Monsters are supposed to be gone forever, never again to disturb the good people of Barrow’s Bay. But twelve year old Dare knows better, even if nobody else believes her. Only her father seems to understand Dare and the true danger the monsters pose, but when he dies an untimely—and mysterious—death, Dare finds herself quickly transitioned to life as the stepdaughter of the Governor. Unfortunately, Dare is not a model child, and she does not last long before being sent across the unforgiving sea to the dastardly City-on-the-Pike to live with her Great Aunt Emily. In her new home, Dare discovers many unfortunate truths about life in her world, and she becomes an ever more important player in each of them.

This intriguing middle grade novel is directed to mature middle grade readers who are ambitious enough to immerse themselves in a narrative that is complex and filled with rich and descriptive vocabulary. The excellent writing in this book clearly depicts Dare’s community, from both the details of its landscape to the personalities of its people. Dare’s reality is unusual, and she does not fit the mold of the majority of people around her. And with each new acquaintance she makes, Dare begins to realize just how different people can be, and how her self-described “awful” personality helps her to navigate the unexpected experiences she faces on the mainland.

Readers will ride the waves of this narrative alongside Dare, from her treacherous journey to City-on-the-Pike to her attempts to settle into her new community. She seems to be surrounded by clues—pieces to a puzzle she never saw coming. And as each one comes to light, Dare begins to see a world that was hidden from her on the island. Throughout this story, the concept of monsters and marvels is frequently discussed, especially the fact that there is not always an obvious demarcation of one or the other. And even though Dare thought she understood monsters on the island, she soon realizes that the truest monsters do not always look like she imagined, and they can often be hiding in plain sight. Intricate and thought-provoking, this is a gripping novel for advanced middle grade readers.

I adored this fantastical tale of Dare, a girl whose drive and determination match her name. She struggles to uncover the truth of her beloved father’s life and death, the allegedly long gone monsters, the definitely present marvels and the frustrating, gray and dangerous nuance in between.

Like her debut, The Verdigris Pawn, Wishingrad again takes us through a journey of friendship and trust, class and power, and the stakes of life or death. Layered action will keep readers turning the pages as Dare navigates the world in between, while remaining true to herself.

I thoroughly enjoyed Alysa Wishingrad’s first book, Verdigris Pawn, but the creativity of Between Monsters and Marvels is far better and the twists and turns kept me on my toes until right up to end. Middle grade readers, ages 10-13, who enjoy fantasy will be immediately intrigued by the thought of a world with monsters and those who protect others from their beaks, camouflage abilities, whiplike tails and other, less lethal qualities. Main character and spitfire Dare loses her beloved father early on and her life spirals downhill after the tragedy, friends may be foes, her mother remarries and sends her off to live with an elderly aunt but it is with her that mysteries of the monsters (or are they really marvels?) may be solved. Text is free of profanity and sexual content and while there is some violence, it is not overdone or particularly bloody.

A fast paced and magical middle grade fantasy. It was a unique and entertaining plot and lots of descriptive details that didn't bog down the story. Many kids will enjoy this one I think.

Opening Line: Dare Coates was an awful girl."

Everyone in Barrow's Bay has always said that she's an awful girl. She's even being setup to be the monster for Founders Day, when she'd rather be playing Louise, even though Louise doesn't get saved in time. Dare is perfectly happy not being considered as one of the "good" people. Her dad is the Captain of the Guard, chief monster hunter. Although everyone says that the monsters are all gone, killed off. Yet, Dare senses it's not true. Especially, when her father is killed while on patrol and the governor tries to pass off his death as an encounter with a thief. He even gets her mom to marry him and now she's being shipped off to a great aunt on the mainland. How is she to uncover the truth now?

Once at her aunt's, Dare is shocked to learn of the difficulties that her aunt's theater is having, and she then becomes immersed in a local Palace of Wonders whose owner knew her father. The city is very different from her previous life on the island. It's corrupt, loud, crowded and both dirty and cold. The primary means of income are its factories which don't pay a fair wage and are ruining the air quality in the city. It's here she meets Nell, a young girl performer her age and Gil, a mysterious boy who comes and goes helping Dare on her search for answers. The story has lots of twists and turns as Dare navigates the city. She's also faced with many troubling truths. And more questions, like did her father infiltrate Tupper's gang (a sailor she met from her voyage across to the mainland), and for what purpose? Meanwhile, monsters continue to haunt Dare's dreams and theirs a lingering stench in the city that she can't explain. When Dare goes to a Millinery shop, she's awakened to the question whether the creatures she's seen are monsters or marvels.

Dare is considered an awful girl, but she's very proud of that distinction. She's clever, decisive, willful, and maybe a little judgmental but she loved her father with all her heart. His death has left a huge hole. When she comes to learn that the story's she's been told don't match the facts around her, she's left questioning her father, Tupper and even Gil and Nell. When they try to be nice to her, she can't figure out why? I enjoyed the message of the story, to question things and seek out your own answer's. To not except things at face value and just because something is told over and over it doesn't make it true. This a lovely story with its themes about social inequality, labor exploitation, environmental degradation and commentary on endangered species.

There's only one thing Dare fears more than monsters and that is something happening to her father, but when her father is murdered her life changes. Still, she doesn't quit trying to find out the truth behind the murder or the existence of monsters.

This is my first contact with this author's work. It's full of mystery, deception, and the search for truth. Slow beginning or pace, but maybe I just wasn't ready to let Dare go.

The city, "Victorian kinda dark/eerie mood", and her partnership with Gil and other characters are well-built.

Interesting and refreshing read with a very independent character in a world of men and their unsolicited advice.

Incredibly well written and entertaining! Dare is a phenomenal female main character and she is joined by a quirky and distinct ensemble cast of humans and monsters. The world building was so well done and gave the book lots of rich atmosphere. Additionally, I enjoyed the themes explored in this book and I think it is important for middle schoolers to understand social inequality and exploitation. (These themes were explored in an age-appropriate manner!) I definitely want to read more from this author.

A fun romp of a read. Entertaining and at times nail biting. Enjoyed this very much and will be recommending.

With fully-imagined, heart-drawn characters, transportive world building, and a captivating plot full of mischief and monsters—and much deeper truths—Between Monsters and Marvels is a must read, must own, must share book!

If you loved Seraphina and the Black Cloak (which I adore), you’ll love Between Monsters and Marvels. I love gritty, tough exteriors with a marshmallow inside in MCs. Especially young females that show bravery, see beauty in what others consider ugly, and that fight for what’s right even if the odds and people are stacked against them. I love Dare, one of my favorite MCs ever.

Alysa Wishingrad crafts fantasy worlds with well-developed characters at the center. This book is a magical and inventive follow up to Ths Verdigris Pawn. Enjoyable and thoughtful.

I really enjoyed The Verdigris Pawn by Alyssa Wishingrad, but loved this book even more (I’m not going to lie—it’s wholly due to all the amazing creatures). Main character Dare is a flawed and likeable heroine (I enjoyed the parts where she wrestles with her “awful”) and she is surrounded by an intriguing ensemble cast (humans AND creatures). An important theme of this book is perception, and how something can be viewed by someone as a monster and someone else as a marvel. The world building was delightful, with City-on-the-Pike feeling like a real place that you can walk through and explore. Finally, there’s a nice plot twist at the end and, even though I suspected a revelation was coming, it wasn’t what I predicted!

I’m really looking forward to sharing this one with the students in my creative writing classes as part of our book club.

I was enthralled by the mysterious, creepy, and masterfully crafted world of Between Monsters and Marvels, and its story with so many twists and turns that it doesn't give up the last of its secrets until the very last page. Main character Dare's quick wit and simmering "awful" that scorches anyone who crosses her reminded me in all the best ways of Wednesday from Netflix's hit series. And her quest to find out the truth behind her father's murder will leave kids clamoring for more stories about Dare as well.

Thanks so much to the publisher and to Netgalley for providing me with an e-ARC copy of this book!

I have scheduled promotional posts around release day for this book and I will provide a full review on my Instagram once I am able to get to this read.

Rating 5 stars on Netgalley as a placeholder for me to update later once the review is complete.

Will also complete a review on Goodreads once read.

Thanks again!

Between Monsters and Marvels is another intelligent and inventive fantasy from Alysa Wishingrad, who excels at richly imagined worlds where everything is not as it seems on the surface. Dare is a hero worth rooting for, and the pace will keep readers engaged from beginning to end.

I have to tell you about this high-stakes middle grade fantasy novel that I just read. It’s called Between Monsters and Marvels and was written by Alysa Wishingrad.

To say that Dare Coates has a difficult life is somewhat of an understatement. I mean, it started out okay for her, who doesn’t want to live on an island that monsters used to inhabit? It gives mystery to the place you love most… home. Dare’s father, who is captain of the guard starts acting funny, and not really giving her the attention that he normally does, but on day while out on patrol, he ends up dead. Dare is crushed, as he was her favorite person in the whole world. Dares suspicions grow that monsters could still be on the island.

Which just starts this mystery.

It is a wonderful read for anyone, full of mystery and suspense, and yes… monsters!

I didn’t guess the end either which is a wonderful treat for me as a reader! Well done, Alysa!

Be sure to pick up this book when it comes out on September 12th!

Thank you to NetGalley, Harper Collins Children’s Books, and Alysa Wishingrad for this ARC copy.
I really can't wait until you guys can get a hold of your own copies! I know I'll be buying one for myself and my nieces, too. set reminders in your phones to grab one when they come out in September!

Have a great day guys! And remember... Inspire Readers, Inspire Writers, Inspire Each Other!

As a fan of Alysa’s “The Verdigris Pawn”, her new middle grade book BETWEEN MONSTERS AND MARVELS was one I had been eagerly awaiting. Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!

When I read MG books, I always think back to my own days as a kid, often reading under the covers past bedtime with a flashlight. BETWEEN MONSTERS AND MARVELS is most definitely a book kid-Barb would have not been able to put down.

Dare Coates is an awful girl. She’s been told that her whole life and she believes it. But Dare is so much more than what she, and everyone else thinks she is. Dare is wise and inquisitive and utterly fearless. One of my favorite quotes about Dare is:

“She was happy to be a thornbush among the lilies for even the sharpest thorns serve a purpose.”

After tragedy strikes and Dare is sent away from her isolated island home to live with a distant relative in a gritty city on the mainland, Dare discovers the stories she’s been told all her life about monsters may not be precisely true.

Beyond Dare’s quest to uncover the truth about the monsters, giving the reader ample pages of action, mystery, magic, and creepy moments, this book also tackles deeper themes including grief, societal inequalities, and corruption. I think it’s important for young readers to delve into stories that show a MG protagonist questioning the actual truth of what has been considered “known” history.

One of my absolute favorite things about Alysa Wishingrad’s writing is her ability to completely command my attention with details that immerse me into the story and make me not want to leave. Her vivid descriptions of the island, Dare’s time on the ship, the city, and especially the theater centered me into Dare’s world. I also love that Dare finds friendship in unexpected places and how she learns that maybe she doesn’t have to always go it alone. That’s an important message for any age of reader.

I highly recommend BETWEEN MONSTERS AND MARVELS for middle grade readers, teens, and adults because there is something there for every age. It’s a beautifully written book and I’d love to read a sequel because I wasn’t ready to leave Dare and her world when I hit the last page.

BETWEEN MONSTERS AND MARVELS is truly a wonder!

In this delightful middle grade fantasy, author Alysa Wishingrad uses imagery and language to bring her story to life in ways that made me feel immersed in a painting or mesmerized by a movie. The colorful and charming word choice is almost a character of its own, but nothing steals the show from Dare Coates, the sometimes-angry, sometimes-sparkly, always-impressive protagonist. While speaking to themes of social inequality, labor exploitation and the plight of endangered species, Wishingrad's novel never loses the plot to the writing or the messages, instead they all lift each other up to make a unique and thrilling read. Teachers will find ample material to share with students throughout this exciting read. I adored this story and am sure kids will, too.

Thanks to NetGalley and the author and publisher for an early copy.

This glorious middle grade fantasy is both richly imagined and fast-paced, keeping me turning the pages until the very end, but not wanting it to end. Dare is a strong, feisty main character who struggles with her "awful," but finds how to channel her inner strength through unraveling the mystery of her father's death, and the monsters and marvels of her world. I adored this book and am left wanting to read more about Dare and her world.

In a stunningly original follow-up to THE VERDIGRIS PAWN, Alysa Wishingrad explores the dangerous nature of power: who holds it, and what stories do they tell to maintain it? It’s these questions that lie at the root of BETWEEN MONSTERS AND MARVELS.

And Dare Coates is just the person to ask them. An entirely unique and entirely compelling protagonist, Dare is desperate to know whether the monsters that everyone says ‘used to’ plague Barrow’s Bay are still out there, and whether – as she suspects – they’re responsible for the death of her beloved father. But there are mysteries and deceptions at every turn, and it’s hard to know who, if anyone, can be trusted, and how to distinguish the monstrous from the marvelous. It may just be that Dare’s ‘awful’ – the sharp-edged bits of her that the ‘good’ people of Barrow’s Bay have always mocked – is actually her greatest asset when it comes to exposing the dark truth that’s been buried for far too long.

Dare’s world is so richly built, from the sun-perfect (too perfect, Dare would say) grandeur of Barrow’s Bay to the decidedly dualistic world of City-on-the-Pike, with its glittering spectacles on the one hand, its sad and decaying Must on the other. And Wishingrad’s background in the theater allows readers a gorgeously detailed backstage tour of the fantastical world of the playhouse, which also serves as a perfect metaphor for the illusions all too commonly created by the powerful to serve their own ends.

There are descriptions so perfectly worded they’ll stop you in your tracks, there is heart-thumping action, and there are twists and turns galore as brave and brilliant Dare unravels the mystery of the monsters. Young readers will marvel, indeed. An extraordinary fantasy. My thanks to Harper Collins, NetGalley, and the author for the advanced read.