
Member Reviews

Maggie and the Story Shadows is a smart, engaging adventure perfect for curious middle grade readers who love mystery with a magical twist. Annabelle Oh weaves together real emotional stakes—like grief, resilience, and friendship—with a wildly imaginative world where familiar characters from literature and folklore come to life.
Maggie is a strong, determined heroine who models perseverance and teamwork, while the story offers just enough suspense and fantasy to keep young readers hooked without being too scary. Plus, the clever nods to storytelling and media make it a great springboard for conversations about truth, narrative, and the power of imagination.
A great pick for ages 9–13, especially those who enjoy The Land of Stories, Pages & Co., or anything involving brave kids and big adventures.

Maggie’s mom’s empty car was discovered in the lake several months ago. Her dad and the Police say she is dead. Maggie believes she is alive and she is determined to find her!
With the help of Griffin, a techno-genius sixth grader with a podcast that attracts thousands, and Petra, a tough loner, Maggie collects clues associated with her mom’s disappearance. When a museum worker dies under mysterious circumstances, Maggie discovers a key belonging to the museum where he died. Could his death be tied to her mom’s disappearance? The kids get into some tight scrapes but find something that changes everything - a doorway into every story they have ever heard
This book begins like realistic fiction but suddenly is jet propelled into fantasy! I especially liked the tiger librarian and the talking crow. Griffin’s chauffeur, Dirk, provides some comic relief and manages to always arrive at the last minute to save the trio. Griffin turns the investigation into a podcast that attracts millions and Maggie finds much more than she ever set out to! A whirlwind middle-grade read!

This was a very cute story. The magic in the world is such a good idea and I love all the life lessons that come out of it. At times I felt the characters read a bit younger than they were. But they had some mature moments. There were surprises that caught me off guard which I enjoyed.

I enjoyed this story, but found the first half a little slow. Once you get past the 50% mark the story really picks up and gets exciting. I did find the writing enjoyable and I attribute the slowness of the first half, to the author having to set the stage for this "new" world. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys stories about books, building new friendships, family ties & epic adventures.
I received a free E-ARC from #DisneyPublishingWorldwide & #Netgalley for my honest review.

This was a very fun read! I learned so much about Korean folk tales. I enjoyed looking up how to properly pronounce the various Korean words and names throughout (a glossary with pronunciations would be a great addition). I found the mechanics of the story bag a little confusing, especially at first, regarding whether the stories that were stored in the bag ceased to exist in the real world or not once they were stored - honestly, I’m still not sure on that front. It could use some clarification, but it’s still an enjoyable read and one I would recommend, especially for multicultural representation. Overall, I enjoyed the story and its depictions of family and friend relationships and the complicated ways we interact sometimes.

I loved this book, and I'm already on the edge of my seat waiting for the second one to be released, when this one is still months away from its own debut date. Annabelle Oh's world of stories within stories is beautifully-crafted, Maggie is an excellently likeable and witty protagonist, her friends are a ton of fun as her sidekicks, and her Dad? Don't even get me started on how much I loved Mick Woodrow, because I could talk your ear off about it. (This is a theme with me, apparently, because Charlie Swan was my king in Twilight.) Seriously, though, this was just such an enjoyable read, and I can't wait to see what else is in store for Maggie and the gang.

Ever since her mom disappeared under suspicious circumstances, Maggie is convinced there’s something more going on. While everyone else around her tells Maggie to accept her mother’s death and move on, Maggie decides to hire a private investigator to prove there’s more to the story.
She and her friend Petra team with Griffin, a hustling influencer at school to make enough money to pay for the PI. But what they discover about Maggie’s mom and her secret life leads them down a path they never expected.
Despite the potentially dark subject matter, Maggie and the Story Shadows is filled with light humorous moments. The relationships between the characters are grounded and realistic, allowing for some fantastical moments when the investigation gets going. I truly enjoyed the worldbuilding of the story shadows and would be excited to read more books in this series.
Thank you to Disney Hyperion and NetGalley for providing the e-arc for my honest review.

Maggie is still reeling from her mother’s disappearance. Everyone thinks her mom died in a car accident, but Maggie doesn’t. When the private investigator wants too much money, Maggie decides to do her own investigating. Working with two classmates, Griffin-a social media influencer and Petra. They decide to film everything and create a web series about their investigation. Things take a weird turn when the trio are pulled into the world where Korean folktales are real. As they try to find her mother, Maggie and her friends start getting threats from a mysterious man called the Reaper. Why does the Reaper not want Maggie to find her mom? What happened to Maggie’s mom?
The plot is engaging, well developed, and full of adventure. The characters are likable, authentic, and well rounded. The world building is complex, believable, and draws the readers into the story. Readers who like fantasy, folklore, mythology, and adventure. Recommended for most library collections. 5 stars, Gr 5 to 9.

Maggie’s mom disappeared. Everyone thinks she died in a car accident, but Maggie knows better. Determined to figure out what happened to her mother, her and her friend, Petra strike up a deal with a social media influencer to help them solve the case. In exchange for using her mother’s investigation as a web series, Maggie gets a portion of the profits and help finding her mother. As they delve into her mother’s disappearance, they discover a whole world where every story every told turns out to be real. The more they investigate, the more they get threats from a mysterious man called the Reaper. What really happened to Maggie’s mother? Why is the Reaper determined to stop them?
The plot is well written, intriguing, and enchanting. The characters are complex, realistic, and easy to relate to. The world building is well drawn and draws the readers into Maggie’s world. Readers who like fantasy, mythology, folklore, adventure, and fantasy will want to pick this one up. Recommended for most library collections.

I received an electronic ARC from Disney Publishing Worldwide through NetGalley.
Readers meet Maggie as she copes with her mom's disappearance. We have more knowledge as we see what happened to her but not whether she died or was taken. Everyone believes she died in a car accident but Maggie knows she is still alive and coming to visit in her dreams. She decides to trust a couple of classmates and together they delve into Korean folklore to learn more about characters and what could have happened to her mom. I appreciate how Oh wove legends and folklore throughout the story including the story bag and bearer story. Middle grade readers will enjoy the adventures and ways the characters interact. They will identify with the various middle school students involved. The author slowly reveals more about her characters as the story progresses. This offers enough twists to keep readers guessing about the conclusion. The ending itself offers huge hints of the next story to come.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for letting me review this book. I’ve always enjoyed myths and fairytales. I had fun reading this one. There’s action and adventure jam packed in here. I like how Maggie and her friends stay true to each other even when they don’t agree and things can change quickly; even if everything looks bleak. I can’t wait for the next book!