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Strangeworlds Travel Agency #1
The Strangeworlds Travel Agency
'Assured, witty and inventive. This debut has "future classic" written all over it.' - The Guardian
Pack your suitcase for a magical adventure! Perfect for fans of The Train to Impossible Places and Pages & Co.
At the Strangeworlds Travel Agency, each suitcase transports you to a different world. All you have to do is step inside . . .
When 12-year-old Flick Hudson accidentally ends up in the Strangeworlds Travel Agency, she uncovers a fantastic secret: there are hundreds of other worlds just steps away from ours. All you have to do to visit them is jump into the right suitcase. Then Flick gets the invitation of a lifetime: join Strangeworlds' magical travel society and explore other worlds.
But, unknown to Flick, the world at the very centre of it all, a city called Five Lights, is in danger. Buildings and even streets are mysteriously disappearing. Once Flick realizes what's happening she must race against time, travelling through unchartered worlds, seeking a way to fix Five Lights before it collapses into nothingness - and takes our world with it.
A magical adventure for 9+ readers that will take you to whole new worlds.
Pack your suitcase for a magical adventure! Perfect for fans of The Train to Impossible Places and Pages & Co.
At the Strangeworlds Travel Agency, each suitcase transports you to a different world. All you have to do is step inside . . .
When 12-year-old Flick Hudson accidentally ends up in the Strangeworlds Travel Agency, she uncovers a fantastic secret: there are hundreds of other worlds just steps away from ours. All you have to do to visit them is jump into the right suitcase. Then Flick gets the invitation of a lifetime: join Strangeworlds' magical travel society and explore other worlds.
But, unknown to Flick, the world at the very centre of it all, a city called Five Lights, is in danger. Buildings and even streets are mysteriously disappearing. Once Flick realizes what's happening she must race against time, travelling through unchartered worlds, seeking a way to fix Five Lights before it collapses into nothingness - and takes our world with it.
A magical adventure for 9+ readers that will take you to whole new worlds.
272 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 27, 2020
190 people are currently reading
4746 people want to read
About the author
L.D. Lapinski
17 books210 followersL. D. Lapinski is the best-selling author of JAMIE, Stepfather Christmas, and The Strangeworlds Travel Agency series, including Adventure in the Floating Mountains, which was a 2023 World Book Day title. JAMIE was nominated for the 2024 Yoto Carnegie Medal for Writing.
L. D's new middle-grade fantasy series ARTEZANS launches in February 2024 with the first book Artezans: The Forgotten Magic.
L. D.'s books are published around the world in fifteen languages, and each book in the Strangeworlds trilogy has been awarded a Kirkus star - one of the most coveted designations in the book industry,
marking books of exceptional merit.
L. D. Lapinski lives just outside Sherwood Forest with their family, a lot of books, and a cat called Hector. L. D. first wrote a book aged seven; it was made of lined paper and sellotape, and it was about a frog who owned an aeroplane. When L. D. grows up, they want to be a free-range guinea pig farmer.
L. D.'s literary agent is Claire Wilson at Rogers, Coleridge and White Literary Agency. For Film / TV, contact Emily Hayward Whitlock.
Twitter / Instagram / TikTok: @ldlapinski
L. D's new middle-grade fantasy series ARTEZANS launches in February 2024 with the first book Artezans: The Forgotten Magic.
L. D.'s books are published around the world in fifteen languages, and each book in the Strangeworlds trilogy has been awarded a Kirkus star - one of the most coveted designations in the book industry,
marking books of exceptional merit.
L. D. Lapinski lives just outside Sherwood Forest with their family, a lot of books, and a cat called Hector. L. D. first wrote a book aged seven; it was made of lined paper and sellotape, and it was about a frog who owned an aeroplane. When L. D. grows up, they want to be a free-range guinea pig farmer.
L. D.'s literary agent is Claire Wilson at Rogers, Coleridge and White Literary Agency. For Film / TV, contact Emily Hayward Whitlock.
Twitter / Instagram / TikTok: @ldlapinski
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 513 reviews
April 26, 2020
Imagine stepping into a suitcase and ending up in a jungle, or an enchanted forest, or a bright, bustling city filled with magic. Because that’s The Strangeworlds Travel Agency, the first book in a new series.
I want to step back into this world again and I’ve just finished it! We follow Flick who stumbles upon the travel agency that is ran by one young man - Jonathan - who oversees many different suitcases that open up to other worlds within the multiverse. It’s dangerous, but it’s exciting. I enjoyed reading about the rules of the Strangeworlds and what Flick has to learn to traverse these vast worlds. I love the idea of magic and consequence in this that I think works really well in setting the stakes very high by the end of the book.
This series has so much potential and can really go anywhere. There is a prominent mystery of what has happened to Jonathan’s missing father, so it was interesting to see them follow that trail. I also loved Nicc, a young Thief we meet in the City of Five Lights. She compliments Flick well, as both characters have good heads on their shoulders. The friendship that blossoms between Flick and Jonathan is also another highlight in this story.
Very excited for more books in this series - just absolutely magical and wonderful! It’s out now so be sure to grab yourself a copy!
I want to step back into this world again and I’ve just finished it! We follow Flick who stumbles upon the travel agency that is ran by one young man - Jonathan - who oversees many different suitcases that open up to other worlds within the multiverse. It’s dangerous, but it’s exciting. I enjoyed reading about the rules of the Strangeworlds and what Flick has to learn to traverse these vast worlds. I love the idea of magic and consequence in this that I think works really well in setting the stakes very high by the end of the book.
This series has so much potential and can really go anywhere. There is a prominent mystery of what has happened to Jonathan’s missing father, so it was interesting to see them follow that trail. I also loved Nicc, a young Thief we meet in the City of Five Lights. She compliments Flick well, as both characters have good heads on their shoulders. The friendship that blossoms between Flick and Jonathan is also another highlight in this story.
Very excited for more books in this series - just absolutely magical and wonderful! It’s out now so be sure to grab yourself a copy!
April 21, 2020
Twelve-year-old Flick Hudson, her mum, dad and little brother Freddy moved to their new home in the village of Little Wyverns, but Flick knew she’d hate it. She would miss her friends, the city – how could this little place be better than where she’d lived all her life? After a few days of helping her parents to unpack, Flick left the house to do some exploring. The village’s shops were fine but when she saw the small, old building with a sign which said “StrangeWorlds Travel Agency” she was curious. As she pushed open the door, she had no idea her life was about to get far more exciting and adventurous than it had ever been.
Jonathan Mercator was shocked when he met Flick and she showed magical tendencies. It was a long time since he’d met someone like her. And Flick’s excitement and trepidation at the knowledge of other worlds that she could visit by just choosing a suitcase then jumping inside made her keen to get started. But there was much to learn, and danger to be aware of before she could travel. What would happen when Flick and Jonathan journeyed to other worlds? And why and how could people just disappear?
The StrangeWorlds Travel Agency is the debut novel by UK writer L.D. Lapinski and I loved it! Written with youngsters in mind, if you love adventure, a little magic and lots of fun, you’ll really enjoy this delightful adventure story. Flick is a likeable character, and while Jonathan was reluctantly holding his position of Curator of The Strangeworlds Society, he and Flick became a good team. I really hope this is the beginning of a new series; I’d love to read more about Flick and The Strangeworlds Society. Highly recommended.
With thanks to Hachette Australia for my ARC to read in exchange for an honest review.
Jonathan Mercator was shocked when he met Flick and she showed magical tendencies. It was a long time since he’d met someone like her. And Flick’s excitement and trepidation at the knowledge of other worlds that she could visit by just choosing a suitcase then jumping inside made her keen to get started. But there was much to learn, and danger to be aware of before she could travel. What would happen when Flick and Jonathan journeyed to other worlds? And why and how could people just disappear?
The StrangeWorlds Travel Agency is the debut novel by UK writer L.D. Lapinski and I loved it! Written with youngsters in mind, if you love adventure, a little magic and lots of fun, you’ll really enjoy this delightful adventure story. Flick is a likeable character, and while Jonathan was reluctantly holding his position of Curator of The Strangeworlds Society, he and Flick became a good team. I really hope this is the beginning of a new series; I’d love to read more about Flick and The Strangeworlds Society. Highly recommended.
With thanks to Hachette Australia for my ARC to read in exchange for an honest review.
July 1, 2021
7.00 on CAWPILE
March 13, 2021
Keď som premýšľala nad tým, akým spôsobom budem hodnotiť túto knihu a čo o nej poviem, riešila som dve strany.
Mám hodnotiť knihu spôsobom, že si položím otázku, čo môže dať desaťročnému čitateľovi? Alebo ju budem hodnotiť z pohľadu dvadsaťtri ročnej ženy?
Rozhodla som sa pre druhú možnosť, keďže nemám vo svojom okolí žiadne mladé deti a nie som si istá, ako by som vnímala tú knihu v tej dobe ja. MYSLÍM SI, že by sa mi v tej dobe páčila a tešila by som sa na druhý diel. Desaťročný čitateľ nebýva veľmi náročný.
Ale dvadsaťtriročná žena áno, obzvlášť ak som ňou ja. A nanešťastie vydavateľstvo spravilo tú chybu, že ju promovalo ako nasledovníka Harryho Pottera. Veľmi zlý krok.
V prvej tretine mi kniha prišla skvelá. V prvom rade je výborne napísaná, pomerne vtipná a ponúkala niečo nové... Ako som však v čítaní pokračovala, začala som sa nudiť a navyše mi to začalo pripadať ako zlepenec množstva iných príbehov. Sú tu kufre, s ktorými sa dá cestovať medzi svetmi (čiže je to ako kombinácia TARDIS a kufra Newta Scamandera z Fantastických zverov), magická puklina (opäť Doctor Who), svet, kde ostávajú deti deťmi (ako stratení chlapci z Petra Pana) a osobne mám tiež pocit, že vo veľmi veľa detských príbehoch zmizne otec a dieťa sa vydá na dobrodružstvo ho hľadať (napríklad Artemis Fowl).
K stratenej originalite ešte môžeme pridať príbeh, ktorý bol spočiatku vzrušujúci, no nakoniec celkom meh. Až na jeden svet boli svety neveľmi odlišné od toho nášho a nakoniec bol príbeh veľmi monotónny. Na konci síce prišla nejaká akcia, no ja som už dávno stratila záujem, aby ma to zaujimalo.
Poviete si, že ale ja nie som cieľovou skupinou - máte pravdu. A tu je to, v čom spravilo vydavateľstvo chybu, keď to prirovnali k Harrymu Pooterovi (dvanásťročná hlavná postava a mágia v príbehu k tomu totiž nestačí) - Harry Potter síce je detská kniha, no môže niečo dať čitateľovi v každom veku.
Túto knihu môžem odporúčať len deťom. Nemyslím si síce, že je zlá, ale dospelým podľa mňa nič moc nedá a nič sa nestane, ak si ju neprečítate.
Do dvojky sa už určite púšťať nebudem, i keď uznávam, že ma zaujíma pár nezodpovedaných otázok.
Mám hodnotiť knihu spôsobom, že si položím otázku, čo môže dať desaťročnému čitateľovi? Alebo ju budem hodnotiť z pohľadu dvadsaťtri ročnej ženy?
Rozhodla som sa pre druhú možnosť, keďže nemám vo svojom okolí žiadne mladé deti a nie som si istá, ako by som vnímala tú knihu v tej dobe ja. MYSLÍM SI, že by sa mi v tej dobe páčila a tešila by som sa na druhý diel. Desaťročný čitateľ nebýva veľmi náročný.
Ale dvadsaťtriročná žena áno, obzvlášť ak som ňou ja. A nanešťastie vydavateľstvo spravilo tú chybu, že ju promovalo ako nasledovníka Harryho Pottera. Veľmi zlý krok.
V prvej tretine mi kniha prišla skvelá. V prvom rade je výborne napísaná, pomerne vtipná a ponúkala niečo nové... Ako som však v čítaní pokračovala, začala som sa nudiť a navyše mi to začalo pripadať ako zlepenec množstva iných príbehov. Sú tu kufre, s ktorými sa dá cestovať medzi svetmi (čiže je to ako kombinácia TARDIS a kufra Newta Scamandera z Fantastických zverov), magická puklina (opäť Doctor Who), svet, kde ostávajú deti deťmi (ako stratení chlapci z Petra Pana) a osobne mám tiež pocit, že vo veľmi veľa detských príbehoch zmizne otec a dieťa sa vydá na dobrodružstvo ho hľadať (napríklad Artemis Fowl).
K stratenej originalite ešte môžeme pridať príbeh, ktorý bol spočiatku vzrušujúci, no nakoniec celkom meh. Až na jeden svet boli svety neveľmi odlišné od toho nášho a nakoniec bol príbeh veľmi monotónny. Na konci síce prišla nejaká akcia, no ja som už dávno stratila záujem, aby ma to zaujimalo.
Poviete si, že ale ja nie som cieľovou skupinou - máte pravdu. A tu je to, v čom spravilo vydavateľstvo chybu, keď to prirovnali k Harrymu Pooterovi (dvanásťročná hlavná postava a mágia v príbehu k tomu totiž nestačí) - Harry Potter síce je detská kniha, no môže niečo dať čitateľovi v každom veku.
Túto knihu môžem odporúčať len deťom. Nemyslím si síce, že je zlá, ale dospelým podľa mňa nič moc nedá a nič sa nestane, ak si ju neprečítate.
Do dvojky sa už určite púšťať nebudem, i keď uznávam, že ma zaujíma pár nezodpovedaných otázok.
January 1, 2022
What a delightful middle grade read with full of adventure and wonder. Want to read the next book right away. Let's hope my library has book two in stock!
July 29, 2020
Is it just me who finds the 'friendship' between an 18 year old boy and a 12 year old girl a bit uncomfortable? I'm not convinced that telling children it's okay to step into strange mens suitcases if they promise you it takes you to a magical world is the best idea
September 4, 2020
A fun, adventurous middle grade! It didn’t fully hook me, but I had a good time reading it 😊✨
March 6, 2021
comme j’aime ces univers merveilleux. j’aime ces histoires dans lesquelles le protagoniste ne sait pas qu’il a de la magie en lui. j’ai pensé à Nevermoor en lisant ce livre et j’ai beaucoup aimé! j’ai aimé l’intrigue et l’univers dans lequel on est plongé. j’ai bien bien apprécié suivre les personnages et voyager au travers ces mondes. vivement la suite! je recommande fortement!!!
January 16, 2021
really struggled to click with this one, has all the pieces to be something i like and yet...?
June 27, 2021
Δείτε επίσης και στο Chill and read
Δε θα ήταν μαγικά υπέροχο να μπορείτε να ταξιδέψετε σε άλλους κόσμους; Κόσμους τόσο διαφορετικούς από τον δικό μας; Ε λοιπόν, το Ταξιδιωτικό Πρακτορείο «Οι Παράξενοι Κόσμοι» προσφέρει αυτή ακριβώς την υπηρεσία! Μια ευκαιρία να βρεθεί κανείς σε έναν παράξενο κόσμο μπαίνοντας μέσα σε μία βαλίτσα!
Η Φλικ Χάντσον έχει μόλις μετακομίσει με την οικογένειά της από την πόλη και το μικρό στενάχωρο σπίτι τους, στην εξοχή, όπου θα είναι όλοι πολύ πιο άνετα. Έχει μπροστά της τις διακοπές του καλοκαιριού ώστε να γνωρίσει το χωριό και να συνηθίσει το νέο μέρος. Ένα από τα πρώτα μαγαζιά που βρίσκει είναι ένα ταξιδιωτικό πρακτορείο λιγάκι διαφορετικό από τα άλλα. Δεν έχει αφίσες, ούτε υπολογιστές για τα προσφέρει πακέτα διακοπών, όπως τα περισσότερα ταξιδιωτικά πρακτορεία που γνωρίζει. Έχει όμως πολλές, πάρα πολλές βαλίτσες! Ράφια ολόκληρα γεμάτα βαλίτσες,. Μαγικές βαλίτσες που σε μεταφέρουν σε άλλους κόσμους. Για να τις χρησιμοποιήσεις όμως πρέπει να είσαι μέλος της Λέσχης Παράξενων Κόσμων.
Η Φλικ ενθουσιάζεται όταν δέχεται μια πρόσκληση να γίνει μέλος της Λέσχης. Δεν την τρομάζουν οι κανόνες τις Λέσχης, ούτε το βιβλίο που πρέπει να διαβάσει για να ξέρει με τι πάει να μπλέξει. Σύντομα όμως θα καταλάβει πως κάτι ύποπτο συμβαίνει στο μαγικό πολυσύμπαν. Οι πιο γνωστοί Παράξενοι Κόσμοι είναι αναστατωμένοι. Ολόκληροι δρόμοι εξαφανίζονται από κάποιες πόλεις ενώ χιονοθύελλες ξεσπούν μες στην καρδιά του καλοκαιριού. Με οδηγό τον Τζόναθαν Μερκάτορ, τον Επικεφαλή Φύλακα της Λέσχης, η Φλικ θα προσπαθήσει να καταλάβει τι συμβαίνει και θα κάνει ό,τι μπορεί για να διορθώσει την κατάσταση.
Το πρώτο βιβλίο της σειράς «Ταξιδιωτικό Πρακτορείο» έχει σκοπό να ιντριγκάρει τον αναγνώστη μέσα από τη μαγεία που σκορπάει ολόγυρα. Με ήρωες δυο παιδιά, ένα δωδεκάχρονο κορίτσι κι ένα μεγαλύτερο αγόρι, καταφέρνει να τραβήξει το ενδιαφέρον του αναγνώστη. Καταρχήν, η Φλικ είναι η μεγάλη αδερφή ενός νηπίου, ενός παιδιού που θέλει πολύ φροντίδα και κόρη δύο ανθρώπων που δουλεύουν άπειρες ώρες. Η εικόνα που σχηματίζει κανείς για τη μικρή ηρωίδα, είναι πως αναγκάζεται να γίνει από πολύ μικρή, πολύ υπεύθυνη και με πολλές αρμοδιότητες στη πλάτη της από τόσο νωρίς. Για να δουλεύουν όλα ρολόι στο σπίτι, όσο οι γονείς της λείπουν πρέπει να την εμπιστεύονται πως θα κάνει αυτό που πρέπει, θα φροντίσει το σπίτι και το μικρό της αδερφό όπως και τον εαυτό της. Αναγκαστικά, έχει μάθει να είναι πολύ πιο προσεχτική από τα άλλα παιδιά της ηλικίας της. Φαίνεται πως της λείπει η ξεγνοιασιά και το παιχνίδι, οπότε δεν είναι να απορεί κανείς που αποφασίζει να εξερευνήσει παράξενους κόσμους που προσεγγίζονται μέσα από βαλίτσες, παρέα με ένα αγόρι που μόλις γνώρισε.
Ο Τζόναθαν έχει αναλάβει τη φροντίδα του πρακτορείου χωρίς να έχει εκπαιδευτεί πλήρως ως Επικεφαλής Φύλακας και ενώ υπάρχουν πολλά ακόμα που αγνοεί. Όπως για παράδειγμα τι ακριβώς συνέβη στη μητέρα του και που μπορεί να βρίσκεται ο πατέρας του. Είναι σίγουρος πως βρίσκεται κάπου στο πολυσύμπαν, όμως δεν έχει ιδέα που και γιατί έφυγε. Έχει σταματήσει να τον αναζητά, αφού έψαξε στα πιο πιθανά σημεία, όμως όταν συναντά ένα κορίτσι που βλέπει τη μαγεία τόσο ξεκάθαρα όσο η Φλικ, αποφασίζει πως αξίζει τον κόπο να κάνει άλλη μια προσπάθεια να τον εντοπίσει.
Οι δυο τους θα μπλέξουν σε μια περιπέτεια χωρίς προηγούμενο. Θα βρεθούν σε κόσμους με ξωτικά που δε μεγαλώνουν ποτέ, αλλά μένουν πάντα παιδιά, αλλά και σε άλλους από τους οποίους έχουν εξαφανιστεί ολόκληρα χωριά. Θα ταξιδέψουν στην Πόλη των Πέντε Φώτων, το κέντρο του πολυσύμπαντος και θα έρθουν αντιμέτωποι με κάτι που δεν περιμένουν.
Μια φανταστική ιστορία γεμάτη μαγεία και ένα εξαιρετικό πρώτο βιβλίο που προϊδεάζει για μια εξίσου μαγική συνέχεια!
Κατάλληλο για παιδιά από 9 ετών
Δε θα ήταν μαγικά υπέροχο να μπορείτε να ταξιδέψετε σε άλλους κόσμους; Κόσμους τόσο διαφορετικούς από τον δικό μας; Ε λοιπόν, το Ταξιδιωτικό Πρακτορείο «Οι Παράξενοι Κόσμοι» προσφέρει αυτή ακριβώς την υπηρεσία! Μια ευκαιρία να βρεθεί κανείς σε έναν παράξενο κόσμο μπαίνοντας μέσα σε μία βαλίτσα!
Η Φλικ Χάντσον έχει μόλις μετακομίσει με την οικογένειά της από την πόλη και το μικρό στενάχωρο σπίτι τους, στην εξοχή, όπου θα είναι όλοι πολύ πιο άνετα. Έχει μπροστά της τις διακοπές του καλοκαιριού ώστε να γνωρίσει το χωριό και να συνηθίσει το νέο μέρος. Ένα από τα πρώτα μαγαζιά που βρίσκει είναι ένα ταξιδιωτικό πρακτορείο λιγάκι διαφορετικό από τα άλλα. Δεν έχει αφίσες, ούτε υπολογιστές για τα προσφέρει πακέτα διακοπών, όπως τα περισσότερα ταξιδιωτικά πρακτορεία που γνωρίζει. Έχει όμως πολλές, πάρα πολλές βαλίτσες! Ράφια ολόκληρα γεμάτα βαλίτσες,. Μαγικές βαλίτσες που σε μεταφέρουν σε άλλους κόσμους. Για να τις χρησιμοποιήσεις όμως πρέπει να είσαι μέλος της Λέσχης Παράξενων Κόσμων.
Η Φλικ ενθουσιάζεται όταν δέχεται μια πρόσκληση να γίνει μέλος της Λέσχης. Δεν την τρομάζουν οι κανόνες τις Λέσχης, ούτε το βιβλίο που πρέπει να διαβάσει για να ξέρει με τι πάει να μπλέξει. Σύντομα όμως θα καταλάβει πως κάτι ύποπτο συμβαίνει στο μαγικό πολυσύμπαν. Οι πιο γνωστοί Παράξενοι Κόσμοι είναι αναστατωμένοι. Ολόκληροι δρόμοι εξαφανίζονται από κάποιες πόλεις ενώ χιονοθύελλες ξεσπούν μες στην καρδιά του καλοκαιριού. Με οδηγό τον Τζόναθαν Μερκάτορ, τον Επικεφαλή Φύλακα της Λέσχης, η Φλικ θα προσπαθήσει να καταλάβει τι συμβαίνει και θα κάνει ό,τι μπορεί για να διορθώσει την κατάσταση.
Το πρώτο βιβλίο της σειράς «Ταξιδιωτικό Πρακτορείο» έχει σκοπό να ιντριγκάρει τον αναγνώστη μέσα από τη μαγεία που σκορπάει ολόγυρα. Με ήρωες δυο παιδιά, ένα δωδεκάχρονο κορίτσι κι ένα μεγαλύτερο αγόρι, καταφέρνει να τραβήξει το ενδιαφέρον του αναγνώστη. Καταρχήν, η Φλικ είναι η μεγάλη αδερφή ενός νηπίου, ενός παιδιού που θέλει πολύ φροντίδα και κόρη δύο ανθρώπων που δουλεύουν άπειρες ώρες. Η εικόνα που σχηματίζει κανείς για τη μικρή ηρωίδα, είναι πως αναγκάζεται να γίνει από πολύ μικρή, πολύ υπεύθυνη και με πολλές αρμοδιότητες στη πλάτη της από τόσο νωρίς. Για να δουλεύουν όλα ρολόι στο σπίτι, όσο οι γονείς της λείπουν πρέπει να την εμπιστεύονται πως θα κάνει αυτό που πρέπει, θα φροντίσει το σπίτι και το μικρό της αδερφό όπως και τον εαυτό της. Αναγκαστικά, έχει μάθει να είναι πολύ πιο προσεχτική από τα άλλα παιδιά της ηλικίας της. Φαίνεται πως της λείπει η ξεγνοιασιά και το παιχνίδι, οπότε δεν είναι να απορεί κανείς που αποφασίζει να εξερευνήσει παράξενους κόσμους που προσεγγίζονται μέσα από βαλίτσες, παρέα με ένα αγόρι που μόλις γνώρισε.
Ο Τζόναθαν έχει αναλάβει τη φροντίδα του πρακτορείου χωρίς να έχει εκπαιδευτεί πλήρως ως Επικεφαλής Φύλακας και ενώ υπάρχουν πολλά ακόμα που αγνοεί. Όπως για παράδειγμα τι ακριβώς συνέβη στη μητέρα του και που μπορεί να βρίσκεται ο πατέρας του. Είναι σίγουρος πως βρίσκεται κάπου στο πολυσύμπαν, όμως δεν έχει ιδέα που και γιατί έφυγε. Έχει σταματήσει να τον αναζητά, αφού έψαξε στα πιο πιθανά σημεία, όμως όταν συναντά ένα κορίτσι που βλέπει τη μαγεία τόσο ξεκάθαρα όσο η Φλικ, αποφασίζει πως αξίζει τον κόπο να κάνει άλλη μια προσπάθεια να τον εντοπίσει.
Οι δυο τους θα μπλέξουν σε μια περιπέτεια χωρίς προηγούμενο. Θα βρεθούν σε κόσμους με ξωτικά που δε μεγαλώνουν ποτέ, αλλά μένουν πάντα παιδιά, αλλά και σε άλλους από τους οποίους έχουν εξαφανιστεί ολόκληρα χωριά. Θα ταξιδέψουν στην Πόλη των Πέντε Φώτων, το κέντρο του πολυσύμπαντος και θα έρθουν αντιμέτωποι με κάτι που δεν περιμένουν.
Μια φανταστική ιστορία γεμάτη μαγεία και ένα εξαιρετικό πρώτο βιβλίο που προϊδεάζει για μια εξίσου μαγική συνέχεια!
Κατάλληλο για παιδιά από 9 ετών
November 5, 2021
a brilliantly imaginative and action packed adventure full of heart and whimsy… this was so much fun!!!
September 11, 2021
Είναι απίστευτο πόσο μαγική μπορεί να γίνει η παιδική λογοτεχνία. Ίσως γιατί αγγίζοντας την παιδική καρδιά ξέρει να βρίσκει τις πιο ευαίσθητες χορδές μέσα μας.
Οι παράξενοι κόσμοι άγγιξαν λοιπόν τη δική μου καρδιά. Ένα σύμπαν, άπειροι κόσμοι, μια μυστική κοινότητα και ένας αόρατος εχθρός συνθέτουν μια ιστορία που βρίθει από μαγεία σε κάθε σελίδα.
Δεύτερος αλλά συνάμα κεντρικός άξονας της, η φιλία και οι ανθρώπινες σχέσεις δοσμένες με ευαισθησία και ωριμότητα.
Η κοσμογραφία (world building) άκρως απολαυστική, γαργαλάει την εικονοπλαστική δύναμη του εγκεφάλου και ξεπηδώντας από τις σελίδες αποκτά απτή, τρισδιάστατη μορφή και υπόσταση.
Το τέλος μας αφήνει στο χείλος του γκρεμού που λέμε, αλά ελληνιστί, με μια γλυκύτητα όμως που υπόσχεται μια εξίσου συναρπαστική συνέχεια.
Το αγάπησα και το προτείνω σε όλους ❤️. Ειδικά αν έχετε αγαπήσει Νεβερμορ, Ματιλντα και βιβλιοπεριπλανητές έχετε έναν παραπάνω λόγο να το διαβάσετε ❤️❤️.
Οι παράξενοι κόσμοι άγγιξαν λοιπόν τη δική μου καρδιά. Ένα σύμπαν, άπειροι κόσμοι, μια μυστική κοινότητα και ένας αόρατος εχθρός συνθέτουν μια ιστορία που βρίθει από μαγεία σε κάθε σελίδα.
Δεύτερος αλλά συνάμα κεντρικός άξονας της, η φιλία και οι ανθρώπινες σχέσεις δοσμένες με ευαισθησία και ωριμότητα.
Η κοσμογραφία (world building) άκρως απολαυστική, γαργαλάει την εικονοπλαστική δύναμη του εγκεφάλου και ξεπηδώντας από τις σελίδες αποκτά απτή, τρισδιάστατη μορφή και υπόσταση.
Το τέλος μας αφήνει στο χείλος του γκρεμού που λέμε, αλά ελληνιστί, με μια γλυκύτητα όμως που υπόσχεται μια εξίσου συναρπαστική συνέχεια.
Το αγάπησα και το προτείνω σε όλους ❤️. Ειδικά αν έχετε αγαπήσει Νεβερμορ, Ματιλντα και βιβλιοπεριπλανητές έχετε έναν παραπάνω λόγο να το διαβάσετε ❤️❤️.
December 6, 2020
A NEWFOUND FAVOURITE MIDDLEGRADE!! Every year at Christmastime in the bookshop, I have one middlegrade title that I think is so fantastic and versatile that I want to (and actually do!) recommend it to everyone shopping for their children/ grand-children/ weird neighour's child that they know nothing of but feel obligated to buy a book. THIS IS THIS YEAR'S BOOK!
STRANGEWORLDS TRAVEL AGENCY is a wonderful story from start to finish - full of heart, whimsy and adventure, as well as twists and turns. Its worldbuilding is absolutely fascinating, the plot gripping and the stories unforgivable. Lapinski takes the figure of the mentor and offers one of the quirkiest, loveliest takes on it.
I'd recommend this book to everyone and cannot wait to see what else the author has in store for the rest of the series!
STRANGEWORLDS TRAVEL AGENCY is a wonderful story from start to finish - full of heart, whimsy and adventure, as well as twists and turns. Its worldbuilding is absolutely fascinating, the plot gripping and the stories unforgivable. Lapinski takes the figure of the mentor and offers one of the quirkiest, loveliest takes on it.
I'd recommend this book to everyone and cannot wait to see what else the author has in store for the rest of the series!
July 15, 2021
I am not a huge fantasy fan, but the Strangeworlds Travel Agency hooked me in and had me reading on for more.
Flick is 12 and she and her family have just moved to a new village. Her parents are always busy and, in Flick's eyes, they aren't very interesting! As she is exploring her new community she comes across the strange travel agency, and its custodian, Jonathan... an interesting young man who made me want to find out more about him!
Flick finds out that she can see magic and Jonathan shows her how to use the suitcases in the agency to move between worlds.
This ability takes on a meaning beyond being a bit of fun when Jonathan divulges that his dad has gone missing somewhere out there and he desperately wants to find him.
After a nervous start Flick realises that things are not well in the multiverse and there are people out there who do not have its best interests at heart.
The plot moves swiftly, the characters are nuanced and complex, and the storyline is well thought out. A great read.
Flick is 12 and she and her family have just moved to a new village. Her parents are always busy and, in Flick's eyes, they aren't very interesting! As she is exploring her new community she comes across the strange travel agency, and its custodian, Jonathan... an interesting young man who made me want to find out more about him!
Flick finds out that she can see magic and Jonathan shows her how to use the suitcases in the agency to move between worlds.
This ability takes on a meaning beyond being a bit of fun when Jonathan divulges that his dad has gone missing somewhere out there and he desperately wants to find him.
After a nervous start Flick realises that things are not well in the multiverse and there are people out there who do not have its best interests at heart.
The plot moves swiftly, the characters are nuanced and complex, and the storyline is well thought out. A great read.
March 24, 2021
3.7 *
Veľmi milý príbeh, v ktorom spoznáme dvanásťročnú Flick, otrávenú večným staraním sa o mladšieho bračeka. K nálade jej nepridá ani sťahovanie sa z mesta na dedinu, no veľmi rýchlo objaví starý obchod, z ktorého sa vykľuje Cestovná agentúra Tajné svety. V nej po otcovom zmiznutí šefuje osemnásťročný Jonathan Mercator.
Objavíme nový svet plný kufrov, ktoré vedú do rôznych častí multiverza. Kniha je pre decká ako stvorená, plná dobrodružstiev a posolstiev. Ukazuje, že by sme sa mali starať o svoj svet a neničiť ho sebeckými činmi. Takisto v nej nájdeme úskalia v budovaní nového priateľstva a to, že aj dobrí ľudia vedia v zármutku spraviť veľmi zlé rozhodnutia. Stále by však mali dostať druhú šancu.
Hodnotenie by som dala aj vyššie, no boli tam nejaké nedotiahnuté maličkosti (decká sa v každom svete záhadne dohovoria, nezaťažujú sa prevlekmi, autorka niekedy priveľa vysvetľuje a opisuje vzťahy medzi postavami, namiesto, aby nás nechala si niektoré veci domyslieť)
Dlhšia recenzia tuto https://www.fandom.sk/clanok/recenzia...
Veľmi milý príbeh, v ktorom spoznáme dvanásťročnú Flick, otrávenú večným staraním sa o mladšieho bračeka. K nálade jej nepridá ani sťahovanie sa z mesta na dedinu, no veľmi rýchlo objaví starý obchod, z ktorého sa vykľuje Cestovná agentúra Tajné svety. V nej po otcovom zmiznutí šefuje osemnásťročný Jonathan Mercator.
Objavíme nový svet plný kufrov, ktoré vedú do rôznych častí multiverza. Kniha je pre decká ako stvorená, plná dobrodružstiev a posolstiev. Ukazuje, že by sme sa mali starať o svoj svet a neničiť ho sebeckými činmi. Takisto v nej nájdeme úskalia v budovaní nového priateľstva a to, že aj dobrí ľudia vedia v zármutku spraviť veľmi zlé rozhodnutia. Stále by však mali dostať druhú šancu.
Hodnotenie by som dala aj vyššie, no boli tam nejaké nedotiahnuté maličkosti (decká sa v každom svete záhadne dohovoria, nezaťažujú sa prevlekmi, autorka niekedy priveľa vysvetľuje a opisuje vzťahy medzi postavami, namiesto, aby nás nechala si niektoré veci domyslieť)
Dlhšia recenzia tuto https://www.fandom.sk/clanok/recenzia...
September 15, 2020
Imagine a world where you can travel to other worlds with suitcases.
I have had my eyes on this one for a while and then I decided to buy it. While I did like the book, I don’t know it just missed something. Throughout the book it just felt incomplete. There was something missing that kept me from wanting to flip the pages.
I loved the beginning, I loved the travel agency, I love the idea that one can travel through suitcases, that there are so many worlds to discover. There are also rules which made me happy, because otherwise it would just been too easy to go to these worlds. I love that you could bring a suitcase with you, and that NO MATTER what, you couldn’t lose it. The explanation on how the suitcases work was fab, and I like that there were guidebooks and that we even get a glimpse inside, I would definitely love a separate book with maps and guide stuff. Not just pages in the official book, but a full book of it.
I love how Flick found the agency and how quickly she befriended Jonathan. I loved how she found a home away from her home. And I loved how, unlike so many other books about characters finding out about magic she stays cool and calm. She doesn’t even believe it at first despite what she saw. I love how down to earth she is, but how as the story continues she is getting more and more enthusiastic about it, more open and more believing.
Flick’s official name was also nice, Felicity.
The cover is a delight and is just so much fun.
I loved discovering the worlds and seeing what kind of worlds there were. From forests to Peter Pan situations (and I laughed so hard on how they escaped). The author did well on describing the worlds and I could just envision myself at the worlds and travel along with our duo (or Jonathan/Flick alone).
There were parts of Jonathan I liked and I did feel sorry for him for the losses he had in his life. I loved that nearer to the end he decided to go for it and what he did was just WOW. He went through so much for Flick. I loved how he tried his best to help the agency, learn about things, be strict despite whatever his age must be and how old the other travellers are.
Nicc has a special place in my heart. I love that little Thief. I thought at first she may turn out to be a baddie (like the Overseer) but she turned out to be a sweet girl who was just trying to make a living.
Jonathan, I never could get a grip on his age. At the one hand he felt like 14-15, but on the other hand also 30. It was utterly confusing for me.
Plus, his personality never felt OK to me. I don’t know, he was just so secretive, something was just off. Not to mention that what he held from Flick? I saw that coming a mile of. His reaction to when Flick showed that she knew magic was just too much.
There are very many more questions and mysteries to be answered and solved and that is also the reason why I am rating this one a bit lower because it just seemed we never get that. Instead it just piles on and on and on. It does give the story a bit more excitement.. but it is just frustrating as well.
Flick’s parents were just not my fav. I am happy to read that they do things for Flick, but you cannot expect your 12-year old to care for her baby brother the way she does. Feeding, cleaning, playing, caring. I get you have a job, but you got a kid, it is your baby, take care of it. Don’t dump it all with your other kid who wants to have a life and play.
Review first posted at https://twirlingbookprincess.com/
I have had my eyes on this one for a while and then I decided to buy it. While I did like the book, I don’t know it just missed something. Throughout the book it just felt incomplete. There was something missing that kept me from wanting to flip the pages.
I loved the beginning, I loved the travel agency, I love the idea that one can travel through suitcases, that there are so many worlds to discover. There are also rules which made me happy, because otherwise it would just been too easy to go to these worlds. I love that you could bring a suitcase with you, and that NO MATTER what, you couldn’t lose it. The explanation on how the suitcases work was fab, and I like that there were guidebooks and that we even get a glimpse inside, I would definitely love a separate book with maps and guide stuff. Not just pages in the official book, but a full book of it.
I love how Flick found the agency and how quickly she befriended Jonathan. I loved how she found a home away from her home. And I loved how, unlike so many other books about characters finding out about magic she stays cool and calm. She doesn’t even believe it at first despite what she saw. I love how down to earth she is, but how as the story continues she is getting more and more enthusiastic about it, more open and more believing.
Flick’s official name was also nice, Felicity.
The cover is a delight and is just so much fun.
I loved discovering the worlds and seeing what kind of worlds there were. From forests to Peter Pan situations (and I laughed so hard on how they escaped). The author did well on describing the worlds and I could just envision myself at the worlds and travel along with our duo (or Jonathan/Flick alone).
There were parts of Jonathan I liked and I did feel sorry for him for the losses he had in his life. I loved that nearer to the end he decided to go for it and what he did was just WOW. He went through so much for Flick. I loved how he tried his best to help the agency, learn about things, be strict despite whatever his age must be and how old the other travellers are.
Nicc has a special place in my heart. I love that little Thief. I thought at first she may turn out to be a baddie (like the Overseer) but she turned out to be a sweet girl who was just trying to make a living.
Jonathan, I never could get a grip on his age. At the one hand he felt like 14-15, but on the other hand also 30. It was utterly confusing for me.
Plus, his personality never felt OK to me. I don’t know, he was just so secretive, something was just off. Not to mention that what he held from Flick? I saw that coming a mile of. His reaction to when Flick showed that she knew magic was just too much.
There are very many more questions and mysteries to be answered and solved and that is also the reason why I am rating this one a bit lower because it just seemed we never get that. Instead it just piles on and on and on. It does give the story a bit more excitement.. but it is just frustrating as well.
Flick’s parents were just not my fav. I am happy to read that they do things for Flick, but you cannot expect your 12-year old to care for her baby brother the way she does. Feeding, cleaning, playing, caring. I get you have a job, but you got a kid, it is your baby, take care of it. Don’t dump it all with your other kid who wants to have a life and play.
Review first posted at https://twirlingbookprincess.com/
July 22, 2021
This book was so much fun! Any kid would love the idea of traveling to different lands and worlds so having a new series take the reader on this journey is a great idea. So glad that the next one is coming out next month, we cannot wait!
March 14, 2024
Why did I put off reading this for so long? This is exactly the kind of middlegrade adventure I love, with fun worldbuilding full of whimsy and characters full of heart. Can't wait to read the sequels, luckily I checked out all three books from the library!
May 15, 2020
Felicity Hudson may only be twelve, but a family house move from a city to a village, combined with the scary prospect of a new school after the summer, means Flick has to grab chances to explore whenever she can. And what she comes across wandering down a Victorian arcade is a shabby shopfront:
This is the travel agency of the title. And a very odd travel agency it is with, unsurprisingly, a clue in its name. But first of all Flick has to cross the threshold, after which the things will never be the same. Is it fate that has driven her here?
The Strangeworlds Travel Agency turns out to be a classic portal fantasy, allowing access to places beyond our own mundane existence, places where magic exists and may be made visible when looking through a special magnifying glass. Do you remember Newt Scamander's case from Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them? Just like Newt's container the suitcases of the agency open up to allow one to enter not merely an expanded TARDIS-like space but alien worlds; and yet like those viewed by Will in The Subtle Knife not all worlds are like Earth, nor are they without peril.
Flick's human guide is the young-looking yet old-fashioned eighteen-year-old Jonathan Mercator, the only member of staff at the agency. And when he discovers she can see otherwise invisible phenomenon in a special magnifying glass he invites her to join the secret Strangeways Society, with the possibility of travelling to other worlds in the multiverse.
But something is wrong at the presumed 'hub' of this multiverse, the city of Five Lights, where streets are disappearing and magic is leaking away; and it's somehow related to a guild of thieves and the mysterious disappearance of Jonathan's father. Is the crisis something that Jonathan and Flick can start to address or will a disagreement come between them?
This is a rip-roaring and assured debut fantasy, and a promising start to a planned series. Yes, there are echoes of other fantasies but the author has blazed her own unique path through an otherwise well-trodden terrain, and has narrated it with a distinctive voice and an engaging style. I loved the sometimes fractious interplay between the precocious Flick and the pretentious Jonathan; I liked the echoes of mapmaking and exploration in names such as Mercator and Hudson, and the amusing names of thieves such as Pinch, Swype and Nicc; I wondered at the likelihood that a village would be called Little Wyverns; and I approved that moral issues such as cheating and lying were being wrestled with by some of the characters, and that Flick's home situation -- not the easiest with both parents working, plus a toddler brother into everything -- meant that, possibly unfairly, she was faced with big responsibilities for her age.
There is a satisfying resolution to this first instalment after an exciting roller-coaster ride, but the several loose ends -- Jonathan's missing father, the mystery about the founder of the Strangeworlds Society, the fate of the Overseer of the Thieves of First Lights, the nature of the so-called schisms that can be contained in the Society's suitcases, and how it is that an ordinary schoolgirl has the magical abilities that she has -- all point at welcome sequels yet to come. As the final sentence hints, the agency's door -- like its suitcases, and like the covers of a book -- is a two-way portal.
Beside the church, leaning drunkenly into the alleyway, was a tiny, squashed-looking shop with a big bay window [which] looked the same as the other shops on the street: old, unpopular, rather unloved, and as though it might have a bit of a weird smell.
This is the travel agency of the title. And a very odd travel agency it is with, unsurprisingly, a clue in its name. But first of all Flick has to cross the threshold, after which the things will never be the same. Is it fate that has driven her here?
The Strangeworlds Travel Agency turns out to be a classic portal fantasy, allowing access to places beyond our own mundane existence, places where magic exists and may be made visible when looking through a special magnifying glass. Do you remember Newt Scamander's case from Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them? Just like Newt's container the suitcases of the agency open up to allow one to enter not merely an expanded TARDIS-like space but alien worlds; and yet like those viewed by Will in The Subtle Knife not all worlds are like Earth, nor are they without peril.
Flick's human guide is the young-looking yet old-fashioned eighteen-year-old Jonathan Mercator, the only member of staff at the agency. And when he discovers she can see otherwise invisible phenomenon in a special magnifying glass he invites her to join the secret Strangeways Society, with the possibility of travelling to other worlds in the multiverse.
But something is wrong at the presumed 'hub' of this multiverse, the city of Five Lights, where streets are disappearing and magic is leaking away; and it's somehow related to a guild of thieves and the mysterious disappearance of Jonathan's father. Is the crisis something that Jonathan and Flick can start to address or will a disagreement come between them?
This is a rip-roaring and assured debut fantasy, and a promising start to a planned series. Yes, there are echoes of other fantasies but the author has blazed her own unique path through an otherwise well-trodden terrain, and has narrated it with a distinctive voice and an engaging style. I loved the sometimes fractious interplay between the precocious Flick and the pretentious Jonathan; I liked the echoes of mapmaking and exploration in names such as Mercator and Hudson, and the amusing names of thieves such as Pinch, Swype and Nicc; I wondered at the likelihood that a village would be called Little Wyverns; and I approved that moral issues such as cheating and lying were being wrestled with by some of the characters, and that Flick's home situation -- not the easiest with both parents working, plus a toddler brother into everything -- meant that, possibly unfairly, she was faced with big responsibilities for her age.
There is a satisfying resolution to this first instalment after an exciting roller-coaster ride, but the several loose ends -- Jonathan's missing father, the mystery about the founder of the Strangeworlds Society, the fate of the Overseer of the Thieves of First Lights, the nature of the so-called schisms that can be contained in the Society's suitcases, and how it is that an ordinary schoolgirl has the magical abilities that she has -- all point at welcome sequels yet to come. As the final sentence hints, the agency's door -- like its suitcases, and like the covers of a book -- is a two-way portal.
She stepped through the door of The Strangeworlds Travel Agency, out of one world and into another.
May 24, 2021
Flick Hudson is 12 and is invited to join the Strangeworlds Society and she is thrilled, but quickly realises that something isn't right in the magical multiverse. Blizzards are hitting in the middle of summer, entire streets are disappearing in the City of Five Lights (the hub of magic) and one suitcase leads her to a world that has been completely abandoned. Soon, Flick is breaking all sorts of society rules and pushing the very limits of magic to try to figure out what is going on and to find out what happened to Jonathan's father.
I love this book so much and the author has a great imagination and I definitely could not have thought of this idea, it is just so creative! It's a fantastic whirlwind of magic and adventure. The cover of the book is so unique and draws you in and you can identify it anywhere! The question is, have you read it?
I love this book so much and the author has a great imagination and I definitely could not have thought of this idea, it is just so creative! It's a fantastic whirlwind of magic and adventure. The cover of the book is so unique and draws you in and you can identify it anywhere! The question is, have you read it?
November 20, 2021
Now I've read and loved many middle-grade books - even though I've far outgrown the target demographic - but this one just missed the mark for me, unfortunately.
I enjoyed so much about it that I wanted it to be better. The concept is cool (travel across the multiverse, to worlds boasting differing gravity, currencies, norms and more), and a lot of the ideas and characters were fascinating.
But the book lacks the magical spark that would really make it come alive. That's especially true of its main characters - 12-year-old Flick Hudson and 18-year-old Strangeworlds Custodian Jonathan Mercator. Neither of them felt particularly real to me, something which became clearer in relief, when minor characters sprang to fully formed, sparkling life later in the book - like cheeky Thief with a conscience, Nicc; or the Quicksparks.
I wanted to read more about them, to be honest, based on their relatively brief appearances, than keep following Flick's magical journey towards self-actualisation or Jonathan coming to terms with his tortured past marked by grief and abandonment.
I'm intrigued enough to keep going - but not right away, even though I already have the second book in my possession. If that counts for anything in terms of how much I enjoyed reading this book?!
I enjoyed so much about it that I wanted it to be better. The concept is cool (travel across the multiverse, to worlds boasting differing gravity, currencies, norms and more), and a lot of the ideas and characters were fascinating.
But the book lacks the magical spark that would really make it come alive. That's especially true of its main characters - 12-year-old Flick Hudson and 18-year-old Strangeworlds Custodian Jonathan Mercator. Neither of them felt particularly real to me, something which became clearer in relief, when minor characters sprang to fully formed, sparkling life later in the book - like cheeky Thief with a conscience, Nicc; or the Quicksparks.
I wanted to read more about them, to be honest, based on their relatively brief appearances, than keep following Flick's magical journey towards self-actualisation or Jonathan coming to terms with his tortured past marked by grief and abandonment.
I'm intrigued enough to keep going - but not right away, even though I already have the second book in my possession. If that counts for anything in terms of how much I enjoyed reading this book?!
December 6, 2021
Delicious kids' fantasy that I started by mistake - I think I thought it was YA - and then devoured through to the end anyway because it is lovely! Textured and great fun and beautifully written and so wonderfully queer, Flick is our sweet sensible tween girl heroine and her sidekick is Jonathan, who is a neurotic tweed-wearing 18yo trans man, I adore them both. Highly recommend.
August 15, 2020
4,5! This was so much fun! If you like middle grade I highly recommend it!
October 21, 2021
I WANT TO READ BOOK TWO STRAIGHT AWAY ...
March 25, 2021
Nápad s cestovaním pomocou kufrov do iných svetov? Veď to je úžasný nápad!
Aj keď sa autorka málinko inšpirovala kufrom Newtona Mloka Scamandera z Fantastických zverov a ich výskyt, ale inak by som to k Harry Potterovi radšej neprirovnávala. Siroty, ktoré stratili svojich rodičov a sú osamelé, tých je v knihách naozaj dosť. Aj trhliny do iných svetov zase pripomínali Temné hmoty a mohla by som pokračovať. Je to však kniha pre deti a vekové odporúčanie absolútne sedí. Moje 9 a 11 -ročné sa na knižku práve chystajú a verím, že ich príbeh zaujme. Zároveň je to príbeh o priateľstve a o dôvere, o záchrane sveta/svetov a o tajomstvách.
Dvanásťročná hrdinka Flick sa po presťahovaní na dedinu dostane do cestovnej agentúry Tajné svety, ktorú po smrti/zmiznutí rodičov vedie mladý Jonathan. On dohliada na zázračné kufre tajnosvetského spolku a aj na bádateľov a cestovateľov. Kufre vedú do rôznych svetov v rámci multivesmíru a tie môžu byť nebezpečné a vzrušujúce zároveň. Cestovatelia musia dodržiavať prísne pravidlá, nezabudnúť si svoj kufor nosiť stále so sebou, nemajú si so sebou nič prinášať, no zároveň majú popísať daný svet. Sú v podstate aj akýmisi objaviteľmi, dobrodruhmi a kartografmi zároveň. Musím sa priznať, že ma príbeh celkom zaujal, aj keď po dočítaní ostalo viac otázok nezodpovedaných.
Zaujala ma Flickina nezvyčajná schopnosť vidieť mágiu, ale zároveň sa mi páčila jej rodina, bolo to vtipné, ako sa prejavoval jej mladší braček. :) Ale úplne som chápala aj jej túžbu cestovať. Také dobrodružstvo sa neponúka každý deň.
A keďže knihy o tom, ako vidieť to neviditeľné, nie sú iba o mágii, ale aj o priateľstve, aj tu si musia Flick a Jonathan k sebe nájsť cestu a začať si dôverovať navzájom. A popritom zachrániť svet, ak sa dá. :)
Aj keď sa autorka málinko inšpirovala kufrom Newtona Mloka Scamandera z Fantastických zverov a ich výskyt, ale inak by som to k Harry Potterovi radšej neprirovnávala. Siroty, ktoré stratili svojich rodičov a sú osamelé, tých je v knihách naozaj dosť. Aj trhliny do iných svetov zase pripomínali Temné hmoty a mohla by som pokračovať. Je to však kniha pre deti a vekové odporúčanie absolútne sedí. Moje 9 a 11 -ročné sa na knižku práve chystajú a verím, že ich príbeh zaujme. Zároveň je to príbeh o priateľstve a o dôvere, o záchrane sveta/svetov a o tajomstvách.
Dvanásťročná hrdinka Flick sa po presťahovaní na dedinu dostane do cestovnej agentúry Tajné svety, ktorú po smrti/zmiznutí rodičov vedie mladý Jonathan. On dohliada na zázračné kufre tajnosvetského spolku a aj na bádateľov a cestovateľov. Kufre vedú do rôznych svetov v rámci multivesmíru a tie môžu byť nebezpečné a vzrušujúce zároveň. Cestovatelia musia dodržiavať prísne pravidlá, nezabudnúť si svoj kufor nosiť stále so sebou, nemajú si so sebou nič prinášať, no zároveň majú popísať daný svet. Sú v podstate aj akýmisi objaviteľmi, dobrodruhmi a kartografmi zároveň. Musím sa priznať, že ma príbeh celkom zaujal, aj keď po dočítaní ostalo viac otázok nezodpovedaných.
Zaujala ma Flickina nezvyčajná schopnosť vidieť mágiu, ale zároveň sa mi páčila jej rodina, bolo to vtipné, ako sa prejavoval jej mladší braček. :) Ale úplne som chápala aj jej túžbu cestovať. Také dobrodružstvo sa neponúka každý deň.
A keďže knihy o tom, ako vidieť to neviditeľné, nie sú iba o mágii, ale aj o priateľstve, aj tu si musia Flick a Jonathan k sebe nájsť cestu a začať si dôverovať navzájom. A popritom zachrániť svet, ak sa dá. :)
March 8, 2021
Máme tu jednu veľmi milú a chutnú knihu. Kniha plná fantasy, mágie, dobrodružstva a cestovania. Keďže teraz je zakázané cestovať reálne, zacestujme si aspoň takto.
Flick a Jonathan, hlavné postavy príbehu, nás sprevádzajú cestovnou agentúrou a my s nimi cestujeme po celom svete. Dozvedáme sa veľa nových informácií a toto je len úvod do príbehu. To pekné, čo býva na začiatku. Teším sa na pokračovanie. Mne sa veľmi táto kniha zapáčila :).
Flick a Jonathan, hlavné postavy príbehu, nás sprevádzajú cestovnou agentúrou a my s nimi cestujeme po celom svete. Dozvedáme sa veľa nových informácií a toto je len úvod do príbehu. To pekné, čo býva na začiatku. Teším sa na pokračovanie. Mne sa veľmi táto kniha zapáčila :).
March 5, 2021
Konkrétne tomu dávam 4,5*. Je to detské, je to milé a ja to úplne žeriem. Neskôr sem pridám celú recenziu.
December 3, 2021
Wat ik het knapst vind aan dit verhaal, is dat het enorm gecompliceerd is, en toch volmaakt eenvoudig verteld.
De sfeer is fijn, L.D. Lapinski is duidelijk een geboren verteller.
De sfeer is fijn, L.D. Lapinski is duidelijk een geboren verteller.
March 16, 2021
A slow start but the last half is very exciting! I really enjoyed it.
July 26, 2021
Now, I have read many middle grade books and I KNOW, I'm not the intended audience but this one was a bit disappointing. Especially since I enjoyed the opening chapter!
While the idea of stepping into a suitcase and ending up in a completely different world sounds fascinating it wasn't enough to keep me intrigued! I believe that The StrangeWorlds Travel Agency lacks heart and genuine characters one can cheer for and connect with!
As a character driven reader I found Flick to be insufferable at times and just not enjoyable. Jonathan had wonderful moments but his resolve and dedication to the agency appeared to be because others knew more than he did. And for a Custodian of the StrangeWorlds Travel Agency it didn't make sense. I swear Nicc as a side character was more interesting than the others.
I found the synopsis a bit misleading, since there is no mention of an 18-year-old main character who does the traveling alongside Flick.
I also felt like there were so many side plots being woven into the story, and no real solution was given in the end. Nor were there explanations to things that were mentioned and used throughout the story. Which I hope the next book answers.
Another thing I did not enjoy was the fact that Flick's parents wanted to give her responsibilities that were not hers to maintain.
"The One" trope is really pushed to the limit while a bit annoying regarding how Flick broke rules previously established and the only explanation was that she didn't know how.
Was it me or where the similes weird and used a bit much?!?!
As a side note, I would appreciate more exploration of the world the MCs entered instead of a quick glance, then back to the Travel Agency. I really wanted to go on a whirlwind, whimsical adventure and I was given the opposite.
While the idea of stepping into a suitcase and ending up in a completely different world sounds fascinating it wasn't enough to keep me intrigued! I believe that The StrangeWorlds Travel Agency lacks heart and genuine characters one can cheer for and connect with!
As a character driven reader I found Flick to be insufferable at times and just not enjoyable. Jonathan had wonderful moments but his resolve and dedication to the agency appeared to be because others knew more than he did. And for a Custodian of the StrangeWorlds Travel Agency it didn't make sense. I swear Nicc as a side character was more interesting than the others.
I found the synopsis a bit misleading, since there is no mention of an 18-year-old main character who does the traveling alongside Flick.
I also felt like there were so many side plots being woven into the story, and no real solution was given in the end. Nor were there explanations to things that were mentioned and used throughout the story. Which I hope the next book answers.
Another thing I did not enjoy was the fact that Flick's parents wanted to give her responsibilities that were not hers to maintain.
"The One" trope is really pushed to the limit while a bit annoying regarding how Flick broke rules previously established and the only explanation was that she didn't know how.
Was it me or where the similes weird and used a bit much?!?!
As a side note, I would appreciate more exploration of the world the MCs entered instead of a quick glance, then back to the Travel Agency. I really wanted to go on a whirlwind, whimsical adventure and I was given the opposite.
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