In this story you follow young Ollie as he struggles with self image and weight. His world forever changes when another member of his weight loss group and his friend, Nell, goes missing with what he suspects is domestic violence. Soon Ollie is thrust into a fantasy world, 'The Neath' where he encounters other survivors and creatures that thrust him on a path of adventure that will forever change his fate. I enjoyed Ollie a lot; he was kind and empathetic and mostly self-aware. The theme of surviving domestic abuse is prevalent and a relevant topic which I enjoyed them discussing. I also thought the world-building was particularly unique and something that I had not encountered before within a fantasy landscape. I do wish that some of the places within the world were elaborated on a bit more, and felt overall that the narrative, while intriguing, did take a while to fully enrapture me. After about 30% of the way through I found myself unable to put the book down, but before then it was slow going. A very interesting novel, and I will be reading the sequel when it comes out!

This eye-catching urban-fantasy novel by T.M. Blanchet tells the story of 19-year-old Ollie Delgato, a young man searching for his missing friend, a girl named Nell, who he suspects was in an abusive relationship before her sudden disappearance. When Nell fails to turn up to the weight-loss support group they both attend for the third meeting in a row, Ollie starts to put the pieces together and realizes his friend may be in danger. Soon, Ollie is pulled into the mysterious depths of a supernatural underworld, where he must find his friend before time runs out.
Now, time for a list of things that drew me to this book and kept me hooked :)
Title and cover- This book caught my interest the second I saw it, entirely thanks to the imaginative, fantasy-esque title, and the beautiful art that matches the title perfectly. Altogether it reminds me of my favourite fantasy books from my tweens (Attica by Garry Kilworth or Gregor the Overlander by Suzanne Collins, for example).
Character struggles- I think many readers will relate to the many character struggles and insecurities represented in this book, from Ollie's heartbreaking but familiar body image issues, to many of the characters being survivors of abusive relationships. I feel it is important that issues like these are written about more often, even if it can be difficult and heartbreaking to read about.
The prologue- Yes, the prologue. I don't have much to say except this happened to be the perfect hook for me personally. What can I say, anything to do with witches has me instantly intrigued.
I would most definitely recommend this novel to a wide range of readers, including, but not limited to, my 13-year-old self ;)

I really enjoyed this book and read it quickly. It was well written with a compelling and engaging storyline and well developed characters that were relatable and loveable and few of them I took to my heart really quickly. The world building was good, but I think may develop better over the rest of the books in the series.
It was a truly gripping read that was full of fantasy but was also dark and disturbing so of course I loved it, I can't wait to read more.

This was a FANTASTIC fantasy fiction novel. It’s actually the first of a new trilogy. (Which kind of sucks because now I have to wait for the other two books).

I loved the main character Ollie. He was SO relatable to me and him finding his people in a strange place he had never been to before just resonated so well.

Once I got about 30% through this book I had to finish it right away. It hooked me!

There were NO loose ends in this book. I felt like even what seemed to be small insignificant details were pulled back in to reveal their meaning.

There was a dark part in this book that lingered and at one point almost was too much for me. I even thought I would have to stop reading 😂😂 but thankfully even that part had a significant meaning and now doesn’t really seem like that big of a deal.

Herrick’s End is a fast-paced YA fantasy stock full of lovable characters. You quickly fall in love with Ollie, our awkward underdog turned prolific hero, and his band of misfit friends. I deeply appreciate that Blanchet gave each character individual motivations and interests outside of just supporting the protagonist’s journey. I find this not to be the case in most YA novels, especially when the protagonist is male. My main critique lies with the creation/creators of The Neath and their relation with the primary antagonist. It felt rushed/disjointed and I wish we got to see a little more development towards that resolution (and I suppose introduction!). Overall, the world-building was top notch, and I can’t wait to read the rest of the series!

Herrick's End is a fantastic sci-fi/fantasy book about a guy named Ollie who goes looking for a friend and ends up in Herrick's End. There are a lot of great characters to root for in this book. Ollie is such a wonderful and caring guy, Tera is strong and kind, Lazlo is odd but also caring and loyal, and then the whole rest of the group are great. The atmosphere is tense and mysterious. The plot is super original and I loved it, especially the ending. I really can't wait to read the next book. Just an all-around great book that I think people will really enjoy.

T.M. Blanchet’s Herrick's End is the thrilling, arresting tale of the loveable loser Ollie getting drawn into Boston’s supernatural underworld to search for his missing friend. I love underdog stories, and Ollie was a top-notch depiction of the unexpected hero. Blanchet’s swift pacing and smoothly flowing writing made Herrick’s End fun to read. The author’s attention to the worldbuilding made the Neath a tense and exciting place to explore. I can’t wait for the next book!

Oh my goodness, what a book. It has been a long time since I've read anything as exciting, unique, and engaging as HERRICK''S END. It was not at all what I thought it was going to be, and I was always so pleased at the twists, reveals, and plans falling into place. I think Ollie was a fantastic, relatable main character and his arc was incredible to read. The worldbuilding was also super cool and the topics discussed were heavy, but important. The only thing I didn't enjoy was the romance, as I thought it was a bit underdeveloped. Other than that though, this was a really amazing book, and I cannot wait for the next one!