Interesting and original within the popular kids magic school trope. The mythology is new and yet not. The twist at the end with her mother is, well, that's all I should say. I'm looking forward to book 2 and I'm sure our readers are too.

For the most part I enjoyed it. Despite the title, the parts about the Wild Hunt were my least favorite. I would have liked it more if it was just about the school and life in Auramere.

Vanya loves books. She talks to them, and they talk back! One morning they start to warn her that something terrible is coming. When something terrible does attack her family, she fights back, which leads her to family secret and new friends.
<spoiler>Refreshing take on the magical boarding school. And Baba Yaga is chef's kiss.</spoiler>

I loved this book so much! Fantasy middle grade novel that teaches boundaries, empathy, conflict-resolution and radical joy all with an incredibly diverse cast of characters! I can't wait to gift this book to a young reader in my life.

I can definitely appreciate the comparisons to Amari and the Night Brothers this book is getting. It does similarly introduce of heroine to a world of magic her family is a part of, but she hasn't known about it until now. However, where I think this book falls a little short is that there is a lot of set-up for what I thought would be a big adventure in this book, until I realized how little pages I had left to read. Instead, I felt a little bereft because I'm instead asked to wait for a sequel to get into the nitty-gritty. As a grown-up I can deal, but for some young readers this is going to be super frustrating. Maybe it is more of a pacing issue than anything, but I would've liked to see something done differently. That said, I will definitely being handing this to my younger middle grade readers. Do be aware of some violence and scary moments.

Talking books and animals, magical library, mythical creatures and monsters, portal doors, school of magic, this is a middle grade fantasy perfection.

Vanya is adorable and lovable, the world building and magic system aren’t too complicated but mesmerizing nonetheless. I admit the main conflict wasn’t really big but the storyline was nice, I especially loved the character interactions that were wholesome and mostly heartwarming. I’ll definitely wait for the next book!

There are lots of reasons Vanya doesn't fit in at school. Her ADHD. Her Indian heritage. Her ability to speak to books. It's the books who warn her about imminent danger, but having to rescue her parents from the boogeyman is still a shock. Vanya finds herself whisked off to Auramere, a mystical sanctuary full of magical people and creatures of all sorts. Most of the novel is devoted to exploring this melting pot of supernatural entities, but looming behind that is the threat of the sinister Wild Hunt, which has even other monsters scared. A marvelous adventure, apart from the numerous plot threads left dangling for the next volume.

Vanya and the Wild Hunt is a high fantasy middle grade novel.
To be honest, I'm not always a huge fan of middle grade fantasy books. They seem peppered with too many "made up" words, and that usually turns me off completely. Vanya had these moments, but the twists kept me reading to the end, which hints at more to come. Fans of The Unwanteds series and Percy Jackson series will enjoy this new middle grade fantasy.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Children's Publishing Group for an eARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Rep: Indian main character, ADHD main character, queer side characters, autistic side character, multiple POC side characters

Vanya and the Wild Hunt's cover initially drew me in. It gave me the same magical feeling that Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban gave me the first time I saw it on the shelf as a child. Sangu Mandanna delivered that magical feeling and so much more! The world of Auramere is so beautiful and I want to learn more about it! I loved how different many cultures are represented through the various Old Ones and how they weave together. I also loved how aspects like disabilities and queerness are just a normal part of the world with no questioning or challenge. Everyone can be their authentic self.

Vanya gave me so much joy as a main character! She reminded me a little bit of young Percy Jackson with her quick wit and natural desire to help her friends even if she does not understand the world around her quite yet. She is strong-willed but also knows when to step back and let those with more experience step forward, but she will still do things her way. Vanya is a character I hope to see more of, especially in her world. This book made me want to watch her grow up like I did so many other characters in my youth.

Also Ben, Jasper, and Roman were some of my fav side characters. I love them to pieces and their relationship with Vanya. Ben especially, I love that the friendship built over time and wasn't instant. Ben balances Vanya in so many ways.

Overall, for those looking for an alternative to the Harry Potter series (due to lack of rep among other reason), look no further! Pick up Vanya and the Wild Hunt to fill that void. I hope there are many more adventures of Vanya to come!!

Sangu Mandanna became one of my favorite middle grade authors with Kiki Kallira, so I had to jump on Vanya and the Wild Hunt immediately. And no surprise, I LOVED IT! Of all the magical schools I've read about, this is the one I want to be a part of!

Magical doors that fit into a piece of wood, runes, weapons made from sunlight, animal familiars that talk, talking books, magical beings of lore, evil creatures of lore, a spell that makes you instantly able to translate what others are saying. Just....give it all to me now please!

And then there is Vanya, our young character who finds out she is part of this magical world when she finds herself saving her mother's life one morning. But Vanya is not like other kids her age; she has ADHD and it is truly a part of her character in large and small ways. I appreciate how Sangu represented this in the book and didn't make Vanya out to be abnormal. Representation matters!


Ohhhh I just had a thought of a most excellent crossover! Vanya + Kiki! oh my gosh, it would be so cool!

The audio narrator was Safiyya Ingar, and she did a phenomenal job with the various voices for the characters. Eager to listen to more of her work.

Soooo when is the next book coming out? Because I need to know what happens next, like right now. Please and thank you.

Mandanna is providing Middle Grade readers with their next favorite magical series with VANYA AND THE WILD HUNT! The cast is diverse and side characters have depth to them. Vanya's struggles with her ADHD and not knowing a whole lot about her parents add additional layers to a book about a kid who finds out magic is real and that the human race is in danger. As an adult I was fascinated with Auramere and I am positive that if I met Vanya when I was Eleven-years-old like she is, I would have been devastated that I would never be able to visit a place like it in real life. Also, I wish books would talk to me!

While I impatiently wait for the second book to be written, I will ponder what my familiar would be.

Advanced Reader’s Copy provided by NetGalley, Macmillan Children's Publishing Group, and Roaring Brook Press in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this book. I literally said “No!” when the book ended because I wanted to read the sequel and couldn’t because the first one isn’t even officially out yet.

Vanya and the Wild Hunt brings together mythical monsters (like in Percy Jackson), a school of magic (like in a lot of series), and an enchanted library (cooler than the one in Beauty and the Beast). And the story is set in the UK and India. Whenever the characters drink tea, I have a strong urge to drink masala chai (and I made a batch of concentrate specifically for cozy drinking while reading this book).

I rate this book 5 stars.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 5 out of 5.

Highlights

This book has plenty of secrets for the reader to unravel as well as magical creatures and adventure in a gorgeous setting that is now on my list of fictional places I’d most want to visit. The book also has great representation. The gender and race stuff is great but not a big deal thematically. There are two gay couples, one just mentioned and one made up of major characters. For any librarians who might have to fight book banners, for the record, there is no physical interaction that book banners could frame as “inappropriate.” The gay characters don’t even kiss. They just are married and exist, and it’s not a big deal.

The more relevant issues for the plot are disabilities and neurodivergence. In a world where magical people hunt ancient monsters, characters have both the magical and normal mortal disabilities you’d expect, and the book doesn’t use magic to erase this diversity.

The protagonist, Vanya, has ADHD, and she has a classmate who is also neurodivergent. The Percy Jackson approach to ADHD and dyslexia, where it turns out Percy et al actually have demigod powers, is fun, but Mandanna takes an approach that will be more helpful to readers (especially kids) with ADHD. Vanya struggles throughout the book with how to balance being herself with the masking she needs to do to exist in society. She grapples with the ways in which ADHD is both a strength and a weakness for her and with what “be proud of who you are” actually means for her.

The plot twists were, for me as an adult, not totally unexpected but still very satisfying, and middle-grade readers are going to lose their minds with excitement about what happens.

Drawbacks

I’m sure if I went back and read the book again, I could come up with some negative things to say. I think the first page was a lot more lyrical than later parts of the book, maybe? And maybe that’s good or bad?

I honestly don’t know, nor do I care. This book is great, and I’m going to request that my library buy a copy, if they haven’t already.

Five stars.

If you love Rick Riordan's books, you'll love Vanya and the Wild Hunt!

Vanya can hear books talk. She also has ADHD, which is why she figures her parents wouldn't believe her if she told them. But when she comes home early from school because she forgot her homework, she saves her parents from an Old One and find out there's a lot they've been hiding from her, too.

Vanya's mother is an archwitch, and her dad is an archivist. Her mother made a deal with an Old One years ago to keep Vanya safe, but someone else broke the agreement. Now that her powers are known, they decide to send her to Auramere, a school for young Archlings.

There, Vanya lives with her parents' best friends, Jasper and Roman, who are professors at the school. For the first time in her life, she finds school interesting and something she's good at. But the Old Ones are stirring, and no one knows who is behind the attacks.

Vanya is a relatable heroine for kids. She gets herself in trouble, but has a huge heart and love for others. While this story isn't as complex as Riordan's, it is a good introduction to a series, and something younger kids will enjoy before they'll be ready for Riordan's books.

Thanks to Netgalley for the advance copy of this book.

An excellent entry into the magical boarding school genre, Vanya and the Wild Hunt introduces a new world of magical creatures. Vanya discovers a multitude of secrets about herself and her family and begins to learn skills to help protect this new world. Vanya's ADHD is handled well, as something that can cause problems for her, but also as something that helps her succeed and be herself. Not all the magical mysteries are explained in this volume, but as a beginning to a series, it's a good start.

A captivating read for young readers who crave imaginative adventures, diverse representation, and stories that celebrate neurodiversity, identity, and the power of creativity and courage.

Vanya Vallen (11) feels out of place in her nearly all white, small England town with her Indian parents and her struggles with ADHD. She does everything she can to try to fit in, to be normal, so she doesn't tell anyone, even her parents, that the rare books in the back of their bookshop talk to her. One day, the books are screaming warnings, but she hax to rush off to schoo and forgot her homework - again. She races home to find her father hurt and her mother on the floor as a creature attacks her. Vanya steps in and saves her mother, killing the Gildencroft Bogeyman, for now, anyway, and her parents secrets begin to unravel. They attended Auramere in India, a school for archwitches (mom) and archivists (dad) and to keep her safe for her to learn to be an archwitch they send her to the school with their bestfriend, Jasper. At the school, Vanya begins to learn to be herself, to accept her ADHD, makes a best friend in Ben who has autism, and begins to unravel even more of her families secrets. Things turn unsafe when the Wild Hunt appears in Auramere, a place no Old One, as these creatures are called should be, and Vanya must find a way to stop it before it hurst anyone at the school. Vanya is a well-layered, nuanced character surrounded by a diverse cast that add well to the narrative. The world-building and the various folk lore that is drawn into the lore - Bogeyman, Baba Yaga, a mermaid princes, the Wild Hunt - are well-drawn. India folklore, with the school based in India, is missing, but might become present in the sequel the book teases.

Vanya and the Wild Hunt is a treat for fantastical literary lovers of all ages!

Sangu Mandanna balances the world wonderfully, and writes luscious prose that is fluid and easy to escape in. Everything is well paced and although time passes fairly quickly, it doesn’t feel too rushed for the age and audience. It has the feel of early Harry Potter without the baggage of a problematic author, and with exciting myths and mythological creatures to explore.

Mandanna really solidified her place in the industry with her cozy hit, The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches, but she’s been around for quite a while writing a variety of stories from fantasy to sci-fi to shorts and middle-grade, and soon graphic novels too. Vanya and the Wild Hunt is about a young girl struggling with her newly diagnosed ADHD as well as her ability to talk to books…not to mention that she also discovers the existence of magic and realizes she has a she has a gift for it too. It’s a LOT! But she quickly gets her bearings and settles into her new normal, making new friends along the way.

A fantastical and fun book that I enjoyed through and through.

Fun MG fantasy novel with a diverse cast and unique magic universe. While the plot isn't exactly hard to guess, the last minute twist regarding how Vanya resolves her issues is intriguing. I would for sure read the next book in the series and would also welcome a feature film adaption - the special effects opportunities would be awesome!

Mandanna can genuinely do no wrong in my eyes. No matter the age group or genre, she knocks it out every single time. I cannot wait for more adventures with Vanya. Definitely making sure this book is going to be in our collection! I truly loved the disability rep and how true to life it felt. This is a book (and series) I feel will resonate with any reader.

Vanya and the Wild Hunt is a fun, cozy fantasy for middle grade readers and all ages!

Vanya is an eleven year old girl with ADHD growing up in the UK, but there are some aspects of her life that are pretty unusual. Like the fact that some of the books in her family’s bookshop talk to her. Or the white mongoose she sees fairly regularly near their house. Or the bizarre rules her mom reminds her to follow every day: go right to school and back home without detours, don’t follow any strangers no matter how lovely their singing is, and never go to the Gildencroft, a certain nearby neighborhood. Vanya knows her parents are keeping secrets from her and she soon learns that magic exists before setting off to live and learn at the magical library.

Mandanna artfully weaves the elements of numerous myths together to create a unique, but slightly recognizable, magical world. Readers will encounter a fresh magic system and a whole cast of funny and complex characters.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and love Mandanna’s world building and characters! Vanya wrestles with topics including identity, overcoming first impressions of people, processing the disappointment of unmet expectations from a parent, and developing self confidence.

The ending did feel a little rushed, though it is clearly setting up a series. I will say that I am confused with the major decision at the climax of the book, which didn’t seem that necessary or justified, but regardless of that ‘why’ I am eagerly awaiting the rest of Vanya’s story.

Thank you for Macmillan Children’s for gifting me an advanced reader’s copy.