A refreshingly unique story with a unusual and memorable cast of characters. I loved the geographical setting (and the house itself, with its weird and wonderful contraptions), and the twist at the end was perfect... would definitely recommend.

Bavaria, 1900. Our scene is a most peculiar hilltop house, built bit by bit over the decades, and now looking imperiously down on the village and woods below. It's an eccentric house, to host eccentrics, so the library shelving system is not as we'd know it, the roof is retractable, there is a steam-powered, hand-operated lift system cut through it, and so on. At the moment it houses an ex-soldier with PTSD and a passion for the long-standing family hobby of taxidermy, a woman who does nothing but quibble, kvetch and sing opera loudly, and the dying grandma to our heroine, Cassie, a young lass who has to do all the maintenance of this bizarre machine-like abode. Oh but it's also going to house someone or something else, when crashing through Cassie's bedroom window one stormy day is a cherub. And if you think such a heavenly arrival is going to be a completely great and wonderful thing, think again...

Straight away this made me feel like I was reading Mitch Albom attempting the fantasy of Skellig. There's the conviction – certainly in Cassie's one and only friend – that this is definitely one of the cherubim and therefore sacred, contrasted with the mundane girl we empathise with here in her learning what the heck to do with it and what having it around her might mean.

There's not always quite that same conviction in some of the eccentricity. At times it felt like the house's inhabitants, and perhaps it itself, were a little too close to being odd for odd's sake. There's also the reluctance to tell us quite what the villagers think about the family, and what happened to make them so alienated from each other – talk of house-guests galore in the past lead nowhere, and just a mutter or two about the stuffed wildlife isn't enough. Still, my doubts that the oddball here were fully justified were reduced greatly when in just one fell swoop the taxidermy proves what it can do to the mood of the piece; that and the wonderful transformation scene that brings the reader to the halfway mark really show the author can write, and can command her more chilling ideas.

And it's when the more spooky factors come to play here that this book really shines – never before has this audience seen such proof that the owls are not what they seem. This is at times a very visual read indeed, and when our heroine is allowed to expand on the feeling that the place she is in has just turned colder we're allowed to feel all the elements of her predicament – to such an extent that the writing can't ever get round to mentioning the potential romance side of things, which I feel a Hollywood version of this would make much greater a deal of.

In all it's a thoroughly engaging piece, a well-thought-through dark(ish) fantasy, with a real frisson of ominous things for the under-twelves to read about. The pages turn with consummate ease, making this a very strong calling card for this debut author.

My thanks to Netgalley for the ARC of this strange and beautiful book. It is definitely more suitable for the 11+ age group, as Cassie's home life leaves a lot to be desired. Set as it is in remote 1900's Bavaria, on a rocky crag surrounded by forest, she is isolated and not well supported by her selfish opera-singer mother and shell-shocked father. As if this wasn't enough, one night a cherub falls to earth, landing in her bedroom. She depends on her friend Raphael to help her discover more, as the cherub is being chased by Sturmfalken, carrion-stinking vulture-like creatures.

The tone throughout is eerie, despite Cassie's too-old-for-her-age sense of responsibility and ability to deal with practical issues. And the author keeps us guessing until close to the end, as secondary characters belie their initial appearances. And that is nothing to the eventual climax and dénouement, which was as confusing for poor Cassie as it was for the readers! Unsettling, and yet, one would love to live (only for a while, perhaps) near the strange house on the rock, and spend some time with Cassie and Raphael.

I found this book to be quirky with a definite Grimm's fairy tale vibe to it.
Cassie was a really likeable main character and I enjoyed the friction between her and her selfish mother.
The setting was really evocative and the wonderful quirky house that Cassie lives in sounded like an inventor's paradise. The cherub is what makes this story really unique.
A really entertaining read that I will be recommending.

There have been some astonishing debut titles this year, and none – perhaps – more astonishing than this title by new author Lucy Hope. With a cover and a blurb that reveal enough to hook in the reader but give away so very little of the mysterious, dark nature of this story, it is a read unlike any other, with twists and turns which were so surprising that they made me audibly gasp as I encountered them.

Our story opens in 1900, close to the Bavarian town of Edenburg, in a house perched upon a tall rock and built by the narrator Cassie’s great-grandfather Walter Engel. A keen inventor, the mechanical winch system he constructed to allow access to the house has since been replaced by the much safer helter-skelter-like road now winding its way around the rock after being blasted out by her grandfather. But the road has not been used by the house’s latest visitor – a strange creature blown into Cassie’s bedroom during a heavy rainstorm.

Showing the creature to her friend Raphael when he comes to visit, he tells her that it is a cherub and they go to investigate the books in the house’s library to try to find out how best to care for her. As they do so, Raphael warns Cassie that they will need to be careful not to let anyone see the cherub as someone or something might be looking for her. Before they find what they are looking for though, Cassie’s mother summons her urgently to her room and places several demands on her that Cassie believes to be entirely unreasonable and refuses to agree to.

After arguing with her mother, Cassie returns to Raphael and they turn their attention back to the cherub and vow to do all they can to keep her safe. But they will have an enormous battle on their hands because dark forces are gathering which will do all they can to stop them. With neither of her parents seemingly interested in her, Cassie vows to protect the angelic being but as more and more peculiar things start to occur around her, she will need to work out not just what to do, but in whom can she place her trust when she needs help to do so.

An only child, Cassie’s parents appear to be entirely wrapped up in their own interests – her mother is a self-centred opera singer and her father’s existence revolves almost entirely around his amateur attempts at taxidermy. With her beloved grandmother terminally ill and bed bound, Cassie’s closest ally is Raphael, to whom she immediately turns when she finds the cherub. As she learns more about the creature, she also starts to learn more about her friend, and her family past and present, with the result that the more information she uncovers, the less confident she feels in her surroundings and the more unsure the reader is as to what is going on and what is about to happen.

Underpinning this feeling of uncertainty are the details of Cassie’s life which to her are so very ordinary but to us so very strange. Whether you approve of taxidermy or not, the idea of dead animals not quite preserved in a true-to-life way is quite unsettling and gives the story a deep sense of things not being what they outwardly appear to be. This, together with the sudden appearance of the cherub, which leads to the questions of how and why it is there, makes it very hard to put the book down because as you continue through the story, so much of it is entirely unexpected. I guess you could argue that that is how it should be in any story, but here – when the plot heads in directions that I certainly didn’t see coming – it serves to underline the difference between a good story and an incredible one.

And incredible this most certainly is. Suitable for confident readers in Year 5 upwards, it is one that will hold a great many readers spellbound due to its gripping plot and wonderfully drawn protagonist, and I absolutely loved it. Huge thanks must go to publisher Nosy Crow and to Net Galley for my advance read ahead of publication on November 4th. A heavenly 5 out of 5 stars.

Firstly I would like to thank Netgalley, the author and publisher for my ARC.

This is a beautiful, gothic fairytale. I was not expecting this wonderful, fantastical story of a magical cherub to be so compelling and so relevant but I found myself thinking about how the story could relate to any family. In a way it is a coming of age tale, a story of first loves, a book about grief and of dysfunctional families, but essentially it is a fairytale.

I highly recommend this book as one you will read and re-read.

I have been left without words after reading this book. It has been an emotional rollercoaster full of friendship, fear, pain, hope, loss and love.

I am trying not to give any spoilers but it is hard as I am so desperate to share this story and talk about it.

At the start of the story I wasn’t sure where it would lead. I suspected a rescue mission of sorts entwined with magic and mystery.

I wasn’t wrong but it turned out to be so much more. As the story progressed - to me it seemed to mirror the painful journey of losing a child to illness. The fear of what would come, the knowledge that it was inevitable, the anger - the demons that were always there just waiting.

The ending came as a complete surprise to me. At no point at I predicted the outcome. A sign of good story telling - I was led down paths that kept me wanting more. I became invested in the characters and was willing them their safety.

Perfect for readers 11+
Trigger warnings - loss of family members.

This book was like a Tim Burton film in novel form. It was weird, quirky and a little bit spooky, and an absolutely perfect read for this time of year

I enjoyed this book very much and tore through it. I loved the fact that is is different to all the other recently read titles. It’s also refreshing to have a plot that does not have a hidden message or is tackling some social issue. Whilst I’ve read some excellent books tackling social issues, it was just nice to read something completely different and let my mind and imagination roam freely within the text.
I thought the plot level was just right for the age. Enough to have them guessing as they read but still with some surprises at the end. It’s a good book for school libraries and book clubs.

This book is set at the beginning of the 20th century in a small Bavarian village in Germany. Cassie lives with her parents and sick grandmother in a house high on the mountainside. The house is amazing. It has been added to by successive generations and is full of incredible and eccentric inventions.
One evening, during a violent thunderstorm, a cherub flies (or is blown) into Cassie’s room. She and her friend, Raphael research cherubs in the family library but remain puzzled by its nature and purpose. As the story unfolds, the truth behind the cherub becomes clearer but it is not until the very end that we discover the real reason for the cherub arriving.
This is an inventive story with some dark, spooky parts especially the moments in the forest and the castle. Cassie is a likeable heroine who has a very stubborn streak as she tries to discover what is going on and untangle the mystery around her friend and family. The story is full of gothic elements including a whole host of stuffed owls, an eerie forest and castle as well as an entire cast of characters, many of whom are not quite who they seem. I wasn’t completely convinced by the twist at the end but this is an enjoyable story which I’m sure will be enjoyed by readers of 10 upwards.
Thank you to Net Galley and the publishers Nosy Crow for an advance copy of this book.

A creepy and spine-chilling tale, with unexpected twists almost at the turn of every page, Fledging is perfect for young horror fans, but definitely not suitable for those faint of heart!

When Cassie discovers a cherub in her bedroom, life as she knows it is about to change forever. Can she unravel the secrets of the past to fix the future or will redemption be beyond her reach?

Fledging is a dark, gothic mystery. It’s unpredictable and unnerving and may leave the reader unable to sleep! I would recommend this for very brave Year 6 pupils and above. Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

Fledgling is a real treat for those who love a gothic story full of thrills and atmospheric settings. Taking place at the turn of the century in 1900, everything about Cassie's life is remote; from the rock-edge house in the foothills of the Bavarian Alps to her aloof and emotionally distant parents and a gravely ill grandmother. When a strange cherub-like creature appears after a storm, a series of strange events are set into motion and a shocking family secret is brought to light.

With owls and angels, menacing storm birds, an eerie forest setting and a family mystery to uncover, there's plenty of tension around each corner in Lucy Hope's debut narrative. Taxidermy animals and strange inventions furnish the inside of Cassie's home, while outside in the forest there are storms and strange birds and all the noises of the forest. There's a sense of darkness gathering throughout the story and a brilliantly gothic cast of characters and setting. The story feels surreal in places, while never losing the thread of hope pulled long by Cassie and the cherub and finished with a warming message about love and family.

Many thanks to the publisher for sending us an early copy for review. This book is featured on our Autumn 2021 Ones to Watch selection: https://www.booksfortopics.com/post/ones-to-watch-new-children-s-fiction-for-autumn-2021

I love gothic literature and this is the book I hoped for as a child. It is a perfect read for middle graders that are wanted to explore dark and gothic literature that isnt too scary. A great debut

This magical story of humans becoming angels to rise to the sky can also be seen as a metaphor for death and loss. The writing is simple and enchanting. And this big mechanical house perched on a rock is the perfect setting for a dream - or a nightmare. Not to mention the vulture-like monsters and the alcoholic parents.

Recommend for 11+.
Between gothic, steampunk and magical realism.

I found Fledgling to be quite slow to get going and although it is a well written book, which I knew I would be able to read from start to finish, it wasn’t something that gripped my imagination until about three quarters of the way through. I stuck with it and ultimately am really glad I did.
The books tells the story of Cassie, a girl whose mum or mother as she calls her, is obsessed with singing and a dad (papa), who is a little strange and is often off on trips. One stormy day, a cherub is blown in to Cassie’s bedroom and there begins an adventure, a challenge of sorts, to keep Cassie, her best friend and the cherub safe.
Lucy Hope does a great job at bringing the characters to life with her descriptions and I particularly enjoyed the parts where Crunch and Grind, two nurses, were involved.
There are elements of this book that are slightly scary but on the whole it is just a lovely fantasy story, which is worth reading right to the end; it will make you think about friendships and family and the actions people take to care for you.

Middle grade historical fantasy is quite a saturated genre - and for me unfortunately, this book did not really stand out. There's nothing overtly wrong with it, but the writing did not pull me in. It did contain some beautiful imagery, and I loved the house built by different generations.

In the year 1900, Cassie Engel lives in an unusual house perched precariously on top of a tall rock on the edge of the Bratvian Forest overlooking to town of Edenburg. She lives with her cold and aloof opera-singing mother, her enthusiastic but not particularly skilful taxidermist father, and her grandma who is gravely ill.

One night, during a violent storm, a cherub flies into Cassie’s room. But this is only the beginning of a series of mysterious happenings that will transform her life irrevocably.

The cherub herself is more birdlike than babylike and is an intriguingly ambiguous character—both vulnerable and powerful. Cassie feels a strongly protective urge towards her, but when Cassie is attacked by the sturmfalken—predatory birds—the cherub defends her, and Cassie begins to suspect that the little angel has come to her for a particular reason.

The sturmfalken are gathering in the forest, Cassie’s parents are acting strangely, and something is happening to her best friend, Raphael. As the storm clouds gather, Cassie, Raphael and the cherub must solve the mystery of Raphael’s birth and protect themselves from the threat that is looming from the sky.

I loved Cassie’s weird house, full of innovative inventions like the ‘zip’—a steam-powered platform that acts a lift, and a mechanical roof that opens like the petals of a flower. The Bavarian setting gives the book a dark, Grimm’s Fairy Tale feel, while the sinister characters, dreamlike prose and uncanny owls imbue it with hint of Twin Peaks-style surrealism.

‘Fledgling’ is a startlingly original and eerily atmospheric tale, perfect for fans of Frances Hardinge. I was thoroughly captivated, and utterly blindsided by the ending. Highly recommended.