I absolutely loved The Wonder State. It really had everything I look for in a book...great atmosphere, a dose of magic, mysterious circumstances, and strong characters. The magic houses thing was genius and so original. The main character group was great. I enjoyed getting to know them and seeing them for who they are warts and all. Their shared history and trauma really made for an intense group. The Arkansas background was equal parts beautiful and creepy. I really hated to see it end but the ending was satisfying. This author really can tell a story and I look forward to reading more from them.

An intriguing, entertaining and well plotted paranormal thriller. There's secretes, miracles, friendships and a plot that kept me reading.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

Ahh I loved this book so much! One of the best dual timelines I’ve read in a while. I was invested in both, because the past directly influenced the present timeline. Not all books structure it as well as this one did. I also loved the concept of magic houses, a treasure hunt, and a fractured friend group. I would have loved even more development from the characters, but this is a nearly perfect book.

”You were always the best part of me. If I could take back even one second of waiting for other people and other places and just be with you, I’d do it.”

I was not expecting this book to hit me squarely in the feels, but I am suing SFM for emotional damages, because this book was exquisite. Going in, I didn’t really have a clue of what to expect, as it is my first read from the author. Would it be dark, like a Stephen King, coming of age, battle the evil giant sort of way? Well, it definitely is a coming of age tale, but it is SO much more than your typical small town horror novel. While parts are dark, the overall feel is more suspenseful and surprisingly hopeful.

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The balance between the past tense narrative as the gang discovers the houses and what magic they hold and the present tense search for Brandi and the truth of the 15 years they have been gone from town is perfectly done, and the atmosphere of the Arkansas Ozark felt like a character all in its own. An unexpected touch was how lovingly this book wraps up, with a HEA in every way imaginable. If you enjoy books that break genre barriers with a compulsive feel, do yourself a favor and check out The Wonder State.

The wonder state is very different than the synopsis on the jacket would lead readers to believe. This is not a thriller, but rather magical realism. I am not a huge fan of magical realism, so this book didn’t work for me as well as it will for others. The book is told over two timelines and tells the story of 5 friends in the ozarks who return home in the current day when their troubled friend disappears. For me, the most enthralling part of the story was the friendships and the characters relationships as they grew up. The plot itself didn’t hold my attention, but I do think there is an audience out there for this book that will be more into the genre.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing the arc in exchange for an honest review.

This was a good book though it did take me a little bit to get into the rhythm of the past and present. Five friends, who have not seen each other since they left Eternal Springs 15 years prior, have returned after receiving a letter that contained two words, you promised. The letter writer Brandi and the other five were all teenagers, 16ish nearing the end of school and have made a deal that if one of them asks the others to return to Eternal Springs they would, except Brandi who never left. The town is small but there are a number of special houses that the kids had discovered, each house has a magic quality, the Truth House for example, makes you tell the truth, the Duplication House, will duplicate something if you leave it there, the Mirror House is full of mirrors and one if you place it a certain way, will hide you from others. When they all return they set out to find the houses again, one though has been burnt down, but they find and explore the others, remembering what each house did. Brandi though is missing and they think by visiting the houses they will eventually find her. Each bit of the past reveals more about what happened and why they all left, and once you get into the story it is very good. I would recommend. Thank you to #Netgalley and #MCD for the ARC.

Many thanks to NetGalley, Farrar, Straus and Giroux MCD for gifting me a digital ARC of the latest novel by Sara Flannery Murphy - 5 stars!

Five friends arrive back in Eternal Springs, Arkansas, the small town they all fled after high-school graduation. Now 15 years later, each of them is drawn home by a cryptic, scrawled two-word You promised, as well as a burning, bleeding scar. They are anxious to know why Brandi called them home. But Brandi is missing and the friends are determined to find her. But to do that, they have to revisit the strange group of houses that appear only when they are needed and the strange magic they possessed.

I really enjoyed the author's previous book, Girl One, and this one was even more intriguing. Told in two timelines - late 1999/2000 and 2015, this is a totally immersive world to fall into. It's part coming-of-age, part mystery, part magical realism, but full of friendship, community, second chances. The setting in the Ozarks added to the feelings in the story of young people anxious to escape and start life somewhere else, yet that pull to home and those tight friendships is always there. This sort of felt like a magical Nancy Drew mystery = just what you need to add to your beach bag this summer!

I am so thankful to FSG/MCD, Netgalley, and Sara Flannery Murphy for granting me advanced digital access to this jarring thriller. I couldn't put it down and can't wait to consume more of this like-minded content going forward.

The Wonder State deserves all the stars!! 10/10

I don't think I'll be able to do this book justice, but I loved everything about it! The setting was perfect, and the characters jumped off the page! I loved following along with Jay and others in the past as they discovered the magic for the first time, and I loved following them as they try and figure out what happened to Brandi in the present, and if it had anything to do with the past. It took me on a twisty ride, that kept me guessing, and it hit all the right spots!

When Jay gets a letter from the best friend she left behind in Eternal Springs with the words "You promised" she knows she has no choice but to return home and see what her friend needs, but when she gets there she finds that Brandi has been missing for weeks. Now Jay and the friends she has reunited with who all got the same letter from Brandi have to figure out what happened to her, and if she told anyone about what they found before they all scattered to the wind.

I loved The Wonderstate, and I can't wait to see what Sara Flannery Murphy is going to come out with next!

The Wonder State is a nostalgic trip back in time mixed with magical realism and messy humans. In telling the story of these six friends, the tangible hope of teen years--when anything feels possible and other worlds beyond your hometown feel within reach--meets the rough edges of adulthood and how things often don't go as planned.

As with her last two books, Murphy's world-building had me hooked within a few chapters, and I lost sleep to finish this one! The friendship (and distance) between Brandi and Jay felt so familiar. In true thriller style, the final quarter of the book held unexpected turns that keep you guessing.

As an Arkansas native, I also enjoyed all the nods to the wonder state!

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for a digital ARC!

Thank you to the author, Farrar, Straus and Giroux, MCD and NetGalley, for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Had I realized this was a magic realism thriller, I would not have requested it - and I am so glad I did! Although it took me a few chapters to get into the story, it really drew me in. Told in uneven dual timelines, it tells the story of a group of misfit teenagers in rural Arkansas who bond over finding and exploring historic homes designed by an architect who was a resident of the local insane asylum at one time, and claimed she brought magic back from other worlds. The houses have different, inexplicable effects that are uncovered bit by bit. Fifteen years later, all but one of the original group have long left the small town - and are summoned back by a cryptic message, only to find the sender mysteriously disappeared.

The concept of the houses was so fascinating, and the writing so atmospheric, with a low. slow burn. The characters were perfectly drawn, many very unlikeable but the developments between them riveting. Rural Arkansas is one of the focal points of the story, the other is the promise of youth, and the veil hiding the strings attached to that promise, and the problems. I did see several of the twists coming, but this in no way reduced my enjoyment of this book - the ending did leave me with a slight let-down though, but then again you have to come back to earth at some point.

Thank you NetGalley, MCD Books and Sara Flannery Murphy for the copy of this book for my honest review.

This book is all about magic - the magic of young friendship, the magic of feeling invincible, and actual magic as in magic houses!

Brandi Addams goes missing from Eternal Springs, Arkansas, a town known for its healing powers. A few days later five of her childhood friends receive a message from Brandi saying "You Promised". Returning to the town they vowed 15 years earlier never to see again, the five friends are not sure what to expect. No one has been back and no one has spoken to Brandi. They have heard about her struggles with addition and her hard life. Is she missing? Is she dead? The group are determined to find out what happened to their childhood friend and try to make amends for their past mistakes.

The author does such a wonderful job describing the town and the uniquely different supernatural houses that I could see them all in my mind while I was reading. This book is pure adventure and touches upon many different genres (thriller, fantasy, suspense and paranormal). I think most readers will connect with and really love this book. High recommendations for this book!

I loved The Wonder State! It’s a mystery story surrounding an eclectic group of friends with flashbacks from 2015 to 1999 (and into Y2K). It is set in a small town in the the Arkansas Ozarks, and has creepy AF houses with Winchester Mystery House vibes.

The story starts off when a woman goes missing and a friend group reunites in their hometown to try and solve the mystery of her disappearance. However, there is a twist and it comes in the form of a magical oath that binds the friends together, and powerful houses that are secreted away throughout the town.

I was enthralled with the friendship and magic of the story, and hooked by the sinister mystery that permeates the pages. This book is so creative! If you’re looking for a unique thriller that includes fantasy and coming of age elements then this is a great choice. I definitely want a physical copy for my shelves. Look at that cover! 😍

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of The Wonder State.

I read Girl A and though I didn't love it, though the premise had me hooked.

The Wonder State is both a coming-of-age story, reminiscent of The Losers Club from IT, and a story of redemption and second chances.

Fifteen years ago, Jay and Brandi were the best BFFs ever in their small Arkansas town. When a pair of twin siblings move into town with their artist parents, their lives are forever changed.

The teens, and new friends, embark on a quest to discover the houses built by a unique and visionary architect, Theodora Trader.

Eventually, they will learn that the past doesn't let go so easily, and you always come home again.

Alternating between the past and present, Jay, as the main character, details the summer that changed her life, and those of her friends.

In the present day, she and her friends are called back to the one horse town they left quickly after high school graduation, not realizing the oath they made as teens remained just as powerful as adults.

Brandi is missing, and Jay's return brings up old memories, and a few truths she is unwilling to face. Until now.

Not surprisingly, the most compelling character for me was Theodora Trader and the distinctive houses she built in the small town.

I loved the power of the individual houses, the chaos and destruction they can cause, and how the teens had to understand eventually, like Peter Parker did, that great power comes great responsibility.

I liked Jay and Brandi, especially their tight friendship.

The friendships you make when you're young are never like the ones you have as an adult. They just don't compare.

I didn't like or dislike the twins, Iggy, or Charlie, but there wasn't enough character development to know them well enough.

This is really a story about Jay and Brandi, the love and loyalty for each other, and finding their way back to each other.

The writing is great, at times the pacing of the narrative dragged, and I wasn't sure what caused Max's degradation, but I was captivated by Theodora Trader and her houses.

I was hoping for something darker, horrifying, but I'm dark like that.

This was an enjoyable read, mainly because I identified with Jay and Brandi had, their BFF bond, their wistfulness and optimistic you had when you're young, when everything and anything is possible, even when your life seems dark and hopeless.

I also loved how the author wove the friendship of Brandi and Jay into Theodora's love of Eternal Springs, and how the town owns the houses, not the other way around.

The Wonder State wasn't what I expected, but in a good way.

📚 #BOOKREVIEW 📚
The Wonder State by Sara Flannery Murphy
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ / Pages: 384 / Genre: Supernatural Thriller

Six high school students are bound together by the discovery of magic in their small town in the Ozarks. The band of misfit friends uncover eight houses infused with magic, each one with a different power—some awesome, some terrifying. Fast forward 15 years and one of the six has suddenly gone missing, forcing the others to come back home to find her.

I absolutely loved this chilling thriller! It has all my favorite elements—a quest to find magic, heartbreaking friendships, terrifying consequences, and a mystery to solve. My favorite book of the year so far!

Thank you @netgalley and @mcdbooks for the advanced copy of this book.

First off...DISCLAIMER: I requested this title on NetGalley. Thanks to Farrar, Straus and Giroux for providing a temporary ecopy. This didn't influence my review in any way.

WONDERFUL RAINBOW

When I first read the synopsis of this book, it called to me...but after I placed my NG request, I realised that it was unclear if Brandi's mental health was damaged and she was hallucinating the houses, so by the time my acceptance email came, I was praying that TWS wasn't one of THOSE novels - you know, the ones where mental health issues are treated like plot devices. I'm pleased to say this wasn't the case, and actually, this book delivered even more than I expected it to. Also, if you've read Stephen King's It or Dan Hanks' Swashbucklers (which I enjoyed and reviewed last year), and you're wondering how much novelty a story about a group of estranged friends reuniting in the wake of a tragedy can hold, the answer is: a great deal. TWS is part mystery, part adult drama, part coming-of-age story (thanks to the dual timeline), flirting with portal fantasy by way of magical realism and a touch of horror. I know it sounds a bit too much, but the way Murphy weaves it all together, it works like a charm.

DOUBLE FEATURE

While on the surface the magical houses and their powers/contents are the driving force of the book (and you're NOT prepared for what some of them will throw at you), TWS is much more than a quest for a different reality or - in the "adult" timeline - for the truth about a friend's disappearance in addition to that. In the past, the houses brought the characters together, and forged a bond among six teens whose lives would never have intertwined otherwise - mostly due to their different social ranks. But the mystery and magic the buildings are imbued with also shaped those teens, and set a series of circumstances in motion that ultimately reverberate in the "adult" timeline. While you're busy gaping at the houses' offerings (though, in a way, they take as much as they give - and then some) and wondering if the final one is, indeed, a portal to a different world - and in that case, if Brandi found safety there despite all evidence pointing to a gruesome fate for her - you get caught in a web of very human emotions, hopes, lies and fears. I must admit that, by the end, I was glued to the pages, and even if the epilogue went in a different direction than I expected, I found it powerful and satisfying all the same - or maybe even more.
Ultimately, TWS is as much a cry for/celebration of the extraordinary as it is a warning that if you're lucky enough to unveil it, the only way not to get consumed by it is to share it with your fellow human beings with no strings attached - plus a reminder that you can find magic in the ordinary if you look hard enough.

Note: I couldn't help but notice a handful of errors, that I'm sure will be corrected in the final version...but irked me a little (e.g.: "should of" for "should have" or "the six of theirs" for "the six of them's"). Then again, despite that, the writing is evocative (without being purple) and quite lovely, and I was able to forgive those small transgressions.

This is my second by this author, and the second time that I have been wildly impressed by the uniqueness of a story (the first being her debut, The Possessions). This one plays at being a fantasy but could really be classified as magical realism instead. It was enthralling and near perfect (I'm terribly hard to please), but I highly recommend this one, although it won't be released until next week.

When a girl goes missing, a group of friends return to their childhood home in the Ozarks to investigate... sounds pretty generic, right? But what if I told you this one incorporates portal fantasy?! There's a mystery to solve, magical houses, small town atmosphere, first love and much more. I had a few lingering questions at the end, but that's just nitpicking. This is the genre mash up I never knew I needed.

I really enjoyed Girl One, so when I got approved to read the eARC for this one, I was really excited… and glad that it didn’t disappoint. The Wonder State centres on a group of friends and their ties to magical houses that brim with their own brand of wonder. How interesting would it be to even spend a minute in any of these houses!

DNF @ 30%. I have this one a shot and I think it may be more of a “it’s me, not you” situation. The writing felt more like a YA book even if the content wasn’t. I struggled to engage with the storyline, so I’m setting this one aside for now.