Wren - Lucy Hope

Wren lives in a grand old house on the island of Anglesey, North Wales. The house is in the mountains and close enough to the sea to hear the waves crashing.
Despite her father’s disapproval Wren is an inventor and is obsessed with the thought of flying, so much so that she builds her own set of wings!
Wren becomes suspicious of her father and tries to get to the bottom of what turns out to be imbedded in the foundations of her house.

Full of fun characters (including one in a noisy, steam-powered wheelchair!) Wren is a delight to read. Although a YA novel I thoroughly enjoyed myself. I also loved Lucy Hope’s earlier book Fledgling.
Perfect for fantasy fans.

Beautiful and nostalgic. It gave me all the old Famous Five vibes of a great children's mystery story. I've been reading this to my niece at bedtime while she's been staying with me and we have enjoyed it very much.

An exquisitely written story of escape.

After Lucy Hope's beautiful debut, Fledgling, I was excited to read her next book and not only did it live up to the promise of Fledgling, but dare I say it surpassed it. Wren lives in a grand house in North Wales but longs to escape from her father's coldness and her aunt's self-centred eccentricity. She dreams of building an aeroplane and flying like her mother did. When her father threatens to send her to a terrifying institution for 'wayward' girls, she realises she is running out of time and pushes ahead with her plans, only to unlock a thrilling secret about her family that plunges her into a new adventure.

This is a book steeped in the legends and culture of Wales and a celebration of both song and of engineering. As with Fledgeling Lucy Hope's exquisite writing draws the reader deep into the world she creates and the book is impossible to put down. The authenticity of Lucy Hope's worlds and characters make even the most magical of legends believable.

I liked the gothic vibes of this book and I loved the bravery and inventiveness of Wren. I didn't like this as much as I wanted to, but definitely enjoyed it.

Wren is a dark, atmospheric adventure set on the island of Anglesey in North Wales. It tells the story of 12-year-old Wren, who lives in an ancient castle with her father, brother, and aunt. Wren is a curious and adventurous girl who loves the outdoors. She is also a talented inventor, and she dreams of one day flying an airship.

Wren's father is a strict and demanding man, and he does not approve of Wren's adventurous spirit. He wants her to stay at home and learn to be a proper lady. But Wren is determined to follow her own path, and she sets off on a series of adventures that will change her life forever.

Wren is a well-developed and relatable character. She is brave and resourceful, but she is also flawed. She can be impulsive and reckless, and she sometimes gets herself into trouble. But she always learns from her mistakes, and she never gives up on her dreams.

The plot of Wren is fast-paced and exciting. There are plenty of twists and turns, and the story is full of suspense. The setting is also very atmospheric, and it really brings the story to life.

Overall, Wren is a great read for anyone who loves adventure stories. It is a well-written and exciting tale that will keep you on the edge of your seat.

On Anglesey, Wren lives with her father, brother and aunt in a strange, ancient house. Her father would rather Wren start behaving like a proper lady but Wren is much more interested in going outside and having adventures just like her mother used to. While testing out one of her inventions, Wren realises that there is a deeply embedded mystery within her family home and it could destroy everything. This strange, dark tale is full of Welsh folklore and beautiful imagery of Anglesey, which I adored. Wren is a feisty, determined, young heroine whose cause is very easy to root for. It’s a book that is full of hope while fighting against tradition, exploring the dangers of honouring history over doing the right thing. This is a very relevant message to today’s society and I loved the fact that it was conveyed in a dark, children’s fantasy story.

This was such a fun read!

Wren is very creative. Like her mother before her, she likes to invent things. Her father just thinks she needs to get her head out of the clouds and act like a proper young lady.

When she starts hearing the castle singing to her and feels it shaking, she begins to think he might be right.

When her father and aunt start acting suspicious and cracks start forming in the walls, she decides she's not crazy, there is just a mystery to be solved.

I loved this! Great Gothic vibes. I loved Wren's spunky attitude.

Loved this! One of the best Middle Grade's I've read this year for suspense, drama, and mystery, as well as having a great strong female character (who isn't flawless by any means, and isn't able to instantly do great feats of daring without consequence either, I really appreciated that).

I found the father very overbearing in an unexplained kind of way, so that jarred a little bit early on as I didn't get why he was so harsh to his daughter other than just because he was a Victorian father(?) but I think that is explained as the story progresses, and the use of fear as a motivator for his actions, and greed as the motivator of others is well done.

Loved the ending!

I need to read Fledgling now.

Having really enjoyed Fledgling, Lucy Hope's first novel I was excited about this one. It's even better. 'Wren' is a great middle grade novel for KS2 and early KS3. With a steam punk background and anchored in Welsh mythology, 'Wren' captures the titular character searching for adventure. Her mother has recently died and her family is, quit frankly, in a bit of a shambles but Wren just wants to fly. She feels contained by her father and the role ascribed to her in the Welsh 1860s. You can only but love her. She is a heroine for the ages. A young adventurer with a conscience, Wren is a great role model for young people.
As an adult reader I was engaged but I know my Year 7s will love her too. But as an adult reader I had a tiny tear for the final chapter which was just gorgeous.
I can't wait to read what Lucy Hope does next - she's on a great trajectory.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading Wren with its strong, female lead character. Set in Victorian times, Wren is determined to follow her own path guided by her natural curiosity which is in stark contrast to the wishes of her family. I enjoyed the interactions between the various different characters and quickly getting a sense of who would be helpful to Wren. The twist in the story had me hooked to the very end and hopeful that Wren would make the right choice. I will certainly be looking out for more books by Lucy Hope.

The appropriately named Wren wants to fly to escape from the cruel Airey brothers. Why? Well since her adventurous mother died on a daring escapade, her stern father has been "clamping down" .

Wren lives in a ruined castle in Anglesey that makes strange noises - singing to her. Her brother is insufferable and her Aunt in her steam powered wheelchair doesn't seem to support Wren either.

I was attracted to the book because I share a North Wales background with the author and the setting of the book. Talking to the author and her friends I was promised surprises. I enjoyed the adventure of Wren and her flying but I was secretly hoping for something more magical. After all Wales is the land of song, ancient myths and dragons. Were my wishes fulfilled ? Well I would recommend you read this book for yourself to find out.

It really captured my attention as there is a certain "sameness" to Middle grade writing at the moment with some books having only a passing moment of glory. It certainly stood out from the crowd.

Adored this from the first page! Great for young readers too.

Thanks so much to NetGalley and the publishers for letting me read this book in exchange for my review.

‘Fledgling’ blew me away last year, Lucy Hope’s debut middle grade book with Nosy Crow. As soon as I finished reading it I was on the phone to my contact there begging to find out whether there was to be a sequel… all I found out was that there was going to be another book from Lucy in 2022. OK just to put anyone out of their misery right now in case you felt the same as me after reading ‘Fledgling’… ‘Wren’ is NOT a sequel! However if you loved the hint of the supernatural, the quirky inventions, a Victorian era historical feel AND a family mystery to solve with a big twist in the end….. YOU GOT IT!!!!!

ALSO please cover your eyes if you go onto my book store or any other online store to purchase ‘Wren’…. I don’t know what possessed someone in marketing at Nosy Crow to basically give away the massive twist in the plot in the blurb!! Luckily I read this from a proof so I didn’t venture to check out these things beforehand…. I’d have been gutted!!!! Im the kind of girl that won’t watch a movie trailer if its a film I’m excited about. I like to let the magic unravel as I read the book, don't you?

Anyway, Lucy, hats off, you’ve done it again. I love this story. I love that again this year we have another exciting middle grade set in Wales, filled with Welsh history and culture. I love that Wren is a 12 year old girl who is curious, loves nature, invents, problem solves, wants justice and happiness for all and takes daredevil risks. I love that her tyrannical and troubled father is keeping deep dark secrets and that no matter how far his evil efforts extend, Wren is determined to make the world a better place despite of her horrid little brother's thwarting efforts.

With so much of Lucy’s own family history poured into this story the writing is sincere and powerful. From folk tales to actual historical events that took place hundreds of years ago, to celebrating and giving recognition to the beautiful Welsh countryside and bird life around Cardigan Bay and the mountains of Snowdonia, and female pilots, you’ll be flying high with Wren and her amazing adventures. Thanks also, Lucy, for the last chapter, where the reader delights in joining Wren's journey once more 66 years later - so often we are left wondering how the characters' lives might have turned out (e.g. 'Fledgling' - Lucy when we meet one day, please tell me!).

Wren is a rebellious young girl that lives in her ancestral home on the island of Anglesey in North Wales. She lost her mother when she was younger and now lives with her disabled eccentric aunt, imposing strict father and competitive spiteful brother. Wren loves nothing more than being out on the sea looking for migrating birds sailing on her beloved coracle. She is always at odds with her father who only takes notice of her to reprimand her about not paying attention to her studies and being more ladylike. As cracks start appearing in the castle they are also start appearing in the relationship between Wren and her father.

The story is told from the point of view of Wren, who I really liked, she is an empathetic character, kind to those around her with a talent for invention and dare devil acts. She is a real contrast to ther other inhabitants of the imposing castle. As we learn more about her deceased mother we find that Wren is very much like her and worry that she will suffer the same fate.

I really enjoyed the Gothic setting of the novel, it is very atmospheric and I hadn't predicted the direction would go in at all. It was a very moving read that left me feeling hope for Wren and her family.

And in one fell swoop, all the good will from this author's debut work, Fledgling, is undone, and all that might have been debatably a fault with the first is magnified a thousandfold and made quite horrendous as a result. This is quirk for quirk's sake, as a girl lumpenly – oh, so lumpenly – put in a situation of needing to rebel against her stuffy Victorian father and her gurning brother, has to escape being sent to a corrective institute for wayward females. She's Wren, a tomboyish lass who likes messing about around Anglesey in the coracle her mother gifted her – the mother that died in an attempt at flight that also meant Wren's fashionista aunt has to putter around in, of course, a coal-fired wheelchair. Oh, and the house they live in sings, and of course there's a kid who can summon up Hitchcockian bird attacks. All in all, this was so unsubtle I couldn't get anywhere near seeing a scene or situation that reminded me of the author's merits, and certainly ditched it before seeing anything that justified an adult perusal.

This is a stunning historical adventure. Wren is such a vibrant explorer, and I loved the Welsh mythological elements and the heart in the story. It was beautifully written and reminded me of The House with Chicken Legs, I cannot wait to read more from Lucy Hope. Thank you Nosy Crow for this special ARC. I think Wren soars, it’s a classic.

We all loved this book by Lucy Hope, just as much as the previous one. They are always well written and engaging. They are a bit scary (child friendly level) , great characters and brilliant storylines. Will be looking out for the next book.

Although it took me a while to get into this book, I did mostly enjoy it. The ending was particularly good and very unexpected.
I found it a bit dull at the start, as it felt like your typical 'not like other girls" story, where Wren was different, into mechanics and going out on her boat, which was very undignified for a young lady. And her father isn't happy about this, so wants to send her off to a 'school' which everyone knows is just a place where they basically torture high spirited women into being docile and submissive.
This put me off a bit, as it's kind of over done as a concept. However, the mystery underneath this story kept me reading. I wanted to find out why the house was making strange noises and moving. Which is really the most important part of the story, but I felt like it really took too long to get to the point of this, which was also when the book got good, and then it was over with pretty quickly. And really I wanted more of this exciting, interesting bit and less of the overdone suppressed girl story.
But overall, with the ending being as interesting as it was, I did enjoy this book.

Wren is a free spirit who struggles to behave as her father would like her to. She much prefers taking her coracle than spending hours in the study room with a tutor.
But something else than Wren's behaviour seems to be worrying her father - he keeps talking about Wren's responsibility towards the house. When he threatens to send her to a boarding school, Wren puts together a plan to take up her mother's dream of flying - the same one that cost her mother her life - and escape the old house once and for all. But she wasn't expecting what she discovers once up in the air and she realises she indeed needs to save her most extraordinary house.

The story of When grips the readers with its main character's wish for freedom and adventure, stifled by conventions. And every other character, carrying their own mysteries: Wren's father and his strange link with the Airyes brothers. Aunty Efa, once the companion of adventure of Wren's mother, now driving her steam-powered wheelchair around the house. Medwyn, devoted to keep the fire going but to which purpose?
And once you're caught in the world of Wren, everything is turned upside down at the discovery of what extraordinary force of nature Wren's house really is.

‘Wren’ is a heartwarming story about a family who have a terrifying secret in their basement. Pa tries to send his daughter Wren away to a gruesome boarding school so that she won’t get hurt. Unfortunately for her father, Wren is stubborn and wants to be able to fly, like her mother tried, and failed, to do. With the help of her good friend Medwyn, Wren builds a flying machine and gets to see what her father has been hiding from her.
This book is just so imaginative and I know that lots of children will be thrilled to see our female protagonist breaking out from stereotypes and building the Phoenix. With Aunty Efa as an amazing role model, there are multiple STEM possibilities to focus on whilst reading Wren.
I’m so glad to have read this and can’t wait to share this story with classes at school.