*Trigger warnings for bullying and high school violence.  

I was so pleasantly surprised by this read.  I wasn't sure what to expect going in, so I had low expectations.  I thought the characters were distinct enough that I never wondered who was talking or which POV we were in.  I never got them confused with each other because their voices were different enough to make them their own person.  

I was so uncomfortable with the violence against the children at the beginning.  I know it was done to set up the bullies, and I get that these things happen, but it's part of the high school experience that I never saw or dealt with and something I hate reading about.  Anyway, this friend group comes together as outcasts or freaks from their school and start "messin with things they should've left alone"  :)  Anyway, wildness ensues and something has been released into the world that doesn't belong.  Now the friends realize they may have extra powers, and they're going to need them to fight the something that they released.  

There were some jaw dropping moments that shocked me and made me stop reading for a second to process.  I really enjoyed it and I'm moving right into book #2.

Fast paced, simple concept and simply executed. Not a lot of depth. I have the second though so I shall follow through with that to see what happens.

Thanks to the publisher for granting me access to an eAlc via NetGalley

There's something about Brett Riley's books - they're *almost* the best, you know what I mean? The plot is interesting, the writing is well done. What is it that is makes the reader lose that important reader-to-book connection? I'm not quite sure. I really want to like these, and maybe I'll try reading again in a few years.

One would have expected that people - even kids - by now sort of know not to mess with demonic portals...

I recently listened to Freaks, a young adult audiobook that had a strong '80s vibe surrounding it. A group of friends opens aforementioned portal, gains superpowers but also releases a terrible monster on a small Arkansas town. 

I am not sure about this one. It's not that I didn't enjoy myself when listening, but everything felt a little bit too cliche. The bullies, the ending. 

Will I read the next book? Probably. 

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with a free copy of Freaks in exchange for an honest review!

I received this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
This YA fantasy was fast paced and enjoyable. The narrator was clear and expressive. I enjoy a book where a group of friends end up in some mess. 
#Freaks #NetGalley

It was a fun read! Wasn't at all what I expected, especially with the monsters they had, but I did enjoy it! Didn't really care about all the characters though. Didn't feel connected enough to them to be fully invested. But doesn't mean wasn't rooting them on the entire time.

I want to thank the publisher for giving me a copy of the audiobook.

Okay I went into freaks blind I didn't really know it was about I honestly just liked the cover and it was a fun book a solid three stars for me three stars isn't a bad rating.

I liked the magical aspect of this as well as the horror interdimensional plot I loved the powers that each one of the characters got a really really enjoyed the narrator as well. My biggest issue was honestly the dialogue in the book it felt really forced wanting to sound young but honestly didn't come off in the right age bracket it felt very juvenile which for me was kind of an issue.

But by the end I was still very interested and I will definitely be requesting the next book in the series I am invested like I said I just feel like the dialogue really needed a lot of work in the pacing kind of felt off but all in all it was fun I could see middle grade kind of liking this and not really high school age which was more along the lines of where this was but again it just felt a little juvenile for that age range.

As a Riley fan, this was not only a great adaptation but the narrator had a perfect way of giving that spook, what the heck is going on-ness that Riley does so well.

This book was ok. I do appreciate the bullying subject as I think it’s an important one to discuss, but I didn’t feel particularly connected to the characters.

Thank you to Net Galley and Imbrifex Audio for access to an ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Freaks is a somewhat interesting take on the teenage superhero genre in its exploration of Kevin’s character arc, the main group’s relation to him over the course of the narrative, and the overall exploration of Southern USA suburban life. However, for the most part, the storyline, dialogue and overall plot come off as a first attempt at writing a novel, in equal parts cliche and melodramatic. I was only marginally compelled by the story, and the worldbuilding felt lacklustre and basic at the best of times. I would be interested to see how this develops in the sequel, and whether it is expounded on, but not enough to actually read the book. The emotional arcs in the story did not pay off, and the queer representation felt poorly thought through. 

The voice actor for the audiobook was good, although their variation between narrative and dialogue could use some more distinguishing.

2/5

**Thank you to Netgalley and Imbrifex books for allowing me to read to this book. All thoughts are my honest opinions.**


Freaks is the first in the Freaks series, which follows four high-school friends who accidentally summon a demon. They now find they have powers, not just any powers, but SUPERPOWERS! This YA fantasy book aims to capture the essence of a teenager in a small town, dealing with school, friends, and bullies. Brett Riley does a good job at the surface level, but it lacks some realism with some of the teenager's communication, not to mention the over-the-top bullying.

However, each character is well thought out and written, with their unique voice, although I am not overly keen on how the teenager of colour or the females were written. I also really enjoyed the gore parts of the story.

This book is written for young adults, and I would give this a 3.5 star rating, and will be checking book 2.

It's a boring book, I hate the language, and the plot and the characters are all so annoying... yikes

Readers who are looking for another gritty, contemporary superhero story will find it in this. The writing is accessible, descriptive, and action packed.

Freaks is centered around four friends who are ruthlessly harassed by three bullies. To release some frustrations they decide to larp out casting a spell against their tormenters, but they end up opening up a portal to a different world and something comes through it. Along with that they find themselves with super powers.

This book felt just like a coming of age/super hero origin story and I absolutely loved it. I loved all of the nerdy references and the fight scenes were really well written and easy to follow. I really liked how it showed everyone's different point of views including the monster. I also felt like the characters were fleshed out well and had different personalities.

A group of four teenagers that are tired of being bullied band together and mistakenly unleash an ancient evil on their town. They gained special power during the release and I enjoyed learning what they were and how to use them along with the characters. I also liked the friendships they formed and that they took responsibility for their actions. A solid ya read.

I received this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Copy provided by Imbrifex Audio. 

Freaks is about four high school friends who suffer daily humiliation at the hands of three bullies. When the friends accidentally open a portal to another dimension, they unintentionally allow terrifying, other-worldly creatures to invade their small Arkansas town. Discovering that they are now endowed with strange superpowers, the four teens dub themselves “Freaks,” the very name their tormentors used to ridicule them. The Freaks must fight to save the lives of family and friends now in mortal peril and thwart a secret government task force that appears to be hunting them.

The writing style, dialogue, characters were all very juvenile. The plot was very straightforward and there was no mystery to what was happening, so, basically all tell and no show. The plot was a bit lacking and the characters had no real depth to them, they felt like cardboard cutouts. They all talk the exact same and have no personality so I would often forget who was talking to who since none of them have defining traits. The last thing I felt was that it was so cheesy to call someone a geek for liking comics. This is suppose to be set in modern times and no one in modern times is calling someone a geek or freak for liking comics. I am aware this is part one to a series but there wasn't anything that had me hooked to want to continue on to the next. I will probably not be reading the next book.

I didn't really love this one, but I could see that some of my students would.  To me, the bullying felt too cliché, like...I work in a high school, and I know it's not as bad as this.  That being said, the premise was fun, and the main characters were really likeable.  I could see my teens really digging this book.

TW: bullying, racism, abuse, toxic friendships, gory scenes 

*****SPOILERS***** 
About the book:Four high-school friends suffer daily humiliation at the hands of three bullies. When the friends accidentally open a portal to another dimension, they unintentionally allow terrifying, other-worldly creatures to invade their small Arkansas town. Discovering that they are now endowed with strange superpowers, the four teens dub themselves “Freaks,” the very name their tormentors used to ridicule them. The Freaks must fight to save the lives of family and friends now in mortal peril and thwart a secret government task force that appears to be hunting them.
Release Date: March 1st, 2022
Genre: YA - Fantasy 
Pages: 288
Rating: 

What I Liked:
1. Fast past
2. Bullying is pretty realistic
3. The teenagers weren't annoying 

What I Didn't Like:
1. Some scenes dragged on at times
2. Some scenes read as confusing 

Overall Thoughts:

I seriously thought this book was a fun ride. I felt like being a teenager and being tormented everyday by the popular kids was spot on. I was also bullied in school for years and years so I get it.

I felt like the writing style was good and I was engaged as a reader, curious about what was going to happen to them.

I loved the whole mutant changes that happen with them. What bullied kid doesn't dream of becoming so powerful they can crush the people that picked on them? Duh I do. If I had these powers and I was in high school yeah I'd become the villain.

There were even a couple of moments where the book shocked me... The scene where dudes mom is ripped apart is both gross and surprising. Did not see that happening! 

Final Thoughts: I'm eager to see what happens to them in the next book. Very fun time and fun characters. 

Recommend For:
• Revenge stories
• Xmen fans
• YA books

Wow this is a giant no thank you. I received an audio copy of this from NetGalley and oh boy is it something else. There’s so much that I found absolutely ridiculous and problematic in this book. It’s just not for me. 

⭐️⭐️ because the narrator was great.

Did not finish the book. Stopped at 10%.
The writing was so boring, that I couldn't make it past the kid's introductions. I didn't make it that far but the reasons some of the kids were bullied were so plain and boring. The voice acting wasn't very pleasant to listen to and the accents used to differentiate between the characters were horrible