The Pirates of Penn Cove (Weirdbey Island)

This is a terrific read! Aimed at middle school kids, this is a fantastic adventure that is similar to that of the Goonies and Goosebumps. It’s well written, it’s fun, it’s exciting and it’s got some fantastic characters that we join on this journey to find the lost treasure! Filled with action, mystery, suspense, ghostly pirates and a giant octopus, I very much enjoyed this tale and the adventure!

The Pirates of Penn CoveWeirdbey Island, Book 1By: Eldritch BlackNarrated by: J. Scott BennettWhat a terrific book for middle school kids! What a great book for older women (me!). I thought this book was a real hoot! Fun writing and dialogue, great characters, wonderful world building, with an amazing and fun plot! Combined and it made an adorable, humorous, mysterious, and had just the right suspense to be exciting book!There are ghostly ships, a cursed pirate, a treasure that everyone is looking for, elderly evil pair of greedy treasure hunters, a ginormous octopus, and a small group of friends trying to do the right thing and stay alive, (and find treasure wouldn't hurt!)Truly a fun book for any age! Stranger Things fans? Try this!A delightful change of pace! Received this book from freeaudiblecodes.

This is such a fun, exciting book. It has pirates, treasure maps, puzzles, mysteries, a giant octopus, and lots of exciting things.I really liked the main character, Dylan. He’s a believable 12 year old and his relationship with his family was realistic. I loved the friends he made, they were all great characters.The plot is exciting, imaginative, at times creepy, and with lots of humor too. Like with other Eldritch Black stories, I love how the children are in real danger. It never gets too dark, but the stakes are certainly high!I don’t know the cover artist, but I wish I did because I love the picture on the front cover. It’s so beautiful and exciting.

Even if I didn’t live on Weirdby Island I would have enjoyed it! The characters are relatable and the plot draws you in to the point where you can’t put it down. I can’t wait to start the next one! I will also be picking up The Clockwork Magician soon.

This mystery moved pretty steadily and the writing was easy to read. The plot wasn’t very complex and there were no big surprises.

High recommendations from a middle school teacher and mom of two teen boys. Read it myself and loved all the twists and turns. As an adult, it is a bit of a stretch to fully believe in the circumstances of the curse. Or kids finding treasure burried on a public beach that nobody else has accidentally found in 50 years. But if you just go for it, it is like a handful of young teens on bikes working together, facing their fears and fighting the pirates of the Black Pearl.

If you like a fast-paced mystery with intriguing characters and a fresh new plot, you’re going to love Eldritch Black’s new “Weirdbey Island” series. It might be directed at middle-grade readers, but I’m old enough to have a grandchild that age and I thoroughly enjoyed it.A friend referred this book since it’s set on the island where I live. I think I’ll be looking over my shoulder if an unexpected mist comes up on a dark and starry night…and peering over the side of the mainland-bound ferry for a giant monster of the deep!I’m almost afraid to buy the second book since I know I’ll be up all night reading it. LOL: going to do that anyway!

This is a well structured story for middle schoolers. The main character has to overcome his fears which he does. There is enough of a mystery to solve that keeps the plot unpredictable, and the fantasy part is not too unbelievable. It is a stand alone book so it doesn't stop right when the action gets good. I expect the rest of the series will be as good as this one. (No, I'm not getting paid to write this! I got hooked on these books when I used to teach this age group. )