When I tell you I finished this book in one sitting, that only tells you part of the story. I haven’t been able to concentrate enough to read for over a month so it’s saying a lot that Cas, Warrior and my other new friends not only introduced themselves to me today but grabbed my attention and held onto it.

We’re introduced to Cas, who doesn’t remember anything before waking up outside of a curiosity shop. A curiosity shop that I would happily live in, mind you.

Brought to a school for the magically gifted by a stranger, Cas soon learns that he’s the Chosen One, AKA the Foretold. As such, he’s the only one who can stop the nefarious Master of All. It’s been prophesied, after all.

You know this story, right?

The wonderful thing is you actually don’t. At all. Yes, the writings of She Who Must Not Be Named are alluded to at one point but this is not that story.

Welcome to Wayward, in the Balance Lands.

“A halfway place between this world and the Normie world. And everywhere else. That’s how it got its name - Wayward. Way through the wards.”

The Balance Lands are a mirror image of the Normie world so things may look familiar but there are some significant differences. Normies don’t travel between worlds using reflections. They don’t have Puggle the Nuggle or Hobdogglin. They probably don’t have a chute from their bedroom to the library, but they absolutely should.

I had a couple of favourite characters, Warrior and Mrs Crane. The tips of Warrior’s hair change colour with her moods! As if that wasn’t enough to endear her to me, she’s a heart of gold wrapped inside a protective layer of attitude. She’s a badass. She’s a bit of a mystery. She has pain and passion, and she’s an outcast.

Meanwhile, Mrs Crane is the school librarian. As the keeper of the books, she’d have to be pretty boring to not grab my attention. Mrs Crane is anything but boring. She also has biscuits.

Cas, Warrior, Paws and Fenix are four friends who I really enjoyed getting to know. They’re all Abnormies so their magic doesn’t work like ‘normal’ magic. What I loved more than anything about this book is the message that being different isn’t something to be ashamed of.

“Whatever people tell you about who and what you are, always remember this: normal doesn’t exist. Everyone is different, from the points of our fingers to the tips of our toes. Being different is what’s normal. It’s what makes each one of us magic, each one of us strong.”

Nathan Collins’ illustrations complemented the story well. From the quirky characters to the creatures unique to Wayward, they matched the tone of the book.

This is the first book in a series that you’d better believe I’ll be continuing.

Favourite no context quote: “I’m armed with a blanky and I’m not afraid to use it!”

Thank you so much to Walker Books for the opportunity to read this book.