When her mother leaves for Europe to go on tour with her orchestra for the summer, Sam is sent to stay with her uncle-by-marriage in the sleepy little town of Foggy Harbour. Uncle Mitch isn’t pleased to have Sam staying with him, and Sam, who had desperately hoped to find roots in New York after moving from place to place all her life, is not pleased to be in Foggy Harbour.
On the surface, Foggy Harbour is a quiet little seaside town, whose only thing of interest is the fogbank always found in one area of the bay. As Sam and her new friend Tuck quickly find out, there is more to this fog than meets the eye (the book’s title might give its secret away!). Uncle Mitch is hiding something not just from the town but from Sam too. When Uncle Mitch goes missing, Sam is determined to find do what it takes to find him.
This is a charming, magical story. The plot is simple but imaginative and engaging. I really liked the hints of darkness and a family secret, which I hope we will learn more of in future books. It is really nicely illustrated by Bethany Stancliffe as well which will appeal to younger readers.
By the way, Book 2 Secret Beneath the Sand is out and I’ve read some great reviews of it so I must grab a copy.
TOTP and I award Unicorn Island 8 out of 10 Diamonds.
Valinora Troy 
18 responses to “Book Review: Unicorn Island by Donna Galanti”
Yeah for an eight-diamond read! Good review, Valinora.:-)
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Thanks Priscilla, it’s a nice simple story.
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Stunning photo. The book sounds fun.
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Thank you! He’s a photo genic dog 🙂
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He’s very handsome. 😊
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Oh my goodness! What a cooperative dog! Even though he’s rather blind, Pongo can always tell if I’m trying to take a picture and starts rubbing his head all over the flood. Your dog deserves extra belly rubs for being so good!
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He’s very patient with me! Pongo sounds pretty smart! 🙂
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I enjoyed this one so much! Book 2 is different but also very enjoyable. Thanks for the review.
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Book 2 is on my TBR so hopefully I’ll get to it! 🙂
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Thank you Greg! I appreciate you reading and reviewing as well on your blog!
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I really enjoyed this fantasy and think it’s perfect for young MG readers. It’s so magical. Need to read the second book!
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Yes, I agree. It’s a short book with a simple story but it packs a lot of magic! 🙂
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Thanks so much Patricia! I hope you enjoy Secret Beneath the Sand. 🙂
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I have been hearing a lot about this book. For some reason, I just love the name Foggy Harbor. It sounds like such a great place filled with mystery. Thanks for your review.
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I agree, it’s a great name, it’s so atmospheric, and perfect for the story!
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Thank you so much for reading and reviewing Unicorn Island! I’m glad you liked it. I hope you enjoy the second book as well. Book 3, Beyond the Portal, is in editing now and will release winter 2023. It’s the last book where all secrets are wrapped up! 🙂
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I loved Unicorn island, I’ve heard great things about book 2, so I will be moving it up my TBR! I’m delighted to hear book 3 is on the way – and I love the title!! So exciting! (But I wish the publishing world would move a bit faster!!!) 🙂
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Nice review! SO fun to find it in your library unexpectedly.
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