Thank you to NetGalley and Lloyd Hall for the opportunity to read this book before its release. I was provided an ARC for an exchange of an honest review.

Summary: This story follows a post-apocalyptic Earth that was destroyed by a massive flood. We follow Olivia as she moves to the snowy, small town of June. Olivia is uncovering secrets about the small town, while at the same time, navigating her first relationship with resident, Ava.

My personal thoughts: Apparently this story is part of a bigger series called the Wardenclyffe Series. From what I can tell, the series does not seem to be interconnected, as it follows all different characters.
Because of this, this story and ending makes much less sense to me.

I was a little shocked to discover that this is marketed as Young Adult. I have read plenty of young adult novels, and this read more like a middle grade story to me. I felt like 60% of the book was mostly just mundane conversations between the characters. The interactions were also very stiff with little emotional development.

The story itself lacked plot development, as there was very little background on how the world got to be in this post-apocalyptic state. Throughout the story, you think you are going to find out some kind of answers only to be disappointed. Even the ending is wrapped up without answers to many questions propelled by the climax of the story.

To be completely honest, I was just not personally compelled by this story. There were a lot of ideas that could have been expanded on to flesh out the story, but unfortunately, we did not get that.

This book was not for me. I ended up DNFing due to the writing style just not working for me. There was clearly a lot of thought and love put into the world creation, and for anyone who is more into the fantasy genre (especially dystiopian fantasy) it would likely be a better fit!

Thank you NetGalley and Lloyd Hall for the ARC.

Edelweiss paints a vivid, post-apocalyptic world filled with intrigue—icy cliffside cities, mysterious tunnels, and forgotten technology. The setting is immersive and the illustrations help bring it to life. Lloyd Hall does a solid job building a believable future, even for those new to the Wardenclyffe universe.

However, the writing can feel flat and overly simplistic, with dialogue that often reads robotic. Olivia, the main character, is curious and bold but sometimes comes across as overly exaggerated or unnatural. While the tunnel exploration scenes shine, the plot loses steam with too much slice-of-life filler, and the climax feels rushed and unresolved.

There’s charm here—especially in the sweet relationship between Olivia and Ava—but the emotional depth and pacing may leave some readers wanting more. A decent pick for younger YA readers or sci-fi fans looking for strong world-building over plot.

Edelweiss was a book with a very interesting premise that left me wondering if the story would veer towards fantasy or science-fiction, or a mix of both. Unfortunately, the ending didn’t give me the answers I wanted and ended quite abruptly.

I enjoyed reading about the city of June and how its newest resident, Olivia, explored the tunnels hidden beneath the city. The illustrations in the book were beautiful and really helped bring the story to life for me. However, there were a few parts of the story I had trouble with. First, many characters (Olivia, Mom, Dad, Kai, Ava) spoke similarly (phrasing, word usage, etc.) and made it hard for me to see each character’s unique personality. Second, the motive behind a lot of Olivia’s actions were unclear and mostly seemed chalked up to, “because I want to”. There were also a couple little things in the book that didn’t seem realistic and took me out of the story, even for a fiction book. (Who puts a hot omelette wrapped in paper into a backpack for later?!) I will say, the mystery of the tunnels and the Wardenclyffe Institute kept me intrigued and helped me finish the story.

Edelweiss follows Olivia (Olive to her friends and family), a curious and energetic kid who is always up for adventure, as she acquaints herself with a new life in June, a city situated on an ice shelf and marked by its freezing weather and perpetual snow. The book opens on a bus transporting her and her father, who gives her a holo-recorder (a video camera that records 3d images to project like a hologram later), and she takes to the task like it's her job, recording all manner of things as she explores the city and meets all kinds of characters along the way, eventually getting caught up in the secrets she knives are hidden in the city's extensive tunnel system.

I found the central plot of this book to be quite engaging, and the pacing felt quick enough to hold my interest even as Olive time and again got waylaid by some distraction or other on the way to where she intended to go. I enjoyed the descriptions of the city and its surrounding environment, and especially loved that each chapter included a beautiful woodcut-like illustration showing a scene from the chapter. I love stories that follow a character in a new environment where I as the reader gets to learn the ropes along the POV character, and I particularly enjoyed the scenes at school with Olive for that purpose.

Unfortunately, I found the writing to be quite bland - the writing style reminded me of scientific reports, where the goal is to be as unbiased yet detailed as possible - and there were many moments where the writing seemed to needlessly repeat itself (e.g. when Olive is introduced to the Wardenclyffe lighthouse, the book reads: "'Here we are!' My dad gestures up at it. 'Welcome to the Wardenclyffe lighthouse.' He walks up the steps to the metal door... Set into the stone above the door is a large metal sign which reads WARDENCLYFFE LIGHTHOUSE."). There is another part where her dad is explaining the power grid system, and the terms "the grid" and "the power grid" appear so many times in the span of a paragraph or two I couldn't help but feel it needed another run-through of edits to cut down on the repetition. There were also more than a few typos (e.g. "gird" instead of "grid," a lot of instances of "further" that should have been "farther," and at least one missing period), which I found distracting.

Additionally, I felt a lot of the dialogue was rather insubstantial (so many uses of "oh," "well," and "yeah" at the start of sentences, and Olive's use of "totally" - particularly in the second half, for some reason - really started to grate on me after a bit), and the content itself also felt quite boring or stilted at times, with conversations that just didn't feel natural, or even necessary at all at times.

Lastly, I was disappointed by the predictability of some of the very late reveals, even as the conclusion floored me (things escalate in a very strange direction very quickly) and left me feeling a complete lack of closure. There also seemed to be some plot threads I expected to flow nicely into the ending that just weren't there.

Overall, I think this book might be good if you've read the other books in the series and enjoyed them (I haven't, though the summary of this book led me to believe it could stand alone), or if you're looking for a quick, short sci-fi-flavored mystery that passes the time.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the eARC!

I realized partway through that this is part of a series, so I was obviously a bit confused. But the writing is excellent and it will probably make more sense to you if you've read the first two books, oops!

I did not finish this ARC. I stopped reading at 42% but would like to share feedback on why I chose to not continue reading.

I’ll start with what I liked and what intrigued me to request this ARC. A queer, YA, sci-fi novel was exciting to find. There are not many comparable stories with each of those pieces. I really enjoyed the setting of a distant future in our world overtaken by ice.

Where the story started to lose me was the writing but more specifically the dialogue between characters. Olivia’s voice especially was difficult to connect with because she at times spoke as if she was a tween but in other sections the diction painted her to be much older. For the dialogue overall, I was taken out of the story by how empty the sentences felt. It felt like all emotion was stripped from the story and the words were more so instructions for a play. Although, one where the actors forgot their real lines.

I hoped the plot would be the more driving force behind the book but by the 42% mark I still could not see where the story was going. I would recommend marketing this more as a middle grade book.

I'm fond of the story, and the world is unique and very captivating; however, i think there are some places where it could have been better executed. it is clear that lloyd hall is a brilliant creative mind--but there's a lot of tell instead of show.

i would definitely recommend this book to a friend and furthermore, i will likely be buying it upon release. i just believe that it can be strengthened a bit to increase flow and really bring this world to life in the way it deserves to be.

Thank you to NetGalley and Lloyd Hall for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I found Edelweiss to be a charming, quick read with an interesting premise. Unfortunately, I felt that the characters and plot were under-developed. The writing style is quite simplistic for a YA novel. The dialogue between characters is very direct and lacking substance.

One of the strong suits of the book is the relationship between Olivia and Ava. As a queer person, I appreciated that the queer part of the book doesn’t centre around homophobia.

I felt that the book ended abruptly with loose ends, which is strange considering the books in the series can be read individually and don’t offer continuity.

Overall, I was intrigued by the science-fiction premise but wish that the writing was stronger and that the ideas were better fleshed-out.

This book has a very interesting concept but it is just not well executed at all. I like the mystery of the crystals and the power and the strange tunnels under the town and the androids. But the way this was written just feels like ongoing statements about everything. “I did this and then i did this and i felt this way about it” - in a way that felt very elementary and a bit like a continuous run on sentence. Olivia and Ava’s relationship is not very well fleshed out either, and it feels a bit rushed at points. It felt like a lot of the book was that the author would just tell you everything a character feels and thinks and sees instead of showing it through their writing. The illustrations through out the book are really cute and added to the story, but I think the writing needs some work!

The third book in this series is captivating from the moment you read the first page. You learn about our main character, Olivia, and what she brings to the story and the town she just moved to. When she first meets Ava, I found that they had great chemistry and a knack for adventure. Through the adventures these characters go on to find answers about their town, we see teenagers learn and adapt to their environments. I can’t wait for the final book in this series, because this book ends amazingly with opportunities for more. I found that the writing in this book creates amazing imagery, in addition to the amazing artwork scattered throughout. I would recommend this book (and others in the series) to anyone that likes to read about adventures that tie into sci-fi and have amazing relationships between characters.

Edelweiss is a post-apocalyptic novel reminiscent of titles like The City of Ember.

Olivia and her family have recently moved to June, a city set in a cliffside, the highlight of which is Wardenclyffe, a lighthouse that existed even before the Flooding. Olivia’s father has secured a job working at Wardenclyffe attempting to understand the electrical grid that keeps the world powered. Meanwhile, Olivia is trying to settle into her new life in June, navigating her relationship with her new friend, Ava, and managing to get them both into heaps of trouble. When Olivia discovers a map of secret tunnels stretching all throughout the town, finding answers to the city’s ancient history may just put everyone in danger.

When I started this novel, I didn’t realise it was part of a larger collection of stories. Lloyd Hall does a fantastic job of explaining the world of Wardenclyffe without bogging down the narration. I didn’t need any previous knowledge of the world or series to be completely pulled into this one. If I hadn’t seen there were previous novels, I wouldn’t have known, and I think that speaks a lot to Hall’s ability to create a solid world and story.

Hall does a great job building worlds. I found the setting of Edelweiss to be interesting and completely believable. The book reads somewhat sci-fi with androids walking the streets but not too sci-fi that it felt like a different world entirely. The picture of the world Hall paints could easily be a future timeline to our current world. Sometimes novels lean too hard into the sci-fi or fantasy elements that they struggle to really build a believable world, but Hall’s easy writing builds a clear, believable, and interesting world that I found myself easily transported to.

The plot had its ups and downs. While the world and history that Hall builds is fantastic, I found myself somewhat bored with some of the plot. There was a little too much slice-of-life content when I wanted more of Olivia and Ava exploring the tunnels of June and uncovering more of the history of the city. This is where the plot truly shines. It’s engrossing, and I was waiting with anticipation for what the next chapter would bring. Then, they leave the tunnels and all of the momentum pops. In comparison, the rest of the novel came across as lackluster.

Content-wise, this novel is marketed as young adult, but could easily be read by an upper-level junior reader as well. While Olivia and Ava go on a date or two, their romance is chaste with sweet handholding and kisses on the cheek. Their romance is cute, and I liked the differences in their personalities with Olivia being the outspoken adventurer against Ava’s no-nonsense think before we do attitude.

Overall, this book was fine. Personally, I would have liked to see more adventure and less daily life, but the world was interesting, and I do plan to read the others in the series, hoping to get some answers to the questions that Edelweiss couldn’t answer.

Olivia is the new kid in town, in her case, the town happens to be nestled within a post-climate-collapse frozen tundra, but her experience remains surprisingly familiar. She has to navigate the maze of her new school, record her memories, and go out to dinner with her crush, explore the mysterious underground tunnels that stretch all over (or under) town. Well, maybe that last one is less usual, but it sure makes it fun!
As Olivia explores, she starts to unravel the secrets of June, a bustling trading town, built in frozen layers and brought to life by the beautiful illustrations. With each new mystery she uncovers, Olivia maps out not only this captivating town, but also the intriguing history of her world.
The prose is clean and fast-paced, with a sense of urgency that matches Olivia's adventurous spirit. However, the rapid pace also impacts the development of the book's central romance, which while sweet, feels somewhat underdeveloped —cute, yes, but lacking depth and emotional resonance. A young sapphire romance (in space!) has great potential, and I’m hopeful that future installments will keep exploring Olivia and Ava's connection.
Overall, Eldewiss is an engaging and accessible read, particularly suited for younger readers beginning to explore science fiction. It offers an intriguing blend of mystery, adventure, and light romance, with a world that’s both strange and familiar. I’m excited to see where Olivia’s journey takes her next and get some answers!

I stand up as neutral for this book because I've not read the first and the second part of the story so I became pretty confused fast, so I gave three stars because I think it was an enjoyable reading even not knowing what happened before, I got attracted by the cover eheh you got me
I really liked the illustration and also the cover!

Set in a futuristic, semi-dystopian society, this novel follows teen Olivia as she navigates life in a new city and uncovers mysterious elements beneath its surface. The story combines elements of mystery, climate change, and LGBTQIAP+ romance, offering a unique and engaging narrative.

thank you lloyd hall and netgalley for giving me this arc in exchange for my honest opinion ₊˚⊹♡

i didn't realized this when i received it, but edelweiss is technically the 3rd book in the wardenclyffe series, however all 3 novellas can be read as standalones! although this is a YA book, it felt a touch more juvenile than that.

the writing was a bit simplistic, flat and disjointed and i do feel like this was very rushed, but if the author fleshed out their ideas more i think that i would have really enjoyed something line this if i were younger and just getting into reading. i really enjoyed the artwork between chapters/scenes!

some final thoughts....
❀ characters felt dry/robotic, couldn't relate to anyone
❀ the world building had promise, but needed more time to be carved out properly
❀ for something that could be read as a standalone i expected more explaining, not just to be dropped right in trying to figure certain things out
❀ the art was my fav part! very cute and helped with imagining the story

Edelweiss offers an intriguing premise with moments of lyrical writing and emotional resonance. The setting is beautifully rendered, and there are flashes of strong character work throughout. However, the pacing felt uneven, and some plot points lacked the clarity or depth needed to fully engage. While the novel has potential and thoughtful themes, it didn’t completely land for me. Still, readers who enjoy slower, introspective narratives with atmospheric world-building may find much to appreciate. A solid read that didn’t quite reach its full promise, but shows clear talent and ambition from the author.

First, thank you for the ARC.
Unfortunately, I did not enjoy this book. While easy to read, it lacked a lot of substance. The writing felt a bit odd to me. The way things are described and written feels a bit robotic. It's almost like it's telling the reader, rather than showing. I was having difficulty picturing anything because it felt like bullet points. It ends up coming across that way in the dialogue; everyone talks and feels like robots. So, the dialogue explains itself. It's almost the style of cartoons like Dora, where it resorts to the most basic form of question/answer the whole time. The way characters, especially Olivia, live looks like it's their first day on Earth.

As for the characters, I couldn't connect to any of them. It felt like everyone was a tween. I could hardly gauge anyone's age. Olivia is also written in a weird way. She felt way too obnoxious. She makes friends and talks to people in a very weird way that I just don't feel represents anyone. I also think that to make her clumsy and bad at directions, there should actually be some things that prove that. She received the simplest directions, so it felt too exaggerated that she'd mess up. It's also like Olivia didn't know anything at all. As for Ava and others, there just wasn't enough for me to make an opinion on them.

There are also a lot of things left unsaid. I'm not sure if something got messed up, but the ending felt like it wasn't an ending. It felt like there was supposed to be way more. I mean, even though it's not shown anywhere, this is the 3rd book of a series. From what I understood, this works as a standalone book because the plots from the previous books aren't directly related. That makes me think that there wouldn't be more to learn about these characters in the future, which is why it's confusing that it stopped where it did.

Because of how the plot unfolded, there just wasn't much to get from it. The climax happens very fast. It is "solved" very quickly, but there's actually nothing solved at all. We're kind of left with remains.

I think it should have felt more intense when it got the climax. Because of the characters' attitude, it didn't feel urgent or suspenseful. Maybe I was just expecting different things from it, but I'm sure others would be able to enjoy it. I did like the illustrations; they definitely helped in picturing the world.

Thank you to NetGalley and Lloyd Hall for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed the illustrations. They brought the story to life and added a nice visual touch. The dialogue between Ava and Olivia was another highlight. Their dynamic felt natural and engaging. The mystery surrounding Saffron was the most intriguing part, and I just wish it had played a bigger role in the story.

I did find the writing a bit repetitive at times, especially in how the characters' actions were described. There wasn't much detail about how the characters looked, which made it hard to picture them. The world-building felt underdeveloped, and I was often left unsure how this world actually worked.

Even though it's written in first person, I didn’t feel very connected to the main character. The lack of inner thoughts made her actions feel sudden and a bit more middle grade than teen. The passage of time was also unclear, and the pacing felt rushed in places. There was a lot of telling rather than showing, and events often happened without much buildup. The romance had an insta-love feel, which isn’t really my thing.

The ending is very open-ended and leaves a lot of questions unanswered, which might work for some readers more than others.

It sadly felt a bit rushed and incomplete, but I still had fun reading it. It just wasn’t really my cup of tea.

I loved the futuristic setting of this book, and the elements of mystery and romance were a nice touch. I really enjoyed the character depth and seeing their relationships develop throughout the book. This was a great introspective read.