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billiesteward's review against another edition
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
mehsi's review against another edition
5.0
A very fun book about monsters, family, and finding courage!
I have been eyeing this one for a while so I was delighted when I could get it around December and read it during my Christmas holidays~ This is definitely a series that I hope to read more of.
Meet Mary-Kate, an anxious girl who likes things to go right. She has certain rituals, she likes certain colours. She doesn’t want to use items until JUST the right moment is there. But she will have to get out of her comfort zone when her mom takes her to an archaeological dig in a small town. I really liked Mary-Kate from the start and could see certain things of me in her. I was definitely rooting for her to come out of her shell and comfort zone and discover the mystery in the town, I loved how her mom was both comforting Mary-Kate but also motivating her to try out new things. We see Mary-Kate write down all sorts of hints/stuff she comes across and I loved seeing her go to meetings and discover the town. Of course, we see that things get a bit much for her, but she comes back stronger. I love how dedicated she becomes to the mystery of the wyrm and tries everything to solve it before the well is either closed off or destroyed completely.
I loved reading about this small town and about its mysteries and folklore. About the wyrm and what it is. I just love it when towns have a history and one filled with monsters/mythical stuff even.
The added bits at each chapter featuring a monster hunter were a fun addition and I do hope that we will get more of them in the next books, maybe even meet the author or get to know her in another way. I would love that!
I wasn’t too sure about Arabella at the start. But as the story continued and we saw more of Arabella (and her cute horse Pickles) I started to like her more and more. I had expected she would be a prissy girl and would be stuck-up (mostly thanks to how her dad acts) but instead she is really sweet and I loved seeing her become friends with Mary-Kate.
The ending was an exciting rollercoaster filled with OMG moments and I just loved how everything came together and also what happened to the Wyrm.
All in all, I cannot wait for the second book and I would recommend this fun book to everyone looking for a book full of mysteries, a character learning to be brave/trust people, monsters, and more to all.
Review first posted at https://twirlingbookprincess.com/
I have been eyeing this one for a while so I was delighted when I could get it around December and read it during my Christmas holidays~ This is definitely a series that I hope to read more of.
Meet Mary-Kate, an anxious girl who likes things to go right. She has certain rituals, she likes certain colours. She doesn’t want to use items until JUST the right moment is there. But she will have to get out of her comfort zone when her mom takes her to an archaeological dig in a small town. I really liked Mary-Kate from the start and could see certain things of me in her. I was definitely rooting for her to come out of her shell and comfort zone and discover the mystery in the town, I loved how her mom was both comforting Mary-Kate but also motivating her to try out new things. We see Mary-Kate write down all sorts of hints/stuff she comes across and I loved seeing her go to meetings and discover the town. Of course, we see that things get a bit much for her, but she comes back stronger. I love how dedicated she becomes to the mystery of the wyrm and tries everything to solve it before the well is either closed off or destroyed completely.
I loved reading about this small town and about its mysteries and folklore. About the wyrm and what it is. I just love it when towns have a history and one filled with monsters/mythical stuff even.
The added bits at each chapter featuring a monster hunter were a fun addition and I do hope that we will get more of them in the next books, maybe even meet the author or get to know her in another way. I would love that!
I wasn’t too sure about Arabella at the start. But as the story continued and we saw more of Arabella (and her cute horse Pickles) I started to like her more and more. I had expected she would be a prissy girl and would be stuck-up (mostly thanks to how her dad acts) but instead she is really sweet and I loved seeing her become friends with Mary-Kate.
The ending was an exciting rollercoaster filled with OMG moments and I just loved how everything came together and also what happened to the Wyrm.
All in all, I cannot wait for the second book and I would recommend this fun book to everyone looking for a book full of mysteries, a character learning to be brave/trust people, monsters, and more to all.
Review first posted at https://twirlingbookprincess.com/
laura0506's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
mysterious
relaxing
fast-paced
3.5
jess64au's review against another edition
emotional
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I read this as part of the DANZ awards. I was really impressed with the story and I felt gave a really realistic representation of living with anxiety. I will be looking for the sequels and promoting to my students. https://www.thedanzchildrensbookaward.com/
cec_loves_to_read_books's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
wallflovver's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
this was absolutely delightful, every page made me so happy.. the illustrations are so whimsical and soft, they're perfectly paired with mary-kate's story
i loved mary-kate, her anxieties were very nicely handled. as someone with OCD, i feel it's a really delicate representation of the disorder and mary-kate overcoming her worries throughout the book made me so happy for her!
a lovely introduction to the way capitalist greed effects communities and the environment to children lmao
i loved mary-kate, her anxieties were very nicely handled. as someone with OCD, i feel it's a really delicate representation of the disorder and mary-kate overcoming her worries throughout the book made me so happy for her!
a lovely introduction to the way capitalist greed effects communities and the environment to children lmao
amber_hastings's review against another edition
hopeful
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
A very sweet, gentle story about an anxious young girl whose curiosity and kindness leads her to solving a small village's centuries-old mystery. I absolutely loved the treatment of Mary-Kate's anxiety, and the fact she had to find an inner resolve to push her way through intimidating scenarios. The supporting characters were fun and whimsical and well suited to this slightly old-fashioned world. This was a lovely English or English-inspired community whose bad characters were only mildly terrible and found redemption, with a happy ending for all.
My only criticism would be whether the plot might move too slowly, with too much focus on historical research in the middle, for a younger reader. But this would be perfect for readers who prefer a cosier story without too many thrills.
My only criticism would be whether the plot might move too slowly, with too much focus on historical research in the middle, for a younger reader. But this would be perfect for readers who prefer a cosier story without too many thrills.
acascadeofbooks's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
saccalai's review against another edition
4.0
I loved reading about Mary-Kate's investigations, the book is so easy to get into and quite fast-paced, there is always something happening.
Mary-Kate is so sweet, I really felt for her with all her worries, and she tries so hard not to cause other people stress. Her mother is lovely, so understanding but also no-nonsense and I think just the right amount of challenging.
I really enjoyed the snippets from P.K. Mayberry's Complete Guide to Monsters of the Northern Hemisphere. I feel like this might need a whole companion book of it's own!
This was such a comfort read, I'm just sorry I don't have book two yet to read next (The Trouble with the Two-Headed Hydra). From the excerpt it sounds like it will be just as much fun to read, specially as it takes place in a Greek island!
https://sabrinasbooktails.blogspot.com/2023/08/the-wrath-of-woolington-wyrm-miss-mary.html
Mary-Kate is so sweet, I really felt for her with all her worries, and she tries so hard not to cause other people stress. Her mother is lovely, so understanding but also no-nonsense and I think just the right amount of challenging.
I really enjoyed the snippets from P.K. Mayberry's Complete Guide to Monsters of the Northern Hemisphere. I feel like this might need a whole companion book of it's own!
This was such a comfort read, I'm just sorry I don't have book two yet to read next (The Trouble with the Two-Headed Hydra). From the excerpt it sounds like it will be just as much fun to read, specially as it takes place in a Greek island!
https://sabrinasbooktails.blogspot.com/2023/08/the-wrath-of-woolington-wyrm-miss-mary.html