The title and cover were what first drew me to the Changeling (Oddmire Book 1). From the description, I felt like this was going to be an odd mashup of Labyrinth and Fantastic Beasts.
Tinn and Cole appear to be two brothers. Except one of them is a changeling, a special kind of goblin child. When trying to swap a human child and the changeling a goblin, Kull, is distracted for a second...the changeling transforms to look like its human crib companion. Now no one knows which is which, but the changeling must return to the wild wood to save the magic of the there.
So the two brothers embark on a quest through the wood filled with all sorts of fantastic creatures. Changeling, Goblins, Bearskins...Newt Scamander would love this wood. I love this wood.
The story though isn't about the fantastic beasts...This is a story about what it means to be family, and what family will do to protect each other. Having a sibling of my own I am always critical of how those relationships are portrayed in stories. The brothership between Tinn and Cole is powerful and reminds me of Edward and Alphonse Elric and Fred and George Weasley. They care about each other so much, that they embark on this adventure.
I can wait to share this adventure with my library patrons. I'd say this is a middle-grade read, but I can see older readers enjoy the story as well. The only other thing I will add is that I love the portrayal of the mothers in this book. Thank you, NetGalley, for the advanced read.

Fantastic middle-grade tale filled with brotherly love, what it means to be a real family, goblins, and other creatures that live in the Wild Wood and Oddmire. Tinn and Cole are engaging twins that prove love is thicker than genetics.

I can see kids (and adults) of all ages enjoying this series.

Thank you NetGalley and Algonquin Young Readers for the opportunity to read an advance reader copy.

This book is a middle grade series about a Goblin trying to save his race but in his haste to do so ends up leaving a changeling behind so where their were once one baby their are now two. The thing i loved most about this book is the excitement, the love of family, and the little plot twists that are thrown in. I also like tell almost to the end you really have no clue which one is changeling and which one is not. Tin and Colre are the best examples of brothers i seen in a very long time. Their mom has the fiercest heart and the best message even if one is not your flesh and blood you still fight and love them with all your soul. I was on the edge of my seat through the entire deep dark forest adventure. The author pulls you along through the story at a break neck pace you just have to know what or who the boys will next encounter as they venture to find the Goblin Horde. This story is very dark in some places so i would not recommend it for younger readers who get spooked easily.

As soon as I saw the title of this story, I wanted to read it. I've been on a bit of a goblin kick since a rewatch of Labyrinth and this book was a perfect chaser for that.

Not every author can write both young adult and middle-grade novels, but Ritter sure can. While it's completely different from the way that Jackaby is told. It's captivating none the less and carries the same spirit and flavor. From the fantastical and eerie creatures to the constant sense of impending danger. Which makes sense due to it being set in the same world.

The writing is witty and concise. The narrative unfolds like a classic fairytale and keeps you turning the pages. Tinn and Cole are the type of characters you instantly find yourself rooting for, the brotherly bond between them is the heart of the story. I loved the tension that was created by neither of them knowing who was the changeling and their separate fears regarding it. Their dynamic was especially interesting and real.

Kull was my favorite character. He's the goblin who messed everything up but tried his best to fix it. He's gruff and not really accustomed to humans, but the way he cares for the two boys is heartwarming. His unexpected team up with their mother brought a lot of humor to the story and a lot of frustration for him. As they chase after the boys through the enchanted and somewhat deadly Wild Wood.

There is a host of colorful and odd forest occupants, that the boys encounter on their journey some far more intimidating than others. They all added to the eerie and somewhat off-putting air of the wood. Creating a perfect fairytale atmosphere, you were never quite sure who they could trust.

The atmospheric settings pull you further into the story. The Wild Wood is almost another character itself. It feels very much alive with its strange mists, twisting trees, and creatures than it houses. Threating to swallow up anyone who decides to tests their luck.

All throughout the book, there's a sense of urgency. That something dark and evil is coming to claim the boys. As soon as they cross into The Oddmire, you can feel it watching them. Biding its time. I loved the creepy element it added to the story, the dangers of the wood were very real. And the story doesn't shy away from that fact, building to an incredibly chilling climax.

At its core, this is a family story. One younger readers will relate to and older readers will undoubtedly enjoy. Full of mishaps, darkness, and of course hope.

Which is a brilliant combination if you ask me.

When I heard this was written by William Ritter, the man behind my beloved Jackaby series, I knew I had to read it, and I was not disappointed.  

This is a middle-grade book, so it is meant for a younger audience, the main characters 13, that being said I really enjoyed this book.  I loved all the characters and loved that these two brothers were so close while they both struggled with the idea that one of them was a Goblin.  And most importantly that they didn’t care! 

The story was great and extremely entertaining and well paced.  It's a typical hero's journey with minor quests and new friends along the way.  

I’m so glad this is just the first of other books in this series because I can’t wait to revisit Oddmire!

Yes! It’s another fantastic series by the ever talented William Ritter! This time he takes us through a journey into the Wild Wood; crossing paths with goblins, witches, and the mysterious Thing. This series is meant for middle grade kids, but I don’t see why it can’t be enjoyed by all ages. There’s elements that will keep you interested throughout, if just to solve the bit of mystery surrounding the characters.

I don’t think there’s a person in my generation that wasn’t intrigued my baby snatching goblins, thanks to Jim Henson and “Labyrinth”. In ‘Changeling’, Kull the goblin forgot to keep up with which was the changeling and which was the human when he tried to switch the babies. That left him in a conundrum, and he decided to leave BOTH until he could figure out which was which, so the poor parents woke up to TWIN sons; Tinn and Cole.

Both boys have their own, strong, personalities. Cole is the more adventurous of the two. He’s usually the one to come up with schemes that get both him and his brother into trouble, but he’s also very protective. Tinn is more timid, but it doesn’t take much nudging from Cole to get him to tail along on adventures and pranks. He’s the more thoughtful of the two. Also, the relationship the ‘brothers’ share is more than adorable; taking up for each other, comforting each other and fighting for each other. I’m a sucker for good sibling relationships in books and these two just take the cake! And part of the fun is journeying along with the two and trying for yourself to figure out which is the human boy and which is the goblin!

To me, the best parts of the book is when Cole and Tinn individually talk about why they think they are the goblin child. Each boy has their own insecurities. Cole mentions that he does bad things, without wanting to, and doesn’t understand why he does them. This is a GREAT topic for kids reading this book! Heck, it’s a great topic for teens and adults, too!

Bears, witches, goblins, a strange creature named Candlebeard, and a monster trying to satisfy its hunger; Ritter filled the Wild Woods full of creative creatures and Deep Dark dangers. This series is sure to be his next best seller!

I want to thank NetGalley and Brittani at Algonquin for sending me this eARC for an honest review.

When I was contacted about reading William Ritter's, (one of my fave YA authors), new book series, I got super excited. When I was asked if I would like to join the book tour, I jumped at the chance.

Willam Ritter is the author of the Jackaby series, a paranormal detective with his assistant Abigail Rook. So think of Sherlock, but for the supernatural.

This book, Changeling or The Oddmire series is a middle grade series, about a goblin named Kull who really just wants to save the Wild Wood and the Goblin Horde. The Wild Wood is losing it's magic and it's inhabitants are leaving. The Witch of the Wood can only do so much and a dark power called the Thing, is eating everything in it's path. Against Chief Nudd the king of the Goblins, Kull whisks the new changeling to the human side in order to steal a human baby. However thirty seconds in the house Kull goofs and has to abandon both babies. Now there are two boys in the crib when the mom Annie goes to check on her son.

Thirteen years later the town is used to both boys. The mom loves them both equally and Cole and Tinn are both as mischievous as any boy or goblin could be. No one, not even Annie can tell which is which. The time has come however for Kull to make right what he started thirteen years ago while the veil of both worlds are at its thinnest. He leaves a note for the boys to find with a map showing where they should meet him. If they do not the changeling will die and so will the magic of the woods.

I found the boys love for each other sooo sweet. I loved the creatures that the boys encountered on their journey: Candlebeard and Fable. I thought the Thing was nice and creepy and the fact that both moms in the story even though they were at odds, decided to join forces for the greater good.

I read this story out loud to both my boys and they found it funny and entertaining. We played a game on who they thought would end up being the real goblin child. There were a few times I did get choked up with emotions when Annie was talking about her boys. That is true mother devotion right there. Risking it all to save her kids. So so good.

Again I want to thank Algonquin for allowing me to join the book tour. I would have bought the book anyway because William Ritter is an auto-buy author for me, but it was so much cooler to have been able to read it early.

I really enjoyed this one! It's a fun but also dark story filled with adventure. I am all for a children's fantasy novel and this one hit all the right marks. I would definetly be interested in continuing with the series as the books are released!

I absolutely loved Ritter’s Jackaby series and I can already tell that his Changeling series will be no different.

Love magical creatures? Then this is the book for you! Changeling follows twin brothers, Tinn and Cole as they set out on a magical journey. There is never a dull second with these two around. Likewise, Ritter’s creatively crafted story will leave you wanting more.

Aside from the adventure and humor, there are plenty of lessons and themes for younger audiences to pick up on. I specifically enjoyed and related to the strong bond between the two brothers. It was evident that their bond was stronger than blood. The same goes for their mother. You can be a family without being related at all.

I highly recommend this book to all fantasy lovers. No matter how old you are, this book will be an enjoyable ride. Ritter’s writing will transport you into a magical world filled with goblins, witches, and unique characters. You won’t want to put it down. I will most defiantly be re-reading this for years.

Thank you to Algonquin Young Readers and NetGalley for the eARC. This did not influence my review. All opinions are my own.

I couldn't put this book down, and found it very entertaining and enjoyable. I'm excited to know that it is going to be a series as I'd love to see more from this author and this specific world. The book tells the stories of two young boys (raised as twins), but one is a changeling that was mistakenly left instead of replaced when they were both babes. No one knows (including the twins themselves) which is the real boy and which is the changeling, but they both undertake the task of unraveling their true selves in order to survive. The story is ripe with fairy tale characters, and is beautifully written. There are allusions to other stories that could be told, and I'm hoping that the next in the series jumps into more details and information about some of the other magical creatures introduced in this first story.

The Oddmire, Book 1: Changeling is a quick read full of fascinating creatures and interesting characters. Because we are never given a date or location, it has a timeless feel, both modernly relatable but quintessentially old fashioned. The atmosphere is nicely established and the writing truly feels from a child's perspective.

Story: Tinn and Cole are twin brothers - except they both know that one is a goblin 'changeling' who should have replaced the other before they could meet as infants. But a bungle by the goblin Kull meant that the human baby was not taken and the boys grew up close as twins. The boys are happy sharing their life together, unaware that the lack of stolen human taken to the other realm means an imbalance and that the magic of the wild woods is waning - a sure death for the magical creatures who dwell there. Years later, Kull comes back to address his changeling and bring the changeling twin back to his goblin people; the only problem is that no one (even the boys) know which is the human and which is the changeling. It's up to the both to enter the Oddmire and find out before it is too late for the magical creatures who dwell there.

Most of the book is taken from the perspective of the boys and their mother Annie. Annie loves both her children equally; so much so that when the boys run to the forest at the behest of Kull, she follows close behind. Along the way, they encounter hinkypunks, fairies, goblins, a witch queen, and more.

The storytelling is creative and well written; it feels very much like a tale told from the perspective of a 10-15 year old: from the boys' interactions with their mother to how they address the challenges presented. All along, they are both pondering who is the changeling, neither sure if they hope it was them or their brother. It made for some interesting questions, especially since each of the twins' personalities (unlike their features) are slightly different.

Ritter's Jackaby series was great and here he seamlessly moves into the children's fiction genre. This first book's story arc is discovering whether Cole or Tinn is the Changeling. It looks like future volumes will address the issue of the waning magic and loss of magical creatures. Reviewed from an advance reader copy provided by the publisher.

Changeling is a fantasy story about twins who have been growing up knowing that one of them might be a goblin. It's about family and the things you would do for your family.

Cole and Tinn are twins but not just ordinary twins, one is a changeling, but since they look so much alike nobody knows which one. Annie remembers quite well that she only gave birth to one boy, but now she has two. It happened when the little goblin who was trying to steal her baby gets interrupted and by then the changeling has already changed and he can't remember which one is which and has to leave them there.

Now the boys are almost thirteen and Kull needs his changeling as the magic is disappearing in the wild woods. There is also something in the deep dark that is waiting for them as well. Kull leaves them a message to come to the woods so he can get his changeling or all the goblins will die including the changeling. Cole and Tinn decide to go because they are curious and want to know but at the same time they don't. While they are on their way following the map they hear a cry and find a bear cub in the Oddmire (a very nasty lake) and decide to help it out, then they are almost attacked by the mama bear and so they run. This vears them off the trail and of course they lose the map. They meet up with a young girl in the woods who says she knows the way over the Oddmire and shenanigans ensue as they try to figure out how to find Kull.

Meanwhile, Annie wakes up to find her boys gone and finds out they have gone to the Wild Woods and starts after them because she finds the note with a map. She ends up finding Kull but not her kids and has to work with him to find them.

I really liked the characters in this story. Cole and Tinn are brothers who knows one is different but that has never stopped them from being best friends. They do everything together and the reason it was so hard to tell which is which is because they both get up to no good and when one is hurt the other one gets hurt in the same spot. So poor Kull could never figure it out was he watched them grow. Annie is fiercely protective of both her boys and doesn't care that one might be a goblin, she raised them so they are hers. Even the mama bear and her cub which I won't say any more about show a great family dynamic.

Speaking of families I think that is one of the reasons I enjoyed this so much as it shows that you don't have to be blood to be family. Annie knows one of those boys is not really hers in the sense that it's a goblin, but she raised them and to her both are her boys. She couldn't unlove one because he ends up being something else. The protectiveness she has towards her family was great and the same goes for the mama bear ( who not only is protecting her family but the forest) and cub.

It was a little slow at the beginning but it has some backstory to build up to the fun adventure side of it but overall I thought it was a fun Middle Grade book that I am sure any young reader would love to read. I can't wait to see what happens next!

I loved this book for the middle grades. The concept was beautifully done and you rooted for the boys for the entirety of the novel, not wanting either of them to feel the heartbreak of finding out which one of them is the goblin. I would definitely purchase this for my students!

The first of a fantasy series that debuts in about three weeks, this book has world building, strong family relationships and characters, and creepy action for MG readers. The hook at the end reminds you that you don't know that much about these characters, yet. More to come, and this will be a good read for young fantasy readers who like the genre but are not ready for monster length books.

The Oddmire, Book 1: Changeling is a must-read. It is filled with magic and adventure and follows twin brothers who set out on an adventure for self-discovery (yes, one of the twins is actually a goblin, but neither truly knows who is the real goblin!). This was a beautiful read and filled with fantasy and folklore. I loved the twin’s relationship with one another, and pretty much every character in the book. I do think this story is best aimed for the younger middle-aged students as it’s a relatively easy read with simpler concepts of brotherhood, family, and self-discovery. Thank you NetGalley and Algonquin Young Readers for this eARC. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

While I've wanted to read Ritter's Jackaby series for a while, this is the first book of his that I've read, and I really enjoyed it! I loved the book from early on, and after the joke about gnomes and how they name things, I knew I was in for a treat! Well suited for middle grade readers, but a story that many readers can enjoy, no matter their age. There were hints of more to come in this story at the end, so I'm looking forward to a possible sequel!

What a lovely middle grade book!

With the trend in YA being everything fae-based, I so hoped that a book about changelings would come along, and it did! William Ritter, best known for his Jackby series, delivers quirky fun in this sweet book.

Tinn and Cole are twins. Sort of. See, one of them is actually a goblin child, meant to take the place of the other in our slightly-less-magical world. But the delivery goblin got them confused and a cat intervened, so. There you have it!

The best part is that neither one of the boys knows for sure which one of them is a goblin. They're both scared that the other will be, but at one point they swear to stay brothers, no matter what. I may have teared up a bit.

How can I write this and neglect to mention the best fictional mom since Molly Weasley? Annie Burton is the ultimate mama bear. She knows her boys are (in one sense, literal) little goblins, and that they're always a mess. But she loves them no matter what. Her interactions with Kull, the goblin who screwed everything up, are pure gold.

Absolutely adorable but with a strong voice, I give Changeling 4 out of 5 stars.

Changeling is a fun, magical adventure perfect for fans of middle grade. I enjoyed the concept of two boys growing up side-by-side, one human and one a changeling, and the journey to discover who they are. The plot kept me interested to find out which boy was which. There are pockets of powerful moments throughout the story that spread important messages to the target audience.

The cast of characters is a blast. I love the magical creatures, the spooky witch, and the Thing hiding in the woods. But the real MVP of the book is Annie Burton, the two boys' mom. She kicks butt and is a fantastic role model of a good, parent figure in a book. Another character, Fable, definitely steals the show. She's adorable and fun, and she does something extraordinarily awesome near the end of the story.

Changeling is a brilliant fantasy story that kids of all ages will enjoy. I'm excited to see what's next for the magical Wild Wood.

Oddmire - The Changeling is a great fantasy tale. Twin boys have grown up in a village next to the Wild Wood, knowing all along that one of them isn’t a “real” boy but a goblin that magically appeared when his twin was born. Even the boys are not sure who is who but when given a chance to find out more, they follow a trail into the woods, looking for answers.

The characters in this book are developed so well, especially the twins Cole and Tinn and their mother Annie, the Queen of the Woods and the young girl, Fable.

I loved this book and will certainly recommend it to middle grades readers, particularly ones who like magical and fairy tale style books

Changeling is the first book in William Ritter's new middle grade series. Although, having finished the first book, I felt like the story is pretty complete so I'm curious how the sequel will continue the story. The book is a fantasy story steeped in folklore of the dark wood, goblins and fairies.

It's the classical changeling switcheroo story, but the Goblin making the switch messes up and the real boy and the changeling end up being raised together. Let's give it up for Annie, because that mother was a fierce protector. I loved that no matter what both boys were "her boys." This book deals a lot with a mother's love and the importance of family no matter what that might be. I do feel like we don't get closure about her husband disappearing, but maybe we will get that in later books.

I couldn't guess which boy was the changeling, but you do find out which one it is in this book, so don't fear! Once this happens it really gets to the interesting parts of the novel because we learn about what is happening to the forest and the two worlds colliding.

The fantasy elements in this book were pretty cool. I liked that the Goblins in this book felt really true to folklore about them. The witch in the woods was a really cool element to it and I don't know want a Hinkypunk is but I thought they were neat too! If you like fantasy woodland creatures this one has a lot of them and also a huge evil thing that is just called "The thing."

I don't read a lot of Middle Grade, but I felt like this one read well enough for a kid. But at the same time it has good elements of what it means to be a family that resonates with adults as well.