An intriguing middle grade fantasy which would be great for use in school.
Imagine walking into a shop full of suitcases and knowing every single one would take you to a world beyond your imagining, that's the Strangeworld's Travel Agency. When Flick wanders in off the street and can see something noone else can, Johnathan knows she's special and is desperate to enlist her help to find his missing father. Worried that she won't want to help, he shows her the wonders of the Agency but doesn't trust her, and when she discovers she's been deceived - well, bad things happen.
I thought the characters were believable and relatable for children of the age group, and their motives felt realistic to me. Flick wants to belong, to explore, to have a friend. Johnathan feels he can't risk Flick refusing to help his father, and drives her away through his distrust.
Overall it was a really enjoyable read and one I would use with a class in the future to explore the idea of new worlds and different peoples/cultures. This would be particularly great to have children come up with their own world inside a suitcase.

I thought the concept of this book was really enjoyable. The idea of being able to enter different places through a suitcase and the way it worked was really amazing and such a great idea.
The characters were entertaining, although I did feel flick could have been slightly older.
Definitely one I would recommend and look forward to continuing with the series.

This is a brilliant MG novel where science fiction meets fantasy in the most perfect of ways. Think if it as Harry Pottet meets Doctor Who. The slightly eccentric Johnathan reminds me a lot of Nevermoor's Jupiter North, but he's refreshingly young and fallible - proving to children that adults aren't infallible just because they're technically adults.

This book is beautiful. I wish I'd written it myself!
I love the magic of travelling, as an avid traveller myself, so found the premise fantastic. The multiverse is a well used trope, but I really enjoyed it here as it was done in a way I haven't seen before.
I enjoyed the nods to other literature, the food fight on Tams world was straight out of Hook, I could just hear someone shout Bangarang! There were also nods towards Pride and Prejudice, Peter Pan as well as others.
The only thing that I'm not sure on is Flick and Jonathan's friendship, a 12 year old and an 18 year old surely wouldn't be friends, maybe if she was a couple years older?

Overall, this is a solid 5* read, and I'm really excited to read the rest of the series when they're out.
Thanks to NetGalley for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

This book has adventure by the suitcase load! Every suitcase in the peculiar Strangeworlds Travel Agency takes a Society member to another world - each filled with magic and more often than not danger! When Flick enters the travel agency she starts the beginning of a great but dangerous adventure. Its a race against time and the pages will fly as you will want to follow Flick on her adventure as the newest member of the Strangeworlds Society. Absolutely loved it!

A fun, magic filled adventure, perfect for escaping into (especially at this time). I really loved the character of flick and thought her a perfect adventurer and hero of her story. 3.5 Stars

This is one cracking new series for children 9+ to get in on as it has endless possibilities for so many adventures. The Strangeworlds Travel Agency is just what it says and has a unique way of travelling to extremely weird and wonderful new worlds. For very special people, that have been invited to join this exclusive club of world travellers, they simply choose a suitcase, open it up and step inside, then they are taken on a fabulous holiday.
It is of course very secretive and has strict rules that must be followed and with notes of the place, people and world made and handed to the travel agent. That is now Jonathan, due to his dad going missing a little while ago. When Felicity moves into the area she comes across the travel agency and is soon found to have the very special qualities needed to be invited to be a traveller.
Jonathan accompanies Felicity on her new adventures where they travel to some pretty weird, wonderful and bizarre places. There is also a little detective work going on with them both trying to find out what happened to Jonathan's dad, a bit of danger and a lot of being a hero too.
A great story to get the series off to a tremendous start.
I wish to thank NetGalley and the publisher for an e-copy of this book which I have reviewed honestly.

What wonderful worlds!! My oh my, this is an excellent excellent start to what promises to be a truly outstanding MG series! The world building is imaginative and the whole book is filled to the brim with excellent world building, brilliant plot development and so many tantalising questions that are just begging to be answered! A stunning adventure and I'm so glad it's only just getting started...

I read this book with my almost 8 year old granddaughter. We face timed during lockdown and had a Kindle each so that we could both follow the story.
This is Grace's review. Felicity, known as Flick, has moved to a new town with her family. Her Mum and Dad work long hours so Flick often has to look after her baby brother Freddy. She gets fed up and bored so one day when she can escape she goes into town and comes across a strange shop. Flick goes inside and meets Jonathan who explains that he runs a travel agency.
Jonathan invites Flick to travel with him and together they visit new, strange places using a very unusual method of travel.
I particularly liked the descriptions of the different world's and thought the book was very imaginative.
I really enjoyed this book and am looking forward to the next instalment in Flick and Jonathans adventures.

This is a fantastic debut by L.D. Lapinski where magic and adventure are one suitcase away!

Our main character is Felicity 'Flick' Hudson. She has recently moved with her mom, dad and baby brother to a new house in a small town. Its the summer holidays and her dad works morning, her mum works evenings and Freddie is at daycare, which gives Flick the freedom to check out the shops in the town.
Its on her very first trip there that she spots a shabby shop that looks to be closed apart from the sign above, written in beautiful lettering that says 'The Strangworlds Travel Agency'.
Inside she finds a young man, Jonathan, and instead of posters of countries around the world, or even a computer to book flights, the shop contains shelves of suitcases. Once Jonathan realises that Flick can see magic through the special magnifying glass, their adventure together begins!

Jonathan tells Flick all about the agency, what they do and how they travel. Just by stepping into one of the suitcases you can step out into one of many amazing worlds so different from our own and full of magic! Just remember the number one rule 'Don't Lose Your Luggage'

But as Jonathan shows Flick these worlds, he realises that something is not right. Magic,people, and even whole streets are disappearing and nobody knows why and its all centered around Jonathan's missing father and the city called 'Five Lights'. Its up to both Flick and Jonathan to find out whats happening, and to do it quickly before the city disappears completely!

Flick is a wonderful character to follow. Used to being left to the chores of the house as her parents are busy with work and Freddie, Flick has never felt special. As we follow her through the many magical suitcases and world, she shines through as such a good, kind-hearted person. My favourite quote about her starts off with 'Resolve can be a powerful weapon'. Ill leave the rest for everyone to read in the book because the full quote gave me goosebumps!

The world building and magic systems in this were fantastic to read. Every time they stepped into a suitcase to a new world, the descriptions were wondrous and I sometimes had to pause while reading to just see the place in my mind, as it was so magical and believable at the same time!

I am looking forward to the next book in the series and where the suitcases take us next!

Thank you to Hachette Children's Group and Netgalley for an early eArc of the book.

A wonderfully imaginative and well written debut, with a concept reminiscent of Blyton's 'Faraway Tree' (though without the slightly twee tone) with a soupçon of Hitchhiker's (slightly less tongue in cheek of course), that has some pertinent messages regarding the world we live in today, particularly about the sharing of rescources. Good start to what looks to be an interesting series,

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for review.

Exceptionally exciting idea, enticing start to a new series.

It's only now and again that a new children's series really captures my own personal interest and seems destined to be a big hit. I always hoped Artemis Fowl would become a filmed series, the Wundersmith books I hold out hope for junior Hunger Games/Harry Potter kindred spirits. Now this debut, I can already see on the cinema screen. And I really want book 2!

Flick has recently moved, with her often-busy parents and attention-sucking baby brother (whom, as 12 years his senior, she often ends up looking after). Stuck at home most of the time, Flick dreams of travel and adventure. And it seems possible she might be about to find it... in a travel shop...

Jonathan Mercator, young himself to be in charge at Strangeworlds Travel Agency, sees something both unusual and special about Flick when she ends up visiting his 'shop'. He reveals the long-hidden secrets it contains. The hundreds of suitcases each lead to different worlds, and the confidential society he curates are tasked with exploring, chronicling and safeguarding them all.

Flick is delighted and intoxicated to dip her toes into the suitcases of the Travel Agency, though her talents may be very useful when the pair discover that one world is beginning to disappear.

Clearly the first of several possible stories, Flick and Jonathan are set up here to be a partnership with flaws as well as endearing qualities, and a great potential as a team that will become stronger over time.

The world Lapinski conjures up for her readers is astonishingly original and easy to envisage. I loved the idea of the suitcases and the Society. Flick made a tough and empathetic heroine, Jonathan an unusual partner (18 or 19, not the worldly-wise experienced elder you would expect, and not a typical teenager). It will be interesting to see how their relationship develops, especially as Flick enters the teenager years herself.

Some lovely descriptions caught my attention: "Something prickled under her skin... if she'd had to describe it, she would have said it was curiosity mixed with oranges."... "the paint was a green-blue eczema of colour." This one made me laugh: "the game spread along the table like chickenpox at a soft-play centre."

Wonderfully imaginative fare for the age group, visual and exciting and definitely a sequel that readers will clamour for.

For ages 8-13.

With thanks to Netgalley for providing an advance reading copy.

I’ve been on a bit of a middle-grade kick recently and I’ve been hearing buzz about this one for a while. As we’re not allowed to physically travel at the moment, this magical debut is the perfect passport to a whimsical adventure.

Flick Hudson and her family are new in the village of Little Wyverns. While out exploring, she stumbles across the weird and wonderful Strangeworlds Travel Agency and its eccentric proprietor Jonathan Mercator. Inside she discovers walls of suitcases, each containing a different magical world. To travel to one of them, she must join the secret Strangeworlds society. But one of the worlds is in mortal danger, Jonathan has a mystery to solve and Flick is about to learn how very special she is…

Magic is very much a precious and elusive commodity, which creates the familiar warm glow that I love in middle-grade fantasy. The reader is let in on the secret of magic’s existence from the very beginning, which immediately draws you in like an invitation to a special club. This inclusivity wraps itself around the reader and gives them a lovely welcoming cuddle.

‘If she’d had to describe it, she would have said it was curiosity mixed with oranges.’

The above line comes from a very early scene where Flick is sussing out the situation at Strangeworlds. I had to mention it in this review because I’ve never heard of such a wonderfully strange description of a feeling that somehow still makes sense. Lapinski has a few of these little nuggets, glittering away in the narrative that show off a unique quirky style.

There is a lot of lovely messaging to take into reality, while we’re learning the secrets of world-travelling. The fact that no one can thrive outside of their home world alludes to the detrimental effect that being in a world where you don’t belong can have. It made me appreciate all of the people and places that mean home for me. They do quite literally give me life, so I was able to fully relate to the idea of always returning home after an adventure.

There’s also an eco-message that talks about the importance of looking after the world you inhabit. Of course, there has never been a better time for children to grow up being aware of their own carbon footprints and coming up with ideas for how to protect the planet. The existence of our world is magic in its most organic form and much like the worlds contained in the suitcases, it needs to be cared for.

My only real niggle about this book is that Flick reads quite a bit older than 12 to me. Having said that, I don’t know any 12-year-olds so maybe they are as quick-thinking and daring as she is but I had to keep reminding myself that she wasn’t at least 15. I also wasn’t sure that a 12-year-old would be as relaxed and confident about spending a night away from home without parental permission in a village that they’re new to. At the very end, we learn that her parents had been very worried about her which obviously clears up the usual ‘but where are the parents in all this?’ question that so often comes with middle-grade and YA fiction. However, I couldn’t help wondering if the concern was reciprocated at all. I don’t remember Flick worrying about her parents until she was about to go home and I know that at 12, I’d have been unable to think of anything else. Perhaps I’d have behaved a bit more inconsiderately as a teen, which is maybe why I thought Flick seemed to read a little bit older than she was.

Lapinski is fantastic at creating immersive, detailed worlds. The city of Five Lights was so well-written that I could almost smell and taste everything while wandering around the mystical, Spanish-style streets. It has definitely been a while since I experienced a fictional place so vividly and I loved it!

The Strangeworlds Travel Agency is the first in a new middle-grade fantasy series that is charmingly unique and so much fun. Each of these worlds have so much potential, so I can’t wait to revisit them and discover where else the Travel Agency can take me. There are also some fantastic side characters, who I suspect may show up again and a mystery that hasn’t been cleared up, so I’m definitely ready to keep reading any sequels! Big thank you to L. D. Lapinski for giving me the opportunity to visit a plethora of new worlds while being stuck inside!

This book is a magical, fantastical piece of genius! It had me at the title, then the concept, and then the writing just swept me away. I've been waiting for a book like this for a long, long time. It's exciting and imaginative and it has the flavour and feel of a modern classic. A very special book indeed.

Exploring her new home town in a rare break from big sister responsibilities, Flick is inexplicably drawn to an old fashioned shop with a surprisingly vibrant sign. Initially, the boy behind the counter is not especially welcoming, but starts to show some interest in her as he observes her reaction to what she sees in a shard of glass she finds on the floor. When he offers her a magnifying glass to look through, Flick’s perception of the world is changed forever and so begins her association with Jonathan Mercator and the Strangeworlds Travel Agency.
Flick and Jonathan are well-rounded, engaging characters with believable reactions to the situations in which they find themselves. Settings are beautifully evoked to give a sense of other worlds, and there is a sprinkle of humour in their adventure that balances the increasing sense of peril that menaces them and the “multiverse” of the novel. The developing rapport between the two and Flick’s growing recognition of importance of her family add warmth and provide the reality with which readers can identify.
This is a gripping, magical adventure that I happily immersed myself in from the very first pages and was quite sorry to leave. I very much hope we will soon be treated to more travels with Strangeworlds!

I absolutely ADORED this book!
The most perfect magical escape- for any age. Flick is such a genuine and lovable character that any child would want to be or be friends with.

Felicity longs for adventure. With Mum, Dad and Baby Freddy using her as a maid, cook and babysitting service, she’s truly fed up and hasn’t been able to scratch a single country off her map of the world. That is, until she is drawn to an eccentric little shop in the sleepy village of Little Wyverns, and uncovers the best kept secret in the travel industry: The Strangeworlds Travel Agency—a magical society of travellers to other worlds. Imagine being able to choose a suitcase from the packed shelves, step through and emerge into a dazzling city, a lush emerald jungle, or a snow-covered mountain top! Jonathon Mercator, Head Custodian of The Strangeworlds Society, is a young man with the weight of hundreds of worlds on his shoulders. Inheriting the travel agency after the mysterious disappearance of his father, he has struggled to run the travel agency and developed a dry sarcastic wit and desperation to solve the mystery of where his father is, and protect the multiverse at all costs. When he discovers that Flick has a unique talent for magic, he extends an invitation she cannot refuse, and they embark on an exhilarating adventure through world after world. But, unknown to Jonathon or Flick, the city of Five Lights, the hub of the multiverse, is in danger, leaking magic at an alarming rate and when Flick is captured by Five Lights thieves, will Jonathon choose to save her or the worlds he has sworn to protect?

I was both gutted to have finished this adventure with The Strangeworlds Travel Agency and ecstatic to realise this will be a series of thrilling adventures. I already miss Jonathon and Flick and I am desperate to know what happened to Daniel Mercator and journey into other unchartered worlds. I loved this concept as soon as I read about it and it’s written in such a masterful and captivating way by Lapinski. I am a fully enrolled member of the Strangeworlds Society and can’t wait for the second instalment, “The Edge of the Ocean” in 2021!

Highly imaginative story, with endearing characters.

Who wouldn't want to find themselves in new and exciting worlds, simply by popping into a suitcase?! What a fabulous premise for a book!

A fast-paced highly enjoyable adventure with a wonderful dollop of imagination and humour. I can't wait for the next one... there is a next one, right? PLEASE tell me there's another one!

This is VERY high praise, and I’m well aware of the connotations of the comparisons I’m making, but this book gave me serious DISCWORLD meets ROALD DAHL vibes, whilst at the same time being completely and utterly original in concept. It was fantastic–imaginative and full of wonder, with an irresistibly likeable main character in Flick. This is gonna be the next Big Thing, I can feel it.

Whilst reading THE STRANGEWORLD’S TRAVEL AGENCY, I was completely struck by the sheer amount of work and word building that had obviously gone into crafting this book, and the multiverse it contains. It was extraordinary–each world felt like it could have been written about for a WHOLE BOOK, and that is the mark of creating a compelling and believable fantasy story. I adored the writing–it was gorgeous and fun at the same time, and at one point there was even a slinky reference! A SLINKY REFERENCE! (not gonna lie, reading that sentence made me want to dig out my old box of childhood treasures and bounce my slinky down the stairs!)

Flick, our main character, was fabulous. Sure of herself, a little too adult for her age, and living in a new house with very busy parents and a cute (but sometimes tiresome) baby brother. She was smart, loyal and utter believable as a kid in an extraordinary circumstance. I related to Jonathan, the acting custodian of the travel agency, a little too hard. He was only just an adult, and at one point in the book he mentioned wanting an adultier adult to help him–I CAN’T COUNT THE NUMBER OF TIMES I’VE THOUGHT THAT EXACT THING! Searching for his father, who mysteriously disappeared in another world before the events of the book, Jonathan is Flick’s erstwhile guide to being a world traveller. Their partnership and friendship was a delight.

The plot was fun, full of mystery, and entirely unpredictable. I was hooked from chapter one, and I devoured the story, desperate to find out the ending. The stakes were VERY high–a whole world was in danger–and the danger of that permeated the story. As I turned to the final page, I was very excited to see the words ‘To be continued’ written. This is the kind of story that almost begs for a sequel–I want to visit more worlds, I want to uncover more secrets about the Strangeworlds Travel Agency, but most of all, I want to see Jonathan and Flick go on more adventures. This is one of my favourite books of 2020 so far and I can’t wait to read more!

O gosh I have really enjoyed this wonderful adventure. I was hooked the moment I opened the page!
This has to be the summer adventure of the year. Given that we can not travel right now adults and children should most definitely give this adventure a read.