Book Review: The Underwild by Shana Targosz

Official Synopsis: Senka lives between the realm of the Living and the realm of the Dead. As ward to Charon, the Ferryer of the Underworld, Senka assists in ferrying recently departed souls across the river and into their afterlife. Although Charon has taught her many Rules about life in the Underworld, there is much he avoids telling her. Though she doesn’t understand why the Rules are so important, she listens—she must heed them in order to become an official Ferryer, just like Charon.

Then a Living girl, Poppy, enters the Underworld to plead for help in finding the ghost of her brother. Poppy’s grief tugs at Senka’s heart—but helping Poppy goes against the very Rules Senka is so desperate to follow. When Poppy is yanked away by the river’s current, Senka leaps to save her, and she and Poppy are swept downriver, far from everything Senka has ever known.

Lost in the Underwild, Senka and Poppy encounter malevolent spirits of lore and eccentric ghosts—and not all are willing to let souls slip through their grasp. Senka knows the Living can’t stay in the realm of the Dead for long, and if Poppy isn’t returned home soon, she will risk becoming lost to the Underworld forever. But as Senka travels deeper into the Underwild, she discovers there are secrets her guardian has kept from her, including the mystery surrounding her own existence. As Poppy and Senka dodge angry demigods, hungry wraiths, and terrifying dragon chimera, Senka gets closer to learning the truth of her own past. Soon, Senka won’t just need to save Poppy’s life—she’ll also need to save her own.

Senka is a ward of Charon, the Ferryer of the dead in the Underworld we are used to seeing as a large, imposing man in a cloak who takes souls to their final resting place. Charon, in this, is softer around the edges when it comes to Senka. Senka doesn't remember much before Charon woke her up, or why she would be in a 12-year-old body if she was made to fill his spot one day. Senka is looking forward to her training, that Charon seems to be avoiding, and hoping to one day be able to help souls herself. When Charon leaves her alone to go search for their friend, Senka sees a soul on the shore and decides she can help them.

The issue is the soul is a living girl, who definitely should not and cannot be in the Underworld. When they end up falling into the river, the two girls find themselves in the Underwild, a place Senka only knows as somewhere to avoid. Now Senka, and Poppy, are working their way through the Underwild to try to find Poppy's little brother, and their way home. But the more they explore, the more trials they run into and the more Poppy's life is put in danger.

I really liked this take on the Underworld and the beings within it. We met quite a few familiar Underworld beings, specifically Greek, and see how they either help or detour Senka on her mission. Outside of that, the story of Senka herself is fantastic, and as she journeys more through the Underwild the more she learns about who she is. Which I would definitely get into but truly don't want to spoil this book.

This book was well written, with great descriptions of what was happening around the girls during their adventures. It is a middle grade book, but there may be some scenes that would scare or alarm some kids under 12/13. It has a unique form of magic, as well as some really great scenes of Senka understanding her own emotions and figuring out how to help those around her. I am excited to see where this series goes, as this book is marked as #1 on Goodreads.

I rated this book 4.5 out of 5 stars!

It is scheduled to come out March 25,2025!

Goodreads