This was a wonderful surprise story about a girl told in three parts. The first part covers her life with her first family and the lessons she learned from her storytelling father and her secretive group of peaceful folk who live as a close-knit community in a volcano and show respect for nature and her resources. After her village is decimated by the "Takers" she is taken in by a family who lives in the trees and whose village as a whole are just as respectful and caring of natural resources as her first people. However, in contrast, although they are kind they tend to live very independently of their neighbors. When the "Takers" come, Kirra has to revisit memories of her trauma and remember her storytelling talent to help her second people come together as a community to fight for their lives and their land. I absolutely loved this story and ended up reading it from beginning to end in one sitting. As I recall, Dave Matthews is not only a musician, but he is very much a humanitarian and an activist for protecting our planet. Together, this trio has written a wonderful tale of hope that should appeal to many middle school children, as well as older readers. I definitely recommend this story and would definitely read a sequel if they wrote one.

Thanks to #DaveMatthews, #CleteBarrettSmith, #NetGalley and #DisneyHyperion for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

If We were Giants by Dave Matthews was one I didn't expect to love, but ended up doing so. A tale of girl named Kirra who lives inside a volcano. The main character Kirra is a strong and the language used from her perspective is descriptive to create vivid imagery instead of being redundant.

A fantasy novel about loss, family, community, and activism. A wonderful read for those who like fantasy novels and remind us of current dilemmas with saving our world as we know it.

The publisher generously provided me with a copy of the book upon request on NetGalley. The rating, ideas and opinions shared are my own.

My name is Kirra, and I know I made a horrible mistake four years ago. I have foggy visions of a volcano and something large moving through the trees, but my mind won't allow me to remember. I now live with the Tree Folk, but I'm still vaguely aware something tragic happened back then. It's terrifying when I feel the Memory Trap starting to creep into my head. I can't let it. The families here in the trees live apart and are reluctant to share with each other. The strangeness of it reminds me that I'm an Outsider. My "brother" is adventurous but has been forbidden from crossing the river. I'm not sure that will stop him but the rumors might. Giant hunters have been sighted on our side of the river. The Memory Trap reminds me they should be feared.

The plot shared Kirra's ongoing conflict with the Takers, sometimes physical and sometimes mental. A commonality between her two communities was they both strove to live in isolation. Her first family secretly lived atop a dormant volcano, and her second family lived hidden among the trees. In contrast, one culture was seeded with cooperation, while the other valued independence. As hinted above, much of the story focused on Kirra dealing with the loss of her parents and brother. Her mind was in denial and did all it could to avoid the pain of remembering until Kirra was finally forced to deal with it. She also felt tremendous guilt and was afraid to let anyone know. Her own sense of adventure was erased following her tragic past. The emotions behind the story were what enhanced the conflict and made it more engaging. Ironically, or perhaps not, Kirra was being trained to become the village Storyteller when the book began. She was aware of the importance of eliciting emotions in order to truly entertain her audience. Overall, I enjoyed the book and recommend you give it a shot. I'm not sure what's in the works, but the door was left open for a sequel.

Hidden from the outside world, ten year old Kirra and her family enjoy a peaceful living with other community members inside their dormant volcano home. However, when Kirra overhears rumors of an outside group called the Takers threatening nearby communities, she takes a risk that ultimately leads to the incredible devastation and loss of her beloved home. Fast forward four years, and Kirra, alone, has joined a different community, high in the treetops of a dense forest, The fact that members of this new community keep mostly to themselves doesn't bother Kirra at all; she'd rather not talk about the incident which brought her to her treetop home and she avoids any "memory traps" which may trigger feelings of sorrow and loss. Kirra can't hide from these memories forever though, and when new rumors indicate that the Takers are nearby, Kirra is forced to confront her past in order to save her present. Will she be able to bring the quiet tree dwellers together to face a fear she's been hiding from for the past four years? Though at times predictable, If we were giants pulls the reader into Kirra's world to share in her sorrows while rooting for her to overcome her past trauma.

If We Were Giants is a good middle grade fantasy. The characters are memorable and I could see the action playing out in my head with the descriptive language. I feel like the story line could have been more developed but I loved the way it ended and would definitely pick up a sequel if one is written. I will be sharing this one with my nine year old son, I bet he'd love it!

I thought that this book had an interesting concept and was intrigued when I started reading. I loved the idea of a storyteller creating myths about volcanoes in order to protect their hidden village. I really enjoyed the relationships in this story and the overall storyarc. The pacing was a bit all over the place for me personally but I think this makes a great middle grade read

This is a great book with some powerful messages woven through it. I feel the timing is perfect for all that is going on in the world and just might help some people take on a new perspective. It is a middle grade book but all can take away some life lessons from this little gem. I can't wait to see the artwork when this book is published!

This book was received as an ARC from Disney Book Group - Disney-Hyperion in exchange for an honest review. Opinions and thoughts expressed in this review are completely my own.

A former musician, humanitarian, environmentalist now author creates a world inside a volcano is pure brilliance. I loved everything about this book. The characters, the plot, and the theme were pure genius and I could not stop reading this book. Kirra a strong-girl who aspires to be a storyteller just like her father ventures out of the volcano in search for more information about this band of notorious thieves called The Takers until, they follow her back to her home and rob her for everything she has including her father. She is now alone and is found by this boy Luwan and he adopts her into his family. Now, Luwan the explorer gets kidnapped by the Takers and its now up to Kirra to save them and herself. Such a captivating book for those looking for adventure.

We will consider adding this title to our JFiction collection in our library. That is why we give this book 5 stars.

For fans of Tolkien, the Wildwood Chronicles and Narnia who love to be transported to another world where the characters leap off the page and you feel like you are right there with them. Whether you are drawn to this book as a Dave Matthews fan curious to see how he is as a middle grade writer or a reader looking for a satiating read, this book will leave you hoping for more from this dynamic PNW duo.