The book was good!
My son and I read this together, and he really enjoyed it — it had him laughing out loud more than once! While I did notice a few plot holes along the way, it didn’t take away from the fun. Overall, it was an enjoyable read, and I think kids will absolutely love it!

This was such a sweet middle grade book with so much representation and important themes throughout!
Tons of action and imagination, and I obviously loved it because half of the book is from the point of view of a stray cat 🥹

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Marlow and Zach are siblings that have completely different personality types. Zach is on the spectrum. He is bright and quirky. I actually really like his character. The two are always looking out for the next mystery which comes in the form of a possible alien invasion. As all the birds, insects and their favorite teacher disappear, they begin their quest to find the answers.
An added bit of fun is the boring neighborhood care, Leo, who doesn’t find fun in anything. But, as he realizes that real danger may be on the forefront, he aligns with his cat buddies assist Marlow and Zach to find the truth.
The story comes from two perspectives, the kids and the cats. Switching between them is flawless. The book was engaging and I enjoyed the characters and the plot line.
An added bonus, along with the book, I listened to the audible. Kudos to the narrator for doing a fabulous job with all the characters, even the animals. I will be recommending this book to my students and teachers

4.5⭐️
Thank you NetGalley for the digital read.

Stranger Things with Scooby Gang mixed with other Warrior Cat vibes is what this whole book feels like. I felt that the writing was done really well and definitely felt very educational in many fields of topics. Between the nature/ Space and even with Autism talk I felt I was learning different things. The characters were fun to follow especially the cats. Seeing how different the humans pov and the cats povs were. Example, how the cats thought there was an alien. But the humans saw that it was human. The story did drag a little in the middle. But overall I this was a cute read.

Yes, being curious can be scary but it couyalso be amazing and adventurous.

Funny and full of heart The Curiosities is a perfect read for animal and mystery lovers alike! With a cast of unforgettable and relatable characters W.H. Eatons delivers an unforgettable middle-grade masterpiece!

This is perfect! My daughter has recently started her reading journey, so I have added a few books to my ipad mini for her to read on kindle when on the go. The cover is so cute and I love the colors / illustrations! It was giving Alice vibes, which we LOVE, so we instantly needed to read.

I spent a lot of this book working to figure out what genre this book is. I have students who cannot read anything containing magic, so I always want to be prepared to tell them when a book is not a good fit. Despite some chapter names and the beginning chapter, there is no magic in this book. It is firmly science fiction.

Leo, the neighborhood cat, is proud of the fact that he is not curious. As hard as the cat talker (Zach) down the block tries to engage Leo, he does not give in to the temptation of curiosity. But when Leo's brother is distraught because all the birds disappear after an earthquake and landslide, Leo works to figure out what is going on. He joins two children, Zach the cat talker, and middle school sister Marlow in figuring out what is going on in their town.

This was a very enjoyable middle-grade mystery. The cats and kids were all wonderful characters. It kept me guessing throughout. I am ordering a copy for my elementary library, and I think it will work well in any collection aimed at middle-grade readers.

Thank you to Net Galley and Southbound Films for the DRC. All opinions are my own.

W.H. Eatons is an imaginative author who writes with zeal and earnestness. the Curiosities is a whimsical and creative adventure into the world of Marlow and Zach Metzler. Eatons shows his writing proficiency by turning an ordinary neighborhood feline, Leo, into yet another character, adding even more nuance and dimension to an already imaginative narration.

While I prefer books to be free of contractions and incomplete sentences, The Curiosities is worthy of notice. The author immerses readers into an exciting and elaborate world filled with adventure, mystery, and intrigue.

"Curiosity killed the cat..."

... but knowledge brought it back.

Thank you to Net Galley and Southbound Films for the opportunity to read and review this advanced copy of "The Curiosities" by W. H. Eatons (a.k.a. Mark Wheaton).

The bugs are behaving strangely, the birds have disappeared—and so has our teacher!

Zach is an autistic fourth-grader and together with his older sister, Marlow—and a curiously uncurious cat—they must solve a mystery to save their teacher and their new town, all while trying to navigate fitting in as the new kids at school.

This is definitely one for those kids who love science, space, bugs, and exploring nature! It combines nature conservation, space facts, and exogeology with a Nancy Drew/ Hardy Boys style mystery—oh, and did I mention the cats? So many cats.

I love finding books with positive autistic representation. Eatons does a wonderful job of showcasing Zach's strengths and presenting them as a part of his autism rather than as existing in spite of it. He also doesn't shy away from showing readers the challenges Zach faces, such as with peers and school. I loved the relationship between Zach and Marlow, and that we got to see it from both sides; Eatons even added a layer of complexity to this relationship that is incredibly realistic. As an autistic person myself and an older sibling to an autistic brother, I often found myself heavily relating to the experiences of both characters. Eatons based much of his portrayal of autism on experiences within his own family, and that reality definitely shows through!

I do wish, however, that there had been a bit more nuance to some of the explanations of autistic experiences. For example, "overstimulation" was often used very broadly to describe Zach's experiences and reactions, even when other words would have been more appropriate. Conversely, "stimming" (self-stimulatory behaviours) was used very narrowly, in that it was always assumed to be an indicator of anxiousness or overstimulation, even though autistic people stim for a variety of reasons and it does not always indicate something negative.

Of course, this is a middle grade book, and as such I do still think it serves as a good first exposure to autism (as I'm sure it will be the first for many young readers). I also think it would be great for older siblings of autistic kids or for those autistic kids who rarely get to see themselves represented as the hero!

CW/ TW: bullying

Middle grade children adventure books are some I am often drawn to for a light read with low-ish stakes and cute characters. Within this story, we have older sister Marlow and younger brother Zach, each with their own unique personalities and perspectives. Marlow has an online video channel about bees and herbs and the like while Zach is curious about everything and often “experiments” with what cats are curious about with the neighborhood cats, as well as having a great mind for leadership under-pressure. The author does a phenomenal job of addressing Zach’s autism by making it more like his superpower rather than a hindrance. The author also shows how some characters such as other school kids do not understand autism and thus see it as a weakness or see Zach as just “being different”.

Marlow and Zach are sucked into a whirlwind adventure when they are visiting a teacher’s house (pirate ship) with a group of other kids to watch a termite structure collapse. However, an earthquake hits the area around the same time and the teacher runs off to check on the bee hives located in the mountainous terrain. Marlow and Zach also notice the local wildlife is not acting normally, however, the cats of the neighborhood also seem to be on the case, especially Leo who is looking for where the birds have gone since his brother Cowfuzzi seems to be distraught by their absence.

Such a cute story and I was fully invested in the friends who banded together to solve the mystery. Very much a Goonies style mystery with kids on bikes off to save the day.

A charming middle grade adventure story featuring two siblings investigating mysterious happenings in their new hometown. These events, beginning with the sudden disappearance of all the birds in the area, are also being investigated by the formerly “uncurious” cat Leo and his friends.

One of the best qualities to recommend in this book is the thoughtful representation of neurodiversity, inspired by the coauthors’ own family.

An enjoyable read.

The Curiosities is an elementary to middle school adventure book. Exploring themes of autism and how a great support system in the form of his big sister Marlow, Zach learns to navigate his new school while still keeping an expert eye on what he deems - the least curious cat it the world.
Truthfully the cat, Leo, and his gang of neighborhood cats are strange, but perhaps that's a cat thing.
After a rather scary earthquake in their town, Marlow and Zach along with their new friend Aspen set off to find a missing teacher, while Leo the cat sets off to figure out the mystery of the missing birds.

This story is so cute and has it all, zombies, aliens, science, a rag tag group of curious cats, and brave and witty kids. While the story is totally different, it does give the reader the same feeling as A Wrinkle in Time. Very whimsical and wholesome with a side of humor and education. I think kids will learn a lot from reading The Curiosities, but will also enjoy themselves doing so. I definitely plan to gift this to my nephew!

The Curiosities is a fast paced middle grade book that follows a cast of lovable human and non-human characters as they try to stop an alien invasion- wait, a zombie attack? Or is it natural disasters?

I loved the Autism representation and the way Zach was portrayed throughout the story. Marlow was a great support needs older sister trying to find the balance between being that support system and supporting herself. And I don’t even know where to start with Leo and his rag tag team of felines- I loved them all!

There's a large world of children's adventure books out there, it's a hard genre to jump into, let alone get it right. The Curiosities feels like one of those stories that will outlast the genre and it's many quick delivered products.
If you loved the feel of Super 8, the Goonies, Stranger Things... If you grew up with Encyclopedia Brown, the Hardy Brothers or Nancy Drew, The Curiosities might just be what you're looking for. A whimsical tale of two siblings with their own quirks, who are determined to get to the bottom of a mysterious new problem, couple that with a neighborhood of interesting cats and you have a recipe for a great, quick adventure.
More important than just the story was the beautiful handling of Zach's Autism. In a few short passages, you're able to get a feel for the struggles that Zach has, but you also get a better understanding of how not only he handles it, but the world around him does. It's never shown as a disability or disadvantage but something special that makes him unique. It felt very real, very delicate and was handled with care. It doesn't shy away from how he's viewed by some in school, or that it can be a difficult process.
The Curiosities was a thoroughly enjoyable read filled with interesting decisions, wonderfully written characters and some beautifully handled morals.

I want to thank NetGalley and Southbound Films for ARC, in exchange for a honest review.

Deeply imaginative and intriguing with a mystery at its heart - this was a cute story about siblings, allowing room for adventure and curiosity in your life, belonging, oh- and saving the town from a meteorite that is causing very strange happenings, and those eager to take advantage for selfish purposes. I really enjoyed the autism representation in this story as well as the family dynamics, but felt like some parts didn't hit the mark quite as well. Although I'm not the target audience, things like a mom called "mumzy bear" and other elements felt overly childish for middle grade, while other parts felt quite advanced. There were some moments where I felt that the transitions between scenes felt a bit disjointed, and some of the science elements I wonder how effectively they would grab the attention span of a middle grade level child. Overall though I really liked the concept behind this story and how it addressed caring for our planet, community, family & friends. The different cat personalities were also super entertaining!

This is such a fun middle grade adventure book full of mystery and suspense. I really enjoyed the writing and the characters.

The Curiosities is a cute and wonderful middle grade novel about a brother and sister duo who must save their town from an otherworldly attack. They’re helped by the brave but quirky neighborhood cats. This would make a great read aloud for upper elementary grade classrooms. It’s a very enjoyable read with both humorous and touching moments.

Cute middle-grade story. I was pleased by the inclusion of an autistic main character and loved the bond he had with his sister. However, some aspects of the book felt a little too twee, such as the talking cats and the kids' mom being referred to only as "Mumzy Bear." Of course, I'm not the target audience, and I think this would make a great addition to a children's classroom or library.

This was a wonderfully immersive, whimsical, and adorable children’s book! I loved the world building and the characters, they were such a delight to get to know. I think this book will be loved when it comes out!