I got a copy of this book by Netgalley. It’s the story of Gracie, a character from a book who escaped her story when she was a baby.
I was afraid when I started it it will be cheesy and I wouldn’t be surprise by this story. It’s a little bit under 200 pages and the pace of the story is fast. It’s simple, clear and adapted to young kids. I have to say, it got me hooked right away. Loved the short chapters as well. I didn’t expect the twisted plot and the surprise in the middle of it. Unexpected and I really thought in wouldn’t be surprise. Fast read, cute story and a good reminder about been ourselves.
I really enjoyed Tara’s books and I’m looking forward to read more of hers.

I shared this on Instagram, Goodreads and on my reading book Chapter Chatter Pub on Facebook. Thanks for the chance to read this. I loved it sooo much, I will share this with my daughter

I liked the premise of Unwritten but it just didn't really hold my interest. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to review it.

I received a free copy of this book and voluntarily chose to review. This is an amazing story about a young girl struggling to figure out who she is. This book is so addictive from page one. Perfect for fans of Cat Miller and Shannon Hale. A refreshing and utterly unique story, perfect for young adults and up. I sincerely hope for more from this talented author.

Thanks to Netgalley that I got to read such a wonderful book. Unwritten is a story of a perfect mix of a story and a reality. I am quite fascinated by the idea that the characters leave the story and enter in the real world. 

Gracie is the main character of the story. She is born inside the story. She escapes with her mother and few other people from the story. Ever since her childhood, she has a nightmare. She asks her mother but she never tells her the truth. Gracie decided to go into the story to find the answers to her nightmare. 

When she enters into the story, she realises that the characters behave differently than the real world. You must read the book to find out what happens next. 
The cover of the book is very attractive. The girl on the cover is Gracie. She is shown in two halves. One depicts her character in the story and the other depicts her image in the real life. 

The book will be published in October 2018. You can preorder it on https://www.amazon.com/Unwritten-Tara-Gilboy/dp/1631631772/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1528654744&sr=8-1&keywords=unwritten+tara+gilboy

Gracie is a young girl who was born inside a story, but was saved from it and now lives in the normal world with her mom. Of course she wants to know more about the story she was in, and how could the writer give her, a child, such a cruel fate, so, when one day, the said author comes to town, she goes to meet her and maybe find answers for some of her questions.

The whole novel revolves around Gracie finding out whether she is just this character in a story or a real person, who can make her own choices, have her own feelings, and take decisions noy written by others.

I really liked this mix between a dark fairytale and a serious middle-grade story; also, the characters are compelling and the writing very good.

A BIG Thank You to NetGalley, Jolly Fish Press and North Star Editions for providing me a copy of “Unwritten” by Tara Gilboy in exchange for my review. I loved the concept of this book! It was so unique and different from others I have read recently.

The main reason why this novel stands out is because of its characters and what they go through. Gracie, Jacob, Walter, and the others are very down to Earth and realistic even though they are literally only characters in the story. The novel highlights that you can be the author of your own destiny, and choose your own path. The book also focuses on constructively dealing with emotions. In the story, Gracie fights with her emotions and tries to not be her written form. There are some gripping scenes where Gracie tries to control herself from being destructive. Like Gracie, we also have moments where anger and sadness consumes us, but we should not let it control us. This is a nice message that younger readers can learn from. One of my favorite passages in the story mentions the same:

“Being angry doesn’t make you a villain, Gracie. Anger can help you stand up for yourself, do the things you need to, It can be a good thing, if you control it rather than letting it control you.”

Tara Gilboy has done a wonderful job in writing “Unwritten”. She has a wonderful style of writing that’s easy to read yet gripping with a consistent pace. It is a great debut novel, and I would love to see what she comes up with next. I hope that there is a sequel coming up soon as I would love to read more. There are many reasons I can think of for having a sequel. Firstly, the author has created the world building nicely that could easily include new villains. Secondly, as the book ends in a slightly open ended manner, I would like to see how it continues. Thirdly, I want to find out how Winters story came to life and possibilities of crossovers with her other novels.

Overall, “Unwritten” is one of those books that is targeted for a middle grade readers, but it can be enjoyed by anyone who loves to read adventure/fantasy novels.

Gracie is absolutely charming in this wonderful MG fantasy/adventure from Tara Gilboy. A must-buy for upper elem/middle school collections.

The premise of this book is one of the most interesting premises I have ever read about. The story is about twelve-year-old Gracie Freeman, who is living a normal life, except for the fact that she is actually a character from a story, an unpublished fairy tale she’s never read. When she was a baby, her parents learned that she was supposed to die in the story, and with the help of a magic book, took her out of the story, and into the outside world, where she could be safe. But everything changes when Grace decides to go against her mothers warnings, and go to talk to the author of her story.

The characters in this story were so well written and complex. Grace is 12 years old and she acts likes it, which means that sometimes she does stupid things, but she learns from it. I also really enjoyed Walters character. He's a friend of Grace and he's really into science. I thought the author did a great job of discussing in the scientific aspect of characters coming to life.

Going into the story, I was afraid that the plot would be very predictable and I was pleasantly surprised. I did not see the plot twist coming. The writing style really suited the story, I felt like I was there going on the adventure with the characters.

If you are a lover of middle grade I highly recommend you pick this up when it comes out on the 16th of October, 2018.

this is the kind of story that I would like my 8 year old self read and re-read again.. This book made me regret those times that I opt to sleep instead of reading more books. 😞
The story actually made me appreciate the beauty of the future not known, and You are the one to make your own story.
Also, the ending made me understand the title.😂

Interest Level: 3-6

What would you do if the life you now live turned out to be different from the one you originally were supposed to live? Would you settle for your current life or would you search out your past? For as long as Gracie can remember she has had flashbacks of a life that she doesn't recall. Memories of smoke and fire will settle on her out of no where and she doesn't know why. Her mother has told her that what she is experiencing is called a "story glimmer" and that these are glimpses of what would had happened if they hadn't escaped Bondoff. Gracie's mom explained that they are actually storybook characters that escaped because a horrible villain was determined to kill Gracie. Gracie knows she should stay away when the author of her story comes to town, but she has so many unanswered questions she has to go and meet her. What happens at the bookstore starts a whole chain reaction that changes Gracie and her family's life. They are taken back to Bondoff where the evil queen rules. Will Gracie and her family go back to the story that was written for them, or will Gracie rewrite her own story? Read Unwritten to find out how Gracie's story ends!

From the first page to the last I could not put this book down. This story draws you in and won't let go. The cover of the book is so incredible and mirrors the book perfectly! I do not see that there is a book two in the works, but I sure hope that Tara Gilboy​ is already working on it because this story has to be "unwritten" again!

Unwritten is a fun, adventurous story for middle grade readers. The plot is interesting and mysterious and the story provides friendship, adventure, and lovable characters.
Gracie finds out that she is actually a character from a fairy tale story. She was pulled out of the story and saved by her parents, who found out that she was supposed to die in the fairy tale. She has always known this, but when she starts having vivid dreams, she decides she needs answers of her own – despite her mother’s warnings.
It is a very fun story and I would definitely recommend to younger readers with imagination!

"Because what does it mean, really, to be labeled a villain? Nobody really thinks of herself as a villain. We are all the heroes in our own stories.”
Plot
Starting off, I thought the book was kind of childish and cliche. I mean they thought an author was a terrible person because she killed off a child in one of her books (which is what the whole book is about). And they’re escaping a character named Queen Cassandra, because she’s out to kill them. But then the huge plot twist came in, and I was like ok this is getting a lot better. But I do think that the author could do a better job with her magic system. Why is Queen Cassandra so powerful besides the seeing into the future part? I would love to see more world building.
Characters
I don’t have very many notes or thoughts on the characters. There wasn’t much depth to Walton at all, he was kind of just there. Now that I come to think of it, none of them did that much. I felt no attachment to them, but it was a little bit fun reading from Gracie’s perspective, and seeing her try to discover her past.
Overall
I would recommend this to kids into middle grade books. This book is about defying the odds, and being able to choose your own story, and not letting other people write it for you.

While I found this middle grade (or lower) novel to be rather lackluster, it does have potential as an interesting read for young people with anger issues. Gracie's issues with anger and unkindness are a small part of the plot for most of the work, but I think readers who struggle with controlling their temper might find some interesting solace in her efforts to not let her past define her choices, even while acknowledging that past will influence her. It is perhaps a strange takeaway from a fantasy novel, but a worthy one.

A great fantasy adventure that is thought-provoking. Can how people perceive us be who we are? I love stories where the characters are so closely tied to a book. This did not disappoint and was a fun read.

What a great surprise! It took me 2 days only to finish this fun novel. The polished cover is what first drew me to the book. After I read what it was about I couldn’t wait to delve into it because it reminded me of The Land of Stories series. Unwritten is based on an original idea; the main characters all come from a fairytale but decided to leave this realm to seek refuge in a safer world (our world!). But as she’s growing up, Gracie is all the more avid for information about who she really is. So she embarks (more or less by accident) into a perilous adventure, seeking the author of an unpublished story and ending up in a dangerous, magical new dimension.

I thought the author wrote a fascinating piece about the reasons why authors do what they do, in other words write books. Unwritten isn’t just about castles, queens and princesses. It is really about the power of writing. Here the consequences are quite dramatic (the characters really become alive!) and allow for a riveting portray of an author’s life and motivations. That is why I believe it is a great read for both children and adults.

A must-read!

The best books for children and middle graders are the ones that older people can read an still enjoy. This one was one of those.
The characters were very interesting and the plot was well studied and developed. And bonus: it was a book about a book. And an author describing another author.
The plot line is not new. The way to go with it is and it’s much better than the other books I’ve read about it.
I would recommend it to every little reader (and not so little) who loves books.
Great great book!

I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review (and it is. The book was just goooooood)

My review was posted on Goodreads (May 27th).

Unwritten offers a fresh new take on the old topics of good-vs-evil and nature-vs-nurture, focusing on that fascinating murky grey area that lies between the two extremes.

From the very first pages of her debut, Gilboy plunges the readers into the strange world of Gracie Freeman, a twelve-year-old protagonist of Unwritten, who lives a quiet 'normal' life with her mom while fully aware they both used to be characters in a fairy-tale story. Having never been allowed to read the story in question, Gracie wonders what has really happened in it, and whether the flashbacks ("story glimmers") she's haunted by daily are true and she was really meant to die in the story. Taking matters into her own hands, Gracie endeavors to find the answers, meet her creator (the story's author) and confront the truth about her character - and herself.

In this clever exploration of human nature, Gilboy masterfully delivers the message of complexity of good and evil, with Gracie learning that she is what she makes herself; in other words, her future is hers to write.

Unwritten, by Tara Gilboy, is a middle-grade story that feels like a dark fairytale. The story’s protagonist is 12 year old Gracie, who dreams of fire and believes what her mother has told her: that she is actually a character who was rescued from a story. The story world is a parallel universe to the real world, and Unwritten takes readers on an adventure that is literally within the pages of a book. This is a trope that may seem overdone to some readers, but will likely still draw many young readers in - and the mystery inside will hold them to this story’s end.

When Gracie and her friend Walter, who is also from the story world, have an encounter with the author of their story at a book signing, the adventure begins. A magical parchment torn from their story sends the author into the storyworld, and Gracie & Walter’s parents soon follow. Now Gracie and Walter must enter the story world to save their parents. Gracie and Walter find themselves navigating an eerily familiar world that is being ruled by Queen Cassandra, the woman whom both have seen in their dreams. Gracie’s mother told her that Cassandra is dangerous, and that in the story both she and Walter die. But is this the truth? And just who is Gracie, really? To find out the truth of who she is, she’ll need to know the whole story, which her mother never told her.

Kids will find plenty to like in this fairytale adventure that steps into the pages of a book. It also prompts powerful questions, about truth, about what makes us who we are or who our friends or family are - and how we might create or change our own stories. For the kid who dreams of stepping inside a story to become a character they have known and loved, or of writing a story of their own - this adventure will be a good read. Thank you to NetGalley, Jolly Fish Press & North Star Editions for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Unwritten is a coming of age story that is engaging, thought-provoking, and fast-paced. It follows 12-year-old Gracie’s conflicts with authority and choice in her journey to determine her own identity.

“We are not all good and bad…” (Chp 3). “We’re all a mixture of good and bad.” (Chp 26).

The author has created complex characters. The quotes above, which bookend the story, demonstrate how the villain(s) and hero(es) are not simply presented for the reader to passively consume. Rather, this book encourages the reader to draw their own conclusions about the characters through active reading.

Underpinning Gracie’s struggles throughout the book is her realisation that the adults close to her continually demonstrate a lack of confidence in her ability to process knowledge about horrific past events and to make choices about her identity, actions, and future.

Family dynamics is a key theme in this book. Typically, in MG fantasy books, parents are either seriously remiss in some way or dead. In Unwritten, the inclusion of realistically flawed parents, who are present to offer support and guidance (for better or worse), is a refreshing change.

While Unwritten contains some violence (both actual and implied), it reflects what is typically found within the fantasy and fairy-tale genres for a MG audience.

This book is aimed at readers from 8 to 14 years, however librarians might want to use their discretion for more sensitive or less mature readers at the younger end of this intended audience.

Overall, this is a quick read that is well written, contains complex characters, explores some typical tween/teen issues (fantasy elements aside), and has enough twists to keep the reader engaged. I really enjoyed this book and would highly recommend it.


Thanks to Netgalley for providing me with an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

Definitely a read and discuss book. This book tackles a lot of issues: growing up, bullying (did I mention the bad guy is like a bully?) and choice. It is a wonderful book, put in a perspective of a child. As we all know, 12 years old is a very impressionable age, and if we can get them to understand that you can choose, it could create a better society. The only thing is that I didn't connect to Gracie, but I don't think I am supposed to I am 12. I connected with her mom a lot more, because I'm a parent.
Overall, read Unwritten because it's a thought provoking book for everyone.