I like to read the odd middle grade book now and again, and The Eye of the North by Sinead O’Hart sounded like it had the potential to be a great book when it turned up in the books of the month Netgalley email. Sadly, for me it didn’t quite live up to that potential.

First of all, the things I did like. Emmeline was a very interesting character and I really liked how she was prepared for everything, and how she could adapt the things around her to be of use. I mean, it all stemmed from the paranoia instilled in her by her upbringing, but it was a good take on anxiety. I also liked Thing, and his willingness to protect this young girl he comes across by accident, even when it’s clear she’s in much deeper trouble than he ever imagined. My problem with the two of them was that they never seemed to properly connect, and therefore I never connected with their friendship. Thing knew Emmeline for all of five minutes before she was kidnapped, and I was just never sure of why he cared so much. Yes, he’s a good, decent lad but I expect a bit more motivation than that in a story with kidnappings and potential deaths! It could have worked, if we’d just seen the two of them actually being friends for a bit longer.

The other thing I liked was the idea. I’m a sucker for stories with a young heroine forced to survive on her own in a story with mythical or supernatural elements, so this should have been right up my street. It failed somewhere in its execution, although I can’t put my finger on why. Again, I’m not sure we spent enough time with our villain to work out his underlying motivations. Obviously he wanted power, but why? The same was true of the Northwitch, who could have been an awesome character.

I enjoyed reading The Eye of the North, and it’s a perfectly acceptable debut MG novel. I’m just disappointed because it still feels like it had the potential to be so much more. It also feels like there’s a lot missing in it, and I do wonder if it was heavily edited to bring the wordcount down. If that is the case, it’s a shame, because I’d have liked to have known more about the characters and setting.

Having said all of this, I will be perfectly happy to pick up Sinead O’Hart’s next book, and I look forward to seeing her grow as an author.

This book instantly reminded me of Philip Pullman's The Northern Lights trilogy; with a sassy and smart mouthed young female protagonist, who has a hell-of-a-lot-of guts for her age. Soon into the story her parents are kidnapped, leaving nothing behind but a note written by her mother to say she likely won't see her again. Emmeline barely bats an eyelid, but is instead sent on a ship over to Paris, all by herself!

Even this early into the story, there is a certain air of mystery; Emmeline speaks about creatures her parents keep in their house in cages, never explaining what they are just that they are so very weird and sometimes a little dangerous. Not long into the book, the adventure begins; narrated from one POV (Emmeline) to begin with. As the story progresses, more characters are introduced, and more POVs pop up, detailing each of their adventures on their way to the North.

The language within the book is perfect for Middle Grade readers and above, and the storyline itself is bound to captivate boys and girls of all ages! I certainly enjoyed it and I am 22 years old! It was a great read and speech was described in such a way that all of the characters instantly developed their own voices in my head. Even though it is simple and easy to read, it doesn't skip out on necessary features to fill out the story, give our characters depth, or give scenes vibrant detail.

Character back stories were also addressed and for the most part these were well done; particularly Thing. Though I would've liked to know more about the group Emmeline's parents worked for. Additionally some aspects of the story were dragged on more than others; the ending in particular I would've liked more in-depth detailing and more happening.

But overall I loved this book. It was gripping, adventurous, and had a great fantasy element which I really liked. I think anyone aged 10+ would comfortably be able to read this, and possibly some younger readers. I don't doubt they would love it.

In conclusion, I am awarding this book 4*/5. Some places seemed a little rushed, whilst others the opposite, and I would've liked to know more about other characters other than Thing and Emmeline. But all in all a great debut novel, and I would love to hear more about Emmeline and Thing's adventures - though as it stands I believe this is not in the pipeline *sad face*.

I loved this book. This novel has the right amount of thrilling adventure, mixed with mythical fantasy. The characters of Emmeline and Thing are introduced as far from perfect, but their courage is to be admired in the quest to discover what has happened to Emmeline's parents when she is packed off to Paris after her parents disappear. Along the way, many strange and wonderful goodies and baddies help or hinder the pair, but in the end Emmeline learns who to trust and who to avoid. I found myself breathless towards the end as my mind was racing to finish the story to see if Emmeline had her happy ending.

This was a really great middle-grade read.

The characters were relatable and likeable, and the story was fast paced and exciting.
We jumped from action to action constantly throughout the book, never once getting the chance to get bored with the story.
The tale is told through different points of view, as our main characters spend a lot of the book in different locations, struggling with their own separate problems and dangers. This gave the story a good pace and forced me to say “just one more page” far often than was good for my bedtime, due to the enticing cliffhangers we were always left with.

I loved all the mythology and folklore that was mixed into the story, and am excited for more in the next instalment (unicorns? Dragons?!).

This is a lovely adventure filled with humour, friendship, perils, excitement, magic, and lots and lots of snow.
Definitely worth a read.

Emmeline’s childhood has been spent surviving the dangerous creatures her parents store in their home from research trips. Careful planning, risk avoidance and her survival satchel have enabled her to reach 12 years old, unable to trust anyone outside the walls of Widget Manor.

When she receives a letter telling her that her parents are dead and she must leave for Paris immediately, her carefully ordered life quickly descends into chaos. With her parents dead, only quick thinking Thing, who befriends her as soon as she boards the ship to take her to her new life, is there to help when her cabin is ransacked. Emmeline is in danger and she has absolutely no idea why.

A sinister scientist, and a nemesis as old as time itself test Emmeline and Thing to their limits as their journey turns into a race to save the world.

Packed with a eccentric characters and mythical creatures, Sinead O’Hart brings the far north chillingly to life in this fantastical, fast-paced adventure across sea and sky, and icy glaciers. The pace gathers with each turn of the page to a finale that had me balancing precariously on the edge of my seat. Emmeline is considered, nervous and resourceful, while Thing is bold, determined and recklessly brave – his heart and humour shine as brightly as the Northern Lights. Their world is a reimagining of our own, but with sea levels risen over decades to change the landfall, described in a way that fires the imagination and raises questions about global warming.

A dazzling debut that will be a must for my school bookshelf once published.

Great for fans of Mold And The Poision Plot, The Huntress: Sea, Cogheart and Sky Chasers.

This was a lovely little adventure story with hints of steampunk and a plucky female heroine. Emmeline's parents are missing, and Emmeline herself has been kidnapped by a man determined to unleash a centaur so powerful it can rule the world. Can Emmeline, and stowaway Thing, save everyone from impending doom in the icy backdrop of Greenland?

This was a good middle school read. The writing was well paced, and easy to follow. I liked Emmeline, and thought she was a good lead character. She's inventive, brave and adventurous. I was also taken by Thing, who provided the enigmatic sidekick element to the story perfectly. As the story progresses, we see more of Things POV, which I thought was clever and added another dimension to the character. The main villain was also good, and was on the right side of sinister for this level of story.

It's the descriptions I most liked however. It's perfect to read a this time of year, and had a distinct wintery feel as Emmeline and Thing race towards a glacier to save the world. How've, I would say that the story sometimes lent more on the side of superficial. Because of th fast pace, most characters suffer from being one dimensional. The one exception, as stated before, is Thing.

A decent middle grade read.

Well written, imaginative fantasy adventure peppered with charmingly eccentric characters & with strong themes of friendship & loyalty throughout. Great stuff, especially for upper KS2 G&T.

The premise of this book was so intriguing, an adventure story involving fantastical creatures and a snowy landscape. Sign. Me. Up. However, sometimes with middle grade I find the book too young for me. I expect this to happen every now and then with middle grade books but that doesn't make it any less unfortunate. 

The first thing that didn't work for me about this book was the writing. I couldn't absorb myself in the writing and therefore wasn't able to connect with the story. I felt like I would read pages at a time but not take in what it was saying because I just wasn't interested. 

The next thing I didn't like about this book was it's characters, except for Thing. Most of the characters in this book were bland, boring and basic. I found the main protagonist, Emmeline, to be irritating and the rest were just odd. The character named Thing however was a gem. I loved his humour and his compassion for Emmeline as the story went on and I think he was the only reason I managed to push through with this story. 

When you put these two things together it ruined everything else for me and didn't make for a very enjoyable read. 

However, I believe this book could be great for a child who loves fantasy and adventure as I said before, sometimes a middle grade book doesn't suit me because of my age.

A great adventure story filled with lots of action, danger and friendship in surprising places. The world appears to be suffering from the effects of global warming. The plot centres around a young girl who initially has no idea what is going on or who she can trust but due to her upbringing appears to be very resourceful. Her parents are possibly dead and she is packed off to Paris which appears to be at her parents request. On embarking on the ship to Paris she is intriqued to find the letters OSCAR attached to her fathers name. What can that possibly mean?
Emmeline Is rescued by a boy calling himself Thing who chooses to feel protective towards her and has talents which prove very helpful . They are separated but the erstwhile protector embarks on a journey to find his new friend. Mythical creatures, steampunk style transports, witches and the obligatory bad guys, what is there not to like. Travels along at an excellent pace . I'm sure we can expect more adventures on the horizon.

Sometimes there is so much hype surrounding a book and when you come to read it, you're left feeling deflated.  I generally have this fear when starting anything the book world of Twitter love (will I be the only one to not 'get it'?), and it was definitely true with 'The Eye of the North'.  I love an adventure story and I love MG books, but would this debut novel live up to my expectations? In a word, definitely.

Emmeline is a fantastic protagonist.  She's slightly odd in her pessimistic, always-on-the-look-out-for-danger attitude and isolated way.  She has a really strong voice and I felt I connected with her immediately, so when news of her parents death and her subsequent  move to Paris was delivered, I was fully prepared to go on this adventure with her.

On board the ship she meets 'Thing' who is perhaps on the best boy characters I have met in a while.  He's cheeky and wily and resourceful and everything you would want in a travel companion, rescuer and best friend.

When the story heads north to Greenland, both Emmeline and Thing's journey's had me on the edge of my seat, turning pages quicker than I could have anticipated.  Having become invested in both characters I was desperate to see if they would be okay.  Emmeline and Thing encounter a whole host of characters, both friendly and not, and added to the overall pace and enjoyment of the novel.

I thoroughly enjoyed this sparkling, atmospheric debut and am so excited to see where Sinéad O'Hart will take us next!

Apart from the gorgeous cover and the few first chapters, I was initially a bit lukewarm about this book. The premise was interesting (girl’s scientist parents disappear, she is also kidnapped, adventures with secret societies and mythical beasts ensue) but it was for me, all plot and not enough character development. In short, I was bored less than halfway through and my interest never really perked up again.

Having said all that I remembered that my remit is to review books that children in my library will like- bearing in mind their reading level. I think with that mind set, the rating improves somewhat. I believe middle grade readers would really enjoy this story- it is exciting, with lots of action and has the benefit of being told with a narrative that follows the main boy character as well as the main girl character. There is a supernatural element which I find is still a popular choice without it being too far “out there” for children to grasp. Whilst the unanswered questions in the story bothered me a little (for example, what’s going on with her parents’ White Rose secret society?) kids may or may not pick up on those aspects. I also think children may identify more with the protagonists and their sense of both adventure, as well coping with fears in a world with a lot of uncertainty and danger. On that basis, this is one I would recommend to younger readers.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for providing an ARC of this title in exchange for an honest review.

It's been a very busy couple of weeks, in spite of the Christmas holidays being in full swing! Amongst the festivities (which I spent abroad in Sweden - I'm actually writing this on the plane back!) I was given the chance to have a sneaky early peek at a copy of The Eye of the North, Sinead O'Hart's first book!

Now, first off, I'd like to take a moment to talk about the cover of this book. It truly is an absolute work of art! You just can't help but admire it!

But this book is far more than just a pretty cover for your bookshelf. It truly does have it all. Emmeline Widget is a twelve year old who is pretty much convinced her parents are trying to kill her - their house is full to the rafters tricks and traps. But when Emmeline receives a letter telling her that her parents are dead and she must immediately leave for Paris, she is swept into a world of krakens and airships, mysterious societies and evil nemeses. Will she reach the Eye of the North in time to save her parents?

This book is great if you enjoy books like Ophelia and the Marvellous Boy by Karen Foxlee, A Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snickett, or the Sinclair Mysteries by Katherine Woodfine. It's quite steampunky, but in a completely different way to books such as Peter Bunzl's Cogheart series: it's more subtle, which works brilliantly for this type of story. That's not to say there's no action - far from it: this is a really good, fast paced story guaranteed to keep you on the edge of your seat.

I'd absolutely recommend this book for your 10 - 13 year-old children, or even for anyone who enjoys steampunky themes.

From the very first line of this wonderful book I was hooked; Sinéad O'Hart has created some brilliant characters with a storyline that keeps you turning page after page! The Eye of the North is definitely set to be one of the top middle grade releases of 2018!

In this steampunk adventure, we start by meeting Emmeline, our feisty heroine as she learns that her parents have mysteriously disappeared. Suddenly, her life is turned upside down and we find ourselves aboard a ship, sailing off towards further mystery and adventure!

The Eye of the North is perfect for fans of Cogheart, A Place Called Perfect and The Sinclair's Mysteries (to name a few!) and thoroughly deserves to be at the top of people's reading lists for 2018!