Journey's End

by Rachel Hawkins

THIS IS A "SOFTCOVER" EDITION.IT IS BRAND NEW!

Genres: Middle Grade, Fantasy, Mystery, Paranormal, Adventure, Young Adult, Fiction

304 pages, Hardcover

First published October 25, 2016

About the author

Rachel Hawkins is the New York Times bestselling author of The Wife Upstairs, Reckless Girls, The Villa, and The Heiress, as well as multiple books for young readers. Her work has been translated into over two dozen languages. She studied gender and sexuality in Victorian literature at Auburn University and currently lives in Alabama.

Reviews

[Fafa's Book Corner · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mini review:

I have heard the authors Rebel Belle series and was excited to read this. It did not disappoint! This was so much fun and cute! Slightly creepy and perfect to read during Halloween.

I loved all the characters relationships! With each other and their family. The mystery was interesting and while I did see some of the coming I enjoyed it. I would not mind reading a sequel with these characters.

I really hope this author continues to write more middle grade. Highly recommend to MG fans.

[Bree]

A new book (most definitely will turn into a series/trilogy - bet on it)...By Rachel Hawkins...?



Rachel Hawkins has fast become one of my favourite authors!
I flew through her Hex Hall babies like that! *snaps fingers!*
Her writing is entertainment at its best, I just dig her style so much!
So its a no-brainer why I'm completely ecstatic to read this new book by her.

Just...one problem!

ITS BEING RELEASED IN FREAKING 2015!!!

[✦BookishlyRichie✦ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Now that was a fun read! After "Small Spaces" left me a little bored, I hoped this one wasn't going to follow up and toss me into a reading slump but I'm here to say it didn't! In fact it lifted me right up and has me even more excited to pick up another book from my TBR this moth. If you love ghost stories and books about friendship, this is a perfect read. I loved the sea-side setting and the spooky and thrilling moments this book had. If I had to compare this I'd say it's The Fog meets Winterhouse. It's a fun and spooky read perfect for the fall time. - R.C.

[Rashika (is tired) · Rating 4 out of 5]

***This review was also posted on Xpresso Reads

Are you looking for a spoopy read for the Halloween season? Have you considered picking up a delightful middle-grade Halloween-esque novel? If so, consider reading this charming novel. I am a huge fan of Rachel Hawkins' Hex Hall and Rebel Belle series' so I was all about this book but it wasn't quite what I expected (not in a bad way.) It has a lot of the fun feel from her YA books but the characters don't sound the exact same and I LOVE that. They aren't just the same characters but a little younger and in a different setting.

Journey's End is a small town located in the middle of nowhere Scotland but it is unlike most small towns because of the magical fog. I think we've seen enough scary movies to know that fog isn't always as great as it seems and usually where all the spooky shit goes down.

The paranormal element of this book is well done and the setting is very atmospheric. Hawkins pays attention to detail and builds a believable world. I love the folk tales, myths and the characters' stories that work together to create the "real story" of what is happening in this town. Everything is intermingled as stories tend to be. The best part about this novel is seeing the layers peeled back one by one until we get to the bottom of what is actually happening.

There is also an adventure element to this book and I always enjoy that. Adventures and mysteries go well together if I do say so myself ;) Especially if there is some paranormal thrown in.

Journey's End also features some of the best characters I've read in a while. Nollie's visiting her father for the summer and Bel is a local of Journey's End. Both of them are complex characters and I love that there is more to them than just meets the eye. Nollie is witty but also confused about where her family stands after her parents got divorced recently. Bel just got dumped by her best friend for some reason she doesn't know(if you don't think this is a big deal, you obviously never had that happen to you in Middle School and you can thank the stars for that because IT REALLY SUCKS) but she is more than the character whose friend dumped her. She is fun, down to Earth and I would totes hang out with her. There is also a third character whose name I won't mention because spoilers but rest assured, they are fucking hilarious and I LOVE IT. These three kids are very different from one another but become fast friends (because of their situations, loneliness but also because they are perfect for one another.) They are brave, adventurous and lots of fun to hang out with them. Honestly, I have friend-crushes on all of them even though they are 5-6 years younger than me.

Everything just works well in this book. Journey's End is so much fun to read and so quick too. It represents everything it is I love about a good Middle Grade novel and if you've gathered this from my ramblings quite yet, but I really liked this book. Its got good world building, good plot and wonderful characters. What else can a girl want? Basically, you should read it if you enjoy fun middle grade novels or pass it along to someone you know who enjoys fun middle grade novels!

Read this if you enjoy(ed): The Map to Everywhere by Carrie Ryan & John Parke Davis, adventures, spoopy stories.

Note that I received an advanced copy of this book for review.

[Sam · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sometimes I just need a magical middle-grade book to comfort me, and this did exactly that. I did not want to stop listening to this tale, it was very enjoyable from start to finish.

I honestly forgot it was a Rachel Hawkins book, I wouldn’t mind if she wrote more middle grade novels.

My favorite Disney channel show was So Weird (alongside Lizzie McGuire of course) and this totally felt like it could have been an episode, which made it even more fun for me.

[Marie the Librarian · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is magical and enchanting in the best way. I love the friendship between Nolie, Al and Bel. I also love the mystery and spookyness of Journey's End and I like that its set in Scotland. Its just a really good childrens fantasy novel!

[Madeleine (Top Shelf Text) · Rating 3 out of 5]

This cover caught my eye on a recent trip to a local independent bookstore. This middle grade story follows a young girl visiting her father for a summer in the tiny village of Journey's End, Scotland. Her father works at The Institute, a science-based organization studying a mysterious fog that hovers off the coast of the village. When Nolie arrives at Journey's End, things are changing. The fog, called The Boundary by the locals, is the stuff of legend -- those who venture into it never return, and it's drawing closer to the village. I enjoyed this story, but it wasn't quite as developed as I'd hoped. I'd recommend for middle grade readers in 4th and 5th grade who enjoy ghost stories and mysteries.

[Wendy Darling · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars Sweet, old-fashioned, uncomplicated, and somehow very comforting. <3

[WhatShouldIRead · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun adventure story with woo-woo thrown into the mixture. I enjoyed the remote Scotland setting and the sleuthing by the girls was well thought out. The only quibble I had was that when there seemed to be an emergency and time was of the essence, a conversation took place which delayed immediate action. This is a pet peeve of mine not exclusive to this book but it still annoys me.

Anyway if you want a spooky mystery with ghosts, dense fog, time traveling people, remote location along with nature walks, small cosy village and the ocean at your toes, this is the book for you!

[Leah · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a quick read; it was a cute story about friendship. The story behind the fog was a minor plot point, but I still found it interesting. I was hoping it would have been a bigger part of the story, though. I like that there was magic and a ghost involved in the story. Also, I liked the ending. There was closure, but there is the possibility of a sequel, if the author decides to write one.

[Maggie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A beautiful fantasy middle grade with Loch Ness monsters.

[Christina (A Reader of Fictions) · Rating 3 out of 5]

As per usual, I picked Journey’s End on a whim from the review audiobook list, mostly because I’ve heard good stuff about Rachel Hawkins. Journey’s End is just to the positive side of okay, pleasant but not at all complex.

Plot-wise, you pretty much know what’s going on in Journey’s End from the very start and then just sit around and wait for the characters to catch on. In terms of world building, it’s thin. I’d say it’s almost more magical realism than paranormal or fantasy, were it not for the appearance of the ghost at the end. Otherwise it’s just a bunch of weird fog.

The characters are pretty good too, but they’re not amazing. I appreciate the addition of a little middle grade ship, but you don’t get a lot from that either. They blush at each other some and then Nolie leaves at the end of the summer. The whole book basically just feels like it could have been more, but it’s not.

Journey’s End was a nice enough way to spend a few hours while I drove around, but I wish there had been more depth to it across the board.

[Kara · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was really cute, but I wanted more character development. There were also a few plot inconsistencies that I really hope were worked out by the time this book went to print.

I will say that I really enjoy Rachel Hawkins' writing. It speaks to me on a person level; it's a good balance of imagery and storytelling with delightful turns of phrase. This is her first middle grade, and if she intends to stay in this age category for a little bit, I have no doubt that her next book will be better. I just found this one a little boring. The story arc shouldn't have been weak, and yet it felt a bit repetitive and sort of one note. Where was the excitement and drama that a middle grade novel should have?

Anyway, this was sort of enjoyable due to the writing, but I just wanted and expected more.

[Amelia · Rating 4 out of 5]

ARC courtesy of Edelweiss.

No indication yet as far as I'm aware that this will be the beginning of a series, but I hope that even though this is a self-contained story, Rachel Hawkins will come back to these three characters again, or even a few more times. This book is a cute middle grade paranormal story with hints of mystery and a giant heap of friendship, for fans of the Lockwood & Co. books who want something a little less terrifying.

[Isabelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was so upset when I was pages away from the end and realized that I could have been giving the characters Scottish accents the entire time.

[Carina Olsen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this story a lot, and the characters were pretty great. While I didn't fully love this book, aw, I'm really glad that I read it. Because the mystery was interesting and I liked the place it was set in. A tiny Scottish village, our time. It was exciting. There is a bit of magic, which was awesome. And such an interesting story.

I don't know how much I'm going to write about this book, as it was pretty short, and I don't want to talk about all the things that happened, as there weren't that much. But I'm still going to write about some of it, and try to share why I liked this book, and why I didn't love it. One thing I do love, though, is the pretty cover. Yay.

I found the writing in this book to be pretty good, which I'm happy about. And as I said, I liked the story a lot. This book is about a mysterious fog that is just outside this village. If people go into the fog, they never come back. It has been like this for hundreds of years, and no one knows why. There isn't any way to get their missing people back either. Which I found to be so interesting to read about. And I wanted to know more about this fog, I wanted to know why it was there, and what happened to all the missing people. I'm a little bit disappointed in how it ended, sigh, but I still liked most of it. I liked reading about them figuring things out. I enjoyed reading about this town a lot. The book is set in our time, and yet this town felt pretty old fashioned, in some way.

This book is told from the point of view of twelve year old Nolie and Bel. Nolie just arrived in this village to spend the summer with her father, whom is trying to study the fog and such. I did like getting to know her. Nolie was a great girl, and I liked her a lot. But I also didn't love her, because I felt like I did not know her well enough. Aw. I wish there had been more about her, more things to love about her. Because I do feel like I could have loved her lots, if the book had been longer and more detailed. It could have been more.

Then there is Bel, who has lived in this place her whole life. I liked this girl a whole lot too. She was pretty sweet and kind. I loved reading about her past a little, because it was sad, with how her former friend had treated her. It was interesting to read about, though. I liked reading about her family, they seemed pretty good. But yeah, I also felt like I didn't get to know this girl enough. Aw. I mean, I liked reading about both girls, but also felt like it could have been written more, done a bit better. Ending was too rushed; not good.

I really like reading about Nolie and Bel becoming friends, though. It was sweet. And I enjoyed reading about them hanging out and doing things together. But there was also too little of that. And I didn't like the time jumps, as there had suddenly gone a whole week, then two weeks, and nothing had happened, and I have no idea what happened between those days. Hmph. Oh, I wish this book had been longer, so that I could have loved it. Aw. Well, I think I would have loved it. But even so, I did like it a lot. Just not enough.

This story is about the fog. How it has started to move closer to the village. There is also a boy. Albert. Who went missing a hundred years ago in the fog, and he just came back. Nolie and Bel are the only ones who know who he really is, as Bel have been seeing a photo of him her whole life. I liked how they all became friends, though that was too short too, hmph. As I didn't see enough about them just being together. Aw. But they did have a cute friendship, even so, and I did enjoy reading about them all. Yay.

I'm not going to write more about this book now, because it really is pretty short. But there is a mystery. And these three kids are working on figuring out how to stop this fog. Journey's End was an interesting and somewhat exciting story. I liked the mystery of it all, and I mostly liked the characters. But yeah, I did not love it, and I feel a bit sad about that. Aw. But I'm still happy that I read this book. And I do think that you should be reading it too, as it was a pretty sweet middle grade book. Must now read more by Rachel.

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This review was first posted on my blog, Carina's Books, here: http://carinabooks.blogspot.no/2017/0...

[Cat · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sometimes, books just get caught in the shuffle....Waaay over do for a review! This was one fun ride! I think kids 3rd grade up are going to like this one (though most have already discovered the story and others by Rachel Hawkins..)! Lot of magic and fairies and a good mystery to be solved. I finally finished reading it over the weekend when I was going through my to be read bookcase and recognized it's title as one I needed to finish, pronto! Sometimes life just gets in the way of my reading....

[Stephanie Braswell · Rating 5 out of 5]

I teach 6th graders and I try to thoroughly read most of the books I add to my classroom library. THIS BOOK HOOKED ME, an adult, from start to finish. I love the Scottish setting and the mystical vs science debate present in this beautiful story! It will be the first book I feature in my reading spotlight this school year!

[Angie Stanton · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just discovered Rachel Hawkin's sassy contemporary book and couldn't wait to read more. Journey's End was a wonderful MG book with engaging characters, a bit of time travel (my fave!), and plenty of adventure.

[Jasmine · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really excellent spooky Middle Grade. I read it in like an hour because i was desperate to know what happens next. Families gone adrift in boats just hits a little close to home for me.

[Kaitlan Grigg · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute.

[Jean · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was SO cute! <3

[Sami · Rating 5 out of 5]

Southerner and amateur ghost hunter Nolie Stanhope isn't thrilled to be spending her summer vacation with her father in the Scottish village Journey's End. This changes when she becomes friends with Bel McKissick, and discovers a mysterious fog bank called the Boundary. When Albert Etheridge, who disappeared in 1914, reappears in the fog with no memory of how he got there, and other people start disappearing, it's up to Nolie and Bel to save the village. Journey's End is a fun, fast paced book about mystery, history, and friendship.

[Erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed Rachel Hawkins first foray into middle grade fiction. As a fan of her YA novels, it was wonderful to see her translate her trademark humor and wit for a middle grade audience. Additionally, the story itself is equal parts fun, compelling, and mysterious making it a great choice for avid and reluctant readers. All in all - I look forward to seeing what Ms. Hawkins has in store for middle grade readers in the future, because this one was an absolute delight! :)

[Jennybeast · Rating 4 out of 5]

Possibly the most excellent "what I did on my summer vacation" story ever -- ghosts, a wall of fog that people vanish into, the highlands of Scotland, and three unexpected friends making the most of summer. The kids are funny, the adventure is worrying, and the book is really hard to put down. I really enjoyed it.

Advanced Reader's Copy provided by Edelweiss.

[Tiffany Dominguez · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun.

It took me a while to adjust to reading a middle grade book (it's been a while) but I found the voices very age appropriate and believable. The mystery was fun and (again) didn't stretch the limits of believability too far. Cute. I've always been a fan of Rachel Hawkins, and I was glad to see her write an engaging, clean middle grade book.

[Karen Sutanto]

omfg this book sounds

A M A Z I N G !!!

...

2015??!?!?! 2015?!?!?! TWENTY FIFTEEN?!?!?

[Holly]

So, this sounds awesome. I haven't read any of Rachel Hawkins' YA books yet....should I?

[Sarah Bell]

Scottish highlands?! Definitely will be reding this book! :)

[Morgan]

Excited to read this, even though there is no info. This is my 'bet book' of the year.