At first glance, this read was not really my cup of tea. However, looking back on the characters and their storyline, this is just the book that would have sat on my bookshelf as a middle grades reader. While it gives Harry Potter vibes, it comes across as more of a "want to be" Hogwarts read and instead stands on its own as a fun read for young adults. Despite the first half of the book moving slowly, the second half picks up - and from start to finish, Clayton weaves themes throughout. The themes are perfect for young readers as they are easily ones both worth remembering and worth taking to heart. Now looking forward, one can only wonder what themes Clayton may choose to weave into her sequel. What will each character learn in their next adventure? What will they fight for? What will they fight against? And then how will this story ultimately end?