I really wanted to like this book. The plot idea was really unique. I really liked the idea that all books have a bit of realism; the authors inspired by a muse-like being that gives them just enough of the basic information for authors to make their own. The abundance of referrals to modern literature, such as Harry Potter, and movies was very fun. But the writing was difficult to get through. I had a hard time just getting into the low of the book because so much was either rushed with not enough depth added to descriptions, or it just wasn't realistic. Granted, with fantasy it is strange to refer to a story being realistic. But how the characters acted to certain events made zero sense. Perhaps it was realistic but the characters are unrelatable? Either way, I was not fond of this book. I think it really needs to be combed through by an editor to help build the book along, and omit unnecessary parts if need be. It has so much unique potential, but it really fell short of capturing this audience.

I really enjoyed reading this book. It started out slow for me, but once Edie gets into the book world, it takes off at a good clip. I loved seeing the story develop from her POV, and getting to know the real Kane vs. what the story had said about him. I liked how the author explains the story/ book connection to magic. There were several plot twists I didn’t see coming, so that was a pleasant surprise. I loved how Edie slowly earned Kane’s trust and respect (it wasn’t an automatic love thing which I dislike). A few unanswered questions will definitely make me want to read the next installment :)

Leaving reviews on amazon and Goodreads

This was a very cute book! Such a fun plot that was executed very well, and characters that drew you in and didn’t let you go!

Such as cute book!!! What book lover can’t relate to wishing they could get sucked into their favorite series and meeting their Book Boyfriend? This story is on the younger end of the YA scale but the story and characters were so good that anyone could enjoy this story. I feel like there was still a lot left unsaid and unknown, but this is the first book in a series so I am sure a lot more information to come in future installments.

Thank you to NetGalley and Entangled Teen for a copy of Storybound in exchange for my honest review.

*I would like to thank NetGalley and Entangled: Teen for the digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

If you could travel to any standalone or book series, where would you find yourself? Which characters would be alongside you on your journey? Would you find yourself with your fictional boyfriend? Your fictional friends? The thought crossed my mind at least a dozen times since I started reading Storybound by Emily McKay.

As a book nerd who lives out her greatest adventures from the literary works on her bookshelves, I was captivated by Storybound’s description. Edie was me at seventeen, and she continues to be me today at 31. Of course, it was written from the point of view of a seventeen-year-old, and as such, I was a bit irritated by knowing her every thought and inner ramblings. However, that’s the way kids that age speak, I suppose.

I was greatly impressed with McKay’s ability to separate and merge the real world of Houston, Texas and its fantasy parallel universe of Mithres. It’s hard enough to develop an interesting storyline for one plot, but then to develop another one that coincides with the first? That’s a great talent. However, I didn’t fully understand what that parallel world was supposed to truly be like. Does it literally look and feel like the streets of Houston but with giant Kellas cats and hellhounds (which, I thought were great) running around? While the powers and magical elements were interesting, I don’t feel as though I understood the royal aspects of Mithres either. Who is Smyth, or the princess? I don’t really know how it all works. I was also greatly confused by Morgan’s storyline, but perhaps there was so much happening in the story that I just missed it.

Generally speaking, I enjoyed it overall and there was some really funny dialogue. The main characters, Kane and Edie/Cupcake, were well-developed and even I was swooning over Kane by the end of it. I would be interested in seeing where this storyline takes us.

Loved it! The story was more original than I anticipated (based on the concept). The main character was in danger of becoming a Mary Sue simply because of the premise, but I did not find her so. She had a strong voice, character, and personal history. All of the characters were well done. The fulfillment of the fangirl fantasy was executed and we got a fun, quick-paced story out of it. I didn't love the ending. It did so much work toward setting up a sequel, it left me feeling we were still in the middle of something. But if that sequel comes, I will read it!

I loved everything about this book. The book cover the storyline. and wow it got me thinking. All those books Ive read.. I am going to re-read this I am going buy it when it comes out and as I know friends like it I'm getting a few extra copies. It has been a pleasure to review this book.

Storybound is a magical young adult fantasy that is full of mystery and intrigue. A story that pulls you in from the beginning and keeps you turning the pages never knowing what will happen next. The characters are well-written and develop at a steady pace making this a story that is sure to stay with long after reading.

After reading the description for this book, I was excited to read it. The story is light and fun with a spin on topics that avid readers discuss often. I mean let's face it, many of us do have book boyfriends. I do hope for a second installment and can't wait to see how Emily McKay grows as a writer!

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC!

Unfortunately I couldn't get into this book, it drew me in with its plot. I mean hello who wouldn't want their book boyfriend to be real. The one major flaw was how Eidie quickly discovered and accepted that the world.in her favorite book series is real. There was no buildup whatsoever! Also there was a lot of pop culture references and nods to other books, Kane himself is very similar to Dresden. Personally I dont like a lot of pop culture references in books as I find it very distracting to the overall story.

This was fun. And I don't mean that in a sarcastic, this-was-painful way. It was genuinely a fun story, with an interesting concept and a quick pace that made the book seem to fly by. There was something so... nostalgic, for lack of better terms, about this story. It gave me old YA vibes which, paired with a story about literally becoming part of your favorite series, definitely gave it a wistful air. Plus, added bonus, there were some parts that were funny. It was nice to have a story that didn't take itself too seriously.

There were, however, just a few things that kept me from rating it higher. The first, and most prevalent, one being that some of it just didn't make sense? It's a fantasy story about entering your favorite book series, so clearly, not everything needed to make sense. But there were still some things that I personally wish would have been explained better. I never got a full grasp on the world, or the way the magic system worked. There were moments I was pulled out of the story because they're in an alternate Houston and for some reason, it just messed with my head.

Overall, this was a nice, fun story that I'd recommend to people in need of a light read with comical characters.

Edie has a favorite book series, like an obsession, about this guy named Kane the Traveler. One day she goes to a bookstore and when she steps through, she goes into another dimension. This dimension is what her favorite book series is based off of and where her book boyfriend, Kane lives. In the final book of the series, Kane dies, so Edie is determined to save him and help him take the throne of the 7 Kingdoms. Edie remembers everything that happens in the books, so she uses all of the information she has to make Kane and his friends? associates? take her along on their journey to save a fairy princess.

Ok, I’ll start it on a positive note, I LOVED this book. It’s like every bookworms’ dream to step inside their favorite book. It reminded me a little bit of Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell because of the favorite book series and the little excerpts from the books, but I think I liked Storybound a lot more because she actually went inside the book and had an adventure. It took me until I was over halfway through the book to realize, at least I think, that it was inspired by The Princess Bride. She even referenced The Princess Bride! They even call Edie Cupcake (because of the whole not using binding names) just like Buttercup! Okay, I see you. And that beautiful cover that looks Princess Bride-ish. I can’t believe it took me so long. I did feel like there may have been a few too many pop culture references, but that’s the only con I have.

Anyway this book made me feel as Edie put it, “all squishy and delicious inside, like someone replaced my organs with homemade chocolate pudding.” The fantasy, romance, adventure, made me feel all gooey. It was fast-paced, non-stop, things were happening fun. I was also getting elements of The Mortal Instruments series by Cassandra Clare with the plain girl that finds herself in a magical world and becomes friends with all of the people and finds out secrets about herself.

This is definitely a re-read for me and I really really hope there is a sequel.

Rating: 5 Kellas Cats.

I am a huge fan of Entangled, especially their young adult collection and the Entangled: Crush books. Thanks to them and Netgalley I was able to read this book for free and give my honest opinion.

P.S. I didn’t realize the author, Emily McKay, also wrote How Willa Got Her Groove Back and the sequel before I started this book! I loved those books too.

Beyong excited to read this!! Thank you for approving me. I will of course update my thoughts and feedback here soon. I'm diving in!!!!!!

I was super excited about this book. It's been on my tbr since it had a different name and cover. I do like this cover better. And the plot! The plot sounded amazing! What reader has never wanted some of their favorite fictional worlds to be real??? Honestly, I was sold on the plot alone. And for the most part, I enjoyed Storybound but I wish I had enjoyed it more. It got a little confusing at times with the time jumps and info dumps and I think Kane's 'pov' could have been fleshed out more and a bit longer. Also, will there be a sequel? The ending just kind of... ended. It didn't feel like a real conclusion.

Thank you to Entangled Teen and Netgalley for providing me with a review copy.

There are some mild spoilers below. Please be aware before reading.
#ARC #NetGalley

First of all, I would like to thank Entangled: Teens for sending me this ARC via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review. Storybound by Emily McKay is written from seventeen year old Edie's point-of-view, and she doesn't have the easiest life. She escapes into literary worlds, especially into her favorite series Kane the Traveler. Little does she know, every book is real, a true story from a different dimension, and that when she walks into her favorite bookstore to look at an ARC of the disappointing final book in the series, she walks into the Kingdom of Mithres, and finds herself smack in the center of adventure along with the character Kane, who she has been in love with since starting the series. Her only goal: save Kane from an awful fate in the last book, give him his happy ending, and get back home before her mother finds her missing. But she quickly learns that stories and reality are two very different things.

I was first drawn to this book because of the cover. It reminded me so much of the LUX series, and its from the same publisher. The description had me clicking on the request button pretty fast. I mean, a book about actually meeting your "book boyfriend". That is every book lovers dream! Initially, I wasn't quite sure what to think. The story itself is unique. I was a little worried it would have a "Neverending Story" vibe to it, but I didn't get that impression at all. The story was interesting, and while I think everything started happening a little too quickly, the flow afterwards was really good. At first I was a little annoyed with the excerpts from the Kane books, but after a while, I looked forward to them. It was a clever way of showing us Kane's POV, without going back in forth between Edie and Kane.

The characters are really good. Edie is what you want in a female protagonist. Strong, smart, reliable, kind, and honorable. She doesn't do the easy thing, and there were a lot of moments where it would have been easy for her to do so. Kane is also a great male character. For all the same reasons Edie is great. Their chemistry is apparent, and their conversations fun to read, especially when they argue. I had no problem seeing why she loved him, or him falling for her. Morgan is a fun character, despite his sad backstory. Ro's betrayal was a twist I was not expecting. I assumed that she had a crush on Kane (much like Edie, because of the books), but her quest for more power unhinging her was truly a shock. The main baddie, Smythe, kind of reminded me of Valentine from the Mortal Instruments, except he wasn't Edie's father (which I was suspecting). Her father's story is a sad one, and her mother, keeping this life from her ... well, there is a lot of explaining to do.

The ending was frustrating. How it's written ... will the story continue with a sequel? Or is it written that way, so it ends however we, the reader, imagines it? There are many unanswered questions, and unresolved plot lines that I would love to see tied up in a sequel, so I hope that is the case. If the ending is meant to be left open ended like that, well, I am not sure I like that. It feels unfinished. Despite the questionable ending, it was an interesting read. Some of the more supernatural elements were a bit weird for me (like the arms coming out of backs. Telekinesis would have been a bit cooler.), but the characters and the chemistry between Edie and Kane drew me in, and I am left hoping for a sequel.

Check out my blog for more of my thoughts on Storybound, and Favorite Quotes (that will not be posted till after publication)

Definitely an original story. It was an amazing read and such a well written story! I was hooked and couldn’t put it down til I finished cover to cover

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. My opinion was not affected by the free copy.

Sorry to say, I'm bowing out of this one. This seemed like something I would enjoy. I'm a huge reader, and who hasn't envisioned going inside their favorite story and meeting the main character? But I just can't seem to get myself invested in the story. I think it's because I know nothing about Kane's world-- none of the exerpts from his book give me any real clues-- and the main character accepts all this a little too easily. This might just be a pet peeve of mine, but it also bugs me a little when authors try to insert their fictional bestseller in the same world as Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, and so forth.

The book borrows a lot of ideas from some familiar source material. Going into other worlds is nothing new, and neither is going into a book. When they started talking about Threads and how it was fueled on belief, I couldn't help thinking of The Neverending Story. Kane wearing a leather duster made me think of Harry Dresden; the fact that his world borrowed from ours reminded me of The Dark Tower. And yes, I know that there are only so many original ideas in the world and every other one is just a different twist on it, but the similarities still bugged me. Even if it can be explained by all those stories being real in some universe.

I didn't even get to the romance, but it felt like it was gearing up to be one of those "we're destined for each other" kind of deals, which is probably the most annoying plot for a romance. Maybe I'm wrong, since the whole point of this book is for Edie to save Kane from his supposed fate, but I honestly am not interested enough to find out.

The funny thing is that I would probably read a book with Kane as the main character. Maybe I need to go find some books starring anti-heroes.

“All I want is to restore justice to the universe and prevent the Kingdom of Mithres from descending into the chaos of outright civil war. Why is that too much to ask?”

Overall, I liked the concept of this story. Who doesn’t want to jump into their favorite book loaded with inside knowledge that can assist their favorite characters? I already know of a couple books that I’d love to dip my toes in. I also liked Edie. I’m not usually one for first person POV’s that are present tense, but I liked how this was set up to let readers know of a sense of urgency. However, there were some points that kept me from fully enjoying the novel.

There was a good even pace to the story at the beginning, but around chapter five, everything sped up quickly. It went from a girl who found solace in literature, like a lot of people, to her immediately believing that the characters for the Traveler’s series were 100% real. I felt like there needed to be more build up, even if we as the readers already knew how the story was going to go via the synopsis. The change in attitude from contemporary teenage girl to the chosen one to save Kane was just too abrupt. The story goes into hyper speed.

I feel like the excerpts could have covered more of the world building. When Edie is sent to this new world, we are expected to immediately understand what was going on. We’re to root for Mrs. Flores. If the excerpts don’t go into detail like that, I would have liked more time with Edie interacting with the books. Doing more forums. Talking to more people. Showing what this world meant to her. Instead, I feel like we barely scratched the surface before jumping right in. (I also wasn’t much for Kane. He felt a little too overdone.)

And I’m not sure that I’m completely sold on the idea that all stories are real and that they all exist in a different reality. If it was just the Traveler’s series that was real, I may have had less trouble suspending by disbelief. More akin towards how The Neverending Story handled the idea. Through readers, other worlds can come true.

I’ve never been a big fan of novel that use references that can date them or isolate them from other readers. There’s a lot of contemporary references (like The Walking Dead and Grand Theft Auto) that assume that the reader has already explored those worlds or that they’ll be relevant to future readers. I can understand Narnia and Lord of the Rings. They’ve withstood the test of time. I’m not sure about the others.

I guess what I’m trying to get at is that there is a good idea here, I just think that it could have been done a little differently. Still, don’t let me stop you! There’s still a great world to explore in this book. There’s demons, hellhounds, and magical worlds that are worth looking into. And like I said, Edie is a fun POV to read behind.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

As soon as I saw this book on Netgalley I knew I had to request it. I crossed all fingers, all toes and everything else I could cross and luckily I quite soon got the message that I could indeed read this story! I mean, which reader doesn't want to jump into their favorite story to meet their fictional crush and to save his life? Cupcake is literally living the fangirl dream, although, is it still that much fun if it's really happening to you?

Let me start with saying the the execution of this awesome prompt is amazing and well done. Mostly because McKay never loses herself in that fangirl dream. She is very aware of the flaws of wanting to travel to those worlds and wanting to meet these characters. Cupcake is confronted with the fact that reading about a world is not the same as knowing that world through and through, just like she discovers that her perfect book boyfriend is not as flawless as she had made him to be either.

At times the world building feels a little unsteady, mostly because a lot of what has happened in the book series is mostly mentioned when it's needed. We know that Cupcake knows all those things and has read about all those things, but she only brings them up when the situation asks for it. Therefore the base doesn't always feel solid, although I do think in reality it is. The story is too well thought out for it not to be.

The plot is too clever too. Where the mythology and world building is only brought up when needed, the overall plot is wonderfully built up. More and more pieces of the puzzle are given out and eventually, when it all clicks, it's breathtaking. Just like the ending. I don't know if there will ever be a second book, there's for sure loads of room for one, but even if there won't be one, the end feels very fitting. Fitting for the story and fitting for the characters.

Because it are the characters who really steal the show. Kane, who we get to know through passages from the books he stars in, and Cupcake, who is our guide through this fantasy world. They are interesting, layered and they both have their strengths and flaws. Just like the quite impressive ensemble of side characters. Even though not all of a them are introduced in detail, they're all memorable and unique.

Gosh, I really want another book. I wanna learn more about those characters and I wanna see more of their world. And I also have a few questions I'd love to see answered.

I liked this book but i thought the names could be better thought of, i mean cupcake...just why. However much she wants to just fall for the magic, . She is very aware of the flaws of wanting to travel to those worlds and wanting to meet these characters. Cupcake is confronted with the fact that reading about a world is not the same as knowing that world completely, just like she discovers that her perfect book man is not as flawless as we want.

A story of what happens when you fall into the book world you love more than anything and try to stop things from ending how the book ended.
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Now that I know the truth, I have a chance to save Kane. But if I change the story, will I ever find my way home?