Review: The Missing Barbegazi

Author: H.S. Norup
Started reading: November 28th 2019
Finished the book: December 7th 2019
Pages: 256
Genres: Middle Grade, Fantasy
Published: October 4th 2018
Source: Netgalley
Goodreads score: 4.00
My score:

Synopsis

Tessa discovers the healing power of wishes when she sets out to find a missing Barbegazi, said to live in the mountains near her village. Meeting one is only the beginning of an adventure that unites generations and teaches Tessa that trust is at the heart of the best relationships.

A delightful story about families, love and learning that some secrets are best kept secret - forever.

My thoughts

I'm not a person that reads winter books during winter and summer books during summer, but when I do it, I always like it so much! This book takes place between Christmas and New Year and it's very winter-y and I totally had that vibe. I think it's a great Middle School book and I, as an adult, also enjoyed the story a lot!

Pros

• Reminds me: This book reminded me of the book De Gorgels, which is a Dutch book, but I always enjoy it a lot to read it in class. I always thought it was a very original story and I felt the same about the Barbegazi folk. It was well thought through and I couldn't find anything missing with the Barbegazi, no plot holes whatsoever!
• Winter-y: The winter/Christmas vibe really added an extra layer for me. I should read more books that fit the season, because it just makes you get into the story easier! I'd definitely recommend readers to read this somewhere between November and February!
• Variation: I liked the varied POV's in this book. And also the little pieces from an educational book about Barbegazi was interesting to read. This gave the book a lot of variation. It was fun to read little snippets of info on the Barbegazi.
• Middle grade: I'd definitely see some of the kids in my classroom read this story if it was in Dutch. The formula of a bad person and a rescue mission in a book always works great with Middle Graders. I couldn't find any details missing or anything wrong with the plot.

Cons

• Guessed it: Like I said: Nothing wrong with the plot, but I did figure it out! I'm not sure if Middle Graders would, but I did. It's like watching too many episodes of CSI, after a while you're just able to figure it out, lol!

Overall

The book felt just very cute, winter-y and I had some good vibes while reading it. Well thought through, original and definitely worth the four stars. If you enjoy snowy books and skiing and little cute creatures, I'd read it!

Other opinions on this book

"Beautiful and unusual. This unexpected and striking story is one to be savoured."

- Sinéad O'Hart author of The Eye of the North

"A fun and fast-paced adventure filled with heart and hope."

- Booklist

Thanks for reading!

I'd love to talk books; please let me know what you think about this book/review.