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Home > Categories > Books > Kids - Middle > The Hatchling review
Something is making a racket in the attic!
Since the mysterious disappearance of their parents, Willow and Hunter have been living with their grandfather in his creaky old house. But Grandpa's memory is fading fast, and the twins dread the prospect of being placed into foster homes.
Willow can barely sleep for the worry, not to mention the crashes coming from the locked attic. But the close-knit twins are on the cusp of an extraordinary discovery. One that will draw a series of strangers into their lives, both sinister and surprising. As a super blood moon approaches, the pair will be propelled on a hair-raising adventure that pushes their relationship beyond breaking point and challenges everything they'd believed to be true.
The Hatchling is a gripping, fast-paced adventure story brimming with fantastical characters. But most of all it's about family, the joy of belonging, and the importance of finding your way home.
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Review by: mizim (Miriam)
Dated: 10th of September, 2025
Willow and Hunter are twin siblings, living with their Grandfather, after their parents disappeared almost two years ago. After a few nights of restless sleep, they finally manage to get into their attic, only to discover than a large egg has hatched and that dragons, are real...
Willow bonds with this new little creature, very quickly, leading to tension between her and her brother. This isn't helped at all by the fact that their Grandfather is in the early stages of Alzheimer's and keeps forgetting the basic, important things. Soon enough the pair find themselves in danger as a mysterious man arrives in town and wants their new friend for nefarious reasons, and the school sends child services to their home out of concern about their Grandfather and his suitability to continue raising them. Choices will be had, discoveries made and relationships tested as the twins try to save their dragon friend and remain a family.
We did reach a point in the book where it felt like maybe there was a little too much going on - child services, a bad guy and multiple family issues - and I felt myself wishing that the author had picked one or the other as the main nemesis, but it seemed to come together well enough in the end (though one aspect did resolve itself a little abruptly, I felt that could have been written a little differently). That being said, overall I enjoyed this book, it tackles a few heavy subjects whilst still being a fun adventure story with plenty of action as you reach the end. It's the kind of book that younger me would have wished I could jump into.
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