Unwritten by Tara Gilboy Book Review

This post contains affiliate links. This means I’ll earn a small commission, at no cost to you, if you make a purchase through these links. To learn more, read my disclaimer

What would you do if you discovered you are a book character who escaped to the real world and you were supposed to die in the book?

Well, that’s what Gracie has to deal with in Unwritten, a middle-grade fantasy novel. Her mother took her and fled the book world, which is called Bondoff, when she discovered that Gracie was to die in the book. They lived a somewhat peaceful life until Gracie learns that Getrude Winters, the woman who wrote the story, is having an event close by. She decides to confront her and well, things do not end well. This leads to a series of events that has Gracie wondering what’s real and what isn’t? Is she even real?

REVIEW

I was totally drawn to this book because of its cover, its unique plot (characters who escaped from a book) and the fact that it was published on my birthday. I’m glad I requested it on Netgalley and got the chance to read it because it’s such a fun read.

In the book community, writers often joke about killing off characters, but what if one day you realize somehow these characters you’ve written are real and your words directly influence their lives. You really are killing people. Really creepy right?

Well, that’s what’s happening in Bondoff. Their lives are controlled by the story that Getrude Winters wrote about them, all except Queen Cassandra who is poised as the villain in this story. Nothing is the same in Bondoff, a character who acts a certain way in the real world can be totally different in the story. What’s written in the story controls them, despite if they don’t want to be that way.

I loved the characters in this book. Gracie is a strong-headed, brave little girl who just wants to know the truth when all the adults around her try to protect her from it. Her search for the truth takes her back into the story along with her friend Walter. I know several people will call her an unlikable character. She’s sometimes selfish and makes some rash decisions. But she’s just a 12-year-old girl who is frantically trying to make sense of it all. You just can’t help but root for her to have her happy ending.

What would you do if you discover you are a book character who escaped to the real world and you were actually supposed to die in the book? Well, that's Gracie's life in a nutshell in Unwritten by Tara Gilboy. Share on X

Walter is the kid who tries to explain everything with science but there are some things science just can’t explain… yet.

Gertrude Winters is the unknowing author who thought she was just writing a story, not knowing she was creating a world in her books and that she might have to face the consequences later on.

I love how this book just looks like an adventurous fantasy where characters move between two worlds and good triumphs over evil, but deep down it’s more than that. It deals with anger management issues, self-discovery, family, struggling against one’s fate and also the mother-daughter dynamics between Gracie and her mother are great.

Being angry doesn’t make you a villain, Gracie. Anger can help you stand up for yourself, do the things you need to. It can be a good thing, if you control it rather than letting it control you”

unwritten by tara gilboy

I find it refreshing to see such portrayed in middle-grade fiction. I loved how Gracie finally learns to deal with her decisions. Things do get a little bit dark towards the end and though it’s not really predictable, I felt a little disconnected from what was happened towards the end.

It has such a unique plot and so much potential but it fell short for me towards the end. The pacing was a bit all over the place and the writing style was a little choppy. Despite that, it was still a fun read. I can’t wait to read the sequel when it’s eventually released since this is a duology.

📚 Related: 10+ Science Fiction and Fantasy Novellas to Add to Your Reading List

I recommend this book to children/teens as well as adults and all those who love reading a story within a story kind of books and fantasy books where characters discover another world. It’s a fun and easy-to-read middle-grade fantasy book about a girl who’s determined to fight against the fate written for her in the book.

Add on Goodreads | Storygraph

Buy Unwritten by Tara Gilboy on Amazon

If you are looking for more middle-grade fantasy with similar themes to Unwritten, I recommend these books.

1. The Serpent’s Secret by Sayantani Dasgupta
2. Dragons In A Bag by Zetta Elliott
3. The Marvelous Adventures of Gwendolyn Gray by B. A. Williamson

---

Chat time! Have you read Unwritten? If you’re an author, what would you do if your characters came to life? I’d also love to know what great middle-grade books you’ve read recently.

PIN THIS!