A tale of fantasy that incorporates the importance of family and friendship. When you’ve been made to face unimaginable fears, others are put into perspective.

Benjamiah is a loner; his friends the numerous books that he’s surrounded by in his family’s bookshop. He loves facts and science and rather prides himself on always knowing about a great many things. He is currently worried as his parents are not getting on and is terrified by the thought of them splitting up and the impact that will have on his life as he knows it. What will happen – how will his life be if his parents aren’t together? So he is unimpressed when a doll suddenly arrives in the post for him and even more unimpressed, together with a huge sense of bewilderment when the said doll turns into a monkey and wreaks havoc on his room. A few days later he is unbelievably following it down into the cellar, where he passes through a door that he never even knew existed…. and into a completely different world.

In this baffling world full of magic – and Benjamiah most definitely does not believe in magic, he wanders lost with his doll transforming in a monkey and a bird and demolishing the market that he finds himself in. That lands him at the police station where a kind stranger rescues him – taking him home. There, his kind benefactor’s daughter Elizabella very much resents his presence as she feels he is replacing her lost brother. Elizabella is very much set of finding her brother Edwin. Benjamiah is pulled reluctantly into going with her and there begins a huge and dangerous adventure. Spurred on by Elizabella’s determination to find her brother and Benjamiah’s reluctance to leave her to do it alone, the children face challenge after challenge, surviving betrayals and overcoming more fears then they could ever have imagined.

The book is pacy and has some lovely twists and unexpected turns. There are enough clues to suspect where the plot is leading yet it still retains a few surprises. As we go through, we experience Benjamiah’s fear of his family life as he knows it breaking up and his gradual realisation of how being a ‘know-all’ isn’t always the best thing. It’s a book that can be read and liked equally by boys and girls given that both sexes are represented as key characters. There are various discussion points that can be pulled from the book. Family an obvious one, friendship another, as well as the idea of magic vs science and the escapism of fiction vs the usefulness of non-fiction. It is a long book, so will perhaps work better for book clubs rather than formal classroom settings.

First of all i just wanted to thank Jordan and publishers for the penguin random house UK /puffin for such a wonderful read .

I really enjoyed the world building in this amazing book ,it also filled me with so much excitement, and trust me this book was full of it and plenty of magic .
i really loved the growth of the friendship between Benjamiah and Elizbella they made me just feel so much happiness which really helped me connect more to the story ,

the book over all i thought was enchanting ,cosy , fast paced , warm , fun loving with so many plot twists which i love having the carpet pulled from under my feet it did that for me ,spine chilling and opened a whole new love for me in to middle grade books .

Jordan writing i found refreshing i really need that , i will be reading more by Jordan . i think i have just found a new favourite author .

i'm giving this wonderful fantasy 5 stars

Most of what I read is crime but always had a soft spot for fantasy and wow did this deliver. Everything about it sang - the world, those in it, and such an amazing premise.. can’t wait to read what comes next.

Possibly my favourite book of the year so far...and well up there on top releases in the last few years!!! This is a joy to read...I've not been a young adult for many years, but I feel my life would have been enriched had I been at the target catchment age! In fact, forget ages...this is a fantastic book for anyone...The world (s) are richly imagined, and magical in a unique way....The main characters have excellent traits and induce empathy...you find yourself willing them on their dangerous journey. I was surprised to read at the end that this will be the first book in a series as closure seemed obviously completed, however I'll be in the queue for the next episode to find out....unless of course the author wishes to send me another advanced read, in which case I'd gladly review that one too. Many thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and the author...take a bow Mr Lees, this is a magnificent read, thank you! Do yourself a favour and make your life just a little brighter!

Jordan Lees debut novel - The Whisperwicks is a fabulous read.
As a teacher, I am always searching for engaging novels that will keep older children hooked and The Whisperwicks does exactly that. Filled with adventure and intrigue it definitely keeps the reader absorbed in the story.

Benjamiah doesnt believe in magic, he believes in facts and he believes that his parents will resolve their rocky relationship. He spends his days in his grandma's bookshop until one evening a doll appears - Ben doesn't know where this doll has appeared from and he definitely doesnt believe that the doll can transform into a bird. The bird takes Ben into another world where Ben is surrpounded by magic and it's in this new world where he meets Hansel and his daughter Elizabella - a twin who is searching for her brother Edwid.

Elizabella and Benjamiah set off on the most treacherous of journeys - searching for the Whisperwicks that Edwid has left behind - hoping that once they have located them all - it will lead to Edwid.

A truly wonderful tale with a twist at the end - perfect for UKS2 children.

It took me a little while to get fully immersed in this one, but sticking with it paid off - i enjoyed Benjamiah's cynicism as he stumbles into a magical labyrinthine land, and there were some fun twists on familiar tropes and myths throughout. Would have absolutely died for a poppet when i was ten years old, and I'm excited for further books set in these two worlds.

A beautifully written, dark and epic fantasy for YA readers, I adored this and devoured it so fast. Well rounded characters.

A great new series for younger readers! It’s magical, it’s creative, it’s exactly what I look for in a fantasy series for kids. I loved the idea of the poppets and the labyrinth itself, it made things feel so magical, even though it is not the kind of world I’d like to live in.

This book explored a lot of deep themes, including grief and divorce. Benjamiah’s parents are going through a divorce in the book, which Benjamiah is very against and it shows a lot of his feelings about it. Elizabella is coping with the disappearance of her brother and all the grief and emotions surrounding that. I feel that this is a good way for children to be introduced to these themes in a fantasy setting.

This was a really great start to the series. I really enjoyed it and was completely gripped from the start. I can’t wait for people to discover it too.

A compelling and gripping read that will appeal to a certain type of reader. Fans of Philip Pullman will be thrilled to have a new world of dark mazes to get involved with! The concept of the writer and the atmosphere also reminded me of ;The Shadow of the Wind' but for children. It is a chunky read though so it will be more able readers with stamina who can see it through.

Whisperwicks: The Labyrinth of Lost and Found took us to a new and inventive world where people live in a labyrinth where, were they to step away from their local vicinity, they become completely lost. People in this world are also accompanied by poppets, which kind of remind me of daemons from the His Dark Materials series by Philip Pullman or the characters met by Coraline by Neil Gaiman.

While, overall, I enjoyed the story, I did find it a bit of struggle to get into at first. As the story developed and I began to understand the idea more fully, I became more invested in the idea and it is a great way to draw parallels with Greek mythology.

I liked the idea of the main character dealing with his own challenges back home and how the process of being in this new world helped him develop and grow and deal with his own worries but I never really felt that I became properly invested in him terribly and I missed that emotional connection. I did appreciate the development that explained how Benjemiah happened to come about the poppet as for much of the story, this just didn’t make sense to me.

Overall, an enjoyeable read that I would recommend to my learners, especially those who enjoy this sort of adventure a would have the stamina to keep going until the story kicks in.

A fabulous yarn for older children / young adults. For those who love magic and fantasy worlds. I can’t wait to read it to my 8 year old granddaughter hwen she comes to stay.

The Whisperwicks: The Labyrinth of Lost and Found is a stunning, dark epic fantasy that swept me into an unforgettable quest in a richly imagined world with two incredibly brave children, hoping to find what they have lost.

Eleven-year-old Benjamiah Creek loves reading factual books and believes in science and logic. But everything he believes in is challenged when he is sent a strange doll – a poppet which transforms into a capuchin money, a dormouse and a nightjar. When he follows the nightjar into the cellar of the Once Upon a Time bookshop, he steps through a door into another bookshop … and another world … Wreathenwold, a place where everyone carries a poppet doll at their waist - and a place where magic most definitely exists.

Soon finding himself at the mercy of the Hanged Men (the law enforcers) Benjamiah gets help from Hansel who is searching for his missing son. He takes him to his bookshop, Follynook, where he meets his daughter, Elizabella, who is far from welcoming, feeling the pain and loss of her missing twin.

When Benjamiah discovers Elizabella leaving her home, determined to find her missing brother, Edwid, he goes with her, leaving a promise to her father that he will return the siblings to their home, but is it a promise he can keep?

And so begins the most breath-taking, page-turner of an adventure that swept me into a world I absolutely did not want to leave. I was completely captivated as I journeyed with Benjamiah and Elizabella as they seek the whisperwicks left by Edwid which they hope will lead them to him. This is an adventure where darkness and danger lurk, where secrets unfold, and where unexpected revelations will astound.

The world-building is just phenomenal from the labyrinthine streets of Wreathenwold where straying too far from home has devastating consequences to the magic system where poppets transform to animal friends, to the Hanged Men who enforce the law on behalf of the monster at its centre. I really enjoyed learning about the history of Wreathenwold at the start of each chapter which helped me understand its magic, its dangers and its secrets.

This is a story that does not shy away from exploring darkness and there are definitely some frightening scenes, characters and concepts, but there is also hope, goodness and friendship as Benjamiah and Elizabella work together to discover the truth alongside their magical friends. I think this is a world that readers really need to discover for themselves and I have no doubt they will be left utterly spellbound, and just the right amount of scared.

I loved the way magic is portrayed in this story: the magic of friendship, of family and of books and libraries alongside a magic that is given to those of Wreathenwold at birth held within the poppet dolls.

Benjamiah and Elizabella are both incredibly sympathetic protagonists who are both lost and in need of friendship and support which they find in each other and their poppets. They show incredible courage and determination in facing frightening and dangerous situations and in dealing with difficult truths. Benjamiah can see the pain and fear Elizabella has over her missing brother and wants to help her before finding his own way home, but Elizabella struggles to accept his friendship in the face of her all-consuming loss and single-minded determination to find her beloved brother. The genuine friendship that develops between them is just gorgeous – and magical!

This is a stunning, magical epic fantasy that I cannot recommend highly enough: a guaranteed Book of the Year for me, and perfect for young adventurers of 9+.

Benjemiah Creek doesn't believe in magic. He believes in science and logic, facts and evidence. When he receives a mysterious doll in the post, one that can change form into a bird or a monkey, he thinks he must be dreaming, until the monkey leads him through a door into another world. The Wreathenwold is unlike anything Benjemiah has ever experienced, and before he knows it he is caught up in a quest to help Elizabella find her brother, hoping against hope that along the way he'll find his way home.

This is Jordan Lees' debut novel, and what a great way to start. This is middle grade fantasy at its best, with a darker take on things than we often see which is something I always appreciate.

Lees did a great job with the worldbuilding for Wreathenwold. I loved that there was elements of Greek mythology woven through, but the story itself is wholly original. The plot moves at a reasonable pace, the start of the book focuses on setting things up so is a little slower, but that makes for a detailed world and only adds to the enjoyment of the rest of the book.

Benjemiah and Elizabella were both well drawn up characters. Their emotions and actions were very believable, with both children in the process of coming to terms with their lives changing. I also thought that this was a great way to examine how children can respond to grief, and showing that there are different forms of grief, such as Benjemiah facing his parents getting divorced.

I'll definitely be keeping an eye out for more Jordan Lees books in future.

Thanks to NetGalley, Penguin Random House UK Children's and Puffin for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

Although not being the target audience for this book I really enjoyed delving into this adventure where the fact-oriented Benjamiah ventures into the wonderous and dangerous realm of Wreathenwold. The author skillfully weaves together this richly intricate world based on the Greek labyrinth stories but including a magical element that is unique and engaging. I really loved the idea of the poppets and the diverse array of characters, this tale is a remarkable journey into the realm of fantasy. If you're a fan of the genre, I wholeheartedly recommend immersing yourself in this captivating story.

The only element I felt I struggled with a little with the children's names as I kept reading Benjamiah as Benjamin and Edwid as Edward.

Thank you Netgallery for this ARC in return for an honest review

Benjamiah lives above an old bookshop in Wyvern-on-the-Water. One day he receives a toy doll, but doesn’t know who it’s from. At night the doll transforms into a mischievous creature and one night leads him down to the basement and though a door he’s never seen before, he finds himself in Wreathenwold - a place full of strange streets. His doll is a ‘poppet’ in this world, everyone has one. He is rescued from the police by Hansel and finds himself on an adventure with Elizabella.
Great fantasy YA read, engaging and exciting.
Loved it.

I liked this childrens book, it has a nice few twists on the usual ' magical other world' trope. It really had me running the whole gamut of emotions throughout the book. Exciting reading.

Benjamiah lives above the family run bookshop with her grandmother whilst his parents are away trying to save their marriage when he receives a strange doll in the post. Havoc ensues and he is woken in the middle of the night and led into a magical labyrinth known as the Wreathenworld. Nothing stays the same, streets are constantly moving and it is impossible for him to find his way back to his world,

In the Wreathenworld, logical Benjamiah discovers that the doll he has received is magical and is called a poppet. Poppets are tethered to their owner and contain their powers. Lost and confused, he finds salvation in Elizabella who is frantically searching for her brother, Edwid. Swept along by her quest in the desperate hope that she will help him to return home, they follow a trail of clues through a labyrinth of darkness and danger. Can they locate the missing Edwid and will Benjamiah ever find out why he is connected to this strange world and make it safely back home to his family?

As both protagonists fight their way through the twists and turns of this exciting maze of a plot, friendship, sibling bonds and different types of grief are explored. Suitable for fans of Pullman, we read this with children age 10+ as there is a somewhat scary undercurrent and at 400+ pages, it would be an epic adventure for most younger middle graders.

Thank you to Net Galley and Puffin for sending this eBook for review consideration. All opinions are our own.

I’m having such an incredible book year that I feel like I’m repeating myself with every review.

If I’d picked this book up as a young child it would be in my top 20 (I read a lot, give me 20!), and would have a special place in my heart and my bookshelf - one of those childhood books I read at the library then buy as an adult with a heart full of remembered joy.

Benjamiah does not believe in magic, he believes in science, until a mysterious gift leads him into Wreathenwold, a vast labyrinth where even venturing a few streets can find you lost forever. He finds himself off on an adventure with Elizabella, the daughter of the man who found him and rescued him on his arrival.

This broke my heart, made me laugh, and had me on edge a lot. I absolutely flew through it. Just wonderful.

My thanks to Netgalley and Penguin Random House UK Children's for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this book and wanted to keep reading. It’s suitable for adults and children alike with a story of magic and danger. There were hints of His Dark Materials as everyone in Wreathenworld has a poppet, a doll that hangs by their side and can transform into a creature (like a daemon). Benjamiah, age 11, finds himself moving from his bookshop to another in a different world. He helps Elizabella look for her twin brother and they encounter all sorts of strange things on the way. I particularly liked Ariadne, the piece of thread, who could show them the way. There were hints of Terry Pratchett’s world as well as lots of new ideas, making this a fun read.

A magic and riveting novel that made me smile and kept me enthralled. I enjoyed what I read: plot, world building, characters.
Well done and entertaining.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine