This was such a quick read, like only a few hours quick read. I thoroloughly enjoy the paranormal trope of "I'm a what!?" so this book worked really well for me. I live for a good boarding school YA read, and this one reminded me of that Scooby Doo movie where Scrappy, Shaggy and Scoob teach at that boarding school for young monsters. Was that off topic? Perhaps, but a vibe is a vibe.

I found this story to be very creative and original. I enjoyed the story as well as the characters. It was very well written and I didn’t put it down once until I was finished.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for this book in exchange for my honest review.

3.5 stars

Join or Die follows Alex, a young teen from Las Vegas, as he discovers not everything is as it seems and all the myths he’s ever heard of are actually true. One day Alex learns he’s half human/half creature and it’s not safe for him to stay at home. He has to leave behind everything he knows and loves to move to a boarding school for creatures just like him.

Ive read a few fantasy academy/school books recently but Join or Die is one of the better ones. It’s funny, well written and full of likeable characters.I especially liked the group of loners Alex befriends, both individually and together as a group. I’m looking forward to seeing how the story evolves in the next book.

Perfectly ordinary adolescent boy in Las Vegas--single parent family, one good friend, starting high school--suddenly discovers he isn't human. Well, only half--his mother is human, his father, absent for six years, is a Creature. Yes, Creature: those entities of fairy tales and mythology? 'Tis real, they are. And Young Alex will be their Scion.


Creatively imagined and fantasized, JOIN OR DIE is Book 1 of HEIRS TO THE SCION Series. This is YA Fantasy, but I rate it 18+ for language.