Impossible Creatures (Impossible Creatures #1)
Katherine Rundell
Knopf Books for Young Readers
Published September 10, 2024
Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads
About Impossible Creatures
The day Christopher saved a drowning baby griffin from a hidden lake would change his life forever. It’s the day he learned about the Archipelago, a cluster of unmapped islands where magical creatures of every kind have thrived for thousands of years—until now. And it’s the day he met Mal, a girl on the run who desperately needs his help.
Mal and Christopher embark on a wild adventure, racing from island to island, searching for someone who can explain why the magic is fading and why magical creatures are suddenly dying. They consult sphinxes, battle kraken, and negotiate with dragons. But the closer they get to the dark truth of what’s happening, the clearer it becomes: no one else can fix this. If the Archipelago is to be saved, Mal and Christopher will have to do it themselves.
My Review
Every time I see this book, I pick it up, intent on dropping everything and reading it just then. I finally ended up borrowing a copy from the library and squeezing it into my reading schedule, and I’m so glad I did.
This book didn’t feel long at all. I loved the descriptions of magical creatures (be aware that an important one dies in the book), and the different roles they play in the story. I was fascinated by the opening, in which we meet Christopher, a boy who has a special gift with animals. Everywhere he goes, animals seem to crowd around him. I liked how that ties into his role in the story.
Christopher and Mal end up with a small crew of people helping them, and I liked each one of them. It was interesting that not all of the people helping them are doing so for benevolent reasons. In some ways that made the story feel more realistic.
There are some sad moments in the story that I’m still not okay about. Haha. They made sense in the larger context of the story, but I’m still upset that they happened.
The second book in the series came out in September 2025, but I’m not sure how long it’ll take me to get to it. I want to read it, but I’m not sure I’m ready to move on to a new story in that universe, if that makes sense.
Content Notes
Recommended for Ages 8 to 12.
Profanity/Crude Language Content
Two instances of mild profanity.
Romance/Sexual Content
References to romantic love.
Spiritual Content
Magical creatures exist in a fantastical land, but the magic is fading and the are creatures disappearing or dying. The back of the book contains an illustrated glossary of magical creatures.
Violent Content
Situations of peril. A man chases a child, intent on killing her. He kills someone else who gets in his way. Brief battle violence in a fight between people and dangerous magical creatures. Death of an animal. Death of a child.
Drug Content
A character must drink a dangerous potion that at first causes them to be sick and unable to walk.
Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use but help support this blog. I borrowed a copy of this book from my local library. All opinions are my own.
