This was so good. The story was adorable. I loved the cat's point of view also. The children's curiosity was such a fun part of the story. I love that it has zombies, aliens, and meddling kids. I definitely recommend this one. Thank you to NetGalley and Southbound Films for allowing me to read the audiobook arc of this in exchange for my honest review.

The Curiosities by W.H. Eatons
adventurous funny informative inspiring lighthearted mysterious fast-paced
Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5 stars

This was a fast paced adventure that reminded me of the Goonies but with cats! The characters are loveable and I really felt that the insight into being a child with autism was dealt with beautifully.
The narrator, Annalee Scott, told the story wonderfully, the voices for the different characters allowed to differentiate between each one and portrayed their emotions and how each situation impacted them really well. I can't wait to share this beautiful story with my sons though may wait for them to be a little older and I feel that some of the themes specifically the zombies may be a little scary for them.

Thanks to Net Galley and Southbound Films for providing me with the opportunity to listen to the ALC for review consideration.

I understand that this is a junior level book, but this just didn't do much for me. I read junior level fantasy in the past that was very engaging.

I hope that the target audience enjoys this story. I do like the talking cats.

We follow the Metzler,brothers in a curious adventure, along with Tulio, or Lio for friends, weird stuff is going on around lately, the birds are missing, the bugs are acting out, even ants are behaving oddly, and at the same time the favorite science teacher goes missing.
So we have this curious brothers and a totally not curious cat finding answers and saving the world in the process.

This was such a fun audiobook, the story was super fun, and pretty funny, I was smiling or laughing a lot of times during this story, but I really really really want to talk about the diversity in this book, Zack, is a young autist boy.
Books are supposed to educate people, to make them think, and to force us to see the world in a diffferent manner just for a while, so that later on we can be better, books are created to make stories worth sharing known all over, and this book is exactly the reason why I love reading, it educated me and made me improve as a person, all thanks to this young boy named Zack, his sister Marlo, and the not curious Lio.
The book is educative in several aspects, it has a lot of science facts here and there, it teaches you about autism, the good and the bad, and how if affects the ones who surround this people, it was an enriching story.

As I mentioned earlier I got a copy of the audiobook, and this narrator is wonderful I hope I can listen more of her in the future, if the story on its own its good, with this narrator it was even better, superb even.
I recommend this book to anyone, but specially for those looking for more diverse reads.
If you want to read a book about different people in a way their differences are nor hidden neither the only personality of the characters, but as a part of a complete person, as real as you and me.

I thank Netgalley and the publisher for I received an AAC for this book in exchange for an honest review, all of the opinions stated are my own.

First and foremost I would like to thank Southbound Films and NetGalley for sending me an audiobook copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I was interested in reading The Curiosities because I have a great love for young reader and middle grade novels. There’s always so much insight packed into them and, paired with a usually optimistic viewpoint, they are a great comfort to me. That being said this book did not let me down.

I loved the characters, I loved the way they all had very unique points of views, and I loved the way they looked out for one another. As a mother to an autistic child it was beautiful to see the way Zach navigated the world and how his differences were celebrated. The family dynamic between Zach and Marlow was so loving and supportive it warmed my heart to read.

The plot was well thought out and expertly paced. The multiple povs we follow all added their own special insights. I particularly enjoyed following Leo the cat around as he learns to trust his natural curiosity and makes new friends along the way.

The audio narration hooked me from the very beginning and I thought it was very well done.

I recommend this book to anyone who loves science and fun urban legend type conspiracy theories as well as just an overall wholesome vibe.

Thank you to Southbound Films for my gifted audiobook copy via Netgalley. All opinions are my own. 4.25 stars
Narrator Annalee Scott does a wonderful job voicing the cats and humans alike.

The Curiosities is a perfect audiobook to take along on a road trip or vacation for all your middle grade kids. This will keep the adults entertained as well, I suspect. Timely and timeless it hearkens to The Goonies and maybe a bit of the newer fantasy/sci fi tales such as Stranger Things.

Siblings Marlow and Zach get along pretty well. Zach also happens to have a level of autism of which Marlow feels responsible for his management of it. This seems to be handled well within the context of the story with some growth of Marlow's character seeing her brother using his skills to help through stressful times.

The plot though is chalk full of cats, space, aliens, zombies, earthquakes, a pirate ship, and improbably, the color blue. When things begin to get weird in their small town with people, animals, and insects missing, siblings pull together to figure things out. At the same time, a group of cats also start investigating the strange happenings. Featured cat, Leo, the least curious cat you will ever know, is challenged to get curious to save the town and possible the world.

Lots of fun and adventure to be had in this tale. Also of note is the love and respect the characters have toward each other but not in an overly saccharine way.

A suspenseful adventure of mystery, magic, and whimsy, all while siblings grow their bond along the way.

An ok experience - sometimes it was hard to maintain focus - clearly had an agenda to teach about autism. started out solid but didn't maintain

Thank you NetGalley and Southbound Films for this ALC.

Annalee Scott was a joy to listen to.

This story was whimsical. Talking cats (not cat to human, just cat to cat) make me giggle.

I got an audiobook version. Found the narrator to be quite nice, was easy to differentiate between the characters. I liked the storyline, especially the interactions between Zack & Marlow. To me it seemed a believable brother sister relationship. The cats and curiosity were nice touches. At time there was lots of repetition or reminding us of things mentioned earlier in the book. I forgive the repetitive nature because I see how it could be necessary for some middle grade students to follow along.

Audio format

This was a super fun middle grade adventure book! It has it all….zombies, aliens, science, mystery and cats. A really fun book. The audio narration was exceptional

I am giving this one a 5/5!

Thank you Net Galley for an audio copy of this boon in exchange for a review. Opinions are my own.

I had fun listening to this book. I didn't know where it would lead to. It kept me guessing and I liked that.

Quick middle grade story about two siblings, an older sister and a younger brother with autism.
There is also a storyline about a bunch of cats.
Middle schoolers will like it

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

This started a lil slowly for me, but I ended up enjoying it a LOT more than I thought I would! I loved the kitties and the two main characters. I love the attention to real life deeper problems in the midst of the main plot point. The beginning was a lil rocky, I think the worldbuilding in the beginning could do with some work, but that was the only issue I had. It was the kind of book with a lot of moving parts, but the moving parts came together very well by the end! Overall such a fun read, and I think kids will LOVE this story!

Going on a road trip with kids and want to do more than have them on their tablets the whole time? Grab this story as an audio book for the whole family.

What a great story! I am an adult reader taken in by the description of this middle grade book. Marlow and Zach, our protagonists, have a supportive, fun, scientist mother. They've recently moved to be closer to their Mom's work. Both kids are positive, energetic, curious and very much modern kids who love nature and exploring. When nature starts changing with earthquakes, disoriented bees and missing birds; It's up to big sis Marlow, little brother Zach and a merry band of friends to find out what's happened and save their town.

I had to look the author up to see how old they are. I am not surprised at all that he is near my age. This book took me back to the adventurous kid movies I grew up with in the 80's. Everything from kids at space camp to adventures with pirate ships, all rolled up in a modern adventure for a new generation. W.H. Eatons is a family effort in writing and they have created a wonderful adventure full of curiosity, chaos, discovery, "zombies", science facts and some science fiction. And we not only get to see it from the sibling view, but from the view of the neighborhood cats. Wonderfully descriptive of the setting and the circumstances and well read by Annalee Scott who did great with differentiating the characters voices. I did listen to this book and highly recommend it. I think it would a fun dual read with parent and child. Or a perfect listen on a road trip with the family. It's a (rare) 5 star story!

Thank you #netgalley and #southboundfilms for the audio version in exchange for an honest review.

I had the chance to listen to the audiobook through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This is a delightful middle-grade adventure that’s perfect for younger readers — or anyone young at heart!

The story follows curious siblings Marlow and Zach, along with the not-so-curious cat, Leo, who also narrates parts of the tale. Together, they dive into a quirky mystery involving missing birds and bees, space-related surprises, and… possibly zombies?

One standout aspect for me was the representation of Zach, who is autistic. His character was portrayed thoughtfully and authentically, adding depth and heart to the story.

Full of humor, mystery, and fun, this book is an enjoyable read for all ages. I especially loved how everything came together at the end. I’m giving this one 4 stars!

I snagged the audiobook of The Curiosities from NetGalley when it popped up as a Listen Now and I’m so glad I did, it was a fun middle grade adventure!

The story follows siblings Marlow and Zach, who are curious about literally everything. Then there’s Leo the cat, who’s the total opposite, he wants nothing to do with curiosity (you know, because of the whole 'curiosity killed the cat' thing… he takes that very seriously).

At just under seven hours, this sci-fi/fantasy mystery was a quick and entertaining listen. Nature starts acting weird, a teacher goes missing and suddenly Marlow and Zach are thrown into a wild mystery they’re determined to solve. It’s got a great mix of adventure, weird science fiction and heartwarming sibling teamwork.

The audiobook was well done, but I can imagine the print version, with illustrations would be fun to flip through also. It’s a great story about loyalty, bravery, and stepping outside your comfort zone to protect the people, wild life (and pets) you love.

My thanks to Southbound Films for the e-audio in exchange for an honest review!

A very cute and engaging story. I really enjoyed the cat characters and the most uncurious cat in the world. The representation of autism felt appreciate to what I've experienced with my own family. The plot was interesting and kept my attention. The narrator was great. Her voice was a good match for a kid's book and she was able to create even subtle vocal distinctions that made it easier to know who was talking.

Marlow and Zack have great curiosity so when they meet Leo, a local cat they are fascinated that he has no curiosity at all. This is all about to change when all the birds disappear what is going on, can all this have happened because of an earthquake?

Very well written and well narrated novel (I listened to the audiobook). Good characters in this well paced, adventure novel for humans, cats and maybe aliens. Will the birds return and how much curiosity can Leo cope with? Lots of fun, enjoy.

Listened to this one with my kiddo during our very long car ride, she absolutely enjoyed every moment of this story and was very engaged to keep listening and see what would happen next