A cute little story but overall not a standout piece of work. Im sure a specific audience would enjoy this but unfortunately not for me. I would like to thank Netgalley ans the publisher for allowing me to review it though.

OMG, I just finished reading "Fae Child" and it's like the cutest book ever!! 😍 Abbie is, like, the coolest character because even though she's young, she's so strong and awesome! And her friends? Total squad goals! But let me tell you, Foster? He's the real MVP. He had me cracking up the whole time with his adorableness and funny antics. 🤣

At first, I was like, "Hmm, what's going on here?" But then, bam! 🎉 The story grabbed me and wouldn't let go! Abbie's journey was soooo interesting, especially when she finds out her dad is from this whole other world. Mind. Blown! 🤯 And the twist with who's actually on her side? So sneaky! You never know who's really helping or just being shady.

I totally recommend this book for all my middle-grade buddies out there. It's just too cute not to love! Can't wait for the next book in the trilogy! I bet it's gonna be even more epic! 📚 "Fae Child" is like a magical rollercoaster ride for kids aged 8-12. It's got laughs, mystery, and a bunch of awesome characters. Plus, the ending? Perfection! Those last three lines? So beautifully written. 😭

I'm definitely gonna tell all my classmates about this book! And you can bet I'll be grabbing a physical copy too! This fantasy world has totally stolen my heart, and I'm crossing my fingers for more adventures in the future! Bring it on, YA fantasy lovers! 🧚‍♀️📖

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me an advanced copy of this book to read and review.

Sweet, young, TBR tender, opening novel. It does hold up, even though the main character is 8 at the start of the novel. I will certainly be keeping up with the rest of the series.

Fae Child by Jane-Holly Meissner is an enjoyable middle grade portal fantasy focused on the world of the Fae .

Despite its checkered history I have always been drawn to the changeling myth and thought it interesting to see employed within this tale . The characters were fun and the plot worked . Only the writing style failed to sit well with me; many of the sentences going on for far longer than felt Necessary or natural for the story they were in.

Overall I liked the story and find it to be a solid four star read. I would recommend this as a gift for readers age 8-12 who enjoy whimsy.

This was a quick read and had an interesting plot. I enjoyed the characters and the mixture of elements. I did not love the pacing and found that the 8 year old being one of the perspectives made it harder to relate to. All in all, a good book, but I did struggle to connect with as well as I do many books.

I'm a sucker for titles about Fae's and where the character gets to explore another world.

This was such a cute middle grade read. The alternating POV really made this story. The friendships that were built were heartwarming. And so was the family aspect of this book.

I'll definitely be picking up a copy to add to my daughters library!

Thank-you to the publisher and netgalley for an arc in exchange of an honest review.

I really enjoyed the premise, but felt this did not live up to that promise. The writing, though for middle grade, was both too complex and too simplistic. The characters are children but they speak like adults and have an adult awareness of the world around them. However the writing is very basic which seems like a strange clash.

Overall I didn’t get along with this one and I don’t know if many middle graders would gel with it either.

This was a magically gorgeous story suitable for ages 8-12. Although I'm not the targeted audience, I was delighted by the tale and it definitely fulfilled all the requirements of stories I enjoyed as a young girl. There was some lovely world building happening in this story and and our main character, Abbie, was the best companion to adventure with. I definitely recommend this book for any middle-grade reading child who enjoys magical adventure tales.

I want to thank the publisher for sending me a copy to review in exchange for an honest review.

Very young protagonist but an overall cute story. I have a unique relationship with my own father so I connected to Abbie and her father as they learn more about their connection to the Overworld.

I do wish it was a big longer.

Fae Child is a charming faerie-tale into the Otherworld through our main character Abbie who accidentally gets called through a pond. Luckily she meets Foster, a young fae boy, who plans to help her find her way back to the human world. On top of this journey, we have POV chapters from Dan, Abbie’s father, and we slowly start to uncover his secrets as he realises Abbie has been replaced by a changeling and he needs to get her back.

I loved Abbie as a character but she is a very young child, this means she can be naive and trusting. But I found that her view as we go into the Otherworld made it feel all that more magical. She was always looking around and wondering, and we learned about it from her point of view too. Dan’s chapters are pivotal to find out more of the darker aspects of the fae as Abbie is shielded by the people she’s with, but definitely lack that magical aspect.

On top of Foster, we also meet other side characters like Gwynn, Charles and Nadiene who try to help Abbie in the Otherworld. Back in the human world we meet Abbie’s changeling, The Cat and other members of the disbanded Wild Hunt. I loved that we saw both good and bad fae, and whilst they’re mostly portrayed as the tricksters like in other media – they can help out when they say they will. I also liked how this book didn’t stick to the two kids trying to find a way out of their problem.

Fae Child reminds me of many of the fae books I’ve read, it doesn’t add too many unique elements. However the nostalgia made it a quick read and I love the childlike gaze of wandering into a new world that is dangerous but still wonderful. It’s more of a middle-grade or children’s book and is a short and fast read at only 220 pages. Not too much violence or anything so good for kids and it explores themes of finding friendship, discovering magic and family.

As with any fae book I loved the mystery behind the fae courts, and who was working with who. Throughout the book I kept questioning which of Abbie’s acquaintances were actually wanting to help her or if there were ulterior motives and it was written really well to keep you guessing. However with it being a kids book, it doesn’t have a huge sense of urgency or threat for the characters which may turn some readers off.

Overall I found Fae Child to be an enjoyable read but the writing sometimes felt like it was missing something. Due to the young protagonist as well it does read as a much younger book than marketed, but if you’re a fan of younger books then you’ll enjoy it.

Okay, so here's the thing: this is a perfectly serviceable middle grade book. The characters are charming, the pacing is fine, and the resolution made me smile.

But you cannot write changelings without understanding that they originate in antisemitic and ableist history. Claiming a child was a changeling was an easy way to validate killing children born out of wedlock or children who were visibly disabled. This also feeds into blood libel and the idea that Jewish people steal Christian babies for their life force. That is why, even in children's books where changelings are "real" within the story, it is so important to at least acknowledge that many times people claimed children were changelings as a way to get rid of them. (Especially since Meissner's changelings literally steal the life force of the humans around them.) I'm aware that lots of antisemitic ideas are so ingrained into our society that authors may not even consider them. But at the same time, it is the job of authors and publishers to hire sensitivity readers or at least examine the histories of fairytale ideas before publishing.

Overall, I enjoyed the book until I really started thinking about it. A three star read, though I probably wouldn't recommend it be read to actual children without at least a thorough discussion about propaganda beforehand.

AHHH. this was such an ADORABLE middle grade fantastical novel

first, the cover is absolutely STUNNING

second, aghhhfh soooo cute

third, the characters <3 <3

fourth, I thought the cover was beautiful, but the WRITING was beautiful too!!!

fifth, THE SETTING AND FREAKING PLOT <#<3

this was just so good and I wasn't expecting to like it so much.

I've never heard of this before but it was SO good and I think that so many readers would fall in love with this world and this book!!!

5 stars

Unfortunately I couldn't get into this one. The sentences felt a little run-on, the main character irritated me, and everything felt naive and frustrating. I read a moderate amount of middle grade books, and there are some really amazing ones out there, but some tend to talk down to the reader and I find that irritating.

Not for me, I guess!

This book is a DNF for me as the writing is not good. The story seemed to be one single continuous sentence that just did not add up. I never felt any connection with the main character before being thrust into this indifferent world. I will rate it 3 stars as an average grade to not fully bring down the rating.

Delightful read from a new to me author that I will be happy to recommend to the younger members of my family. Well written characters and a very well built world setting combine to make a great read.

I loved this story, this is one i will be rereading with my older son who is currently 9. I was pleased with how innocence was maintained even during battles. For sure a wonderful journey

Here's another one of those books that I finally finished, and thought to myself, why didn't I read this sooner? With the same old winter and summer courts in the land of the fairies, this book gives a unique twists on the fantasy when a young child is mistakenly pulled through a portal, and left in her place is a changeling. Focusing on both sides of the portal, one with the girl and her journey back home, and the other with her father, an exiled elf from said land who'll stop at nothing to get her back before it's too late.

What I didn't expect from this book was how childlike and innocent it managed to stay throughout the story, whether it was battles with goblins or wolfs or other wild creatures or on the other side of it, as a father battles his own feelings trying to pretend that the changeling is in fact the daughter he knows is missing to save his wife from finding out the unbelievable truth about the whole situation. Though the characters went through some stressful times in the story, I didn't feel stressed out reading it, which is something I really appreciate especially with my headspace lately. I couldn't ask for more from this book.

The worlds that it's weaved into are really easy to imagine, and the characters are loveable even when they're being a touch frustrating throughout the story. I really couldn't put it down once I started it, and I think my favourite characters were probably Foster, a young child guardian of the summer court, and of course Abbie, our main character. I'd love to get to know them better in the future. Since this is a trilogy, I can't wait to see what's next in the storyline. Will the characters be older? Will it be completely different characters in the same world? Why aren't half elves really allowed to exist in either world? These are just some of the many questions I'd love to have answered in the next installment.

Overall, if you're looking for an exciting story built out of an old classic, than I highly recommend checking out this book. It has a beautiful cover that would make a lovely addition to any bookshelf, mine included, and I think really anyone from young teen to adult would enjoy this, and I can't see any reason why they wouldn't, unless they're just really not into fantasy like this.

(Radioactivebookreviews.wordpress.com)

This is such a cute book!! Abbie is such a fun character because she’s so young and yet strong. I adore her friends too, but my personal favorite is Foster. He was just too funny and adorable.

It took me a while to get hooked into this one, but once I did, the story really took off!! Their journey was super interesting and I loved (view spoiler) I also liked how you never really knew who was truly helping Abbie or acting helpful when it suits their own agenda.

I recommend this as a great fantasy book for middle grade kids. I enjoyed it a lot though. It was just too cute not to like!!! I’m eager for the second book of the trilogy to come out!! I have a feeling it’ll be even better than this one!!

Thanks to Inkshares and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this for my honest and unbiased opinion!!!

Will be posted on my blog and Amazon shortly.

I'm of two minds about this book. On the one hand, I don't think we have enough stories about changelings. So I love a unique exploration of that concept. Plus Meissner digs deep into the mythology and pulls in a lot of known characters. Mabs, Titania, Wodan, the Hunt. We don't often see them in middle grade fiction. It's ambitious. Of course, it may also cause a struggle for kids to understand. And I feel like the adults play too large a role in the resolution.