Nic Blake and the Remarkables: The Manifestor Prophecy

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Thomas, beloved for such novels as “The Hate U Give” and “Concrete Rose,” has many Gifts (with a capital G) herself, as a fiction writer. Her characters are richly drawn and always engaging. She has a delicious sense of humor and a strong ear for dialogue. “My momma says I’m sneakier than a snake in slippers,” JP remarks at one point. Vanaf de eerste bladzijde spat de magie van de bladzijden af. De magische schrijfstijl leest vlot en Angie Thomas omschrijft en creëert een hele nieuwe wereld. Een wereld vol betoveringen. Vol verwondering.

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. As a white, UK-based reader, I liked both the fantasy plot and the weaving into it of important topics. And the story-within-a-story also worked very well and could be useful to the characters in forthcoming books.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 ✨🤍

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. 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 read this book as an audiobook from the library, but I also have an ARC from the publisher (full disclosure), which didn't affect my review in any way.

I cannot speak for any other reader, but for me one of the most important things in any story is that the protagonist must be entirely credible – even in a book such as this where the story is entirely fantastical. Nic’s reactions to the trials and tribulations she experiences are wholly believable, whether that is being grounded or discovering the true history of her immediate family. She is an astonishing heroine – brave and smart as we would expect, but also one who is prone to jealousy and temper and is all the more human as a result. Surely for the children for whom Angie Thomas has created this masterpiece, there can be no greater gift than to see themselves reflected in Nic Blake. With a literal Underground Railroad, haints, vampires, ghosts, a dragon, and tons of magic, Nic Blake and the Remarkables takes readers on a wild ride through a world that looks like, but isn't quite, our own, making for an inventive, suspenseful (and funny!) ride in this new trilogy.

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.

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With her dad being accused of a crime she can't believe he committed, Nic is plunged into a terrifying and dangerous quest. To prove her dad's innocence she must hunt for a magical tool she's never heard of in a remarkable world she knows very little about. But with some very dodgy characters on her tail, does she have any chance of finding it in time? And what is Nic's role destined to be in this remarkable world? Het is een verhaal over dapper en moedig zijn. Over familie en vriendschap. En belangrijke thema's, zoals racisme en slavernij, worden aangehaald. 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. It's #feelgoodfriday and I have the perfect book to put a smile on your face. Nic Blake and the Remarkables by Angie Thomas was such a joy to read. It was a fun, fast-paced adventure from start to finish.