Angie Thomas has never let me down before. Her writing usually draws me in so well. Her characters and prose feel so real it's as if you're there, and her stories are absolutely gripping. I can't tell you how excited I was to read her first fantasy novel. It looked so fun. I was squealing when I saw I received an ARC. Nic’s world turns upside down at a Stevie James book signing when the series’ author, TJ Retro, reveals to her that the books are actually based on his childhood, with two characters inspired by Nic’s parents. The revelation sets off a chain of events that leads to Calvin making a number of his own confessions, including that he’s actually been on the run for the past decade. Nic, JP and a newly revealed relative are thrown into a quest for an immensely powerful weapon called the Msaidizi that offers the only way to clear Calvin’s name. Representation is another important aspect; Nic, Alex, and JP are wonderful, charming, and relatable characters, and it's such a joy to see POC characters that middle-graders (and other readers) can see themselves in and relate to. I am sure these characters, but especially Nic, will become fan favourites. I didn't know what to expect when I started this new MGLit title by the incredible author that is Angie Thomas, but I'm happy to say that I really enjoyed it!! There is a little too much exposition at times, though this of course is necessary to understand this Remarkable world. But Nic, her best friend JP and later addition Alex are a threesome with strengths, foibles, great interaction and both history and a future together as the plot moves towards the first of many denouements that spell 'coming soon' for future chapters.

However, before Nic can convince her dad to start teaching her magic, a series of events launch Nic and her friends on a dangerous quest. A quest to find a dangerous magical tool to save her dad from imprisonment. And hopefully to prove he didn’t commit the crime that everyone says that he did. But what really happened to land him there in the first place? Review: Nic Blake and the Remarkables The main characters were fun and loveable. I loved the dynamic between the three by the end of the book. And I loved the family aspects especially. It was just very sweet and wholesome at times. While this was all a lot of fun, I was hoping for a stronger emotional tie to Nic. I think it's because she would tell us how much her best friend meant to her, rather than show us how much he meant to her. There were many parts of the story that happened in Nic's head, and I just didn't feel as much of it. But I think this is something that can definitely change in future books. We are only just getting to know who Nic is, and it's more than just the 'Chosen One'. I'm hoping to see her relationship with her mom and brother develop, as well as have her father become an important person not just in her life, but in the rest of her family. And yes, I want her best friend to remain part of her life!The Manifestor Prophecy ends with a sense that Nic’s greatest challenges may still lie ahead of her… which is great news for us readers! I can’t wait for the next in this series. The story is adventurous and the plot is easy to follow as most things occur in the Unremarkable’s world. The world-building was a bit of a let down though as I wanted to know so much more, however, with this being the first in a planned series hopefully those answers will come in further books.

Being a Remarkable when you live in the Unremarkable world definitely has its downsides. At least, that’s what Nic Blake thinks. At least her dad got her a hellhound for her twelfth birthday. That, admittedly, was pretty cool. But actually learning magic would be even cooler. Twelve-year-old Nic Blake, is a Remarkable living with her Remarkable dad in an Unremarkable world. A Remarkable is someone with powers and an Unremarkable is someone without. (Think HPs wizards and muggles). Though there are lots of different types of Remarkables. Overall, this is def a great start to a new series and I can’t wait to read the sequel! Its fun, its a great read for a palate cleanser and it gives hope and representation especially for people of colour ✨🤍 mention of slavery, racism, mention of cancer, grief, mention of child death, kidnapping, mention of memory loss This does not go to plan when Ms Lena reaches for Nic’s hands and is badly affected by what she unexpectedly experiences. Hurrying her from the establishment, it is clear that Nic’s dad has been shaken up by what has happened and he forbids Nic from going to a book signing later that day with best friend JP. Determined not to have her special day ruined, Nic sneaks out to join JP and the two of them head to the bookstore where Nic is amazed to recognise author Mr Retro as a Manifestor and then further astonished when her furious father appears as she reaches the top of the signing queue. This pales into insignificance though when it is clear that Retro knows who she and her father are and after revealing to Nic that he is her godfather, Retro tells Mr Blake he will visit him later.

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Reflecting on the presents that her peers have received for their twelfth birthdays, Nic Blake’s anticipated gift tops the lot, for she is expecting to be taught how to use the Gift by her father so that she can finally become a Manifestor, a type of Remarkable. Ahead of this though, home-educated Nic firstly has to catch a hellhound puppy, another gift, which she swiftly names Cocoa. After a couple of hours of learning on topics other than the Gift, Nic’s father takes to her juke joint Ms Lena’s – a place for Remarkables to hang out together. Receiving a warm welcome and many birthday wishes, Nic is surprised when owner and Visionary Ms Lena offers to fetch a vision for her as a gift. I was stoked to see that Angie Thomas had written a middlegrade book. I tried reading THUG but the depiction of PTSD was so good that it set off mine and I had to put it down, and ignored the other books in the series for the same reason. In “The Manifestor Prophecy,” Nic’s origin story, Thomas uses her narrative mojo to connect with adolescents. As the trilogy progresses, it’s sure to light the way toward the multifaceted worlds of adult speculative fiction — from Octavia Butler to Neil Gaiman to N.K. Jemisin — that await this next generation of fantasy readers.

It's not easy being a Remarkable in the Unremarkable world. Some things are cool - like getting a pet hellhound for your twelfth birthday. Others, not so much - like not being trusted to learn magic because you might use it to take revenge on an annoying neighbour. I've seen that most people absolutely love this book, so I hope that most young readers really enjoy it as well. Maybe it just didn't work for me - and that's a good thing, because I want kids to be able to love this! I usually try to review books objectively, especially if I'm not the target audience. I wouldn't read a horror novel and give it a low rating because it was 'too scary', and similarly I don't judge MG/YA for feeling 'immature'. Still, I have to be honest about how I felt. Mae Nic Blake yn un o’r grŵp Manifestor – pobl Ddu sydd â’r Ddawn o’u mewn – ac sy’n gallu gweld fampirod, bleidd-ddynion a phob math o fodau hynod. Mae ei ffrind gorau anhynod JP yn byw drws nesaf – ond mae e yn hynod oherwydd ei frwdfrydedd dros lyfrau ffantasi TJ Retro a thros gadw cwmni i Nic. The first book in a trilogy, “The Manifestor Prophecy” begins on Nic’s 12th birthday, the year her father has promised to teach her how to use “the Gift.” She receives a hellhound pup instead. There are a lot of nods of the well-known 'Chosen One' trope in this book (mainly the big one with the Golden Trio) and I liked how it flipped it on its head a bit as we are following the trio's children and see what it's like living with a heavy legacy and expectation upon one's head as well.

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If you want a fun adventure full of magic and self-discovery, but also with some important topics being touched on, then I think you might really enjoy this one. I'm excited to see where Thomas takes this story! It’s not easy being a Remarkable in the Unremarkable world. Some things are cool — like getting a pet hellhound for your twelfth birthday. Others, not so much — like not being trusted to learn magic because you might use it to take revenge on an annoying neighbour. I feel that for her fantasy debut, it wasn’t all too bad. There are some parts of the book where I felt the transition were a bit off and it was a tad chaotic at some parts but overall, it wasn’t a bad read and here are the some highlights why I liked the story. Walker Books has landed Angie Thomas’ debut middle-grade book Nic Blake and the Remarkables: The Manifestor Prophecy in a three-book deal. Het is een verhaal over dapper en moedig zijn. Over familie en vriendschap. En belangrijke thema's, zoals racisme en slavernij, worden aangehaald.