*glances at the towering TBR around me*
*wilts just slightly*
*wonders if it is actually possibly to be crushed by books*
Hello, all!! ^^ I hope you’re having a delightful week!! I… have been swamped. And buried. In, like, a million things. Which is partly why I haven’t been blogging all that often. (I miss writing to y’all though!! And bombarding you with books!) I’ve mainly been wandering the woods of my imagination these past few days. Either that or feeding the pigeons at the newly found park nearby. (Pigeons are so cute!! Their little beaks and beady eyes and the adorable sounds they make when they flutter down…)
Today, however, I have returned with a review of a delightfully whimsical upcoming middle-grade fantasy by Emily B. Martin: Nell O’Dell Hates Quests! A thank you to NetGalley and Candlewick Press for the ARC.
The blurb reads: What happens when the quest finds you, despite your best efforts? A reluctant adventurer sets off on an unexpected journey in this broadly appealing fantasy at once earnest and self-aware, funny and heartfelt, and thoroughly charming.
Nell O’Dell yearns for a quiet life tending her garden and caring for her chickens. Unfortunately, her family runs the bustling Crossroads Inn—accommodating all species of patron from fairies to fauns to half-giants, most of them questers on their way to seek glory and fortune. What’s more, her parents are retired questers themselves, and everyone assumes that Nell will follow in their footsteps. Then the day comes when a letter arrives from the government, threatening the Inn and all that Nell holds dear, and someone needs to go on a short journey to the capital to take care of it. Nell is the only one available—but that’s fine, because it’s just a boring business trip, not a quest! Even if she does find herself up against an excitable travel partner, a thief in the night, a stolen treasure, and a mysterious knife . . . Lively black-and-white illustrations by the author embellish this breezy, bighearted adventure that will satisfy both longtime questers and first-time visitors to the genre.
Y’all this book is delightful. Absolutely delightful. It is charming. It is humorous. It is beautiful. It is whimsical. It is magical. And I could probably just go on listing a great deal of splendid things about this book and you’d have a never-ending review. But this is just such a charming middle-grade read!! The characters are such wonderful, relatable folk, and it has the most hilarious animal companion I’ve ever read!
(And the cover is absolutely gorgeous!! I must admit, it was what first led me request the book from NetGalley. Nell’s expression is so very perfect, and I love how Midge is just peeking behind the door with a grin on her face.)
The book starts out introducing the Crossroads Inn, and I must admit, I fell in love with the inn from the moment it appeared in the story. It’s just so eclectic and chaotic and sort of how you would expect an inn to be, but also not what you’d expect an inn to be! It lies on the crossroads of the twelve roads where quests start, and it is a place that every hero or heroine on a quest must travel through.
The main character, Nell, is so very relatable. All she wants is a nice, quiet life tending her gardens and chickens (without anyone breaking into her gardens!), and the very last thing she wants is a quest. And I absolutely loved her character development throughout the book and how much braver she is by the end of it!! And MIDGE!!!
Midge is simply the best. Never before have I so loved a swamp goblin. She is brilliant. She’s just… such a wonderful friend to Nell. She is rather the opposite of Nell. She wants to go on this big, life-changing quest/adventure, and yet no one ever seems to want a swamp goblin on their quest. She’s a strange sort of person, but in such a brilliant way, and I love how, throughout the story, you really get to see who Midge is and how incredibly brave she is!!
And also Ghost.
Oh my goodness, Ghost. What can I say about this cat?
He’s hilarious. He is not a talking animal companion, but he adds so much life to the story. Not to mention he was apparently struck by this resurrection spell meant for a centaur a few years back. And so now he can just do all sorts of careless things and die and he’ll just resurrect five minutes later. And so throughout the book, he’s just randomly dying from tumbling off cliffs or jumping into fires and then just coming back nonchalantly. XDD And it’s just totally normal to the poor main character!
The plot of this book was absolutely wonderful!! It flowed well, was fast-paced, and had brilliant humor without losing the stakes. (Which is something I love.) It had moments that made me laugh out loud, and it was so full of family and love and home and such heartwarming moments!!
There were a great deal of scenes I adored in this book, but I do have a favorite (Actually, I have a million, but I have tried to weedle it down to one. XD) It’s probably when Nell and Midge were trying to trick the bridge fairy.
That scene…
If I remember correctly, I believe I was trying to hold back laughter all throughout the book. And then when I finally read that scene, I just gave up on attempting to hold back said laughter and laughed so hard I nearly cried. It was absolutely hilarious. I cannot give away spoilers, but it was such a brilliant scene!! The fairy was, of course, enraged and shrieked and threatened to feed them to the kelpies.
It may have only made me laugh harder. XD
The author’s writing style is wonderful as well!! The description was all so well-written, and the way she managed to weave together humor, heart, and all the history and details of this world made greatly impressed me, and the illustrations only add to the appeal of the book!! A good deal of them are unfinished in the ARC, but the ones that were (mostly) finished were incredible, and I cannot wait to see what the final ones look like in the published book!!
Overall, this was a brilliant read. It was full of whimsy and magic and glorious funny moments. It has such a wonderful friendship between Nell and Midge and it is the perfect middle-grade read for anyone looking for an easy, light-hearted read!! Five out of five stars from me. I’d highly recommend it to fans of Amy Wilson and Amy Sparkes!
And of course, we cannot leave out the adorable, cute fluffy comrades of this blog…..
Thoughts from Izzy, Charlotte, and Fuzzy Bee:
Izzy: You haven’t had us on your blog for almost a month now, Isabelle. *glares furiously* How dare thee. But at any rate, Nell O’Dell Hates Quests is…. it is utterly delightful!! It made me chortle out loud!!! And the beautiful friendship in this book…. it is just so lovely. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this. Five out of five stars.
Charlotte: NEW BOOKSIES!!! I adore new booksies. And this one is a delightful new booksie. The cover is so pretty. And the story is splendid. I adore Midge. She is brilliant. AND BEVIN!!! *nod nod* Bevin is the best. He is my favorite character. Though I must admit, I don’t understand how anyone can hate quests. Quests are amazing. Especially quests to the bookstore. *nod nod* Four out of five stars from me.
Fuzzy Bee: A GLORIOUS middle-grade book!!!!! Absolutely glorious, I say!!!!! It is fun and it is light-hearted and yet it is also deep and brave at the same time, and the few of the completed illustrations in the ARC are so very beautiful and I absolutely love this book!!! *buzzes in excitement* Six out of five stars from me. I wish to keep this book. Forever and ever. I must purchase a hard copy when it comes out. I must!!!!!!
Well, it looks like this book has the CFC’s approval! Nell O’Dell Hates Quests is coming out very soon on April 7, 2026, in hardcover and ebook. A thank you to you, dear reader, for reading this review, and do let me know down in the comments what you thought and if this sounds like a book you’d want to read! (Or if you’ve been reading a good book you’d like to recommend!) I love hearing from y’all! 🙂
Till next time, and wishing y’all a splendid week,
-Isabelle
P.S. And why yes, I hath indeed noticed this is my first review in a month. As I said. I was swamped. XD And so hopefully March shall be a less busy month and I’ll be able to get back on track with reviewing all the ARCs I’ve been sent.
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