The Slug Queen Chronicles. She was part of the 2018 summer #WriteMentor program.
With her infectious energy and a penchant for the peculiar, no one has ever accused S. O. of being mundane. She has a B.F.A. in Fashion Design. She spends her days designing creepy-cute clothes. At night, she dreams of magical places that end up spilling out of her brain and onto the page. She lives on the edge of a haunted forest in a small town in Massachusetts with her partner, their two cats, and a real-life gremlin.
With her infectious energy and a penchant for the peculiar, no one has ever accused S. O. of being mundane. She has a B.F.A. in Fashion Design. She spends her days designing creepy-cute clothes. At night, she dreams of magical places that end up spilling out of her brain and onto the page. She lives on the edge of a haunted forest in a small town in Massachusetts with her partner, their two cats, and a real-life gremlin.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 58 reviews
March 23, 2021
The author built this cool new world, and created some weird creatures...
Still not for me.
I hated Cricket.
She was far too whiny; even for a 12 year old.
Thanks to NetGalley & BooksGoSocial for my DRC.
Still not for me.
I hated Cricket.
She was far too whiny; even for a 12 year old.
Thanks to NetGalley & BooksGoSocial for my DRC.
July 26, 2020
How I read this: Free ebook copy received through NetGalley
4.5 stars
It was amazing! Colorful and full of imagination, with quite a scary premise and a constantly moving story which was never too slow. Beautiful illustrations too!
Cricket is always waiting for her dad to give her something her mom would have liked for her birthday, but this year she receives so much more - her mother's journal. However, she doesn't know that it will bring more trouble than joy. Cricket learns that she is special - not crazy, as she thought before. Cricket seems to be neurodiverse - she has what we could call synaesthesia (I'm just drawing a conclusion, that's not mentioned - as I have synaesthesia myself), except Cricket's is probably more magical! The colored dust she's been seeing all her life turns out to be something her mom saw too. Pretty soon, she decides to do an experiment of something she read in her mom's journal, and... Regrets it, because it wrecks her entire life. And now she's got to go to Fairyland to fix it all. And steal her little brother back.
What follows is a pretty amazing journey through magical lands, ruled by an evil female Santa and inhabited by flying cats and whatnot! I found everything very interesting, and specifically very fresh. It's hard to write a Fairyland that's new - there are just so many Fairyland stories, and yet, I really liked the way this one was written. I have to also say that it was specifically centered around empowering girls. Plus, the twists! Brilliant book, and I definitely would love a part 2 if that's ever in the plans.
Oh, and the illustrations are amazing too!
I thank the publisher for giving me a free copy of the ebook in exchange to my honest review. This has not affected my opinion.
Book Blog | Bookstagram | Bookish Twitter
4.5 stars
It was amazing! Colorful and full of imagination, with quite a scary premise and a constantly moving story which was never too slow. Beautiful illustrations too!
Cricket is always waiting for her dad to give her something her mom would have liked for her birthday, but this year she receives so much more - her mother's journal. However, she doesn't know that it will bring more trouble than joy. Cricket learns that she is special - not crazy, as she thought before. Cricket seems to be neurodiverse - she has what we could call synaesthesia (I'm just drawing a conclusion, that's not mentioned - as I have synaesthesia myself), except Cricket's is probably more magical! The colored dust she's been seeing all her life turns out to be something her mom saw too. Pretty soon, she decides to do an experiment of something she read in her mom's journal, and... Regrets it, because it wrecks her entire life. And now she's got to go to Fairyland to fix it all. And steal her little brother back.
What follows is a pretty amazing journey through magical lands, ruled by an evil female Santa and inhabited by flying cats and whatnot! I found everything very interesting, and specifically very fresh. It's hard to write a Fairyland that's new - there are just so many Fairyland stories, and yet, I really liked the way this one was written. I have to also say that it was specifically centered around empowering girls. Plus, the twists! Brilliant book, and I definitely would love a part 2 if that's ever in the plans.
Oh, and the illustrations are amazing too!
I thank the publisher for giving me a free copy of the ebook in exchange to my honest review. This has not affected my opinion.
Book Blog | Bookstagram | Bookish Twitter
January 12, 2020
I received a complimentary copy of this eBook ARC from the author, publisher, and netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Cricket has always been weird and could see smoke of all colors as well as wanted to catch the tooth fairy. When the tooth fairy a.k.a. "Gibber Snatch" kidnaps her baby brother Tristan instead of her baby teeth, Cricket goes to the land of fairies called Faeryland to go save her brother. Will she save him and her world in time or will they be all doomed? Read on and find out for yourself.
This was a pretty good Fantasy serial fiction story that amazingly gave me Alice in Wonderland vibes. If you like fantasy stories like this, be sure to check this book out when it officially releases wherever ebooks and books are sold on April 3, 2020.
Cricket has always been weird and could see smoke of all colors as well as wanted to catch the tooth fairy. When the tooth fairy a.k.a. "Gibber Snatch" kidnaps her baby brother Tristan instead of her baby teeth, Cricket goes to the land of fairies called Faeryland to go save her brother. Will she save him and her world in time or will they be all doomed? Read on and find out for yourself.
This was a pretty good Fantasy serial fiction story that amazingly gave me Alice in Wonderland vibes. If you like fantasy stories like this, be sure to check this book out when it officially releases wherever ebooks and books are sold on April 3, 2020.
March 30, 2020
I received this book for a review.
I was putting off reading The SLug Queen because I knew nothing about it. Then I received a notification that the book was going to be published soon and I needed to review it. So I opened the book and less than a day later I finished it.
Yes, it's middle grade, so it is shorter, but I was being distracted by two books that promise to be five stars, so...
The fantasy elements were hilarious and if thought about too deeply extremely confusing. But I loved it.
The plot. How to describe it. The main character wasn't the least bit reactionary, except she totally was.
And everything was so confusing and sad, but the ending!!! It is so happy.
I was putting off reading The SLug Queen because I knew nothing about it. Then I received a notification that the book was going to be published soon and I needed to review it. So I opened the book and less than a day later I finished it.
Yes, it's middle grade, so it is shorter, but I was being distracted by two books that promise to be five stars, so...
The fantasy elements were hilarious and if thought about too deeply extremely confusing. But I loved it.
The plot. How to describe it. The main character wasn't the least bit reactionary, except she totally was.
And everything was so confusing and sad, but the ending!!! It is so happy.
May 5, 2020
It's so late I think I will edit this when I'm not ready to fall asleep at any moment.
I will be honest and say it in the beginning that I did have some issues with this book and had a hard time getting into the story, but after a couple of chapters, the plot really got interesting, I fell in love with it.
The overall rating I'm giving it is 4 stars, though the beginning would probably get like 2 stars - that alone can tell you that the second part of the story had enchanted me.
My main issue was with the writing - we got a lot of info at the beginning and there were a lot of phrases and new terms so I couldn't really connect with the story and stay focused on it, but after I got used to it I flew through this book in no time.
The characters are okay, I didn't really connect with them that much, but since the world has won me over, I can overlook it. Cricket is okay, though. Plus, we have a talking cat, what more can you ask for?
The vibes I got from this book remind me a bit of Alice in Wonderland. We got this magical but dark world and our character has to figure it out and find her way back. I also felt nostalgic since the story also reminded me of this cartoon I used to watch as a kid about Santa Clause's elves and all the mischief they end up in. I think this is a good read for winter.
In the end, I'd like to add that there is autistic representation in the book. It's pretty obvious at some parts that the main character is autistic, but I can't really say much about it since I'm not educated in that matter. Reading other people's reviews, they mostly say that it's good rep. I mean, I guess that the fact that I could recognize it in the text is a good sign. But again, this is not a topic I know so well that I could comment on it.
I completely forgot: the illustrations are adorable!
I have received an ARC from BookSirens in exchange for an honest review
I will be honest and say it in the beginning that I did have some issues with this book and had a hard time getting into the story, but after a couple of chapters, the plot really got interesting, I fell in love with it.
The overall rating I'm giving it is 4 stars, though the beginning would probably get like 2 stars - that alone can tell you that the second part of the story had enchanted me.
My main issue was with the writing - we got a lot of info at the beginning and there were a lot of phrases and new terms so I couldn't really connect with the story and stay focused on it, but after I got used to it I flew through this book in no time.
The characters are okay, I didn't really connect with them that much, but since the world has won me over, I can overlook it. Cricket is okay, though. Plus, we have a talking cat, what more can you ask for?
The vibes I got from this book remind me a bit of Alice in Wonderland. We got this magical but dark world and our character has to figure it out and find her way back. I also felt nostalgic since the story also reminded me of this cartoon I used to watch as a kid about Santa Clause's elves and all the mischief they end up in. I think this is a good read for winter.
In the end, I'd like to add that there is autistic representation in the book. It's pretty obvious at some parts that the main character is autistic, but I can't really say much about it since I'm not educated in that matter. Reading other people's reviews, they mostly say that it's good rep. I mean, I guess that the fact that I could recognize it in the text is a good sign. But again, this is not a topic I know so well that I could comment on it.
I completely forgot: the illustrations are adorable!
I have received an ARC from BookSirens in exchange for an honest review
Read
July 15, 2020Una de las razones por la que decidi leer este libro es porque me gustan mucho los middle grade, disfruto leer libros de ese genero y aunque si disfrute este, no fue del todo lo que esperaba.
Me costo mucho adentrarme en la historia, y habian muchos elementos que no me terminaban de convencer y me chocaba mucho ciertas escenas y aspectos de la historia que siento que no son para el publico al que va dirigido, aun asi es un libro facil de leer, con personajes bastante peculiares y que me gustaron mucho, en especial Fenlick, ame este personaje, me hiso reir un monton y creo que hiso mas amena la historia.
Gracias a book sirens por darme una copia de este libro a cambio de una reseña honesta.
ENG
One of the reasons I decided to read this book is because I really like middle grades, I enjoy reading books of that genre and although if I enjoyed it, it was not quite what I expected.
It was very difficult for me to get into the story, and there were many elements that did not convince me and I was very shocked by certain scenes and aspects of the story that I feel are not for the public to whom it is directed
even so it is an easy book to read, with quite peculiar characters and I liked them a lot, especially Fenlick, i love this character, he made me laugh a lot and I think he made the story more enjoyable.
Thanks to books sirens for giving me a free copy and exchange for an honest review
Me costo mucho adentrarme en la historia, y habian muchos elementos que no me terminaban de convencer y me chocaba mucho ciertas escenas y aspectos de la historia que siento que no son para el publico al que va dirigido, aun asi es un libro facil de leer, con personajes bastante peculiares y que me gustaron mucho, en especial Fenlick, ame este personaje, me hiso reir un monton y creo que hiso mas amena la historia.
Gracias a book sirens por darme una copia de este libro a cambio de una reseña honesta.
ENG
One of the reasons I decided to read this book is because I really like middle grades, I enjoy reading books of that genre and although if I enjoyed it, it was not quite what I expected.
It was very difficult for me to get into the story, and there were many elements that did not convince me and I was very shocked by certain scenes and aspects of the story that I feel are not for the public to whom it is directed
even so it is an easy book to read, with quite peculiar characters and I liked them a lot, especially Fenlick, i love this character, he made me laugh a lot and I think he made the story more enjoyable.
Thanks to books sirens for giving me a free copy and exchange for an honest review
March 8, 2021
I had the wonderful opportunity of mentoring this book in the 2018 Write Mentor program, and I am so delighted to have the final book in my hands! This book is so captivating and the illustrations are absolutely stunning. An #OwnVoices story, it follows Cricket as she makes her way through an Alice-in-Wonderland-type world filled with quirky and frightening creatures, some of which are more familiar than others. I was completely blown away by the world-building. It feels so inventive and also so tangible. And the adventure is thrilling, with friendship and family that keep you caring until the end. Such a fantastic (and fantastical) read.
August 6, 2020
I received an eARC from BookSirens, that doesn’t affect my opinion of the book, all my thoughts are my own and honest.
Cricket Kane never believed in fairies, until one sets its sights on her little brother.
A tooth fairie aka ‘Gibber Snatch’ has kidnapped her brother, leaving a toxic changeling who has infected everyone she loves. Now she has to go to a faraway magical land to save her brother and her family, but at what cost?
The Slug Queen Chronicles starts out on Cricket Kane’s twelfth birthday, where she finds out she’s not crazy like she thought. She can see smoke in a different colour for each one of the senses, her Mother could see the smoke too. All her life she has wanted things from her Mother so she can feel close to her as she died when she was a baby. This year she gets her Mother’s journal, not knowing this will be the start of her magical adventure.
This was very whimsical and the pacing was just right the whole way through. This is a dark fantasy middle grade with a few turns I was not expecting. I love the world Fairyland, now known as Areyland, it was so well thought out, had so much depth to it.
I liked S.O. Thomas’s writing. it was very descriptive, easy to read and kept me captivated throughout.
Cricket as a character annoyed me at the start, as she was figuring out what was wrong and I could see the problem from the start, this could be because it is a middle grade and is intended for a younger audience. But Cricket grew on me as the book went on. The characters were fleshed out, but everyone in Areyland had their own motives so who should Cricket trust?
The start was the worst part for me, because of where the story started, there were a lot of questions that were answered as the story progressed and I was able to fall into the story.
Overall it was a great read, with a very solid plot and a very magical world. If you are looking for a dark fantasy middle grade definitely recommend picking this up. This book also got me out of a reading slump.
4 ⭐️
Thank you to BookSirens, S.O. Thomas and the publishers for approving me a copy.
Cricket Kane never believed in fairies, until one sets its sights on her little brother.
A tooth fairie aka ‘Gibber Snatch’ has kidnapped her brother, leaving a toxic changeling who has infected everyone she loves. Now she has to go to a faraway magical land to save her brother and her family, but at what cost?
The Slug Queen Chronicles starts out on Cricket Kane’s twelfth birthday, where she finds out she’s not crazy like she thought. She can see smoke in a different colour for each one of the senses, her Mother could see the smoke too. All her life she has wanted things from her Mother so she can feel close to her as she died when she was a baby. This year she gets her Mother’s journal, not knowing this will be the start of her magical adventure.
This was very whimsical and the pacing was just right the whole way through. This is a dark fantasy middle grade with a few turns I was not expecting. I love the world Fairyland, now known as Areyland, it was so well thought out, had so much depth to it.
I liked S.O. Thomas’s writing. it was very descriptive, easy to read and kept me captivated throughout.
Cricket as a character annoyed me at the start, as she was figuring out what was wrong and I could see the problem from the start, this could be because it is a middle grade and is intended for a younger audience. But Cricket grew on me as the book went on. The characters were fleshed out, but everyone in Areyland had their own motives so who should Cricket trust?
The start was the worst part for me, because of where the story started, there were a lot of questions that were answered as the story progressed and I was able to fall into the story.
Overall it was a great read, with a very solid plot and a very magical world. If you are looking for a dark fantasy middle grade definitely recommend picking this up. This book also got me out of a reading slump.
4 ⭐️
Thank you to BookSirens, S.O. Thomas and the publishers for approving me a copy.
January 27, 2020
"Wait! I took off after him. Santa's a girl? Ofcourse, she is! Fenlick yelled back. But her name is not Santa, it's Kamorra-- Kamorra Claus. Her husband, Alfrigg, has been the acting santa in her absence."
This book transports you to a world with female santas, pux and pixens, cats who can talk, huge wild rabits, slugwums and most importantly fairy dust.
The plot of this book revolves around an 11 year old Cricket who's mother died just after she was born, she is living with her dad, step mom and step brother. Her best friend Penny is a big part of her life. On her eleventh birthday her dad gives her a journal left by her mom. Cricket always could see colours that were sensory detectors, with the help of this journal she finds out that she might have inherited that from her mother. In the journal she also finds about tooth fairies and tries to experiment for herself to catch one.
The tooth fairy does show up, but instead of taking Cricket's tooth she takes her step baby brother and leaves a slugwum in his place. Later everyone around her starts behaving oddly and Cricket finds herself really alone. She then is followed by this cat who explains that the tooth fairy has been affected by aerydust instead of fairydust and Cricket has to travel to Aeryland (Polaris) to bring back her real step baby brother and everything would return to normal. And thats how she explores this new magical world, with all kind of magical creatures but she has to becautious of who she trusts as the world has been corrupted with aerydust.
The book is so so cute, its middle grade or children's so its very light fantasy yet it leaves you feel satisfied by the end. Even though its a first in the series but I do like it as a standalone as well. One not only finds themselves engaging with fantasy, but also mystery, drama, betrayals, etc. So it is a very comprehensive book. Anyone can pick this up and read so yeah recommended to all but kids would like it more.
I received an arc (advanced copy) of this book via Book Sirens in exchange for an honest review.
This book transports you to a world with female santas, pux and pixens, cats who can talk, huge wild rabits, slugwums and most importantly fairy dust.
The plot of this book revolves around an 11 year old Cricket who's mother died just after she was born, she is living with her dad, step mom and step brother. Her best friend Penny is a big part of her life. On her eleventh birthday her dad gives her a journal left by her mom. Cricket always could see colours that were sensory detectors, with the help of this journal she finds out that she might have inherited that from her mother. In the journal she also finds about tooth fairies and tries to experiment for herself to catch one.
The tooth fairy does show up, but instead of taking Cricket's tooth she takes her step baby brother and leaves a slugwum in his place. Later everyone around her starts behaving oddly and Cricket finds herself really alone. She then is followed by this cat who explains that the tooth fairy has been affected by aerydust instead of fairydust and Cricket has to travel to Aeryland (Polaris) to bring back her real step baby brother and everything would return to normal. And thats how she explores this new magical world, with all kind of magical creatures but she has to becautious of who she trusts as the world has been corrupted with aerydust.
The book is so so cute, its middle grade or children's so its very light fantasy yet it leaves you feel satisfied by the end. Even though its a first in the series but I do like it as a standalone as well. One not only finds themselves engaging with fantasy, but also mystery, drama, betrayals, etc. So it is a very comprehensive book. Anyone can pick this up and read so yeah recommended to all but kids would like it more.
I received an arc (advanced copy) of this book via Book Sirens in exchange for an honest review.
April 17, 2020
The Slug Queen Chronicles: Season One by S.O. Thomas
Summary
Cricket has always been able to see the dust. Different colors of dust mean different things to her, and her family and best friend have accepted and embraced this. When Cricket turns twelve, her father gifts her a journal that belonged to her mother. Cricket learns that her mother was also able to see this dust, that her mother knew a little bit more about where this dust came from. Cricket attempts to catch what her mother calls a gibbersnatch but ends up creating quite the problem for herself.
Cricket’s half brother Tristan has been replaced with a creature from a fairy world, a creature that creates a lot of negative emotion in the people around Cricket. Cricket must fix this and get her brother back. Cricket enters the fairy world with the help of a cat-like creature named Fenlick. She meets other friends and creatures along the way and learns a lot about herself in the process.
Thoughts
It took me awhile to become invested emotionally in this story. I wasn’t really attached to the characters until Cricket entered the fairy realm. Cricket became much more interesting to me at that point, and I believe that it was because she was moving away from her selfishness and thinking about other people. She became very trusting of others because it was necessary to save her brother.
One interesting aspect of this story was the fact that was called a season and split into episodes. I wish it had been more episodic to fit that set up. At the same time, I would appreciate a season two.
I felt like this was meant to be a middle grade novel, but I am worried that the politics of it might be a little complicated.
Summary
Cricket has always been able to see the dust. Different colors of dust mean different things to her, and her family and best friend have accepted and embraced this. When Cricket turns twelve, her father gifts her a journal that belonged to her mother. Cricket learns that her mother was also able to see this dust, that her mother knew a little bit more about where this dust came from. Cricket attempts to catch what her mother calls a gibbersnatch but ends up creating quite the problem for herself.
Cricket’s half brother Tristan has been replaced with a creature from a fairy world, a creature that creates a lot of negative emotion in the people around Cricket. Cricket must fix this and get her brother back. Cricket enters the fairy world with the help of a cat-like creature named Fenlick. She meets other friends and creatures along the way and learns a lot about herself in the process.
Thoughts
It took me awhile to become invested emotionally in this story. I wasn’t really attached to the characters until Cricket entered the fairy realm. Cricket became much more interesting to me at that point, and I believe that it was because she was moving away from her selfishness and thinking about other people. She became very trusting of others because it was necessary to save her brother.
One interesting aspect of this story was the fact that was called a season and split into episodes. I wish it had been more episodic to fit that set up. At the same time, I would appreciate a season two.
I felt like this was meant to be a middle grade novel, but I am worried that the politics of it might be a little complicated.
March 3, 2020
One of the great joys in life is finding a book that absorbs you so completely, you don’t realize it’s ending until it has—and then you want more. The Slug Queen Chronicles: Season One by @ichigoblackbooks is exactly that book.
Every year on her birthday, Cricket receives two gifts from her dad—one from him, and one reminiscent of her mother, who died the day Cricket was born. On her twelfth birthday, she receives her mother’s journal, full of notes on the peculiar: how to catch a tooth fairy, and how her mother, just like Cricket, could see different colored dusts associated with different senses. When Cricket’s baby brother Tristan is fairy-napped, the information in this journal—and a talking cat named Fenlick—will help Cricket on her quest to find him as she journeys through a land both magical and perilous, where everything isn’t what it seems.
Skillfully written, beautifully illustrated, and fantastically entertaining, this middle grade novel spins a must-read tale of family and friendship, love and sacrifice.
Cricket is a wonderfully strong and smart protagonist; the illustrations by @talesfromthelitterbox before each chapter are gorgeous and intricately detailed; and the fairyland creatively and uniquely designed. This book captured my heart, and I eagerly await Season Two.
📚 I was sent an eARC by the author in exchange for a review. 📚
Every year on her birthday, Cricket receives two gifts from her dad—one from him, and one reminiscent of her mother, who died the day Cricket was born. On her twelfth birthday, she receives her mother’s journal, full of notes on the peculiar: how to catch a tooth fairy, and how her mother, just like Cricket, could see different colored dusts associated with different senses. When Cricket’s baby brother Tristan is fairy-napped, the information in this journal—and a talking cat named Fenlick—will help Cricket on her quest to find him as she journeys through a land both magical and perilous, where everything isn’t what it seems.
Skillfully written, beautifully illustrated, and fantastically entertaining, this middle grade novel spins a must-read tale of family and friendship, love and sacrifice.
Cricket is a wonderfully strong and smart protagonist; the illustrations by @talesfromthelitterbox before each chapter are gorgeous and intricately detailed; and the fairyland creatively and uniquely designed. This book captured my heart, and I eagerly await Season Two.
📚 I was sent an eARC by the author in exchange for a review. 📚
March 12, 2020
This is one I wish I'd had as a child.
Some highlights for me:
• Little illustrations of our heroine punctuated throughout
• Talking cat??!!
• Depictions of a step-family that were uncomfortable at times but totally worth it overall in terms of representation
• Magic ✨✨✨*
* Not just the fantastical elements; big black girl magic energy 🙌🏽
After Cricket discovers that the tooth fairy is real— along with a host of other mythical beings— and her plan to trap him and demand answers goes sideways, she has to travel to Aeryland to find her baby brother before he's harvested for his teeth and everything changes for her family for good.
From the very first chapter, Slug Queen captivated my attention with the way it described the Dust. It reminded me of the way having Sensory Processing Disorder feels. Not gonna lie, I immediately headcanoned Cricket as autistic. (I'm autistic - we don't get much representation, and black representation at that 🤷🏽♀️)
A fun first foray into world-building and fantasy for middle grade. Great for reading together too!
Overall, I RECOMMEND adding this one to your wishlists. (Available for pre-order now; releases on April 2, 2020.)
I received an ARC from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Some highlights for me:
• Little illustrations of our heroine punctuated throughout
• Talking cat??!!
• Depictions of a step-family that were uncomfortable at times but totally worth it overall in terms of representation
• Magic ✨✨✨*
* Not just the fantastical elements; big black girl magic energy 🙌🏽
After Cricket discovers that the tooth fairy is real— along with a host of other mythical beings— and her plan to trap him and demand answers goes sideways, she has to travel to Aeryland to find her baby brother before he's harvested for his teeth and everything changes for her family for good.
From the very first chapter, Slug Queen captivated my attention with the way it described the Dust. It reminded me of the way having Sensory Processing Disorder feels. Not gonna lie, I immediately headcanoned Cricket as autistic. (I'm autistic - we don't get much representation, and black representation at that 🤷🏽♀️)
A fun first foray into world-building and fantasy for middle grade. Great for reading together too!
Overall, I RECOMMEND adding this one to your wishlists. (Available for pre-order now; releases on April 2, 2020.)
I received an ARC from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
June 6, 2020
Rating 3.5 Stars
I enjoy middle-grade fantasy and had high hopes for this book, but somehow ended up disappointed. I love the story line of a girls transported to a magical realm to locate her stepbrother who has been abducted by the Tooth Fairy. While there she meets Santa, boogeymen, sprites, and a host of other magical creatures, including a talking cat.
I found it hard to connect with Cricket, the main character. She was not particularly sympathetic even though she was basically losing her family for losing her brother through no fault of her own. My problem with Cricket was that she constantly changed her mind. The story was very disjointed as she stumbled from one disaster to another, driven for the most part by the characters around her. The story zigzagged too much for my taste.
I did, however, love Fenlick the talking cat. He wasn’t always as honest as he could have been, but his intentions were good and he came through in the end.
Overall, this was a fun read that kept me reading.
I enjoy middle-grade fantasy and had high hopes for this book, but somehow ended up disappointed. I love the story line of a girls transported to a magical realm to locate her stepbrother who has been abducted by the Tooth Fairy. While there she meets Santa, boogeymen, sprites, and a host of other magical creatures, including a talking cat.
I found it hard to connect with Cricket, the main character. She was not particularly sympathetic even though she was basically losing her family for losing her brother through no fault of her own. My problem with Cricket was that she constantly changed her mind. The story was very disjointed as she stumbled from one disaster to another, driven for the most part by the characters around her. The story zigzagged too much for my taste.
I did, however, love Fenlick the talking cat. He wasn’t always as honest as he could have been, but his intentions were good and he came through in the end.
Overall, this was a fun read that kept me reading.
April 20, 2020
I'm not really a big fan of middle grade, and that might be because I've outgrown that genre of fiction novels. However, I am a big sucker for anything fey, and this book is full of magic and wonder. The Slug Queen Chronicles gave me massive Alice and Wonderland vibes in the way the different characters were introduced, how they interacted in the various scenes and the mirror imagery of different worlds.
S.O. Thomas' imagination is incredible, and the chapter illustrations are beautiful. They're like a combination of stained glass and mixed media. Made up of vivid colours just like the way the author describes the various senses. The coloured dust that our little protagonist Cricket sees, reminds me also of Synesthesia, a condition that affects one of the senses; for example being able to see colour.
I enjoyed this book a lot more than I thought I would, and definitely think it would make a great addition to any pre-teen's bookshelf.
S.O. Thomas' imagination is incredible, and the chapter illustrations are beautiful. They're like a combination of stained glass and mixed media. Made up of vivid colours just like the way the author describes the various senses. The coloured dust that our little protagonist Cricket sees, reminds me also of Synesthesia, a condition that affects one of the senses; for example being able to see colour.
I enjoyed this book a lot more than I thought I would, and definitely think it would make a great addition to any pre-teen's bookshelf.
January 26, 2020
This is a well-written book reminiscent of Alice in Wonderland or Narnia with its fantasy themes. It mostly reminded me of The Labyrinth film with the older sister rescuing her little baby brother from the forces of evil. Definitely recommended for middle graders.
January 14, 2020
There are so many layers to this story. Nothing is said just to be said. It all has meaning and everything is connected. That said, at times it does cause a bit of sensory and informational overload, but even that feels intentional. Cricket seems to have some sort of sensory processing disorder. She can't regulate her senses and she tends to get overwhelmed easily. At the start of the story, before she travels to aeryland, she avoids things that overwhelm her. She sits outside during lunch because there's too much going on. The normal hubbub of the kids being kids, the smells, things that don't bother most people are too much for her.
But when her family is in danger, she goes on this intense journey, which I suspect would not be as intense if another kid without her sensory issues had accepted this call to action. In Aeryland everything is overwhelming to Cricket and even though her instinct is to keep avoiding, she overides that instinct because her family needs her. Cricket takes in so much information. Because it's in first person, I found I was overwhelmed when she was overwhelmed which was a fair amount. I was confused when she was confused. I felt her fear down to my bones and found that my breathing increased as hers did.
At first I didn't like it. At times it left me feeling almost dizzy. But there was a point when I realized Cricket doesn't like it either, but this is part of who she is. Even with her shade powers, she can't magically make the world less overwhelming. She can't turn it off. I have a newfound appreciation for anyone who goes through life unfiltered like that.
Even though it's a lot for her, Cricket perseveres and manoeuvers her way to a happy ending by being herself. I love that her growth had nothing to do with overcoming who she is at her core. Her sensory issues remain relatively unchanged from start to finish. Her growth had more to do with learning to see life from different perspectives and understanding that we all have reasons for acting the way that we do, as misguided as they might be at times.
Cricket doesn't understand why Nokomis would offer to sacrifice something so important for a girl she's only just met until she's put in the same situation and finally understands that's what you do for the people you care about. It's not just a conscious choice, it's an instinct you can't understand until you experience it for yourself. She also realizes that she hadn't considered what her brother might be going through and she feels awful that she's been so wrapped up in her own view of things. And when Fenlick apologizes at the end, she makes the connection that she was guilty of the same thing and this allows her to forgive him. It's a beautiful story in all of its complexity that I think both kids and adults alike will enjoy. I also think it brings an important issue to the forefront. Can we allow ourselves to see life from someone else's perspective as a way to better understand their actions and experience?
Many thanks for the ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
But when her family is in danger, she goes on this intense journey, which I suspect would not be as intense if another kid without her sensory issues had accepted this call to action. In Aeryland everything is overwhelming to Cricket and even though her instinct is to keep avoiding, she overides that instinct because her family needs her. Cricket takes in so much information. Because it's in first person, I found I was overwhelmed when she was overwhelmed which was a fair amount. I was confused when she was confused. I felt her fear down to my bones and found that my breathing increased as hers did.
At first I didn't like it. At times it left me feeling almost dizzy. But there was a point when I realized Cricket doesn't like it either, but this is part of who she is. Even with her shade powers, she can't magically make the world less overwhelming. She can't turn it off. I have a newfound appreciation for anyone who goes through life unfiltered like that.
Even though it's a lot for her, Cricket perseveres and manoeuvers her way to a happy ending by being herself. I love that her growth had nothing to do with overcoming who she is at her core. Her sensory issues remain relatively unchanged from start to finish. Her growth had more to do with learning to see life from different perspectives and understanding that we all have reasons for acting the way that we do, as misguided as they might be at times.
Cricket doesn't understand why Nokomis would offer to sacrifice something so important for a girl she's only just met until she's put in the same situation and finally understands that's what you do for the people you care about. It's not just a conscious choice, it's an instinct you can't understand until you experience it for yourself. She also realizes that she hadn't considered what her brother might be going through and she feels awful that she's been so wrapped up in her own view of things. And when Fenlick apologizes at the end, she makes the connection that she was guilty of the same thing and this allows her to forgive him. It's a beautiful story in all of its complexity that I think both kids and adults alike will enjoy. I also think it brings an important issue to the forefront. Can we allow ourselves to see life from someone else's perspective as a way to better understand their actions and experience?
Many thanks for the ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
October 10, 2020
The Slug Queen Chronicles is a wonderful adventure that is enjoyable for kids and adults as well.
The book follows the adventures of Cricket, a kid who has the power to see brightly colored "dust" which other people can't see. On her 12th birthday, she learns that her mother (who died when she was born) shared this talent. She is given her mother's journal and sets out to try and learn more about her strange abilities. But when a creature from the mysterious world of Aeryland abducts her baby brother and leaves chaos in its wake, only Cricket can save her family by traveling to this strange world and finding her brother. In the process, she meets friends and foes, and has magical adventures.
Aeryland was a fascinating world, and the colorful characters Cricket meets there were vividly portrayed. I was riveted, often reading late into the night about the predicaments and challenges that Cricket faced as she tried to find her brother. In a world full of magic, Cricket needs to learn fast how to deal with all kinds of challenges as well as determine who can and can't be trusted - and as her companion Flitwick the cat tells her, "Nothing is what it seems."
Cricket was very likeable and I rooted for her to find her brother. I felt for her when she faced disappointment and heartbreak and celebrated with her when she faced adversity and survived. The other characters were also really interesting and well drawn.
If I have a criticism, it is that Cricket was slow to pick up on a few things that were clear to me early on in the story. There were red flags about certain things an characters that she missed. But I have to remember that she is a child, not an adult, and doesn't have the same experience in dealing with people that an adult would. A kid may not pick up on signs of trustworthiness (or lack of) an adult would see. So I decided not to let that make me take off a star. There were times I was a little frustrated Cricket didn't pick up on things, and if this hadn't been a kid's book that might have factored into my review. But really, it was a minor point. I still really enjoyed the book.
I highly recommend this book to children and adults who like fantasy novels. It might be a good book for parents to read aloud to their children. However, it has a few scenes that are a little scary for very young children. Also, the plot is fairly complex with multiple characters to keep track of- easy for most middle grade readers to follow, I think, but it would be confusing to very young children.
I was really impressed with this book and enjoyed it a lot. I will be watching for more books from this author. If she decides to write a series featuring this character, I will be first in line to buy it. Overall: Highly recommended.
BTW: I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
The book follows the adventures of Cricket, a kid who has the power to see brightly colored "dust" which other people can't see. On her 12th birthday, she learns that her mother (who died when she was born) shared this talent. She is given her mother's journal and sets out to try and learn more about her strange abilities. But when a creature from the mysterious world of Aeryland abducts her baby brother and leaves chaos in its wake, only Cricket can save her family by traveling to this strange world and finding her brother. In the process, she meets friends and foes, and has magical adventures.
Aeryland was a fascinating world, and the colorful characters Cricket meets there were vividly portrayed. I was riveted, often reading late into the night about the predicaments and challenges that Cricket faced as she tried to find her brother. In a world full of magic, Cricket needs to learn fast how to deal with all kinds of challenges as well as determine who can and can't be trusted - and as her companion Flitwick the cat tells her, "Nothing is what it seems."
Cricket was very likeable and I rooted for her to find her brother. I felt for her when she faced disappointment and heartbreak and celebrated with her when she faced adversity and survived. The other characters were also really interesting and well drawn.
If I have a criticism, it is that Cricket was slow to pick up on a few things that were clear to me early on in the story. There were red flags about certain things an characters that she missed. But I have to remember that she is a child, not an adult, and doesn't have the same experience in dealing with people that an adult would. A kid may not pick up on signs of trustworthiness (or lack of) an adult would see. So I decided not to let that make me take off a star. There were times I was a little frustrated Cricket didn't pick up on things, and if this hadn't been a kid's book that might have factored into my review. But really, it was a minor point. I still really enjoyed the book.
I highly recommend this book to children and adults who like fantasy novels. It might be a good book for parents to read aloud to their children. However, it has a few scenes that are a little scary for very young children. Also, the plot is fairly complex with multiple characters to keep track of- easy for most middle grade readers to follow, I think, but it would be confusing to very young children.
I was really impressed with this book and enjoyed it a lot. I will be watching for more books from this author. If she decides to write a series featuring this character, I will be first in line to buy it. Overall: Highly recommended.
BTW: I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
July 1, 2020
Thank you to BookSirens for a finished copy of S.O. Thomas' middle-grade novel The Slug Queen Chronicles: Season One (pub date April 2, 2020) in exchange for an honest review:
Cricket Kane has an enormous problem: the tooth fairy stole her baby brother Tristan, but no one believes it. Cricket, a young Black girl, has always been an outsider. Her mother died in childbirth, so she lives with her father and her stepmom Janice; she can also see strange different-colored dust that seems to be invisible to everyone else. On Cricket's twelfth birthday, her father gives her her mother's diary, which reveals that her mom could also see the dust. The journal goes on to make some shocking claims about familiar fairytale creatures. Tooth fairies? Actually a creepy critter called a "gibber snatch." Genies? Really hobnobs. Oh, and it's not "Santa, but "a santa." And they're normally women. When a gibber snatch steals her baby brother, instead of taking her tooth, and replaces him with a gross changeling called a slugwump, Cricket will have to go on a wild journey to Fairyland (recently transformed into Aeryland) to get him back.
Turns out the dust that Cricket can see is fairydust. But it's been corrupted into a different substance called aerydust and the santa is missing, so Cricket will have to solve this mystery and help Fairyland while she's looking for her brother. An eccentric and eclectic cast of characters joins her along the way, including a snarky talking cat named Fenlick Whiskbur, a temporary male santa named Alfrigg, pux and pixen, a woman who lives in a house atop an enormous walking chicken, and a mysterious boy in a red cloak. Only time will tell which of these creatures can be trusted--and which are lying foes.
The expository backstory and plot elements can be a bit confusing to follow at times, but overall The Slug Queen Chronicles is a really entertaining and enjoyable ride through a weird world of fairytale inversions. Plus, it's genuinely scary for a middle-grade novel! After the gibber snatch takes Tristan, it leaves behind a black dust that makes Cricket's family (and her best friend Penny) not believe her. Her father turns into a listless zombie and her stepmom is frighteningly cruel, which creates some truly terrifying scenes.
I'd also be remiss not to mention the book's illustrator, Corina Alvarez Loeblich, whose wonderful intricately lined drawings (particularly her beautiful images of Black hair) add a lot to the story. This diverse middle-grade book depicts Black girl magic quite literally and importantly, and we can always use more of that.
Cricket Kane has an enormous problem: the tooth fairy stole her baby brother Tristan, but no one believes it. Cricket, a young Black girl, has always been an outsider. Her mother died in childbirth, so she lives with her father and her stepmom Janice; she can also see strange different-colored dust that seems to be invisible to everyone else. On Cricket's twelfth birthday, her father gives her her mother's diary, which reveals that her mom could also see the dust. The journal goes on to make some shocking claims about familiar fairytale creatures. Tooth fairies? Actually a creepy critter called a "gibber snatch." Genies? Really hobnobs. Oh, and it's not "Santa, but "a santa." And they're normally women. When a gibber snatch steals her baby brother, instead of taking her tooth, and replaces him with a gross changeling called a slugwump, Cricket will have to go on a wild journey to Fairyland (recently transformed into Aeryland) to get him back.
Turns out the dust that Cricket can see is fairydust. But it's been corrupted into a different substance called aerydust and the santa is missing, so Cricket will have to solve this mystery and help Fairyland while she's looking for her brother. An eccentric and eclectic cast of characters joins her along the way, including a snarky talking cat named Fenlick Whiskbur, a temporary male santa named Alfrigg, pux and pixen, a woman who lives in a house atop an enormous walking chicken, and a mysterious boy in a red cloak. Only time will tell which of these creatures can be trusted--and which are lying foes.
The expository backstory and plot elements can be a bit confusing to follow at times, but overall The Slug Queen Chronicles is a really entertaining and enjoyable ride through a weird world of fairytale inversions. Plus, it's genuinely scary for a middle-grade novel! After the gibber snatch takes Tristan, it leaves behind a black dust that makes Cricket's family (and her best friend Penny) not believe her. Her father turns into a listless zombie and her stepmom is frighteningly cruel, which creates some truly terrifying scenes.
I'd also be remiss not to mention the book's illustrator, Corina Alvarez Loeblich, whose wonderful intricately lined drawings (particularly her beautiful images of Black hair) add a lot to the story. This diverse middle-grade book depicts Black girl magic quite literally and importantly, and we can always use more of that.
January 30, 2020
I think it has been so long since I have read a middle grade book that I went into this one expecting a book more for my kids (elementary age). After the initial shock of finding this a little darker and more mature than I expected, I actually really enjoyed it. The Slug Queen is a middle grade book that brings all of our fairy tales into question. This book transports the reader into a fantastic world where nothing is as it seems and anything can be possible with female santas, talking cats and giant wild rabbits.
Cricket is an 11 year girl who has always been a little different, she can see colored dust when no one else does. All her life she thought it was all in her head until she receives her mom’s old journal for a birthday present. The journal opened up Cricket’s eyes to the fact that her mom could also see the colored dust (along with her childhood friend) and performed experiments to find out what the color’s meant. Cricket performs one of the experiments to catch the tooth fairy (a gibber snatch), but instead of taking the tooth the gibber snatch took her baby brother, Tristan. When the Gibber Snatch left behind a fake Tristan there was a release of black fairy dust which caused people to behave strangely and cruelly. After her life gets turned upside down with the black dust, she is visited by an invisible talking cat who explains to her what has happened to Tristan and how she can get him back. The cat leads Cricket on a journey into Aeryland where the dust has already started to effect the inhabitants so nothing is as it seems and she doesn’t know who to trust. The rest of the story is filled with action, new friends, mystery and betrayal; definitely enough to keep you entertained.
As I said earlier, this is definitely for middle grade kids since the story gets a little too dark for little ones when the aerydust is involved, not to mention some of those names for the different creatures are tongue twisters for an inexperienced reader. Even though this was only season 1 of the chronicles, it can be read as a stand-alone since everything gets resolved by the end.
*I received an Advanced Copy of this book via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review*
Cricket is an 11 year girl who has always been a little different, she can see colored dust when no one else does. All her life she thought it was all in her head until she receives her mom’s old journal for a birthday present. The journal opened up Cricket’s eyes to the fact that her mom could also see the colored dust (along with her childhood friend) and performed experiments to find out what the color’s meant. Cricket performs one of the experiments to catch the tooth fairy (a gibber snatch), but instead of taking the tooth the gibber snatch took her baby brother, Tristan. When the Gibber Snatch left behind a fake Tristan there was a release of black fairy dust which caused people to behave strangely and cruelly. After her life gets turned upside down with the black dust, she is visited by an invisible talking cat who explains to her what has happened to Tristan and how she can get him back. The cat leads Cricket on a journey into Aeryland where the dust has already started to effect the inhabitants so nothing is as it seems and she doesn’t know who to trust. The rest of the story is filled with action, new friends, mystery and betrayal; definitely enough to keep you entertained.
As I said earlier, this is definitely for middle grade kids since the story gets a little too dark for little ones when the aerydust is involved, not to mention some of those names for the different creatures are tongue twisters for an inexperienced reader. Even though this was only season 1 of the chronicles, it can be read as a stand-alone since everything gets resolved by the end.
*I received an Advanced Copy of this book via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review*
March 24, 2020
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I received a free e-ARC of this book from the publisher (via Netgalley) in exchange for my honest review
This book is exactly what I wish I'd had when I was younger! We have an austistic MC (I'm assuming this because that isn't written on the page, but seemed to be the case and the author's twitter states she is autistic) and it's NOT a teenage white boy who is amazing at maths! I absolutely adored Cricket and loved how casually she mentions features of her autism, how they impact her and how she navigates the world. And yet this book isn't /about/ autism, which I also loved. It's a fantastical, faery-filled adventure that happens to have an autistic MC and other disabled side characters. It was also lovely that features of Cricket's autism essentially get worked into the magic of the world and make her unique and special in a way that doesn't dehumanise her. So refreshing, so needed, such a great message.
I also loved the world Thomas has created in this book. Whilst I sometimes found the world-building a little lacking here and there, I was able to keep up 90% of the time and it didn't impede my enjoyment of the book. There were so many different unique and interesting elements that drew me in and kept me reading. This isn't just another carbon copy fantasy world; it's a collection of little pieces from different fairytales and folklore weaved together into a new, vibrant world that you really get invested in.
The reason I haven't given The Slug Queen Chronicles 5 stars is that I do think there needed to be little more worldbuilding at the start. I'm still not really sure how the Santas fit into this world, or what the role of the Helpers is. Like I said, this doesn't ruin my enjoyment of the book, it just made me a bit confused about how this world really functioned, hence the four stars.
I would highly recommend this book, both to adults and children. It's so lovely to see an autistic girl of colour being the main character in a fantasy adventure story and I would love it if more people got to meet Cricket and go on this adventure with her!
I received a free e-ARC of this book from the publisher (via Netgalley) in exchange for my honest review
This book is exactly what I wish I'd had when I was younger! We have an austistic MC (I'm assuming this because that isn't written on the page, but seemed to be the case and the author's twitter states she is autistic) and it's NOT a teenage white boy who is amazing at maths! I absolutely adored Cricket and loved how casually she mentions features of her autism, how they impact her and how she navigates the world. And yet this book isn't /about/ autism, which I also loved. It's a fantastical, faery-filled adventure that happens to have an autistic MC and other disabled side characters. It was also lovely that features of Cricket's autism essentially get worked into the magic of the world and make her unique and special in a way that doesn't dehumanise her. So refreshing, so needed, such a great message.
I also loved the world Thomas has created in this book. Whilst I sometimes found the world-building a little lacking here and there, I was able to keep up 90% of the time and it didn't impede my enjoyment of the book. There were so many different unique and interesting elements that drew me in and kept me reading. This isn't just another carbon copy fantasy world; it's a collection of little pieces from different fairytales and folklore weaved together into a new, vibrant world that you really get invested in.
The reason I haven't given The Slug Queen Chronicles 5 stars is that I do think there needed to be little more worldbuilding at the start. I'm still not really sure how the Santas fit into this world, or what the role of the Helpers is. Like I said, this doesn't ruin my enjoyment of the book, it just made me a bit confused about how this world really functioned, hence the four stars.
I would highly recommend this book, both to adults and children. It's so lovely to see an autistic girl of colour being the main character in a fantasy adventure story and I would love it if more people got to meet Cricket and go on this adventure with her!
October 27, 2020
Hello my book witches and witchlings!! #myquestion What's your favourite illustrated book so far? I know there can't be one! I love reading illustrated books and by far they're my favourite kind of books. This month I read 'The Slug Queen Chronicles', Season 1 by S.O. Thomas. The illustrations by Corina Alvarez Loeblich are phenomenal. It's my first illustrated e-book and I wasn't the least disappointed. It was magical to read this one. It's a MG Fantasy and Season 1 has twenty eight Episodes.
The story of this book is about Cricket, a little girl who lost her mother very early in life, and now lives with her father and step-mom and a little baby brother, she now has. Cricket's father gives her, her deceased mom's journal. Cricket always receives a gift that has a special connection to her mother on her birthday, but this journal is by far the best one she'd ever gotten. From the journal she finds out that her mother was special and she could also see the coloured dusts for different smells, just like she can. The journal also speaks of a magical land filled with many enchanted creatures. Knowing more from her mom's journal, Cricket and her best friend Penny sets a trap for a gibber-snatch, but things doesn't go as planned. The gibber-snatch abducts her little brother and poisons her father, step-mom and Penny. And Cricket can see back dust all over her home, her parents and on Penny. And they all start to behave very rudely with her and disbelieves anything she says.
Determined to make things right, Cricket embarks upon a journey to this magical place. And on the way she meets Fenlick, a graceful cat who can talk. Fenlick starts to guide her and this was one of the best episodes of this season. This one was full of twists and suspence, that kept me reading through the night. I loved this book in totality, with so many different characters that I cherished. And the illustrations made it so easier to imagine this world while I was reading. Do pick this one up of you get a chance.
Thank you Booksirens for this amazing ARC. I enjoyed this so much!
- @thebookishlawyer
The story of this book is about Cricket, a little girl who lost her mother very early in life, and now lives with her father and step-mom and a little baby brother, she now has. Cricket's father gives her, her deceased mom's journal. Cricket always receives a gift that has a special connection to her mother on her birthday, but this journal is by far the best one she'd ever gotten. From the journal she finds out that her mother was special and she could also see the coloured dusts for different smells, just like she can. The journal also speaks of a magical land filled with many enchanted creatures. Knowing more from her mom's journal, Cricket and her best friend Penny sets a trap for a gibber-snatch, but things doesn't go as planned. The gibber-snatch abducts her little brother and poisons her father, step-mom and Penny. And Cricket can see back dust all over her home, her parents and on Penny. And they all start to behave very rudely with her and disbelieves anything she says.
Determined to make things right, Cricket embarks upon a journey to this magical place. And on the way she meets Fenlick, a graceful cat who can talk. Fenlick starts to guide her and this was one of the best episodes of this season. This one was full of twists and suspence, that kept me reading through the night. I loved this book in totality, with so many different characters that I cherished. And the illustrations made it so easier to imagine this world while I was reading. Do pick this one up of you get a chance.
Thank you Booksirens for this amazing ARC. I enjoyed this so much!
- @thebookishlawyer
March 31, 2020
What if the tooth fairy took children instead of teeth? That is exactly what happens in this middle-grade fantasy by S.O. Thomas. And only one girl can stop the horror.
Cricket Kane has always been different, but she never knew why. That is until her twelfth birthday when her father gives her a journal. The journal belonged to her mother who died right after Cricket was born. Cricket soon learns a terrible secret—the tooth fairy has been sending gibber snatches to kidnap children and replacing them with evil slugwumps. When they steal her baby brother Tristan, Cricket knows she must act. With the help of Fenlick, her feline guardian, Cricket must use her newly understood powers to save not only her brother but the entire kingdom of Fairyland. “The Slug Queen Chronicles: Season One” is the slightly spooky, yet thoroughly heartwarming tale of how she attempts to do just that.
This book brims with creativity, fascinating creatures, and a lovable, inclusive cast. Thomas is a master at infusing the genre’s most beloved tropes with new life. Cricket’s adventure through Fairyland is a roller coaster of twists and turns that will surprise even the most jaded reader. Cricket is a compelling character who is vulnerable yet brave, and her feline guardian, Fenlick, is mysterious in a way that only a flying cat can be. The icing on the cake is the stunning illustrations by Corina Alvarez Loeblich that bring Thomas’s imaginative world-building to life.
Some have called it a dark fantasy, but I think that’s a stretch. It has its dark moments. (After all, it is about babies and small children being kidnapped.) But more importantly, this is a story about how vital it is to be yourself and to embrace each other’s differences. It is about how being different or “weird” can literally save the world, a message the world needs now more than ever.
Cricket Kane has always been different, but she never knew why. That is until her twelfth birthday when her father gives her a journal. The journal belonged to her mother who died right after Cricket was born. Cricket soon learns a terrible secret—the tooth fairy has been sending gibber snatches to kidnap children and replacing them with evil slugwumps. When they steal her baby brother Tristan, Cricket knows she must act. With the help of Fenlick, her feline guardian, Cricket must use her newly understood powers to save not only her brother but the entire kingdom of Fairyland. “The Slug Queen Chronicles: Season One” is the slightly spooky, yet thoroughly heartwarming tale of how she attempts to do just that.
This book brims with creativity, fascinating creatures, and a lovable, inclusive cast. Thomas is a master at infusing the genre’s most beloved tropes with new life. Cricket’s adventure through Fairyland is a roller coaster of twists and turns that will surprise even the most jaded reader. Cricket is a compelling character who is vulnerable yet brave, and her feline guardian, Fenlick, is mysterious in a way that only a flying cat can be. The icing on the cake is the stunning illustrations by Corina Alvarez Loeblich that bring Thomas’s imaginative world-building to life.
Some have called it a dark fantasy, but I think that’s a stretch. It has its dark moments. (After all, it is about babies and small children being kidnapped.) But more importantly, this is a story about how vital it is to be yourself and to embrace each other’s differences. It is about how being different or “weird” can literally save the world, a message the world needs now more than ever.
January 3, 2020
The Slug Queen Chronicles is a book about a girl named Cricket. She gets a gift from her father: her deceased mother’s journal. It describes a mysterious land of boogies, night terrors, hobgobs, gibber snatch, and the Santa. Cricket and her friend, Penny, try to set a trap for a gibber snatch. They wake up in the night and hear a thump in Cricket’s brother Tristan’s room. They sneak in, and they see him in his crib. All appears normal, except that there is a gibber snatch over his bed. It disappears, and Tristan screams black dust. Penny and Cricket wonder if the dust is a clue. In the morning, Janice (her stepmother) has black tears on her face and yells at Cricket to go to the bathroom. Janice goes crazy, and so does Cricket’s dad. Cricket puts a mask and gloves on Penny to keep her safe as they investigate the dust. Penny comes back after lunch, and suddenly she acts strange. She calls Cricket’s journal stupid and says her mom was crazy. What went wrong with Penny? Why are Cricket’s parents acting strange? And most importantly, why is the black dust everywhere? Read the book to find out!
The Slug Queen Chronicles is a suspenseful book that keeps you reading. You can’t put it down! There are so many things going on, and you won't be able to stop reading until you finish! I thought this book was awesome; it's now one of my favorites. It actually scared me when Cricket was scared, and I felt like I was her. The author was very descriptive, and I hope there are more books coming! This book is a bit scary, so I would recommend it to 10-12-year-olds who can handle a little violence because there is some throughout the book. If you like fantasy books, you'll love The Slug Queen Chronicles.
The Slug Queen Chronicles is a suspenseful book that keeps you reading. You can’t put it down! There are so many things going on, and you won't be able to stop reading until you finish! I thought this book was awesome; it's now one of my favorites. It actually scared me when Cricket was scared, and I felt like I was her. The author was very descriptive, and I hope there are more books coming! This book is a bit scary, so I would recommend it to 10-12-year-olds who can handle a little violence because there is some throughout the book. If you like fantasy books, you'll love The Slug Queen Chronicles.
January 29, 2020
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a free e-arc for review.
This is a tough one for me to review. I think I went into it expecting it to be more elementary aged, and it's definitely a middle grade book. There are some issues that I have with it, most prominently the way that Cricket's stepmom treats her after she is affected by the aerydust; I understand it for the purpose of the story, and they do resolve their relationship at the end, but it was very difficult to read.
Cricket is a young girl who has always been able to see colored dust in the world around her, in every color of the rainbow except black and purple. Her dad always told her it was just her imagination, until one year, for her birthday, he gave Cricket the journal that her mom left for her before she died. It turns out, she and her mom shared the ability to see the dust!
As Cricket and her best friend hatch a plan to trap a tooth fairy (or a gibber snatch), their plan falls apart as Cricket's little brother, Tristan, is kidnapped and the border between Fairy Land/Aeryland is made more permeable and our world is infected with black fairy dust, called aerydust.
The journey that follows sees poor Cricket thrown into a world she doesn't understand, fighting against forces she's never heard of, and utterly alone and unsure of whom to trust. I think Cricket is a strong girl, and I appreciate that the author allowed her to have little breakdowns, but ultimately come through (mostly) unscathed and with a better understanding of herself and her relationships with her family and friends.
The ending wraps up pretty neatly, and there are some touching moments as Cricket learns what true friendship and love means.
This is a tough one for me to review. I think I went into it expecting it to be more elementary aged, and it's definitely a middle grade book. There are some issues that I have with it, most prominently the way that Cricket's stepmom treats her after she is affected by the aerydust; I understand it for the purpose of the story, and they do resolve their relationship at the end, but it was very difficult to read.
Cricket is a young girl who has always been able to see colored dust in the world around her, in every color of the rainbow except black and purple. Her dad always told her it was just her imagination, until one year, for her birthday, he gave Cricket the journal that her mom left for her before she died. It turns out, she and her mom shared the ability to see the dust!
As Cricket and her best friend hatch a plan to trap a tooth fairy (or a gibber snatch), their plan falls apart as Cricket's little brother, Tristan, is kidnapped and the border between Fairy Land/Aeryland is made more permeable and our world is infected with black fairy dust, called aerydust.
The journey that follows sees poor Cricket thrown into a world she doesn't understand, fighting against forces she's never heard of, and utterly alone and unsure of whom to trust. I think Cricket is a strong girl, and I appreciate that the author allowed her to have little breakdowns, but ultimately come through (mostly) unscathed and with a better understanding of herself and her relationships with her family and friends.
The ending wraps up pretty neatly, and there are some touching moments as Cricket learns what true friendship and love means.
September 18, 2020
This book was entered in The Wishing Shelf Book Awards. This is what our readers thought:
Title: The Slug Queen Chronicles
Author: S O Thomas
Star Rating: 5 Stars
Number of Readers: 17
Stats
Editing: 10/10
Writing Style: 9/10
Content: 9/10
Cover: 10/10
Of the readers:
17 would read another book by this author.
16 thought the cover was good or excellent.
17 felt it was easy to follow.
17 would recommend this story to another reader to try.
Of all the readers, 10 felt the author’s strongest skill was ‘plotting a story’.
Of all the readers, 7 felt the author’s strongest skill was ‘developing the characters’.
16 felt the pacing was good or excellent.
17 thought the author understood the readership and what they wanted.
Readers’ Comments
‘A surprisingly dark tale for young children. I thought it was superbly written, perfectly paced and wonderfully exciting. We would happily have a copy in the school library.’ Male reader (teacher), aged 29
‘I loved how brave the girl was trying to save her brother. I thought it was an exciting adventure with a good ending.’ Boy, aged 10
‘A fun adventure for middle grade students. We all loved the illustrations as well as the story. Oddly, Cricket was not the favorite character; we all seemed to love the cat the most. We felt he was a bit of a rogue! A lot of my students would like to read another book by this author.’ Primary school teacher (and her class of 11 year olds)
‘Reminded me of Alice in Wonderland. What a fun, super-thrilling story for children to enjoy. The author worked hard to develop her characters and to describe her fantasy setting.’ Parent of 10 year old
To Sum It Up:
‘A dark, wonderfully enchanting fantasy adventure. A FINALIST and highly recommended.’ The Wishing Shelf Book Awards
Title: The Slug Queen Chronicles
Author: S O Thomas
Star Rating: 5 Stars
Number of Readers: 17
Stats
Editing: 10/10
Writing Style: 9/10
Content: 9/10
Cover: 10/10
Of the readers:
17 would read another book by this author.
16 thought the cover was good or excellent.
17 felt it was easy to follow.
17 would recommend this story to another reader to try.
Of all the readers, 10 felt the author’s strongest skill was ‘plotting a story’.
Of all the readers, 7 felt the author’s strongest skill was ‘developing the characters’.
16 felt the pacing was good or excellent.
17 thought the author understood the readership and what they wanted.
Readers’ Comments
‘A surprisingly dark tale for young children. I thought it was superbly written, perfectly paced and wonderfully exciting. We would happily have a copy in the school library.’ Male reader (teacher), aged 29
‘I loved how brave the girl was trying to save her brother. I thought it was an exciting adventure with a good ending.’ Boy, aged 10
‘A fun adventure for middle grade students. We all loved the illustrations as well as the story. Oddly, Cricket was not the favorite character; we all seemed to love the cat the most. We felt he was a bit of a rogue! A lot of my students would like to read another book by this author.’ Primary school teacher (and her class of 11 year olds)
‘Reminded me of Alice in Wonderland. What a fun, super-thrilling story for children to enjoy. The author worked hard to develop her characters and to describe her fantasy setting.’ Parent of 10 year old
To Sum It Up:
‘A dark, wonderfully enchanting fantasy adventure. A FINALIST and highly recommended.’ The Wishing Shelf Book Awards
January 15, 2020
Reviewed by K.C. Finn for Readers' Favorite
The Slug Queen Chronicles is a work of playful fantasy fiction written for middle grade aged children, and it was penned by author S. O. Thomas. Billed as Season One of the chronicles, the opening to the story sees twelve year old Cricket Kane face a dangerous magical adventure as she learns the truth: fairies do exist, and they’re much more terrifying than you’d think. When Cricket’s brother is kidnapped and a toxic dust takes his place and infects her family, so begins a wild adventure to recover him, and discover why fairies don’t take single teeth any more. The story is told over four short novellas that make up the season as a continuing arc.
Author S. O. Thomas writes with a delightful sense of imagination that teeters between fun and darkness nicely for the target middle grade age range. There are plenty of hairy moments for young Cricket to endure as she solves dangerous problems, fights for her family and learns a lot from the characters she meets along the way. The four-novella format actually breaks a large, complex story down into very manageable chapter-chunks for MG readers, making it easy to lose yourself in this fabulous, cute and creepy world. Fans of visual feasts like the works of Tim Burton will fall in love with Thomas’s descriptive techniques, the atmosphere and colour palette that falls as a backdrop to the magic and mayhem of the plot. Overall, The Slug Queen Chronicles is a sharp series with plenty of fantasy fun for children everywhere.
The Slug Queen Chronicles is a work of playful fantasy fiction written for middle grade aged children, and it was penned by author S. O. Thomas. Billed as Season One of the chronicles, the opening to the story sees twelve year old Cricket Kane face a dangerous magical adventure as she learns the truth: fairies do exist, and they’re much more terrifying than you’d think. When Cricket’s brother is kidnapped and a toxic dust takes his place and infects her family, so begins a wild adventure to recover him, and discover why fairies don’t take single teeth any more. The story is told over four short novellas that make up the season as a continuing arc.
Author S. O. Thomas writes with a delightful sense of imagination that teeters between fun and darkness nicely for the target middle grade age range. There are plenty of hairy moments for young Cricket to endure as she solves dangerous problems, fights for her family and learns a lot from the characters she meets along the way. The four-novella format actually breaks a large, complex story down into very manageable chapter-chunks for MG readers, making it easy to lose yourself in this fabulous, cute and creepy world. Fans of visual feasts like the works of Tim Burton will fall in love with Thomas’s descriptive techniques, the atmosphere and colour palette that falls as a backdrop to the magic and mayhem of the plot. Overall, The Slug Queen Chronicles is a sharp series with plenty of fantasy fun for children everywhere.
May 2, 2020
I received a complimentary copy of this book from BookGoSocial through NetGalley. Thanks for providing me the opportunity to review.
Cricket has always been able to see the dust. Different colors of dust mean different things to her, and her family and best friend have accepted and embraced this. When Cricket turns twelve, her father gifts her a journal that belonged to her mother. Cricket learns that her mother was also able to see this dust, that her mother knew a little bit more about where this dust came from. Cricket attempts to catch what her mother calls a gibbersnatch but ends up creating quite the problem for herself.
Cricket’s half brother Tristan has been replaced with a creature from a fairy world, a creature that creates a lot of negative emotion in the people around Cricket. Cricket must fix this and get her brother back. Cricket enters the fairy world with the help of a cat-like creature named Fenlick. She meets other friends and creatures along the way and learns a lot about herself in the process.
This book reminded me a lot of Alice in Wonderland, which unfortunately was not a good thing. The premise was good, but I ended up loosing interest about halfway through the book. Too many and long description of magical stuff, endless journey and some parts not quite understandable, I just got lost in the strange details that didn't seem to fit. I was also not very attached to Cricket as a character and that could have been why I didn't enjoy it very much
It probably will be a good book for others but not for me.
Cricket has always been able to see the dust. Different colors of dust mean different things to her, and her family and best friend have accepted and embraced this. When Cricket turns twelve, her father gifts her a journal that belonged to her mother. Cricket learns that her mother was also able to see this dust, that her mother knew a little bit more about where this dust came from. Cricket attempts to catch what her mother calls a gibbersnatch but ends up creating quite the problem for herself.
Cricket’s half brother Tristan has been replaced with a creature from a fairy world, a creature that creates a lot of negative emotion in the people around Cricket. Cricket must fix this and get her brother back. Cricket enters the fairy world with the help of a cat-like creature named Fenlick. She meets other friends and creatures along the way and learns a lot about herself in the process.
This book reminded me a lot of Alice in Wonderland, which unfortunately was not a good thing. The premise was good, but I ended up loosing interest about halfway through the book. Too many and long description of magical stuff, endless journey and some parts not quite understandable, I just got lost in the strange details that didn't seem to fit. I was also not very attached to Cricket as a character and that could have been why I didn't enjoy it very much
It probably will be a good book for others but not for me.
April 26, 2020
I love discovering children’s books as an adult that I just instantly know would’ve been a favorite if I’d read it as a child! The Slug Queen is one of those rare finds.
I picked this book because I wanted something light and easy to read, but little did I know that it would take me on a whirlwind of an adventure where I would meet so many magical and wonderful (some even slightly terrifying) characters.
Cricket Kane is the kind of adventurous girl that you can’t help but love instantly. She takes the reader by its hand and in a flash, you are whisked away to a land of magical beings and a female Santa. What’s not to love?
The dynamic between the characters is as magical and wonderful as they are, and the whole world that S. Thomas has created comes to life so easy and it makes for a story that’s really hard to put down. She’s built a world that’s filled with darkness, hope, love, terrifying creatures, magic, and quirkiness. I found myself sitting up at night, just needing to need another chapter, and one more, and one more.
Not only is this a magical, wonderful and fast-paced story, it also comes with gorgeous illustrations.
I have nothing but praise and love for this wonderful story. It’s one that I instantly fell in love with, and one that I will add to my library, reread, and read to my children.
I would highly recommend The Slug Queen to any reader who loves magical worlds and beings. Let Cricket take you on an adventure you won’t forget!
I picked this book because I wanted something light and easy to read, but little did I know that it would take me on a whirlwind of an adventure where I would meet so many magical and wonderful (some even slightly terrifying) characters.
Cricket Kane is the kind of adventurous girl that you can’t help but love instantly. She takes the reader by its hand and in a flash, you are whisked away to a land of magical beings and a female Santa. What’s not to love?
The dynamic between the characters is as magical and wonderful as they are, and the whole world that S. Thomas has created comes to life so easy and it makes for a story that’s really hard to put down. She’s built a world that’s filled with darkness, hope, love, terrifying creatures, magic, and quirkiness. I found myself sitting up at night, just needing to need another chapter, and one more, and one more.
Not only is this a magical, wonderful and fast-paced story, it also comes with gorgeous illustrations.
I have nothing but praise and love for this wonderful story. It’s one that I instantly fell in love with, and one that I will add to my library, reread, and read to my children.
I would highly recommend The Slug Queen to any reader who loves magical worlds and beings. Let Cricket take you on an adventure you won’t forget!
March 28, 2020
Genre: Middle-grade | Fantasy| Fairy-tales| Fiction
5 out of 5 Stars!
A ᖴᗩIᖇY-TᗩᒪE ᗯOᑎᗪEᖇᒪᗩᑎᗪ!
The Slug Queen Chronicles is packed full of fairy-tale goodness! From Santa to the Tooth-fairy to The House with Chicken Legs… My son and I adored this read.
Be sure to have your concentration hat on when you read this fabulous series. The Slug Queen Chronicles introduces so many characters through-out and it may get a bit confusing at times but it is so worth it in the end.
S.O. Thomas has created a fascinating world with the most lovable characters. Cricket meets some of the most incredible creatures in this world and the most amazing friendships bloom throughout. I won’t say who our favourite characters were, because I don’t want to give anything away. You will just have to read it for yourself!
The Slug Queen Chronicles has got to be one of the most exciting, vivid, colorful worlds I have dived into for some time. Such a brilliant concept and S.O. Thomas executed it perfectly!
My son and I are in love with this world and all of it’s creatures! We both highly recommend this middlegrade read and are so thankful to S.O. Thomas for sending us an e-copy for review!
Publisher: Ichigo Black Books
Release date: March 28, 2020 — OUT TOMORROW! Be sure to go and get your hands on it!
And of course thank you all for reading.
Your Magical Book Worm
-Nichole
5 out of 5 Stars!
A ᖴᗩIᖇY-TᗩᒪE ᗯOᑎᗪEᖇᒪᗩᑎᗪ!
The Slug Queen Chronicles is packed full of fairy-tale goodness! From Santa to the Tooth-fairy to The House with Chicken Legs… My son and I adored this read.
Be sure to have your concentration hat on when you read this fabulous series. The Slug Queen Chronicles introduces so many characters through-out and it may get a bit confusing at times but it is so worth it in the end.
S.O. Thomas has created a fascinating world with the most lovable characters. Cricket meets some of the most incredible creatures in this world and the most amazing friendships bloom throughout. I won’t say who our favourite characters were, because I don’t want to give anything away. You will just have to read it for yourself!
The Slug Queen Chronicles has got to be one of the most exciting, vivid, colorful worlds I have dived into for some time. Such a brilliant concept and S.O. Thomas executed it perfectly!
My son and I are in love with this world and all of it’s creatures! We both highly recommend this middlegrade read and are so thankful to S.O. Thomas for sending us an e-copy for review!
Publisher: Ichigo Black Books
Release date: March 28, 2020 — OUT TOMORROW! Be sure to go and get your hands on it!
And of course thank you all for reading.
Your Magical Book Worm
-Nichole
May 21, 2020
What if the tooth fairy, boogieman, and/or Santa & the elves were all very different than we ever expected? What if our senses worked because of magic fairy-dust instead of the way scientists explain them? These are just some of the questions that The Slug Queen Chronicles explores with its darkly magical world, where our protagonist Cricket quickly finds herself far deeper in adventure than she ever could have expected. I was actually surprised how much I liked this book. I love reading middle grade books (even though I'm in my mid-twenties) but I usually don't read anything that could be described as dark or creepy. However, S.O. Thomas's world was alluring, and just the first chapter already had me sucked in and rooting for our girl Cricket. This story is imaginative and fascinating, with a world that you can just see as you read. Oh! And I loved the illustrations at the beginning of each chapter, which really captured the magic of the story.
The Slug Queen Chronicles has what I love about middle grade books, friendship, family, adventure, and self-discovery. I will say, if you or your middle grade reader is a sensitive one, maybe skip this one, or read it in the daylight.
Thanks to the author/publisher for the free review copy! I'm leaving this review voluntarily.
The Slug Queen Chronicles has what I love about middle grade books, friendship, family, adventure, and self-discovery. I will say, if you or your middle grade reader is a sensitive one, maybe skip this one, or read it in the daylight.
Thanks to the author/publisher for the free review copy! I'm leaving this review voluntarily.
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