What a story. It reminds me a little of the Mirror Visitor's serie by Christelle Dabos. A complexe universe, but with incredible turn of events and a really crazy adventure! I was sometimes a little lost in the details, but this is the kind of book that you read again to really immerse yourself in the story. A really good book from the author, and I can't wait to see what stories will come out of her head next.

Quelle histoire. Elle me rappelle un peu la série La Passe-Miroir, de Christelle Dabos. Un monde complexe, mais en plus des retournements de situation et une aventure pas mal rocambolesque! J'étais parfois un peu perdue dans les détails, mais c'est le genre de livre que tu relis pour vraiment bien entrer dans l'histoire. Un très bon livre par cette autrice, et j'ai bien hâte de lire les prochaines histoires qui sortiront de sa tête.

Thank you to the publishers and author for the opportunity to review this book!

Bold statement time: this has to be one of the best middle-grade books I have ever read. This is a hill I will gladly sit on forever.

Big thanks to NetGalley and Harperkids for the arc.

The vibes I got from this book were: Return to Oz, Mirrormask, and just about every Miyazaki film ever made. These are all the movies I love, so in turn, I loved this book. Roda is thrust into an adventure to save her mother when her anonymous pen pal guides her to seek out a mysterious place called Nowhere. Paired up with a once injured crow-now-turned boy named Ignis, they climb onto dragons, fight automatons and navigate twists and turns all while deciding who to trust and who not to trust.

First of all, I love fantasy worlds that incorporate modern-day living, tech, etc. I'm going to have to message the author to get a better hold on what sort of world this is, but it is rooted in our world but with fantasy elements. Nevertheless, the world-building was superb. There are so many aspects of this book that took me back to watching all Jim Henson's movies like Labyrinth and Dark Crystal, as well as the aforementioned Mirrormask and Return to Oz. Being introduced to those movies was one of the best times of my childhood. The time travel element is reminiscent of Howl's Moving Castle a tad bit.

Oh, and it's masterfully written. Roda is fierce and determined while Ignis is a little crass but endearing. Ignis's past is very heartbreaking (that scene toward the end though WAHHHHHH) The family elements and Roda's love for her mother and aunt are also well done.

I want to end this review with a pleeeeeeease write a sequel! The book does have a self-contained ending, but there is so much more to explore. I had so much fun reading this book and I hope you allow ill enjoy it too.

Great duo, wonderful worldbuilding, and The Howl's Moving Castle influence can be felt here. Also I love the cover art too.

Is this the standard of middle grade fantasy? I don't read a lot of the genre, but either way this book is incredible., and I am blown away. The writing, the pacing, the world building, the plot complexity, all combining and keeping everything straight is impressive. It took a bit to get going and building a bond with the characters, but once the diagrams started, the pocket universe circling reality was explained, and the time traveling implications manifest I couldn't read fast enough. The book is clean and I have already preordered it for my children aged 11-15, well over the target age, but engaging enough that they have been told they have to read it, so we can discuss.

Roda starts getting mysterious notes that seem to protect the future in riddles, instruct her on what to do, and giver her something to look forward to. She doesn't keep secrets, but for some reason, she doesn't share the notes either. When a note leads her to take in a mysterious crow and the crow is a shapeshifting Aethon, it isn't just the mysterious notes that need figuring out. The action elevates and monsters, time travel, saving her mom, and confronting herself all will play out before the book is over.

I'm not sure if the book is a series, but I kind of need closure while at the same time I like that the future for these characters is vague. This book releases tomorrow and I hope readers and educators will encourage middle school and up to spend sometime stretching their imaginations and considering what lies beyond the mist.

I really need to read more middle grade. This book was incredible. It was so creative, with magical elements I had never read before. The characters and character relationships were beautiful and complex. There are so many clues pointing towards the twist towards the end, which made it so emotionally satisfying to read. It’s perfect, and definitely something that twelve year old me would have been obsessed with.

The Prince of Nowhere wears its influences pretty close, but never in a way that feels overbearing or fan-fic. We follow a spunky heroine named Roda who has to go on a fantastical quest to save her mother. Joining her is a magical creature named Ignis that can shapeshift between crow and boy (thinking Howl's Moving Castle anyone?) who has secrets of his own that will impact Roda in various ways. While I believe this title is aimed more towards the MG crowd, there are some darker elements to the story (thinking No Face from Spirited Away) that creeped me out.
A solid story that I enjoyed from finish to end!

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of The Prince of Nowhere.

I adored this middle grade fantasy. The first page sucked me in and didn't let go through the entire book. (I may have stayed up to midnight to finish it...)

Hassan's book masterfully weaves family secrets, a mystery, and twists together. The themes of friendship and family come through in a subtle and satisfying way. It's an adventure story that keeps you on your toes!

I loved how Roda and Ignis work together—fighting, arguing, making up, disagreeing again. It felt so authentic to real kids. Roda's admiration for Aunt Dora has shaped her life and gives her the strength to keep going! When she receives notes from an anonymous writer, her life changes with Ignis. And I'm sorry, but I will not tell you who "anonymous"is and spoil the fun of you finding out for yourself.

If I chose words to describe my experience reading, they would include: chill, unexpected, feathers, danger, home, stars, hidden, fast, creepy, friends, and family.

I hope you pick up this book! Kids are going to adore it and want more! (I want more too!)

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

This book was a fast-paced exciting adventure for middle grade readers. The story contains may plot twists that keep the reader guessing and has a very interesting plot. The time travel timeline is very intriguing and adds a level of complexity to the story.

Thanks Netgalley for the chance to review this book.
Roda isn’t afraid of the monsters that roam the wilds of the Aerlands. She’s safe in her small town, which is surrounded by a wall of freezing, enchanted mist that keeps the beasts away. So when Roda rescues an injured crow on the instruction of her secret pen pal, Anonymous—whose letters arrive without warning and correctly predict the future—she’s surprised to learn she’s brought one of the so-called monsters home. Because her crow is really a shape-shifting boy named Ignis.

Hopefully due to the ending there will be a follow-up book! This was a book that comes with a twist and full of monsters. Midgrade book that all ages may enjoy.

The Prince of Nowhere was an interesting middle grade fantasy read! There were so many unexpected events in the story there was no way I would have been able to tell what was going to happen. This story has it all, dragons, a castle in the sky, time travel. The pace was a bit quick for my taste, but the world building was interesting and unique. I’m sure this book will find its way into the hands of a young one who loves it!

The Prince of Nowhere is a unique middle-grade fantasy novel.

Roda and Ignis were relatable characters. Their motivations and struggles were understandable. I do think that they could have been developed a little bit more though, or that we maybe could have gotten to know them more. I would have liked to connect with them a little more.

The worldbuilding was fun. There was certain whimsy to it--it seemed like anything could happen. The contemporary and fantasy elements also seemed to be balanced nicely.

About halfway through the book, I guessed the main plot twist, which wasn't revealed until about 3/4 of the way through. So I wasn't surprised by it, but I had been curious to see if I was going to be right.

SPOILERS BELOW:

The time travel did confuse me a little, though it might be because Hassan's take on time travel is different than what I normally prefer. I like fixed timeline time travel, whereas The Prince of Nowhere has more of a dynamic timeline and a time loop.

The ending was a little... disappointing. While Roda has grown as a character, the plot doesn't necessarily conclude since she and Ignis are still in the time loop. It felt a little too open. But it wasn't a bad ending.

END SPOILERS

Cautions: brief reference to periods; non-graphic violence

I really enjoyed this book! I liked the plot twist and the way that the story flowed. I just wish some parts were explained clearer.

This middle grade fantasy is such a fun, whimsical adventure story! It follows 12yo Roda as she tries to unravel the strange notes left to her by Anonymous. They lead her to saving a crow who turns out to be a shape-shifter, and into the icy mists that surround her home town. Roda escapes monsters and mechanical giants, befriends a sentient bit of light, rides a comet, and possibly discovers a castle in the sky. There's so much magic and wonder in this story, and a fun twist! I think I read that this was inspired in part by HOWL'S MOVING CASTLE, and yes I think fans of it will enjoy this too! Out May 3rd!!

This was a cute story with great worldbuilding and a plot that surprised me in many ways. The story follows Roda, who receives mysterious letters from someone she refers to as Anonymous, and the latest leads her to a strange discovery: a crow that flew into the most barrier surrounding her town and nearly froze to death. More surprising, the crow is actually a boy who can shapeshift named Ignis. Ignis claims to have amnesia and Roda promises to help him figure things out, which becomes more than she bargained for on the night a comet appears overhead and a new message from Anonymous sends Roda and Ignis out beyond the barrier on a quest they don't really understand. There's interesting magic and time travel involved, and while things get crazy, the plot is always easy to follow while still keep you on your toes. I liked Roda's character, she reminds me a lot of some of Diana Wynne Jones's protagonists, and the story and writing style in general are very reminiscent of her books, which I liked. Roda and Ignis have an interesting dynamic, and their friendship is a bit rocky in its early stages, but without causing convenient plot tension. Overall, this was a fun read, and I look forward to more from this author.

What worked:
The Mist creates a dangerous and mysterious air to the opening pages. The frigid, frosty barrier surrounds the cities, protecting them from deadly monsters in the wild, but it hinders communication and isolates them from their neighbors. This icy boundary also makes Rona dream about leaving her city to explore other lands, hoping to experience the same adventures as her aunt. Her wishes come true, but they are initiated when she must find a way to help here poisoned mother. Unexpected twists upon entering the mist escalate her problems, and the whole story brings up issues of time travel.
Rona receives letters from Anonymous foretelling future events, but they create uncertainty and questions about what’s actually going on. Her adventure becomes a quest to discover the identity of the unknown person and find a way to save her mother. She’s accompanied by a boy named Ignis who’s able to transform into a crow. He’s not totally honest with Rona and his behavior is unpredictable, so he presents another mystery to be solved.
The plot evolves into the topic of time travel, and it’s interesting to see how authors handle to various paradoxes it might present. What happens if someone goes back in time and causes the death of a parent? How could the person go back in time if they were never born? If someone has the power to change past or future events, should they? What are the ripple effects of changing history? Changing happenings that have already occurred might cause unexpected consequences that are worse than the true accounts. Time travel questions become the focus of the conflict.
What didn’t work as well:
The journey into the mist sometimes gets confusing and hard to follow. That can happen when traveling through an imaginary world, but it’s easily tolerated in this book. The important thing to remember is what’s happening in the moment while how the characters get there is not. Don’t overthink how things are happening and simply enjoy what you’re reading.
The Final Verdict:
Changing the future with friendship. The Mist makes this adventure of time travel and friendship feel different, and Rona’s kind heart gives her the power to face the magic and overwhelming odds working against her. I recommend you give this entertaining book a shot.

I Thought this story was very well done. My only issue is that I felt it should not have ended with them still stuck in the time loop. However, I hope there are other books forthcoming that will clear this up. I think it is a well written and fast paced story. It has great character development and I love the slips and hints that slowly reveals the secret of the story. Overall a good story to recommend to my kids at the library.

Plot: I don't want to write too much about the plot of this book, for fear of spoiling people, but I will just say that I absolutely loved the plot of this book. This book reminded me of the Fantasy books I read when I was a kid, with new twists, and I mean that in the best way! This was such a creative, fantastical, wonderful book!

Characters: The characters were all great! I thought Rhoda and Ignis were good leads. The creatures and beings they met on their journey were so unique, and creative.

The Cover: I like it!

Overall: This was an absolutely wonderful Middle Grade novel, that I loved reading and is now a favorite! And after the ending, I hope we get a sequel. Overall, I highly recommend this MG book!

I received an e-ARC from the publisher.

Wow! I was swept away by this book within the first few pages and I throughly enjoyed every second of reading it!! I can’t wait for the next book in this series and more by this talented author!

Genre: MG Fantasy
Ages: 10 plus
Available: Amazon- preorder before the May 3 release date

Screening: Really clean! A brief mention of a period and some fighting.

Roda lives in Blume, where an icy mist surrounds her town to protect it from the dangers outside of it. When she receives a message from Anonymous with true foretelling, Roda is excited by the prospect of adventure. After rescuing a crow, Anonymous sends Roda on a mission, where Roda learns the affect of time travel and how small decisions can have big consequences.

The Arab name of the author and protagonist attracted me to this book, and though there is no Arab or Muslim rep, I completely enjoyed getting lost in this story that was weaved so skillfully and so enjoyable, I can def see any tween being a huge fan of this book series!

The book has lots of wisdom and important lessons for young readers woven into the action packed tale, and I loved Roda’s insight and maturing through the book. I truly can’t recommend this book enough, I seriously enjoyed it and am planning to preorder a copy for my own son!

Mysterious letters, a shapeshifting boy/crow, and a girl who is about to discover unlikely secrets. Roda lives in a place where monsters room free but she is safe in her small town surrounded by a wall of freezing mist that keeps the beasts away. She’s been receiving letters from a secret pen pal that helps her, when she gets instructions to save a crow she does. She takes the crow home and nurses it back to health only to find out its a shape-shifting boy named Ignis. Ignis doesn’t remember where he was going before he crashed into the enchanted mist but there has to be a reason Roda’s Anonymous penpal brought them together. So begins their journey to a mysterious place called Nowhere, just beyond the mist. But Ignis has secrets, so many secrets, and Roda doubt’s she can trust someone who keeps her in the dark. However their journey will push them to work together, and soon face an even greater dilemma. Throw in some time travel, some complicated moral decisions, and magic and you get a fantastic journey. Roda and Ignis are connected in more ways than they though and every action and choice they make will impact their past, present, and future. I hope there is a sequel to this book, it leaves on a bit of an open note and I would love to see where these characters go next and how their choices impact them. I had so much fun reading this and it was definitiely a unique story ( honestly definitely worthy of being a show/movie!!)

*Thanks Netgalley and HarperCollins Children's Books, HarperCollins for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

A delightful, fast-paced, and intriguing fantasy with a main character you can't help falling in love with and rooting for. The story drew me in right away when Rona finds an injured crow who turns out to be a shape-shifting boy. The twists and turns and magical adventures take off from there, in an intricately plotted and realized story. Highly recommend it!