This was a fantastic fantasy, with shades of A Series of Unfortunate Events. The narrator was perfect, and the characters were well-developed. The only thing I would warn my patrons that there are a few curse words (however perfectly placed).

I received this as an Audio ARC through Netgalley. While this is listed as Children's Fiction, I thoroughly enjoyed listening to the story as an adult. The narrator really made all the characters come alive. When I got to the end of the story I thought I was missing part of the book, but then realized it is the first in a series and now cannot wait to see what happens with Archibald, Hailey, and all the Lost Witches whenever the second book may be out! Archibald Finch and the Lost Witches addresses what it is like to feel like you do not fit in and finding the things that make you quirky, make you special.

I was an okay children book I don't know what else to say it didn't know else to say I can see an appealing book for middle schoolers

Archibald Finch is a strange boy who seems to know it all. When his family moves into his grandmother’s house, he finds a strange globe. The globe has a story to tell and the book engages you in that story.
The globe is an entrance to another world. Archibald finds himself in the other world after finding the key that activates the globe.
The story goes a bit wild from there in both worlds as Archibald tries to figure things out and his sister Hailey tries to figure out what happened to Archibald back in the regular world.
The narrator does a good job in the audiobook. The performance was worthy of more than 3 stars, but the book wasn’t in my opinion.
The story is odd. It goes back and forth between Archibald and Hailey’s situations with abrupt transitions. It ends with To Be Continued...
It’s probably the to be continued bit that puts it at 3 stars. I really dislike cliffhangers of this sort especially in middle grade books. So I’d not recommend this to young people unless the next book is available.

Thank you to Line 8 publishers and NetGalley for providing me with an audiobook arc of this book.
What an adventure! I could not put this down. That too, it left on a cliffhanger. Our main character Archibald, who seems to know everything finds an old globe in his grandmother’s library, only to be sucked into the globe with a huge flash of light. He is transported to a different dimension filled with witches, monsters and a world where no one ages. While in our time, his sister Haley is trying to figure out what happened to her brother with the help of Oliver, an antique store owner’s son. The owner wanting to sell this rare globe to a very shady person. What is this globe? Why was it made? And will Archibald be able to come back? I cannot wait for the next book!

Archibald Finch and the Lost Witches was a captivating romp through a magical and fantastical world, tied in with a bit of real world mystery and adventure. Perfect for middle grade adventurers and fun for adults as well, this book was a great mix of exploring a new world and making our world seem a little more interesting. I loved how the two points of view (Archibald and his sister Hailee) blended together. Hailee's search for her younger brother after she witnesses him disappear at the beginning of the story was just the break I needed from the world beyond the norm. Her side of the story brought more of Archibald's adventures into focus and gave them some additional depth that I think the entire book benefited from. The characters in this book were well written, and I thoroughly enjoyed the narration of each of them. I still have some questions at the end, but my impatient self will just have to wait for the sequel that the "To be continued" ending promises! I am so glad I picked up this book and recommend it for anyone with kids with adventurous spirits (including those adults who are still kids at heart)!

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced audiobook edition in exchange for an honest review!

Archibald Finch and the Lost Witches by Michel Guyon

9781524870027

Audiobook
Narrator
352 Pages
Publisher: Andrews McMeel Audio
Release Date: September 21, 2021

Fiction, Children’s Fiction, Magical, Alternate Worlds

Archibald, his older sister Hailee, and his parents move into his grandmother’s house after her funeral. It is big with lots of nooks and hidden spaces. He finds a globe, but it isn’t an ordinary globe. None of the lands and countries exist on earth. Archibald sees small holes and finds something small enough to stick in it. Before he knows it, he is transported to another world.

WOW! What a story. I feel in love with Archibald. He is smart beyond his eleven years. The author writes in a very descriptive style. The story is fast paced, the characters are very developed, and it is written in third person point of view. I listened to the audiobook and the narrator did an amazing job. The story ended with a cliffhanger. Now I have to wait until the next book in the series comes out to find out what happens next. If you liked the world of Harry Potter and Hogwarts, you would enjoy this story.

This was a fun adventure story targeted to middle school age readers. There are a couple minor missteps and it ends on a cliffhanger--not cool. Otherwise, it's very engaging. Archibald could be pretty annoying but I loved his sister, Hailee. The audiobook narration was very well done. The black and white artwork in the book are worth checking out, even if you listen to the audiobook.

My kids (5 & 7 years old) and I were totally hooked on this excellently narrated fantasy from chapter one. Archibald is a unwittingly humorous young kid who finds himself sucked in to an old globe he found in his recently deceased grandmother's peculiar mansion. His sister witnesses his disappearance and begins her own dangerous investigation into what happened. Archibald finds himself in a different world full of witches and odd creatures. Guyon weaves an intriguing first tale in this world and sets up future books nicely. We would certainly all follow along on next adventures.

3.5 stars
Ahhh this was so entertaining and fun but I’m so upset because it ends on a huge cliffhanger 😭😭 (low key why this is a 3.5 and not a 4). It just doesn’t feel like it’s one complete book. IMO there are ways to have a plot span two books, where the first book still feels complete on its own. This was not it. I definitely felt like last couple of chapters were just chopped off. :((
All that aside, this was such an interesting premise and plot. I love the way serious topics were incorporated into this middle grade book. The characters felt real (especially the children and how they react). The tone and writing were enjoyable, and I liked the unexpected addition of Da Vinci lore. And the reasoning behind what was happening pulled at my heartstrings. The only thing left on my mind is now: when is the next one coming out? 🥺😫
Big thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an early audiobook copy of this book!

This book was okay. I felt that it could have been shorter but the story was interesting. Archibald was annoying and his catchphrase made me dislike him even more. I love the idea behind being sucked into another world where no one ages and pretty cool that it was all women. I know this is geared towards middle grade and they will probably find it a funny fantasy book. There's a lot of lessons in here about how it doesn't matter what you look like or don't listen to bullies. Although even though Archibald is Young I felt like he was kind of stuck up and I know it all but not in a good way.

Okay - the one thing that drives me crazy is when a book in a series just stops. "To be continued" is not how you end a book - it is how you end an installment program, where the next installment will be along any minute now. Unless the new book intends to be published and released within days of the first one, to end something in the middle of the action with a "to be continued" feels like short - changing the reader.

Don't misunderstand: I have no problem with cliffhangers. I don't need everything to be wrapped up in a tidy bow. But the story you are reading in a volume of a series should have some closure when it ends. Storylines carrying over to the next book are not a problem. But to me, going from a very long and involved narrative with very detailed world-building and slow-building action and plot lines, to yanking the main character out of the detailed scene he was in and throwing up a "to be continued", leaves me feeling lost and irritated and unfulfilled...

It colored my earlier impressions of the book, which were generally positive-although I do feel there was an awful lot of detail in an awful lot of places that kept the action from moving forward... The world-building here is fantastic - I do not mean to knock that at all. But as Archibald's adventures in Lemuria carried on throughout the book, I actually found myself wanting to skim some of those chapters and move ahead to the action back in London - because that was actually more engaging to me.

I also didn't get to see any of the cool illustrations I've seen referenced. I listened to it on audio book. The narrator was fantastic and definitely kept me in the story where another narrator might have seen my attention flag more.

As a result of all this, I am not sure if the series is for me on the whole or if I will follow through with the next book...

This was a great fantasy/adventure book for kids. I enjoyed the bits of relation to inventions of past.
I will recommend this in our store.

A fun portal fantasy where kindness slays the most terrifying of beasts. The narrator for the audiobook was excellent, and I was pleasantly surprised by the thorough character development the main character and his sister enjoy through the book. Though they start off as bratty, whiney siblings, both Archibald and Hailee get to develop into some pretty courageous, caring kids by the end.

All of the adult characters were quite flat, which is typical for books in this age group, but felt strange in the case of the parents who, when a series of unfortunate events befall the family, express themselves in a weird, detached way that feels more like mild perturbation than grief. I also wasn't crazy about the use of the child-is-secretly-adopted-and-doesn't-know trop, which should've died decades ago. Characterizing adoption this way is a weird choice that makes adopted and foster kids feel like their relationships are wrong or need to be hidden, instead of affirming that families are made in lots of ways that are all valid.

In the end, the fun historical details, the strong cast of brave and inventive children, and the theme that radical empathy can be world-changing made this book a good read for kids that like fantasy and adventure.

BRILLIANT
a great fun story that grips and entertains
The writing is gorgeous and the reader's voice perfectly compliments the magical fantasy of this brilliant tale

I listened to the audiobook version of this book. The narrator was wonderful, and I'd definitely want to listen to him narrate other stories.

The story was very good, and I was immediately hooked. I was invested throughout the run of the book, and I think that anyone who likes Harry Potter, Miss Peregrine books, or other books like that would love this story. In fact, the whole time I was listening, I was hoping that a second book wouldn't be long in coming.

That's probably where the only negative aspect of my review comes in--the ending. This book ends on a serious and abrupt cliffhanger. Nothing really feels resolved at all. I don't really mind that if a series already has several books published, but I don't love it when I have no idea when or if there will be a second book.

If there is a second book, though, I'll probably pick it up.

I was hovering around a three star designation but the ending made me give this two!
I hate, hate, hate stories that end with “to be continued… “. For me, this is a cheap way for the author to beg for future purchases of his or her work. It signals that publishers have prepaid an author, but then realize the work is crap so have to find a cheap way to try and get people to possibly purchase another installment. End with a cliff-hanger, maybe, but this was ridiculous. It might as well have been mid-sentence. I actually thought the battery died in my phone and that’s why the story cut off. They could have at least made the title “Archibald Finch and the Lost Witches - Part 1” or something that warns potential readers that the story will not end with this book.
That aside, this book was a struggle for me. I found parts enchanting, clever, and engaging, but a large majority of it just dragged on. I almost gave up a few times, but persevered because I always feel guilty when I DNF… I wish I had quit while I was ahead.
I actually preferred the sections about Archibald’s sister much more than anything happening in the alternate reality he reaches after going through the globe. Maybe the future stories will focus on her. I don’t know, nor care. I won’t be reading or listening to them.
I liked the voice actor reading the book. His subtle voice changes and inflections gave the story a little bit of life, and helped differentiate between mostly similar characters.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an ALC in exchange for my honest opinions.

I thoroughly enjoyed this audiobook thank you to Netgalley for allowing me to listen to for an honest review. The narrator was brilliant. I found Archibald Finch and the Lost Witches hilariously funny and captivating.
A fantastic middle grade book filled with witches, magic, adventure, action and my favourite gargoyles. I was hooked right from the start.
A must read for middle grade genre lovers and those wanting to branch out and try a new genre.

Strong concept, made me laugh a few times. Always love to start in a creepy, inherited house!

Unfortunately, could not quite sink into the world. I wanted to follow other characters, rather than keep listening to Archibald complain (justifiably) about his name. The "Holy Bejables" (pardon spelling, listening on audiobook) tic kept throwing me out of the story. I understand it is a lore connection for deeper in the book. For me, however, it did not work.

Sensitivity note: Strongly recommend the publisher re-visit Chapter 12, about 40 minutes in. There is a character described with an "Exotic" accent with "Dark hair that blends into her skin." Please consider a different description. "Exoticising" non-White characters is not a good look for 2021.

Thanks for providing this copy for review!

Archibald is a very smart student. He knows everything without know why he knows everything, which is a blessing and a curse. School is too easy and he is made fun of a lot for being such a know it all. After Archibald’s grandmother passed away, he and his family move into her mansion of a house. They have always lived in a small apartment, so this house is a dream for space and adventures. Archibald, however is scared to be by himself and refuses to sleep in his own room. Archibald becomes interested in an artifact in his new home which somehow portals him to a new world of witches and monsters. His parents this he is missing, but his sister knows that there is something magical about the artifact and is determined to get her brother back. No matter how annoying he is. Will Archibald ever get back home?
This was a great story. One that I have never heard before. It was inventive, filled with description and twists and turns that I never saw coming. This story is defined as middle grade but does contain some language that may not be appropriate for all mg ages. Make sure that parents and students are aware so that there are no surprises in this regard. I would highly recommend this story to anyone that enjoys a good adventure with some magic intertwined.