Series: The Luminaries #1
Author: Susan Dennard
Published November 1st 2022 by Tor Teen/Daphne Press
Goodreads Synopsis
Hemlock Falls isn't like other towns. You won't find it on a map, your phone won't work here, and the forest outside town might just kill you.
Winnie Wednesday wants nothing more than to join the Luminaries, the ancient order that protects Winnie's town—and the rest of humanity—from the monsters and nightmares that rise in the forest of Hemlock Falls every night.
Ever since her father was exposed as a witch and a traitor, Winnie and her family have been shunned. But on her sixteenth birthday, she can take the deadly Luminary hunter trials and prove herself true and loyal—and restore her family's good name. Or die trying.
But in order to survive, Winnie enlists the help of the one person who can help her train: Jay Friday, resident bad boy and Winnie’s ex-best friend. While Jay might be the most promising new hunter in Hemlock Falls, he also seems to know more about the nightmares of the forest than he should. Together, he and Winnie will discover a danger lurking in the forest no one in Hemlock Falls is prepared for.
Not all monsters can be slain, and not all nightmares are confined to the dark.
Goodreads
Review
I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher, via NetGalley. This in no way impacted on my view.
After her father was revealed to be a traitor to the Luminaries of Hemlock Falls, Winnie Wednesday and her family have been outcasts. On the edge of society, looked down upon, Winnie lost everything, but especially her friends, Jay and Erica. Now that she's turning 16, she has a shot of restoring her family's reputation, when she takes part in the deadly Luminary hunter trials. She has once chance, and without the training that everyone else has had, she's at a distinct disadvantage. There's only person who could help her, but can she trust Jay not to let her down again?
Well, I'm not sure why I put off reading these books for so long. I adored Suze's Something Strange and Deadly series when I read it way back when, and I can remember when the Luminerd's was happening on twitter during the pandemic. Oh well, I'm here now, and this book was definitely enjoyable. I really liked the world building of the Luminaries, with the seven different family's all being named after the days of the week, and each had their own distinct role in Hemlock Falls. Winnie was a great main character, and her growth across the book was great. She may have lied to everyone about the first trial, but she proved her worth as time went on. I definitely have my theories over the Whisperer, and I'm sure I'll discover if I was right in the next two books.
Dates Read:
October 17-21, 2025
Rating
4 Stars
