The Menagerie Series 3-Book Set

I bought these for my granddaughter who loves to read. I read them first and was impressed with the ease and flow of the stories. I realize they are for young adults, but sometimes adult books just get too bogged down with unnecessary stuff. She read them and liked how they flowed as well. She has lent them to a friend of hers who also likes these stories.

My son was looking for a new series and he loves this one. He is 13. He loves dragons and this was perfect for him.

My daughter was speechless when I gave her these books. She loves them.

My granddaughter recommended the series and it didn’t let me down.

These stories blend teen folks' hope of finding magic with teen folks' discoveries of life's complications. I would recommend these stories to any young folks who like to read.

Fairly good quality paperbacks. Covers would benefit from "softback" treatment.

The size that arrived was too small but was labeled as "regular". I would have appreciated it if there were sizes to choose from.

This review will be for the 3 book series as a whole because each book was just as good as the last. I listened to this audiobook with my husband and 11 year old daughter each night before bed and here I'll report what each family member's opinion was.My 11yo: "I really liked this series. I loved that everyone had their own personalities, making it easy to tell who was who. The cliffhangers were a little anticlimactic. I also didn't like how Jasmine was made out to look like a rude, selfish, brat when she was actually really nice. I enjoyed the writing, it was so good that the author was able to make me hate certain characters with all my heart... that's talent. I wanted more time with the creatures individually. The mythical members of the story deserved more page time especially when they were interacting with Logan who also was an awesome creature whisperer."Overall:"It's no Harry Potter (though who besides the original can be?) but it was a decent book series.All in all I rate it a 4 out of 5 stars."My 38 year old Husband: "this was a cute series. I personally wouldn't have picked it to read on my own but it held my interest even when it was a touch trite. The mythical creatures were the best part of the book.Overall: it was interesting enough and everyone in the family enjoyed it. I rate it 3.5 stars."Me: this Middle Grade book was a fun way to spend some time, listening, with the family! I won't recap the synopsis but I will say that I loved how vivid it was while still staying within the parameters of a Middle Grade read. The writing was solid and, apart from trying to figure out who was causing all the ruckus and why, I really enjoyed meeting the bevy of mythical creatures! There were the usual suspects... mermaids... gryphons... dragons... a basilisk... a kraken... a variety of were-creatures and more. The vast array of characters were introduced in a succinct/seamless manor. We, the reader/listener, were never bogged down and burried underneath a huge cast where it feels like homework trying to keep everyone straight. The characters were strong and well rounded yet they all brought something unique to the group. I adored the way the protagonists slowly learned to rely on one another and work together in a cohesive group in order to achieve success in whatever the current problem was. The pace was never stagnant (in any of the books) and it kept us guessing (almost) straight through. The ending tied things up neatly with a tidy wrapping and a pretty were-bow on top... not normally how I like my endings BUT in this Middle Grade book it worked out well.Overall:The Menagerie was a well written Middle Grade read with a bunch of mysteries to solve and great characters created to achieve that goal. The magic was entertaining and the backdrop just as good but the characters and fantastical creatures were the stars of this show. This is good, clean fun for the whole family and I give it a solid 4 stars.