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Neon's Secret Universe
Unicorns are NOT horse creatures with horns.
In fact, they are the most powerful magical beings on the planet and they look just like you and me. They live in a secret realm known as the Universe, and the horse with a horn thing was just something a unicorn called Greg made up to distract the humans - and it really worked!
But a young human girl called Neon Gallup is about to find the last remaining Universe portal opener (an old, battered green lipstick) and step into a zany world where magic is made with goo and the possibilities are endless!
Unfortunately, if there was one person you wouldn't want keeping the greatest magical secret of all time, it would be Neon Gallup ...
In fact, they are the most powerful magical beings on the planet and they look just like you and me. They live in a secret realm known as the Universe, and the horse with a horn thing was just something a unicorn called Greg made up to distract the humans - and it really worked!
But a young human girl called Neon Gallup is about to find the last remaining Universe portal opener (an old, battered green lipstick) and step into a zany world where magic is made with goo and the possibilities are endless!
Unfortunately, if there was one person you wouldn't want keeping the greatest magical secret of all time, it would be Neon Gallup ...
288 pages, Paperback
Published July 7, 2022
3 people are currently reading
22 people want to read
About the author
Sibéal Pounder
38 books119 followersSibéal has written for publications including The Guardian, fashion trend forecaster WGSN, Vogue.com and The Financial Times, where she was the resident philanthropy columnist for the How To Spend It section for six years. She studied Modern History at St Andrews and Quentin Tarantino film at Yale.
Her bestselling debut Witch Wars has been translated into 10 languages so far and was shortlisted for the Sainsbury's Children's Book Award and the Waterstone's Children's Book Prize.
Her bestselling debut Witch Wars has been translated into 10 languages so far and was shortlisted for the Sainsbury's Children's Book Award and the Waterstone's Children's Book Prize.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
April 30, 2022
Sibéal Pounder always writes such fabulously funny, zany chapterbooks, and this one is my very favorite yet. It's a joyful paean to nonconformity and the power of being yourself, it made me laugh out loud SO many times (once I'd finally managed to reclaim my ARC from my 8-year-old, who had seized it first and LOVED IT so much that he didn't want to let it go), and it made me really want to be a unicorn...the REAL, secret kind of unicorn, of course, not the fake, Greg kind of unicorn. (Read the book to see what I mean!)
I'm being nice and giving my ARC back to my 8-year-old now that I've finished it...but I'm planning to buy a real copy later so that we can enjoy the illustrations, too!
I'm being nice and giving my ARC back to my 8-year-old now that I've finished it...but I'm planning to buy a real copy later so that we can enjoy the illustrations, too!
April 10, 2022
First I want to start by saying that I love the front cover of this book it is amazing and would totally catch my eye if I was a child in a bookshop or buying a book for a child. Well written with an enchating storyline and well developed charcaters that I loved. It was funny and magical and I think kids will love it.
It reminded me of a book I loved as a child Flossie Teacake exceot instead of a furcoat magically making her older and letting her experience the world, this was a green lipstick that magically let Neon see another world filled with magic and wonderful creatures. Now I just need to find a battered green lipstick
It reminded me of a book I loved as a child Flossie Teacake exceot instead of a furcoat magically making her older and letting her experience the world, this was a green lipstick that magically let Neon see another world filled with magic and wonderful creatures. Now I just need to find a battered green lipstick
July 22, 2022
If you don't like goo, stay away from this book!
Neon just wants to be normal but that seems very unlikely when she discovers a portal to the UNIverse where actual unicorns live (without horns or hooves, though there's still plenty of glitter). This book was a little TOO wacky for me but I can imagine younger kids loving all the madness.
Neon just wants to be normal but that seems very unlikely when she discovers a portal to the UNIverse where actual unicorns live (without horns or hooves, though there's still plenty of glitter). This book was a little TOO wacky for me but I can imagine younger kids loving all the madness.
March 6, 2023
A super cute story about unicorns and totally flipping our perspective of what we have always known unicorns to be. Full of adventure and friendship, this is absolutely perfect for 8-10 years olds.
It ends setting itself up perfectly for a sequel and I cannot wait for the next installment.
Read by Sage
It ends setting itself up perfectly for a sequel and I cannot wait for the next installment.
Read by Sage
January 21, 2024
A delight, and just the right amount of scary for my seven year old.
March 14, 2023
A super cute story about unicorns and totally flipping our perspective of what we have always known unicorns to be. Full of adventure and friendship, Sibeal Pounder has a way of storytelling that always manages to enchant me. It ends setting itself up perfectly for a sequel and I cannot wait for the next installment.
September 22, 2022
Unicorns, magic lipstick, new friends, rats and goos, and more! It was so so much fun!
I just LOVE LOVE Sibéal Pounders work, she is on my auto-buy list. If she has a new book? I want it! And this one was also a big NEED. I love unicorns, but I also love seeing what other unicorns there are. Plus, magic. And humour. Sign me up.
Sorry in advance if the review is a tad.. um, chaotic. XD I just had so many feels!
Meet Neon Gallup (yep, even her name is perfect) who is about to discover a whole new world. Thanks to a very bright lipstick! Yep, lipstick, it is good for your lips and looking good but you can also enter a magical world. I loved this magical world and loved seeing the people who lived there. Unicorns. But not the unicorns we all know and love, oh no, that was an idea by Greg. No these are just humans. But just more colourful, bright, fun, and magical. I wanted to step into the book so many times because there were so many exciting moments. OK, I wasn’t such a fan of the leaders holding Neon in the world, I found that quite rude, I mean, finally the portal is open again and then you do this? No. But it did give Neon a chance to meet wonderful people, discover goo, work in a hilarious supermarket full of adventure, and more. I really loved Neon she was a really sweet character and she fitted her age very well. She just wanted to be normal, well girl, good luck!
I loved the big cast of characters that Neon meets. They were all so interesting. I absolutely love Moya and Old Lady Buck those were my favourite side-characters. Greg, oh boy, Greg. XD
I had quite a giggle when Neon thought to run away from one world with rats to another. I did love that as the story continued she didn’t mind rats that much.
I just love that this world uses goo for everything! Yes. Really! From decorations to yummy things to clothes. I just love the idea of mastering goo (though often it seems to be just a question of reading the instructions) and being able to summon Santa and eat delicious cake. Go!
I loved how it all ended with the evil villain, the wishes, and everything. It definitely still leaves some room for more books about Neon!
There were just 2 things that I wasn’t such a fan of. The Phantom Plaza, it seemed like such an important and awesome place, but we barely see anything because of events happening (dumb things). Then there is the last few pages. I see Neon forgot the #1 rule of making a portal in enemy territory. sighs
Also a tad of a shame to that spoiler on the cover! I won’t tell you what, but as soon as that was mentioned in the story and I had a look at the cover again… I knew.
The book also has incredible illustrations by the amazing Sarah Warburton! I just love her style and her illustrations brought the story even further to live!
But in overall, Sibéal Pounder did it again and I am freaking hyped for more books in this series! I hope it will be a long series, because I love this world. So much fun!
Review first posted at https://twirlingbookprincess.com/
I just LOVE LOVE Sibéal Pounders work, she is on my auto-buy list. If she has a new book? I want it! And this one was also a big NEED. I love unicorns, but I also love seeing what other unicorns there are. Plus, magic. And humour. Sign me up.
Sorry in advance if the review is a tad.. um, chaotic. XD I just had so many feels!
Meet Neon Gallup (yep, even her name is perfect) who is about to discover a whole new world. Thanks to a very bright lipstick! Yep, lipstick, it is good for your lips and looking good but you can also enter a magical world. I loved this magical world and loved seeing the people who lived there. Unicorns. But not the unicorns we all know and love, oh no, that was an idea by Greg. No these are just humans. But just more colourful, bright, fun, and magical. I wanted to step into the book so many times because there were so many exciting moments. OK, I wasn’t such a fan of the leaders holding Neon in the world, I found that quite rude, I mean, finally the portal is open again and then you do this? No. But it did give Neon a chance to meet wonderful people, discover goo, work in a hilarious supermarket full of adventure, and more. I really loved Neon she was a really sweet character and she fitted her age very well. She just wanted to be normal, well girl, good luck!
I loved the big cast of characters that Neon meets. They were all so interesting. I absolutely love Moya and Old Lady Buck those were my favourite side-characters. Greg, oh boy, Greg. XD
I had quite a giggle when Neon thought to run away from one world with rats to another. I did love that as the story continued she didn’t mind rats that much.
I just love that this world uses goo for everything! Yes. Really! From decorations to yummy things to clothes. I just love the idea of mastering goo (though often it seems to be just a question of reading the instructions) and being able to summon Santa and eat delicious cake. Go!
I loved how it all ended with the evil villain, the wishes, and everything. It definitely still leaves some room for more books about Neon!
There were just 2 things that I wasn’t such a fan of. The Phantom Plaza, it seemed like such an important and awesome place, but we barely see anything because of events happening (dumb things). Then there is the last few pages. I see Neon forgot the #1 rule of making a portal in enemy territory. sighs
Also a tad of a shame to that spoiler on the cover! I won’t tell you what, but as soon as that was mentioned in the story and I had a look at the cover again… I knew.
The book also has incredible illustrations by the amazing Sarah Warburton! I just love her style and her illustrations brought the story even further to live!
But in overall, Sibéal Pounder did it again and I am freaking hyped for more books in this series! I hope it will be a long series, because I love this world. So much fun!
Review first posted at https://twirlingbookprincess.com/
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews