The Curse of Eelgrass Bog

by Mary Averling

Dark secrets and unnatural magic abound when a twelve-year-old girl ventures into a bog full of monsters to break a mysterious curse.

Nothing about Kess Pedrock’s life is normal. Not her home (she lives in her family’s Unnatural History Museum), not her interests (hunting for megafauna fossils and skeletons), and not her best friend (a talking demon’s head in a jar named Shrunken Jim).

But things get even stranger than usual when Kess meets Lilou Starling, the new girl in town. Lilou comes to Kess for help breaking a mysterious curse—and the only clue she has leads straight into the center of Eelgrass Bog.

Everyone knows the bog is full of witches, demons, and possibly worse, but Kess and Lilou are determined not to let that stop them. As they investigate the mystery and uncover long-buried secrets, Kess begins to realize that the curse might hit closer to home than she’d ever expected, and she’ll have to summon all her courage to find a way to break it before it’s too late..

Genres: Middle Grade, Fantasy, LGBT, Horror, Fiction, Queer, Audiobook

Unknown Binding

First published January 2, 2024

About the author

Mary Averling grew up across England and Canada, never far from the woods. She has degrees from the University of Victoria and Lucy Cavendish College, Cambridge. Her debut, The Curse of Eelgrass Bog, was a Bram Stoker Award Finalist, a Junior Library Gold Standard Selection, an ALA Rainbow List Pick, and one of BookPage's Top 10 Books of 2024. Since she can't stay away from libraries for very long, she is currently working toward her PhD in Ontario, where she lives surrounded by all the magical, spooky, heartfelt books she can find.

She is represented by Kelly Sonnack at the Andrea Brown Literary Agency.

Reviews

[Alex Nonymous]

one of my TAs from last semester wrote this??? and it's queer MG??? I never encounter queer kids lit without having to actively seek it out first I'm so excited add it to all your shelves or else I'm sure it'll slap

also if you're said TA/author and you see this 1) no you don't 2) I'm sorry I interrupted the lectures you ran so much I'm easily excitable

Update: Finally came in at the library! Y'all have to stop liking my reviews for things I haven't even read yet I feel so guilty about being the top review for something I haven't even read yet 😭😭😭😭. Very excited to finally read it and leave an actual review

[Bayley Mae · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can’t say enough about this book!! It is beautiful and eerie and dreamy, like a misty hug. I’ve been so excited to dive into this book and it didn’t disappoint. Kess is such a great main character and so full of heart. Also, the voice is absolutely stunning!! Every middle grade reader needs to pick this one up! I cannot wait to see what Mary Averling writes next!

Thank you to the publisher and Edelweiss for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Jessie Gaupel · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an incredible, charming, heartfelt, and lush MG debut!! The worldbuilding is so unique, the characters grab you, and the twists won’t let you go. I read this in one go on a plane and I’ve never had a faster ride. I’m so happy it was my first read of the year 💖💖💖

[Delilah · Rating 5 out of 5]

such a fantastic middle grade debut!! an eerie, haunted, witchy, queer celebration of all who are "unnatural." complete with underground tunnels, a spooky bog, a mysterious old museum, and a sweet romance, every minute of this was magical. i absolutely loved the relationship between the siblings, too. definitely recommend this to children & grown-up children — it's whimsically creepy and so so beautiful. (please forgive me for the overabundance of adjectives idk they all seem necessary in this moment)

"My shoes squelch into the muck as I run faster, faster, wind from Eelgrass Bog knotting my hair into tangled snarls. I don't have to look back to know Lilou and Shrunken Jim are running with me. Our shadows streak across the ground like wild things, like birds or monsters, and my heart glows, because whatever happens next, I am not alone."

AND WHAT IF I CRIED

[Chris · Rating 5 out of 5]

OMFG. One of my new all-time favorite middle grade novels ever. This book hit on so many specific topics and themes that are meaningful for me and I absolutely loved this story and its characters from beginning to end. Yes I have some minor criticisms because this is a book for children but minor observations aside this is one of the most heartfelt, beautiful, well-written books I've read all year period, regardless of age range. I LOVE this book and I would implore you to read it too if you enjoy middle grade at all.

[Deke Moulton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh my gosh I don’t even know after to begin. Make sure you have plenty of time set aside when you start this book because you will get immediately sucked into the mystery and want to keep reading to figure out what it is.
Best parts? 247 pages. A gripping mystery I couldn’t figure out (in the best way). Living in a museum. Shrunken Jim. The purely beautiful, mystical, terrifying image that is the Drowned World.
There are no bad parts. Just read this book!!!

[Genoveva Dimova · Rating 5 out of 5]

Museums, bogs, and cursed creatures? This is one of my most anticipated books of 2024 for sure!

[Nicole M. Hewitt · Rating 5 out of 5]

This review and many more can be found on my blog: Feed Your Fiction Addiction

The Curse of Eelgrass Bog is a creepy middle grade fantasy with a central mystery that keeps the reader guessing! Kess spends lonely days trying to keep her home, The Unnatural History Museum, running while her parents are off on an expedition, all the while wondering why her brother just locks himself in the office all day. The book sets up some compelling mysteries right from the start, and the creep factor is high (Kess’s best friend is a demon head in a jar, and the museum is full of the bodies of monstrous creatures). When Kess meets Lilou, the new girl draws Kess into a mystery of her own that sends the girls into the mythical and treacherous bog. The story takes some serious twists and turns–the major one has pretty big hints spread throughout the book but still gives room for uncertainty, which is perfect for a middle grade read. And the relationship between the girls turns into the beginnings of a sweet romance. Readers will find themselves swept by the unique worldbuilding in this one–highly recommended!!

***Disclosure: I received this book from the publisher via NetGalley. No compensation was given and all opinions are my own.***

[Hana Lee]

so excited for this one!! love me some queer spooky middle grade

[Maggie · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25⭐️

[Mariah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Major spoilers hidden in spoiler tags. There are minor spoilers in the rest of the review.

Books like this one are why I read middle grade. It's not the best middle grade book that I've ever read in my life. But it was entertaining, inventive fiction with a really interesting mystery going on.

Kess is a solid protagonist. I think the author did a fantastic job depicting how debilitating loneliness can be, how it fractures and warps everything in your life. Not having a person with you by your side or someone that you can confide in or emotionally rely on wears on you after a while. I really liked how much the importance of communication was highlighted. As much as she enjoyed megafauna and stories of the drowned world it was apparent that it was also a crutch to avoid her deeper feelings.

On the other side of it, Kess did not have much else to to go off of character wise due to the nature of her curse.

Due to the way her curse functioned it meant that she couldn't interact with characters outside of Lilou nor could she explore the town. A tightly contained story is fine, even preferable to me. She does not necessarily need to go anywhere else outside of the museum and eelgrass bog based on the events as presented, but since the construct of the curse meant that Kess’ thoughts could only center around the same few points over and over, I would have appreciated a field trip to the library or something just to break up the monotony.

One such repetitive thought was Lilou, who despite being her best friend and crush, was very underdeveloped. She didn’t feel like a character more like a goal to strive for: if we get through x, then I will get to still be with Lilou. I think the character could have benefitted immensely from being placed more friend forward first, then Kess develops deeper feelings more over time.

I’m not surprised that an isolated, socially awkward girl would fall head over heels for the first person to pay any attention to her. As a young person, she is naturally going to be inclined to think the absolute best of Lilou. But, the intensity of her feelings was hard for me to accept the longer the story went out without any disagreements between the two or Lilou having any flaws. It reminded me a lot of romance in YA which was displeasing since I avoid YA literally for this reason. I am not opposed to romance nor do I think that young people can’t experience serious, big feelings about one another. It’s just that unless the romance is the actual point of the book it is very easy for it to feel rushed and overbearing for such a short time since it’s sharing space with something so much more important objectively - i.e. the plot.

Like they call each other their everything after knowing each other for like two days. Two weird girls in like a contemporary school setting or even if Kess mentally felt that way, I could accept. But these two in their circumstances just made me more critical of the relationship which in turn made me more judgmental of Lilou as a character.

Especially since this book is all first person so we lack knowledge of what is going on with Lilou. She seems invested in Kess to a normal degree comparatively and Kess has faults for Lilou to observe. Whether or not Lilou perceives them is beside the point; at least Kess does things that indicate she is a well rounded individual not a narrative prop.

For example, Lilou does not believe in magic at the start. She believes that there is always a logical, scientific reason for everything. If you can’t see one then you’re not looking hard enough. That would have been a great character trait to build off of where Lilou is a little closed off or dismissive in contrast to how open and vulnerable Kess is. Their approaches could have made them butt heads and by seeing them compromise or rationalize together I would have found the relationship more believable.

Instead, Lilou just sees enough stuff to start believing which is rather boring. She’d be far more dynamic as a character if she still dug her heels in even when confronted by evidence. It would speak to her realism as a human being; humans don’t like to be wrong and we don’t like knowing there are things we can’t explain.

Kess’ lack of depth meant that when the details of the curse are revealed I was not upset in the least with a character who had been lying to her. From my perspective, Kess had demonstrated no strength of character, no resourcefulness or ingenuity that would have made her a good ally to have in the fight against the curse.

There’s also the fact that when this decision was made the person in question was young like her and doing their best. I understood why Kess would be upset, however, as an adult I did not find it a grand betrayal like the author intended the reader to. I think the author villanized this character to a degree they did not deserve in order to validate Kess’ feelings. Again, while valid, she was not the only victim and it did not make her feel more capable of handling the curse that she threw a self involved pity party in spite of knowing the details - particularly when the character pointed out that, that’s exactly what they expected her to do.

She’s a kid so I do not in any way hold her reaction against her. She’s allowed to be upset. I am just pointing out that the lack of emotional regulation or ability to logically rationalize this character is not an enemy of hers is part of why I disagreed that the curse should have been discussed with her.

I think my dissatisfaction with this conflict comes down to being an adult reader of middle grade. Middle grade often plays up the resilience of children because kids think they’ll live forever and can do anything. Kids can very well handle so much more than we give them credit for, but at the end of the day they are still kids. Kess is only 12 years old. While I feel sympathetic to her, I just flat out could not side with her on this issue because I just fundamentally did not think a child should have had to shoulder the weight of this curse (or that she could have, for that matter) purely to satisfy her hurt feelings. It is simply too large and fantastical a problem to hold to normal standards of ethics or morality. Nevertheless, it undercut the ending for me seeing as I did not support the conclusion of the dispute.

Her older brother Oliver was only 3 years older than her when the curse set in. While that was much too young to be facing down a curse as well, he at least had a few years of maturity on Kess and was the only adult-like figure that could do anything. Neither of them deserved their fate, however, I find Oliver’s decision made 100% sense. He’s not prepared to emotionally deal with Kess’ feelings on the subject - he’s miserable himself since he has no means of breaking the curse.

Imagine how much harder that would be to have to explain and counsel Kess through the realization that there is a curse every few weeks. The message in the end is that he should have told her so that she could make her own decisions and/or help him through it, but what kind of life would that have been for his little sister? Oliver spends all of his time feverishly writing down notes and details to ensure that he doesn’t forget everything every few weeks like Kess does. If he tells Kess, then all she’ll do is spend most of her time obsessing over it too, and who knows mentally how that would affect her? Oliver is wasting away, sure. Yet, who is to say Kess wouldn’t have done something drastic or tragic? You literally never know what people can truly handle until they go through it. I can see why he wouldn’t risk it.

Also, if you do the approximate math the curse set in around the, like early 1950s? We weren’t exactly advocating for acknowledging the feelings or agency of children as a society way back then. I highly doubt he knew how to engage in a conversation about it in the first place.

I think a much better set-up would have been if only Kess was affected by the curse, and Oliver kept growing older. He had been trying to break the curse to no avail and was getting desperate since he was sick or something and didn’t know what would become of Kess once he finally died. I would be more on her side in these circumstances especially if, in spite of the fact that he couldn’t know how much more time he had before he died, and Kess would be left completely incapable of maintaining herself, he still kept lying to her. That also would have cleaned up all the problems I had regarding logistics, at the end of the book.

Eelgrass Bog was a dull location to spend most of the book in. As much as they played up how dangerous it was in the synopsis, it was pretty much a normal bog. They don’t encounter any magical happenings or mystical creatures or wild terrain. They spend all of their time in one single open area immediately inside the bog. I was expecting more of a trek to find answers only for them to not even need to explore the bog at all. It was a total red herring as the real scary place to go was the drowned world at the end of a tunnel in the bog. For how much the drowned world is hyped up it’s equally as disappointing as their time spent there is wedged into the end of the book and rushed through.

The entrance to Eelgrass Bog involves these fire watchlights that keep it protected. When Kess first decides to travel inside with Lilou she can’t take her shrunken head best friend because he’s cursed to be in the jar. You’re led to believe that something bad will happen if she takes him since he’s cursed. Nope, nothing will happen except the fire will flare up? It doesn’t do anything to attack them or destroy him. I don't know why she couldn't bring him from the get go.

The witch they encounter, Ivy, is saddened and troubled by the fact that everyone always ends up leaving her since she’s an ageless bog witch warped by her time spent in the drowned world. You’re led to believe that she is trapped in the bog by magic. Nope, she can leave at will. She just hasn’t done so, for ‘reasons’? At the end of the book she just moves out like it’s nothing and I was so confused by why she was set-up as this tragic figure when she was the only thing keeping her there. The time in which Kess was cursed is one thing as she had obligations to fulfill, however, it is not presented as if she is stuck there because of her debt. It’s set up like she’s never been able to leave even predating this period.

The curse means that Kess loses her memories every few weeks and doesn’t recognize it. She’s really from the 1950s. When she develops her crush on Lilou, I found it odd that she had no internalized hang-ups about homosexuality. Like she’s shocked to see Lilou’s smartphone at one point because she’s never seen anything like it which is an early indication that something is not quite right with her.

I don’t see how a 1950s girl would immediately be gung-ho about falling for another girl. It felt inconsistent how the curse worked in this way because ultimately she should be specifically stuck in the 50s meaning that things like cars or Lilou’s outfits or literally anything once she stepped outside her house should freak her out whenever she leaves. How is the curse simultaneously wiping her memories yet allowing her collective mindset as a whole to evolve to modern standards?

The ending flat out doesn’t make sense. It completely lacks any kind of practicality. I know it’s a kids’ book, but that is no reason to ignore how the world actually works. This is for a somewhat older kid demographic so while I don’t think it would ruin their enjoyment of the book I do think that they would also wonder about some of the logistics like I did and as such, it should be cleared up. I think that’s the difference between a good book and a great one; clarifying the parts that don’t necessarily matter purely because it will make for a much fuller story overall.

Once the curse is broken Oliver, Kess, and Ivy are now going to live in the Unnatural History Museum. I assumed that the curse was protecting the land since it seemed like the museum should really have been foreclosed a long, long time ago. Without that magic, do they still own this building? Like does their family have the deed? Wouldn’t the government now be asking for rent or something? Would they not have to file new permits to run this business in present day?

They apparently get help from other historical societies who donate and help rebuild it back up. But, how will they actually live day to day? Does this museum make enough money for food or utilities? What about other necessities? They will surely have bills to take care of and if their perception of finances is literally almost a century old then who is going to navigate any of that?

They don’t have birth certificates. They don’t have social security numbers. They don’t have hospital records. How does Kess get enrolled into public school? Ivy just takes over as their ‘guardian’ since their parents are obviously dead now, but she has none of that information either. How would she prove she’s a normal adult let alone a stable guardian? They also make a point to describe her as looking 16 or 17 when they first meet her. Wouldn’t that raise red flags? How is another child going to take responsibility for other children?

I enjoyed Eelgrass Bog. Though I had suspicions about the mystery I was unable to guess it wholesale which was a novel feeling. It’s an immersive read despite my misgivings about certain aspects. Mary Averling is a talented writer - I was thoroughly invested in the story. I was upset every time I had to stop reading, I so badly wanted to know what was going on. I look forward to reading what else she puts out.

[Jonathan Pongratz · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm absolutely gob smacked at how great this MG tale of magic, curses, and friendship was!

In this debut novel we follow twelve-year old Kess. Her family runs a museum of unnatural things that is sometimes sourced through nearby Eelgrass bog. Kess's parents have been gone on a trip to Antarctica, leaving her bossy brother Oliver in charge. But Kess aches for a friend to soothe her loneliness, and when she crosses paths with a young girl named Lilou, she unknowingly embarks on a journey of magic, secrets, and self-discovery.

Kess is a character you instantly love. She's kind, sensitive, and caring, but she's got something of an issue with her memory. Recollections tend to evade her, so she often feels lost and alone. Shrunken Jim is Kess's devoted sidekick, and I loved him to pieces! He was super supportive of Kess and her struggles and he's such a unique character. You see, he's a demon shrunken head stuck in a jar that communicates telepathically. Who said all demons are bad?

Other characters like Oliver and Lilou really jumped off the page too.

The setting was really great and spooky without being too scary for younger readers. I would definitely be a bit hesitant to enter Eelgrass bog!

Plotwise, this was a fantasy adventure that moved at a moderate pace and is a story you can blaze through if you love it like I did. There were some great themes here of embracing each other's differences and found family that I think many will resonate with. It definitely warmed my heart as I plodded along.

This was an unforgettable experience, and I can't wait to read more from this author. Definitely pick this one up!

[Kathie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely love reading a book that takes me places I don’t expect to go, and this story did just that! THE CURSE OF EELGRASS BOG is Canadian author Mary Averling’s middle-grade debut, and it’s a spooky fantasy about 12-year-old Kess. Her parents are on a research trip in Antarctica, so Kess is trying her best to care for her family’s Unnatural History Museum and get her older brother to leave his room occasionally. Kess meets Lilou, who’s new to town and wants to solve a mystery related to the off-limits Eelgrass Bog on the outskirts of their town. The duo face peculiar and frightening creatures as they figure out who to trust and uncover secrets that date back many years, leaving both girls changed forever. What I most enjoyed (without giving too much away) was how the little things that niggled at me in the beginning came together shockingly, and that the quest was not a linear one. I also loved watching how the relationship between Kess and her brother, Oliver, changes throughout the novel, and Kess’s budding feelings for Lilou were also well-developed.

[Jesse · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! I haven’t read a book like this…ever! It takes place in a world that, at first, seems normal, but as time passes becomes more and more strange. I LOVED the twist that dawned on me only immediately before it was revealed, and found the adventure extremely entertaining! I’ll be thinking about Kess and her Museum of Unnatural History for a long, long time.

I kept getting vibes from Lockwood & Co. by Jonathan Stroud and Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs while reading; would definitely recommend to fans of those series!

[Tara · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one didn't go where I expected in the best possible way. I loved the friendships and baby romance and the magic and just... I really enjoyed this one. Not sure why I can't give it five stars... maybe I just wanted more of the world.

[Fiona · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun and captivating read (even if I did figure out the ending before the end of the book). Great story about family and friendship.

[Meagan Khatthaname · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5

My kids loved this!

[Kathryn · Rating 5 out of 5]

An inventive and evocative fantasy novel. I'm excited to see what this debut author writes next!

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

So far, I haven't been doing public reviews for RBL books because I'm reading them at rapid fire pace, seems like. I've just been keeping private notes. HOWEVER. This book is so incredibly good. I'm having a hard time keeping in mind that it's Averling's debut. The world building is super complete, and all of the characters are well-rounded and necessary to move the plot forward. Her language is colorful and engaging. There's a plot twist about 70% of the way through that I NEVER saw coming, and this is a middle grade novel! Kess' relationship with Lilou is so precious, and the ending is everything I wanted it to be.
I'll be pushing this into the hands of MG readers who enjoyed Amari and the Night Brothers (Alston) and Morrigan Crow (Townsend) for sure.

[Mir · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pacing felt a little off - the first half was slow, then it got faster, then all the actual plot was crammed in quite quickly - but otherwise quite interesting and sympathetic (aside from the parents' decision to travel to Antarctica, what?). Would like an adjacent story that elaborates on the Drowned World and its inhabitants.

[Olivia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Accidentally stayed up all night reading this and I have no regrets. I was hooked from the get-go and it only got better as the book went on. The descriptions and magical elements were beautifully written and the atmosphere of the book was incredible, I felt that I knew exactly what the author wanted to create and it was executed perfectly. Not only that, the plot was excellent and the little romance was so cute and queer. Yet again proving that middle grade is the best genre.

[Chloe · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Curse Of Eelgrass Bog is an utter DELIGHT. It is so wonderfully spooky in the way of underground tunnels, beasts that can carve through the world, and places with magic heavy enough to change you. And staring a girl who so earnestly wants fix and help and collect bones?

IT HAS UNDERGROUND TUNNELS. PLEASE IM GKHKSKZKCK ONE OF MY FAVORITE THINGS. I am so utterly in love with the magic filled world and all the secrets it holds.

[Nedda · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just finished reading an advance copy of Averling's beautiful debut. There were so many gorgeous lines, many of which I highlighted. Children in age and at heart will relish the lush world and authentic and layered characters. I returned from the depths of the unnatural Eelgrass Bog more vulnerable than ever. Cursed, no. Enchanted with being human, 100%. Infinite thanks to the author for writing this poignant novel.

[Rory · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really liked the writing style and world building, very fun mystery

[Awhona K.G. Paul · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely Enchanted with this well crafted tale which follows two children - Kess and Olliver Pedrock who are a sibling duo aged eleven and fifteen struggling to look after their parents research work and museum -The Unnatural History Museum of bones and specimens of Megafauna and other weird absurdities from the area of Eelgrass Bog which is filled with eccentricities like demons , witches , weird megafauna and flora .Their parents are away in Antartica to research on new finds and developments of pre historic origin there and the sibling duo goes through rough times making their ends meet . Along with a pickled head called Shrunken Jim in a jar which can communicate psychically- Kess passes her days trying to figure out what to put on the plate while Olliver remains locked away in the museum's library doing paperwork. But all that changes suddenly with the arrival of a new family in town called the Starlings and the daughter Lilou- of the family who is Kess's age takes a growing interest in this shabby museum's contents because of her grandpa's letters which definitely went back to older times in the same area . Lilou's grandfather was a part of a mysterious Secret Society called the Endlings and Lilou through the letters discovers the task for her to return to Eelgrass Bog to save a mysterious aspect of this society before its too late. Armed with little knowledge about the Eelgrass Bog both Kess and Lilou set out exploring uncharted territory - Lilou to fulfill grandpa's wish and Kess to find more bones and skeletons as new attractions for the Museum.But a mad scientist, a Witch with a spider's house changes everything around Kess and Lilou and leads them to unravel the curse of the Eelgrass Bog which must be undone to save themselves and those they hold dear. With vivid world building this story was an absolute delight and the plot was well paced with elements of family, friendship, love , trust and mystery- spun beautifully in this debut novel.

[George · Rating 5 out of 5]

Without a shred of doubt I think I can say this is my #1 for this year. I never write reviews. But I needed to because this book was equal parts whimsical and heartfelt, beautifully queer in every sense of the word. The protagonist is so so lovable, and it was a joy to experience her world through her eyes. The soft world building gave everything such a mystical tone, after ages of reading Brandon Sanderson style tomes where "magic must have rules" I absolutely loved something that felt a little bit looser, and all the more magical for it. Love love love the plot, I usually spoil things for myself because a lot of middle grade fiction is so painfully algorithmic, but this broke the mould in a way that I haven't really seen since reading Jessica Townsend's Nevermore series. I will definitely come back to this one a couple of times, what a book.

[Lyon.Brit.andthebookshelf · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fantastic Middle Grade debut THE CURSE OF EELGRASS BOG is a magical story about a young girl named Kess who lives in her family’s Unnatural History museum… right on the edge of a “cursed” bog…talk about an eerie well described setting. You start to gather information about Kess and her family that for a good portion of the book will leave you with an unsettling feeling that all is not what it appears to be.

The characters you will root for… the mystery you will want to uncover and the setting will leave you speechless. Truly fantastic! I’m looking forward to Mary Averling next release!

Thank you Razorbill 📖 & Prhaudio 🎧

Follow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/Lyon.brit.A...

[Lex Bright · Rating 5 out of 5]

I need everyone to drop what they're doing and go read—or listen to—this book. If you don't, I'll have to rant to a shrunken head in a jar about how much I love this cute, creepy, and clever tale. The vibes are immaculate, especially for this time of year, the characters are fantastic and their arcs are wonderfully written, the world building is entrancing, and the queer storyline is so well done without being the sole focus of the plot—like these characters are gay but that's one tiny facet of who they are. It's just SO good, I'll never forget it (you can't make me). I love this to the Drowned World and back.

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a really great middle grade! It was pretty dark but in a good age appropriate way I think for middle grade readers. The characters were great and I really liked the couple twists! I had an idea for one of the twists but it played out slightly different than I thought it would. 
There were some truly lovely moments in this book. The friendships and ways it looked at familial relationships are fantastic. 
I admit that for me the crush/relationship could have been left out because having it as a true friendship would have been infinitely better. BUT it was still great and I liked the queer rep for characters. 

Shrunken Jim was the best. 

TW: abandonment, grief, death of parent, injury/ injury detail, bullying, death

[SamSamSam · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is just phenomenally written. I really appreciate that Averling trusts the reader to wonder and infer what forces are at play in the story rather than spelling everything out, and she balances this approach with enough detail and context that the plot isn't confusing. Perfection. Such a fun reading experience. Adorable sapphic rep that's perfect for the target audience. Love the characters, especially Holloway. What else can I say this rocked.