Angie Thomas is a magic-maker. My school library shelves don't lie: I cannot keep her books on my shelf. So I was thrilled to receive an early copy of Nic Blake and the Remarkables: The Manifestor Prophecy. Reading this was like jumping in a pool on a hot day- refreshing and everything I needed- I did not come up for air until it was over. It was fantastic, a 10/10. The magic for me is in the details. Angie Thomas has created a whole world, and it is woven with history, culture and fresh, new creatures and magic. The story references black history, culture and current media in a way that will make so many kids feel seen. Nic Blake is a character kids will root for, relate to and learn from. It is a FUN read- so many twists and turns and characters who make appearances that I hope we will see again. This book is a strong addition to any middle school fantasy collection, and I am so glad that there are more to come.

I am loving this new trend of literal Black Girl Magic! This reminds me a lot of Amari and the Night Brothers and has similar vibes to Harry Potter (magic systems, prophesy, etc.), Percy Jackson (humor & folklore), and Root Magic (cajun/creole conjuring). This series will be a hit!

Nic Blake is a Remarkable living in an Unremarkable world, but she makes the best of it with her dad and best friend JP (an Unremarkable). She longs to connect to the Gift inside her and become a skilled Manifestor like her dad, but he just keeps delaying her. Maybe she'll learn next year... at least for this birthday she gets a hellhound puppy! Everything is shaping up to be a normal year in Jackson, Missisippi... but not for long.

I can't list anything else that happens because it is ALL spoilers. Craziness goes down, identities are revealed, prophecies are explained, and Nic finds herself with friends traveling on a quest adventure to save her whole world and family. Just when you think things must be wrapped up, there's another twist and more characters and settings to meet. This was a wild ride! It's also set up perfectly for a whole series. I can't wait!

I loved this story so much, though I wish there was more thorough world building. You can tell that Angie Thomas has the whole plot line in place, but I wanted to know so much more about the Remarkable world and how things had developed. Maybe in later books! I also loved how actual history was intertwined with the story. Historic Black and African American leaders were incorporated, the folktales and folklore of early enslaved people had connections to magic, and the Underground Railroad had a physical, mystical counterpart. It was all so genius and well done!

I highly recommend this one, especially for readers who loved Amari and the Night Brothers or any of the other aforementioned books/series. This one is a gem!

Thank you to NetGalley for the Advanced Reader's Copy!

Angie Thomas can do no wrong. Everything she touches turns to literary gold. I'm not normally a fan of fantasy books, but she tells a story so well that I could help but enjoy it. The main character is relatable through the fantastical elements.

It is obvious that this book was created after years of writing and rewriting the story. Thomas mentioned in a social media post that she has wanted to get this story to the public for a very long time and it is finally here!

Nichole has a gift, although her father is reluctant to let her learn more about it and definitely not use it. She begins to suspect that things may not be as they seem. Her life begins to unravel and she must go on a quest in order to save her family.

If you enjoy Thomas as an author, this is a really fun departure from her previous novels. If you like fantasy, Nic Blake is definitely an entertaining choice. I went into this story blind so I do not want to give out too many details and spoil the ride the reader gets to go on.

Thank you to HarperCollins and NetGalley for the ARC.

This has been a highly anticipated read! I am an Angie Thomas fan and was curious to see her middle grade fantasy coming out April 4th. In this fast paced adventure, Nic Blake is a “Remarkable” in an Unremarkable world, living with her dad in Jackson, Mississippi where she is eager to start learning how to wield “the Gift”. Instead of starting her training on her twelfth birthday, the Remarkable world comes crashing into her own and her father is arrested for crimes of kidnapping and thievery. Thus begins an epic adventure story where alongside her best friend, JP, and twin brother, Alex, Nic must find the answers to clear her father’s name. Thomas intentionally integrates elements of Black history to shape an important and exciting fantasy world that centers Black children. A must-read and another great alternative to Harry Potter!

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

I really liked this book! It was super cute and the magic system was really interesting. The pacing was a little too fast for my liking, but it was still a great book!

Angie Thomas is primarily known for her contemporary YA books with black characters, and some of the previous titles included The Hate You Give and On The Come Up, which I enjoyed thoroughly. So, I was very excited to learn she had a MG fantasy series coming out. Her new series did not disappoint. It reminds me a lot of The Marvellers by Dhonielle Clayton or Amari and the Night Brothers by B.B. Alston, so if you enjoyed these two books, I'm sure you'll enjoy Nic Blake as well. While reading, I still had the same feel of Angie Thomas' humor that I've come to enjoy from her books with lines like: "I can smell a hellhound from thousands of miles away. Wherever this thing is, it's filling the forest with a strong odor of boiled eggs and Fritos."

I really enjoyed both Nic and JP, they're fun characters. I also liked that despite being an Unremarkable, JP had a lot of skills he brought to their adventure too. Nic's mixed feelings about why her dad hid her mom and twin brother Alex from her were also understandable. She doesn't know if she can forgive her father, but also can't help being concerned about him. Also, while she's excited to find out she has a twin, she's also upset that he knows so much about their mom and Uhuru. Balancing some jealousy with wanting to get to know him better.

As a first book in the series, I was eager to learn about this new magic system, and to immerse myself in the world building. I felt there were enough details and explanations made so that the major distinctions between Unremarkables, Remarkables and where their magic comes from were clear. How learning to use the gift involves mojos and jujus to control the elements. There still feels like there is so much more to learn about Uhuru and the gift that I hope will be explored further in the next book. What I also enjoyed while reading the story were the cultural ties to African American folklore, history and mentions of slavery in terms that kids could easily understand. Topics like school shootings and police violence are addressed but not delved into great depth. It's a nice melding of magic, culture and historical elements mixed with a fast-paced adventure. But oh, to end on a cliffhanger...torture. Overall, I really enjoyed Nic Blake and the Remarkables and see lots of kid appeal.

** A huge thank you to Sparkpress for the E-ARC via Netgalley**

I really wanted to like this book. However, I just think it wasn't for me. Honestly, I didn't finish reading it and I thought the topic wasn't appropriate for the grade levels I work with.

Angie Thomas’ first foray into middle grade fantasy is a winner. Readers will love the fast paced fantasy adventure. Nic Blake is a strong female character she is a Remarkable, but her dad won’t let her start training. She and her dad move frequently in the unremarkable world. The latest move is to Jackson, Mississippi where Nic finally makes a friend.

Filled with magic, complex family dynamics, creatures, Black history, and surprises, Ms. Thomas has a hit on her hands. Middle grade readers will eat this up and ask for more.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to read this arc in exchange for an honest review. This title will definitely be part of my middle school library.

What a great middle grade debut! When Nic learns of a deep family secret, she has to go on the hunt for a powerful weapon to set wrongs right. The Remarkable world with glowing auras was fun to read; I liked the integration of several different supernatural creatures. Nic, JP and Alex are great characters. Nic's determination to save her family, JP's openness and commitment to his friendship with Nic and Alex's knowledge of Remarkables teaming up make for an amazing adventure.
Thanks NetGalley!

Angie Thomas loves to challenge her readers with humor and insight. She has created a wonderful blend of fantasy and non-fiction. Readers will want Book 2 to follow quickly.

ohhh my god, I'm OBSESSED with this. like the layers!! This is so much in conversation with Harry Potter/JKR and the way that stories/authors can betray their readers and it's just like *chef's kiss*. But crucially the base story is fun and compelling too. And I just LOVE Nic as a protagonist. I want a Nic Blake theme park!

Nic Blake and the Remarkables was something I needed when I was a kid. Thomas knocked it out of the park as always and didnt disappointment. I love that she is venturing into MG and I can't wait to see what she brings out next.

Nic Blake is truly a remarkable girl living in an unremarkable world. This wonderous tale takes us through the south with The Blake Family who are a magical family living in Jackson, MS. The story takes us on a journey with Nic and her neighbor best friend, JP. The two set out to find out why her father is a wanted man in the remarkable world. On the path, we are gifted with mythical creatures, pop up surprises, African folklore, and a real underground railroad. Angie Thomas has done what she always does-delivered a masterful tale that leaves us wanting more. In Nic Blake, we get history wrapped up in a fantasy tale that definitely makes the ancestors proud.

I recieved an eARC of this title from #netGalley and HarperCollins

This one was FUN! The mix of African American history and Fantasy was fantastic.

It ends with unfinished business, almost guaranteeing a sequel (I hope it comes soon)
This is rated a middle grade book, but I think even your young high schoolers that are fans of fantasy will like this one.

Being a Remarkable when you live in the Unremarkable world definitely has its downsides. At least, that’s what Nic Blake thinks. At least her dad got her a hellhound for her twelfth birthday. That, admittedly, was pretty cool. But actually learning magic would be even cooler.

However, before Nic can convince her dad to start teaching her magic, a series of events launch Nic and her friends on a dangerous quest. A quest to find a dangerous magical tool to save her dad from imprisonment. And hopefully to prove he didn’t commit the crime that everyone says that he did. But what really happened to land him there in the first place?

Thanks to NetGalley and Balzer + Bray for an advanced copy of Nic Blake and the Remarkables by Angie Thomas to review! It’s Angie Thomas’s first middle grade, so I obviously had to see what it was all about. This book is funny, full of heart and magic, but isn’t afraid to still tackle tough issues. Middle grade readers are going to eat it up!

There’s a lot about this book that reminded me of Percy Jackson, from the tone to the kids having to go on an epic quest. Fans of those books will definitely enjoy this one. The world that Thomas creates is a fun one; the concept of Remarkables was a fun way to introduce magic. There’s also a bit of a twist on the classic chosen one trope, and I can’t wait to see how it gets played out in future books.

Even though Thomas is known for her YA books, it’s clear she knows how to also write for a middle grade audience. The action keeps the story moving quickly, and there’s a lot of humor throughout. Plus, the characters are just overall fun and relatable. Not only is Nic well-developed, but there is a colorful cast of side characters that just makes the book great.

For Thomas’s first middle grade, I’d classify this as a huge success!

Thanks to NetGalley and Blazer & Bray for the ARC! The opinions are my own.

Wow! Angie Thomas is flexing her writing muscle in Nic Blake and the Remarkables: The Manifestor Prophecy. I'm used to her young adult fare--which I love, but Nic Blake??? I love these new characters and the world she created.

Nic and her father are Remarkables--people with power--living amongst the Unremarkable--people like us. Nic wants more than anything to use her Remarkable power to its fullest, but her father is hesitant to teach her. As the plot unravels, Nic and her friends go on a quest to save her father who is blamed for a crime that Nic refuses to believe that he committed. (I'm not going to tell if he did or not.) On their Nic and friends encounter monsters, demons, and other characters--helpful and not helpful alike. Family secrets are brought to light. And Nic receives some of the answers she's searching for.

Full of adventure, intrigue, girl power, and relationship building, fans of books like the Percy Jackson series, Tristan Strong, and others will devour this book!

This book is perfect for fans of AMARI & THE NIGHT BROTHERS or the Rick Riordan presents series of books. Nic knows she's not like everybody else. She is a Remarkable but she wants to use her magic and her talents but her Dad keeps saying that she needs to be older to learn. On her 12th birthday, something happens that will change her life forever. Black history and folklore are woven together in this action-packed mystery with highly likable characters and enough plot twists to keep you guessing who's good and who's not so good. I can't wait to read the next one!

Great change of pace for Angie Thomas. The characters and story are rich and full of adventure. The action was very fast moving and held my attention throughout. I loved the creativity Thomas brought to her first middle grade book. I am definitely looking forward to the next thing from Nic Blake!

Firstly I received this eARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thanks to them and the publisher.

Now, to the important part.

IF Y’ALL DON’T GO OUT AND GET THIS BOOK AND READ IT!!!

This book is Black and beautiful. Nic, JP, Alex, her dad, the locations, the way people talk, y’all. I have never felt so seen, so represented, in my entire life. This is the book I wanted when I was a kid. This is the book I would have devoured and written fanfiction about.

This is the book.

Nic and her daddy and Manifestors. They have the Gift. It’s a sort of spiritual energy that lets people do all kinds of remarkable things. Like fly. Like shoot glowing ropes out of their hands. It’s fantastic.. There’s also mojos and jujus and magic. Magic is a corrupted form of the Gift.

The worldbuilding in this book is amazing. It wasn’t dumped on you, it was revealed well. Like the character was moving through the world with you and was pointing out things sometimes. It was beautiful.

When it comes to the characters they’re all so well fleshed out. They feel like real people. Like actual kids also.

When it comes to the prophecy and the chosen one, I loved how it was handled. Because the trauma of being a child followed and attacked, tortured by an adult and not knowing safety, was brought up and, finally! Because that’s awful! And it’s never addressed!

The whole chosen one thing is great with the way it’s handled and tied into the character’s personality. The kids were amazing. JP is a pastor’s sun and wears a bowtie. ‘Nuff said, I love him. He’s so sweet. Nic is a little reckless but has a big heart.

Look, I can’t say too much because I will spoil it. I will not shut up.

It’s a 5 out of 5 (five out of five) for me. Go buy it. Go buy it regardless of your age. Buy it for the kids in your life who need something better than what’s out there. Wanna put a smile on someone’s face? This is the book.