5/5 ⭐️

Thank you NetGalley and the publishers for the ARC of this book.

Yet another absolute delight from Sangu Mandanna. Her voice is so lovely and distinct making her stories rarely disappointing.

A creative take on age old fairytales and mythical creatures with a sprinkling of well executed ADHD, neurodiversity and cultural representation.

A lovely exploration of family (both blood and found), friendship and self acceptance, with a great and relatable main heroine and a range of well rounded supporting characters.

Cannot wait for the sequel.

I loved this!!

Vanya and the Wild Hunt is so creative! From the talking books to waterfalls in libraries, Mandanna builds a magical world full of magical creatures and exciting storylines.

I really liked how this book had high stakes, thrilling and shocking plot twists with devastating reasons behind them, and a great wholesome cast of characters. I loved seeing Vanya meet all these new people in her life, such as her parents best friends who are like Uncles to her. It was really beautiful seeing all that love and support, especially for Vanya who often felt like by being herself she would be unloved.

The ADHD representation was really brilliant in this and very important. I think a lot of young people will find solace and comfort in reading Vanya’s struggles but also her perseverance and the unconditional love being shown from her family. The ADHD representation was definitely my favourite part of the book, especially seeing Vanya come to better terms with her diagnosis.

I’m really excited for the next instalment. This left of with lots of unanswered questions and open storylines and I’m excited to see where it goes, I think it’s only onward and upward from here!

Thank you to Macmillan Children's Books for this e-arc!

4.5 stars rounded up.

A magical school, ADHD MC, and a fight against a mysterious evil? This book has it all, and I loved every moment!

Vanya has just been diagnosed with ADHD, but this change isn't the biggest thing she has to worry about... No, the monster that attacks her home and the realization that she has access to a magical realm is much, much bigger.

The story isn't complete yet, and it ends on a fairly big cliffhanger, and while normally that annoys me, I thought it worked really well. The pacing is great throughout, the worldbuilding is subtle but rich, and the sense of adventure is fantastic. I am so so so excited to read book two!

Also, the themes in this book are so lovely - finding the strength to be yourself, seeking help through therapy, talking about and showing neurodivergence in a thoughtful and honest way... The world needs more books like this, especially ones that don't just use neurodivergence as a plot point or as a way to give didactic lessons. I felt seen in this story in a way I haven't in a long time, and I wish I had characters like Vanya and Ben to look up to as a child.

4.5 Stars
One Liner: Love the setting… but the book ends on a cliffhanger!

Eleven-year-old Vanya lives with her parents above their bookshop. As a British Indian with ADHD and an ability to converse with books, Vanya knows she cannot fit in at school or anywhere else.
However, when her family is attacked by a monster, Vanya finds out she has special powers like her parents. She is sent to Auramere, a magical academy for training kids like her. But with The Wild Hunt on the prowl and mounting danger, Vanya has to find the master and stop the monsters before they destroy everything she holds dear.
The story comes in Vanya’s first-person POV.

My Thoughts:
I’ve read the author’s adult fiction, but this is my first MG book by her.
Though the MC is a British Indian, her Indian identity is limited to skin color since she was born and brought up in Norwich. This plays an interesting role in her character arc (those one-liners are funny). On a side note, the illustrations make her look very much Indian (which I love).
Vanya’s (Lavanya is a lovely name!) voice is quite authentic and a combination of sass, vulnerability, wonder, fear, curiosity, and recklessness. Yeah, she is stubborn too but it is necessary. Her ADHD is presented well alongside the insecurities it creates. All in all, we have a great narrator who can make us laugh and roll our eyes in the same paragraph. Her hair… my god! The long and thick braid reminded me of mine when I was the same age. Now? Don’t even ask! I’m grateful to have some hair left on my head.
The author blends various folklore narratives and uses mythical creatures from different cultures. The more knowledge you have about these, the greater your enjoyment. I enjoyed this salad bowl since I knew many of them (including the ones from Hindu Puranas).
The setting of Auramere is terrific. It has the potential to sustain a series (at least a trilogy). Heck, I hoped it would be a series until I realized (too late) that it is one. Moreover, the book ends on a cliffhanger! It would have been nice to know this in advance. I prefer starting a book with the right expectations. Wonder why there’s no mention of the series on Amazon, Goodreads, or NetGalley?
The pacing is slow in the first 35% but picks up momentum and sustains it afterward. This works to establish the plot and the characters. The sprinkling of B&W pencil illustrations adds a nice visual touch. The illustrations are wonderful. Apart from Vanya’s hair, my favorite is that of Reya. It was just wow!
The side characters are cool – diverse and inclusive. Some stand out more than others (not uncommon). The parents and adults do have a role though limited in some instances. Given the genre, you can expect kids to get into trouble by rebelling or doing things that put them in harm’s way.
I love the nicknames Vanya’s dad uses. He rarely repeats the same thing! At one point, he calls her 'little Aardvark' and my desi brain read it as adrak (ginger), lol. Not the same at all!

To summarize, Vanya and the Wild Hunt is an exciting and adventurous story with elaborate world-building and interesting characters. What with the cliffhanger, I can’t wait for the next installment and hope to get the ARC whenever it is available!
Thank you, NetGalley and Macmillan Children's Books, for eARC. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.

This was such a lovely start to a new middle grade series that could definitely be up there with the likes of Nevermoor!
We have another magical school setting that was just delightful. It’s also stuffed full of all our favourite fantasy tropes like animal companions, portals and talking books with folktales and mythology mixed in. My favourite part and why I requested this book was that both Vanya and her best friend are neurodivergent. I loved seeing this representation and though it was very well done. I’m looking forward to whatever Sanguine Mandanna writes next.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the eARC!

Vanya and the Wild Hunt is the first book in a fantasy middle-grade series by Sangu Mandanna. I love everything she writes, and this book was no exception. Vanya is an 11 year old girl with ADHD who can hear the books talking in her family's bookshop. One day, she discovers her family's secret and is sent to a magical school. It was such a whimsical adventure story. Sangu Mandanna is amazing at worldbuilding and I appreciate that she includes neurodivergent characters in her middlegrade stories. (Vanya has ADHD, and her best friend has autism.) If you enjoy magical schools, talking books, animal companions, and great friendships, I highly recommend this book. I loved every moment of it and can’t wait to read the next installment to learn more about this magical world. Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Children's Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

4.5☆

This is just a fantastic kids book (but definitely one for all ages) that is magical and full of adventure and warmth

This story has the perfect balance, it dives right in and it's action packed from start to finish without being overwhelming, the world building is vivid and vast but easy to digest and keeps you fully immersed. I always love a story where you learn about the world as the main character does

The characters are so lovable. They gave me The House in the Cerulean Sea vibes, unique and fun but also loving and supportive. I loved Jasper and Roman especially and I hope Ben and Penny are fleshed out a bit more in the future.
Vanya is such a great main character to follow and the discussions around her neurodivergence (ADHD) was done so beautifully. The therapy she did was represented so well and was interesting to see through the eyes of an 11 year old. I feel like Sangu has this innate understanding and appreciation of children that I love to see here and in The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches. Vanya feeling so different and masking all the time touched my own inner child and seeing the encouragement she got to be herself was heartwarming. I also appreciate that Vanya's ADHD and Ben's autism and neurodivergence as a whole are all named, there's no vague "sort of" rep that a lot of fantasy books tend to do. I truly recommend this to anyone who has an ND kid or was a struggling ND kid

This story is just filled to the brim with themes of self discovery and acceptance, magic, friendship and family and adventure. It is a very uplifting read and I was engaged the entire time, I can't wait for the next book!

Some features/tropes I adored:
🪿magic boarding school
✨animal familiars
🪿the illustrations
✨talking books
🪿ND rep
✨LGBT rep
🪿major Harry Potter vibes
✨unraveling family secrets
🪿folklore
✨portal doors

What a fabulous start to a new series by Sangu Mandanna. A wonderful mix of British folk tales and Indian mythology that really grips the reader and there is yet another version of a magical school for those who love this sub-genre.. It is one of those books that you can't stop reading and I am so looking forward to following the series.

So in general, this is a decent book. The characters are alright, storyline is also alright. But I just felt like I was reading something I'd read many times before. Nothing felt hugely original about it. It brought to mind many other magic school based stories, and really didn't spark a huge interest. Like I say, it was ok, but I've read much better in the same genre.
So give it a read, it's not a very long book, but don't expect anything hugely original about it.