The Supernatural Society by Rex Ogle was a fun, fantastical, middle grade read packed with lots of diversity.

Middle grade books always tend to be the highlight of my reads. They are so fun and bring me back to my elementary school reading days. Sure, I'm an adult now, but who doesn't love a whimsical adventure with friends? After all this time, I still love sneaking away to a middle grade book. The nostalgia is real.

The Supernatural Society by Rex Ogle popped into my lap and I couldn't help but be excited and giddy. I love fantasy reads in the middle grade world - they explore world building, friendship, magic, science, and all things cool! This book was all of that and more! There's diverse sets of monsters (and cultures!) in this book that can make everyone feel at home. There's some mystery and empathy in this book too, as we truly feel for Will since his life has been turned upside down during a divorce. We all had something like that as a kid - some thing that we struggled with, whether it be losing friends, divorce, difficulty at school, etc. We've all been Will in some way.

So, you might have picked up on some of the story so far in this review. Will moves away with his Mom and his best friend/dog Fitz after his Dad gets up and leaves his family. They move to East Emerson, which seems weird and uninviting at first... but proves to be even worse than we imagined because it's full of monsters! But only Will can see them... His Mom thinks he's crazy! The teachers, the crossing guard... There's monsters galore! Eventually he meets some friends at school, adopted siblings Linus and Ivy. Linus is a smart guy who really only wants to focus on his studies, and his sister Ivy is a bit of an outcast, but she does see the monsters too! When Fitz goes missing, along with many other animals in the town, Will, Linus and Ivy team up to try to solve the mystery of the missing pets.

Oh, did I mention there's witches, vampires, a mystical fox, a curse, and more magic and science packed tight in this book? It's all so engaging and fun! This book will keep you on your toes and hooked around every corner.

I did love the diversity packed into this book. It feels like home. It's not just one culture or one person, it has almost everyone you can imagine. Throw in the sarcastic and fun narrator, and you've got one excellent read.

It's reminiscent of reading a book that mashed Harry Potter, Percy Jackson and A Series of Unfortunate Events together. We've got a set of three friends, sarcasm galore, and lots of fun, fantasy hijinks. It's not a carbon copy of these by any means, but it reminds me of those books from my youth. I will say this book is a family friendly story that does not go deep into the dark realms at all. I can see anyone ages six and up taking a stab at this book (depending on your reading level, of course).

My only negative for this book is how it ends. The Supernatural Society sets up a large series (that will hopefully be coming soon!). I like books that can stand alone without having to fear that you need to read the next book as soon as possible to continue the story. While I do think that I would pick up the next books in a heartbeat, I really didn't want to be left on a cliffhanger of "find out what hijinks from our friends are next..." in case the next book never comes. So, here's hoping I can get my hands on the next copy to continue seeing our new, fantastical friends.

Four out of five stars.

I received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads. ( )

I'm big fan of Ogle's other work, but I don't like this one. It's well written, as a highly stylized type of children's fiction, but I really disliked Lemony Snicket, too, and that's what it reminds me of. Just not my cup of tea.