My book went on a blog tour in the beginning of March and below are the reviews it received. Big thanks to Travelling Pages Book Tours for a great tour!
Tali’s Library
(Instagram: @talis.library)
Full Review (Edited for length) Pick up if you like: The Spiderwick Chronicles series by Tony DiTerlizzi and Holly Black, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll, and The Edge Chronicles series by Paul Stewart and Chris Riddell
Olly & The Spores of Oak Hill is a YA fantasy with heart, providing a wonderful cast of characters with emphasis on their relationships – including a healthy family dynamic which is a joy to read. Moving to a new town can be hard for a teenager, especially when starting a new school, and having a run in with the local bullies on your first day in town! However, with the help of new friend Ember, Olly manages to approach everything with positivity, love, and care.
Mushrooms and Botany
I absolutely LOVE anything to do with mushrooms, and have quite a soft spot for botany, so following Olly and Ember as they appreciated the creatures and plants around them was truly enjoyable. From “Olly’s Herbarium” to Poppy protecting the town’s rabbit population, Glenn Somodi wrote the landscape and fauna in such a way that I could picture the beauty and whimsy of it all.
Final Thoughts
Olly & The Spores of Oak Hill is a wonderful start to a series full of YA fantasy charm, mystery, and fun. Whilst Glenn Somodi has some room to develop his writing, and perhaps invest in some more editors going forward, this book is utterly enjoyable, and one I would certainly share with my children in the future. Additionally, the artwork Glenn Somodi created for the book is beautiful!
Worth reading 😎
Prodigious world-building skills, clever word play, & a nimble plot fuel this entertaining weft of imagination, inspiration, and mystery.
Lil.bit_reads
(Instagram: @lil.bit_reads)
FIVE BIG STARS: Five big stars for this middle-grade fantasy adventure! The characters are relatable and authentic, the setting is enchanting, and the plot is full of magic, and heart. A delightful story for readers of all ages! I’m already looking forward to the next book in this whimsical series!
Tawny Molina
(Instagram: @tawny.molina87)
Read full review: (Edited for length) Olly and the Spores of Oak Hill by Glenn Somodi is one of the cutest and most exciting books I have read this year. .. The author gives us everything from the little clothing that the spore sometimes wears, including a pair of adorable little overalls on my new favorite character, to detailed descriptions about the tunnels and trees the Spores live under. We are even given an elaborate ceremony about how these adorable little people reproduce. The Spores will live in my mind for a long time. I am looking forward to the rest of their adventures. More of Olly and his family, too, but mostly more Spores, please! They are just so darn cute!
Sheila Samuelson
(Instagram: @sheilasamuelson7190)
5 Stars!! This was the most enjoyable and adorable YA Fantasy Novel I’ve read in a long time, i absolutely loved it!! If you love talking mushrooms (Spores) and Animals then this book is definitely for you!! The Characters were so interesting and enjoyable to read about. Olly, Ember, Bella, Truffle and Magpie were my favorites by far tho it was hard to pick just one but i LOVED how it ended with Olly and Ember I’m so happy for them!! The Setting was beautifully described which made me feel like i was actually in Littleton, Massachusetts while reading, especially when the scenery was described. Overall a Phenomenally Adorable Book 1 in this YA Fantasy Series!! Can’t wait to read Book 2 when it comes out!!
ABlueBoxFullOfBooks
(Instagram: @ablueboxfullofbooks)
Olly & The Spores of Oak Hill is an entertaining and adorable Middle Grade Urban Fantasy novel sharing an important message about ecology and love of nature. Little did Olly expect that the house of his deceased grandfather would hide such treasures ! The house and surrounding forests are mysterious and beautiful, and the perfect playground paradise for the aspiring herbalist teenager. But Olly’s grandfather had a secret that he only shared with his grandson : Oak Hill is not only charming, but also the living place of a small magical community. Olly & The Spores of Oak Hill is enchanting, and very well written. I enjoyed every aspect of the story : the world building, the characters’ relationship. I love how we discover the town of Littleton, Massachusetts along with the hero, as the book begins with the death of his grandfather, and the move to the house his parents inherited. This novel is not only a Fantasy novel, but also a mystery, as part of the first book follows Olly as he tries to discover his grandfather’s secret.I devoured this first book of the series. I loved the mysterious and folkloric atmosphere of the story and can definitely not wait to read the rest.
Diane’s Book Journal
(Instagram: @dianesbookjournal)
5 Stars: This is a fantastic fantasy for all ages and I found it an enchanting and entertaining read. It takes you on an adventure and you find yourself taking the journey with the characters and rooting for Olly and his friends as they discover a common goal and a cause to stand up for. The book is well-written with great character introduction and development, a creative storyline and each chapter keeps you entertained. I loved the characters and found them genuine and relatable. I really enjoyed the journey with Olly, Ember and the Spores. I was totally engrossed with the story and didn’t want it to end. It took me back to my childhood and brought back memories of the books that started my wonderful reading journey. It is a great book and a fun read for everyone no matter your age and I didn’t want it to end. Olly & The Spores of Oak Hill is definitely worth the read and I absolutely recommend it!
Elizabeth Ness
(Instagram: @elizabeth.ness.56)
5/5 FUN STARS – The Perfect Escape! Glenn Somodi gives us a truly entertaining and enjoyable read. This story is just SO fun. I was so lost in these pages and completely hooked on these characters. Olly And The Spores of Oak Hill is an adventure full of joy that left me yearning for MORE! This was definitely a delightful reading experience.
Grace Jackson
(Instagram: @reads.grace)
This book was adorable. It reminded me a lot of Bridge to Terabithia. Easy read for children to follow along. There was some darker elements to this book maybe hard for kids to read, like murder. But I loved the story! I can’t wait to read the rest of this series and have my own kids read this book. I know the kids were meant to be 15, but I imagined them more as 12 with their mannerisms. Some stories like to stay, in mystery, in dusty old books, and some others in your heart. There are many that reside in my heart. Don’t fear, I do not let them be forgotten in the library of forgotten books, I do my timely maintenance and dusting in my heart that always keep me reminiscing the good times and good books. The Oak hill estate is like some of the old books I read, it is full of mysteries, dust, and forgotten in a world where people do not care to look with their eyes open and hearts clean. It is a book that draws in the veil of fantasy and makes it a reality. A reality so good that it might just frighten you but always remember, in every good there exists a bad but also in every bad there is some good. The not-so-untimely but fairly suspicious death of Oliver is bad we are talking about her, one must wonder what good can ever come from losing your grandfather. Well, in this case, it is Olly’s family moving into his grandpa’s estate. An estate with boundaries that stretch beyond reality, surrounded by not just mystery-laden forest trees but also mysterious creatures that nobody has laid their eyes on in a long-long time. This here is a story that rejuvenates all the old tales coming from Narnia, to bridge to Terrabithia and all the old feel-good movies that I have watched since my inception to fantasy and reading. The prose pulls you in and sticks to you like a wasp in a tarantula’s web. I love the ambiance that is structured inside the book and also the brilliant characterization. Some things might bring a tinge of nostalgia but more than that it brings back the old smell of adventure that came before textbooks, work, and assignments. A world that is full of fun and wonder.
Alison Shane
(Instagram: @AlisonShaneReads)
https://www.alisonshanereads.com/
4 Stars: (edited for length) This book was adorable. It reminded me a lot of Bridge to Terabithia. Easy read for children to follow along. There was some darker elements to this book maybe hard for kids to read, like murder. But I loved the story! I can’t wait to read the rest of this series and have my own kids read this book. I know the kids were meant to be 15, but I imagined them more as 12 with their mannerisms.
Katie Marie Dawn Pafford
(Instagram: @Kitmdp)
5 Stars: The book starts with an ending, which is a big bold move for a YA book but made it interesting from the beginning. In this story, we follow Oren’s son, daughter-in-law, and grandson to Oak Hill house and the land Oren left his family. This is such a great YA fantasy read, I enjoyed all the characters and the story. The mushrooms (spores) are adorable. Oren is the sort of grandpa we all wish we could have, the woods is a place I love being and always want to be anywhere in the world I would want to be in the woods. This book made me feel like I was in Littleton and in the woods. I can’t wait for book 2.
Hidden Bookshelf
(Instagram: @hiddenbookshelf_)
4/5 Stars: (Edited for length) This story was beyond cute! I loved every moment of it. It was different from the books I’ve been recently reading which was a breath of fresh air 🍄 I really enjoyed the storyline and all the adventures Olly and the Spores went on! The ending was also a good one, but I won’t spoil it for you all 😊
Kim Wilch
(Instagram: @onemoreexclamation)
https://www.instagram.com/onemoreexclamation/
Full review – The story came alive with wonderful imagination and world building. The whimsical and genuine characters took me along for their great adventure. I can’t wait for more!
Amanda
(Instagram: @bambireadsbooks)
4 Stars: (Edited for length) All through we are given little hints and clues at to the next plot twist coming down the tunnel. Once the mystery unfold and the children put the pieces together using the clues left by the late poppy. They are drawn into a magical would that was right beneath their feet the whole time. I loved the description of the Cavern and homes of the spores it sounds absolute magical – (giving Avatar tree vibes). The reproducing ceremony was super cute as well, like cabbage patch kids for mushrooms. Those babies sound so adorable, and their value for life is refreshing and instills a sense of urgently to protect in the character and the witnessing reader. I enjoyed the support and relationship growth between the children and the spores, even with all the mall building drama they stay true to each other. I Enjoyed the read and look forward to book two.
BookClubFor1
(Instagram: @bookclubfor1)
5/5 Stars – This was such a fun read. I loved all the characters and the story line. I cant wait to read about more of their adventures.
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