I was given this audiobook in exchange for an honest review by NetGalley.

This book is a great middle grade read; it was age appropriate without being patronising. The audiobook was fun to listen to and there was never a dull moment. It had magic, technology, political intrigue, mystery and riddles that the reader could partake in.

I felt that this book did a good job of teaching empathy and an understanding for the lives and difficulties of others to younger readers.

My highest praise for this book is that the main characters felt very real. Often in middle grade (and YA) fantasy stories a child is thrown into this magical world and somehow instantly becomes this all skilled, perfect hero. The children in this book are scared, confused, unsure of who to trust and use their very believable skills to get by. While they are the main characters, they are not all powerful heroes who save the day. I really liked that about this book and I think characters like this should appear more in middle grade stories.

Now on to what I didn't like so much about this book.
The worldbuilding, including the setting and technology level, in this story felt underdeveloped and ill-defined however, from how the book ended it seems like this will be explored more in later books.
Secondly, for me personally, there lacked some depth in the character development of the MCs. On this note, I will say that this is probably due to the fact that it is middle grade and I am reading it as an adult. It has not affected my rating of the book as I feel like it would be suitable for the target audience.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with this book to review!

Rating: 4.5 Stars
Genre: fantasy, mystery, middle grade
Format: Audiobook
Duration: 5hrs 11mins
Representation: N/A
Content warnings: N/A

The world building in this book was amazing. The themes and plot were flushed out pretty well. The kids were pretty well rounded but I wish we could have learned even more about the parents. Hoping there will be a sequel with how the book ended!

Relatively Normal Secrets by C.W. Allen is a fun story that I can see elementary and middle grade children enjoying. It is fast paced and full of adventure. I see many children being captivated by the world Allen creates.

The story was enjoyable enough to keep me entertained on my commute to and from work. It also wrapped up enough for me at the end that I don’t feel the need to read the next book. However, I think young people will be driven to pick up the next book to find out what happens next in Tuesday’s and Zed’s lives.

The narrator of the audiobook was not my favourite. She has great potential and incredible colour to her voice. Unfortunately, her vocal dynamics where too extreme for my sound sensitive ears. It felt like she was constantly moving from an explosive sforzando to a restrained pianississimo. I kept having to adjust the volume so I could either not be blasted by sound, or so that I could hear what was being said. It was a bit fatiguing. However, I am very sensitive to sound and will probably be in the small minority of people who struggled with this.

Thank you NetGalley for providing me with a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
#RelativelyNormalSecrets #NetGalley

The narrator in this audiobook was absolutely amazing. Their voice was so perfect for the way this was written. Of course, since this is a middle grade book, this was marketed for a much younger audience, so picking a narrator like Ivy Tara Blair who can bring the words to life was a perfect choice. I’ve listened to a fair share of audiobooks in my life, ranging from middle grade to adult and this was my favorite yet.
But of course, I cannot focus on how it was narrated alone.
I love the fact that the characters were really acting their age because there are instances in some books in which the protagonists act twice their age. Obviously even though Zed was younger than Tuesday, it makes sense that he was able to navigate through this new world they fell in since he is fond of mystery books (same, Zed). This became really helpful in decoding secret messages like the ones in the nursery rhymes. Tuesday is your average teenage girl who questions almost everything. Who are these people, where are they, how are they related to this entire mess, and so on and so forth. Their dynamic duo reminds me of Mabel and Dipper from Gravity Falls. And of course, I think every pet in a book is absolutely lovable. I would want my own Nyx, thank you very much. Nyx reminds me of my mom’s dog, Claire. Neither of them won’t listen to anyone except to their true owner and are very loyal pets. I’m just glad Claire doesn’t burst into flames or electrocute fishes.
If I close my eyes right now, I have a clear picture of where this was set. The way Falinnheim was described was so vivid that it was as if I was on the journey with them. The way that the world-building was written really tells us that this was just the beginning of their journey. I wonder if the paperback version of this book had a map because that would really be even more helpful for the younger audience to take note of where the events are currently unfolding.
C.W. Allen’s writing style reminds me so much of Lemony Snicket, especially with the quirky and witty banters between the characters. This was fast-paced and can be definitely read in one sitting. The way this was written reminds me so much of bed-time stories, which is a good thing. I highly recommend this book to those who loved The Series of Unfortunate Events.
I only didn’t like the part that almost all our questions have been answered on literally the last chapter of the book. The author could have at least added a chapter or two more than to end it so abruptly. I was kind of hoping for an epilogue after Chapter 27, but I got nothing. The plot twist at the end gave me Insurgent by Veronica Roth vibes (if you know, you know) and I honestly didn’t care much for it. Although, this may play a much bigger role for the second book. But for a middle grade book, I honestly believe that the first book should not end with a “cliffhanger.”
Obviously, I loved this book but there were certain elements that I was searching for. A little magic, more secret messages (aside from the nursery rhymes), and more of Nyx’s abilities because I believe that Nyx could do more. There were some parts in which the story felt a little dragged out but it didn’t bother me too much.

Overall, this is something I most likely would pick up again for a quick and fun read. I would love to continue with this series especially when the sequel, “The Secret Benefits of Invisibility”, is also available on NetGalley. I would give this book 3.5 stars.

Special thanks to NetGalley for giving me access to the audiobook version in exchange of an honest review.

3.5 stars
Fun and adventurous story of two young and unusual children learning about their parents' secrets. Made for young children, but there is something for everyone in this story. The characters are loveable and the world building is interesting. Good for lovers of A Series of Unfortunate Events!

This is a fun middle grade fantasy featuring siblings who discover a new world while running away from kidnappers. I like this plot device, a la Narnia, where characters from the real world stumble upon a fantasy land. It makes the reader feel like this could happen to them, if only they found the right closet, doorway, or lake to dive into.

The story was cute and not too complicated. I liked their dog companion and think every kid needs a protector like that. One thing I didn't love was their parents giving a huge info dump about their whole history and the world. I would have preferred we learn some of this as we went through the plot. Other than that, it's a cute and quick read and I'm happy that there's already a sequel coming.

I listened to the audiobook for this and thought the narrator was great. She did a good job with the kids' voices without sounding comical.

I voluntarily read and reviewed this book. All opinions are my own. Thank you to Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA), Members' Audiobooks, and NetGalley for the copy

I listened to the audiobook version of this book and it did not disappoint! The narrator did a wonderful job and kept me interested in the storyline. Although I am an adult I thoroughly enjoyed following along on Tuesday and Zed’s adventures and didn’t want to stop listening! This is a great story for young adults with the right amount of humor, fantasy, and adventure!

I received this audiobook from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This book is absolutely delightful! It is fun, cute, and creative and reminds me a lot of A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle (without all the Christian undertones). I could imagine when my baby is old enough (she is only 1 year now) listening to this book in the car on a trip. I think that she would find it very interesting and engaging -- there is a lot of action, riddles (that are easy for adults but maybe for challenging for young children), and a happy ending.

The book ends on sort of a cliff hanger, so I wonder if there will be a second book. I'll be watching and waiting with fingers crossed!

On the surface this is a well known story of travels between worlds, but I like the twists that makes this story stand out to me.

The siblings Zed and Tuesday live an ordinary life with their parents an their dog. Ordinary, but also a bit mysterious. They don’t even know what their father works with. Why do they have such weird names? And is their dog really an ordinary dog?
When their parents leave for a work trip things get even more mysterious and the kids are swept away to another world where nursery rhymes are the only clues they find.

The story moves on in a fast pace and we get to discover this new world together with Zed and Tuesday. The narrator has a way of getting their personalities through and still keeping the flow of the storytelling.
The world building is similar to our own, but in a different, and inconsistent, time line. There are dodo birds and swords as well as modern comforts. It’s refreshing that it’s not just a medieval setting they encounter.
There are good and bad in this new world - of course - but they are not painted in black and white. Everything is not how it appears at first. The siblings have their own personal ways of acquiring information and they make up a good team. The story has it’s twists and turns and though they get into trouble over and over it’s not too scary for the younger audience. Exciting and worrying in a good way, but not scary. I think this start of a series has the potential to be a really good one.

Overall, this was a fun book with engaging characters and a fun world. It has some weaknesses, but I don't think that will get in the way of the target audience enjoying this book.

The two main characters of this story are fun, smart, and entertaining. They have strong personalities with individual strengths and weaknesses. They feel real and relatable in our world and the new world they find themselves in. I appreciated that all the characters had unique quirks and personalities, including the adult characters the kids encounter on the journey. I enjoyed the lists as a way of establishing character.

The ending and the beginning of the book were somewhat underwhelming. While the beginning did a lot to set up the characters and explain that there were secrets involved, it took a lot of time before the action started happening. It would have been more enjoyable if the action had started sooner rather than spending so much time on the kids arguing about whether there was something suspicious happening with their parents. The ending felt somewhat anticlimactic and that there should be a lot to come. The book is the first in the series, but it didn't feel complete as its own story, and I didn't feel particularly motivated to keep reading the series either.

The world-building had many interesting aspects that I would have liked to see more of. There were enough hints to show this world is a unique sci-fi/medieval fantasy world. I enjoyed its creative ideas and concepts, but I ended the book feeling like I never got a real sense of what being in this world is truly like. It felt like reading a tourist brochure rather than getting to experience it myself.

The nursery rhymes were a fun idea and done in a way I hadn't seen before. I enjoyed them being a unique way to communicate in this world. The twist at the end was very predictable, but it was still enjoyable to get to it for the most part.

Audiobook review: While it wasn't the most engaging audiobook I've listened to, the narrator did a good job of expressing the story for the most part. A few moments were a little overwhelming, but I recommend this audiobook for people who read books in that format.

Thank you to NetGalley for letting me have an audiobook version of this book to review.

I loved every minute of this book! We follow two siblings, Tuesday and Zed as they are whisked away on an adventure to find out what happened to their parents. With peculiar names and so many questions, Tuesday preps us for a fantastic whirlwind of secrets, magic, monstrous pets, and the fact that her family is anything but normal. Zed brings the analytical side of every part of the novel giving you a different perspective throughout the book. I highly recommend it!

Good first book for a kids series. Lots of questions to answer and a wonderful fantasy world to dig into. Plus there's a magic dog. Always a win

A lot of fun!

The world-building was a really interesting mix of fantasy and technology, and the discovery of the world as the main characters got further into the story was well done.
Zed and Tuesday were the perfect mix of curious and paranoid, definitely a relatable story for kids with active imaginations but beware, young readers may start believing their parents are hiding secrets!!

I would put this at the young end of middle grade, and would have torn through a series like this when I was that age.

The only downside for me was the narration. Not sure if it's just the ARC copy but many of the breaths were left in so it constantly sounded like the narrator was gasping or sighing - which messed with the impact of some of the passages. (Ex. A huge GASP followed by a standard 'they stopped for supper' phrase was... disorienting. I was expecting a bear or something.)

Thanks to NetGalley & the publisher for access to the Audiobook ARC.

I really liked the audiobook for this, the narration fitted rlly well with the story and made it a delight to listen to! You can tell that this is the first book in a MG series as the majority of the book is spent creating a good sense of our characters, the world which they will be involved in and getting them there, with a rather simple objective of finding out where they are/getting home. I really liked the characters, especially the dog, and I loved what they did with her! Id definitely want to read more !!

It has been a while since I either read or listened to a children/middle grade fiction. I decided to give this series a try and clicked on 'Listen Now' because of the quirky cover design and the blurb. Incidentally, it was the second book in the series 'The Secret Benefits of Invisibility' that popped up first on NetGalley and I was getting pretty confused with regards to what was actually going on in the book when the first title soon followed and helped me a great deal in understanding the plot line.

Both are fun books to listen to with two very precocious and smart children as protagonists and is a mixture of Sci-fi adventure- with an alternate dimension world called Falinnheim (which is a mix of medieval and futuristic technology) as the backdrop- mystery solving( with clues being nursery rhymes!) and a struggle to bring the rightful government back in power in Falinnheim. Tuesday, the eldest of the two children, is quite hyper while Zed is someone who, in desi terms, can be described as 'chota packet bara dhamaka'. Also, Falinnheim is a world where the yearly calendar is based on seasons and not months (as both Tuesday and Zed find out in book two).

This is a fun series which children, whose age group it is aimed at, will surely enjoy listening. I am not sure how many books this series will consist of but it has started off well. Ivy Tara Blair does a very good job as the narrator; her narration is lively and plays a big role in keeping the interest of the listener.

I received an audio Arc of both the books from the publisher Cinnibar Moth Publishing LLC and the author C. W. Allen via NetGalley. Since I listened to both the books back to back, this is my review for both the books.

Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟 (both audiobooks).

Thank you to Cinnabar Moth Publishing and Net Galley for access to an ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

A fun take on portal fantasy for the technological age, with a technological second world rather than the usual generic medieval aesthetics. The nursery rhyme plot device was ingenious and fun, even for an older reader! The characters were interesting, engaging to listen to, and played off each other well.

I would have loved more in-depth and solid worldbuilding as I felt a little lost at times as to the dynamic of the world itself, but I'm sure there will be more of this in the second book.

This book felt a little younger than I expected – I know it's middlegrade, but I was expecting 9-12 and felt it was more suitable for 5-9. However, I still enjoyed the book overall once I adjusted to the tone.

3/5

While I received a copy of this audiobook in return for my honest review, all opinions remain my own.

I loved this book up until the last second. The only reason I didn't like it is because it ended so abruptly that I thought at first my phone stopped. But, it didn't, the book just had a very abrupt ending. This story was magical and funny. I really did enjoy it, just wish it had more of a conclusion. I believe books (even those in a series) should be complete enough to stand alone. While this story did that, it still ended with me feeling unsatisfied. That's the only reason for the loss of a star. Hopefully there are more books to come in this magical story so I can see what happens!

Doesn’t quite hit the mark for me….

I wanted to love this book it had so many things I want in a middle grade adventure story but it just didn’t work for me. I just didn’t get on with our two main characters, the pacing was off -sometimes it dragged and ruined the faster flow, and overly describing puzzles, explanations, and situations throughout the novel while not following up on this for the ending.

I felt I may have enjoyed this more in the written format as I feel there were many aspects to the puzzles and Zed’s lists that would have worked better when being able to see them.

I’ll continue with the second book as I am interested where it goes and maybe some of the kinks will be straightened out.

I’d recommend it for a 10 year old to listen to, and will keep them entertained on long journeys during the holidays.

Relatively Normal Secrets by C.W. Allen is a fast paced novel that will be great for upper elementary school and middle school children. The characters are funny and there is an air of mystery in the story that is sure to grab the readers attention.

A band of characters that live in a special world with their own type of mystery and magic that makes the story creative and engaging.

I will be purchasing this book for my daughter and recommending it for the school's library too.

Thank you to NetGalley and Cinnabar Moth Publishing LLC for this copy in exchange for an honest review.

Very cute middle grade book. Great fantasy story and world building. Cute characters who are smart and resourceful in a realistic way. Author did a great job and even as an adult, I’ll be looking forward to the rest of the series!