My first Behrens was Portrait of a Nuclear Family which was, understandably, a very different kind of book. I enjoyed Portrait and jumped at the chance to read this one.

I am a lover of horror that exists in the middle grade or YA space and feel it's an area we can and should build up. That being said, I think this book would fit nicely into that space.

It's fantastical horror that introduces us to an interesting world, a large liminal pocket, where children are ripped from reality and forgotten by their loved ones and thrown into immediate danger where they'll be consumed or on the run... Until, maybe, they aren't.

I found the characters interesting and flawed and enjoyed the juxtaposition of a 12 year old whose been stunted, the same age, for decades. In some ways she's older and wiser. In other ways she's still, very much, a little girl.

For me, this was a quick read with solid action and decent character building along the way.

Loved the opening map🩷

Great fantasy teen vibes..

Love the world building and details

Great strong characters

This book was everything I loved when I was younger when it came to reading fantasy books. It had such great world building and characters that you connected to right as soon as you met them. The story worked so well, and didn't feel like it was over done or needed just a little more. There never felt like a time during reading that the action was stalled or the story was stalled to put more focus on one or the other. I know it says book 1, so I will be waiting for book 2.