Strap yourselves in, because Angel’s Flight is about to take off! The book of the Month for September 2025 is The Extraordinary Disappointments of Leopold Berry, by Ransom Riggs. This story is written by the author of Miss Peregrine’s Home For Peculiar Children.
The book tells the story of Leopold Berry, who discovers the underground magic community of Los Angeles. As described on the blurb, Leopold finds that when you’re not the chosen one, sometimes you have to choose yourself.
“Leopold Berry might’ve been a disappointment to the world, but he’d never again be a disappointment to himself.”
-Ransom Riggs, The Extraordinary Disappointments of Leopold Berry
The narrative lets us explore this new world alongside Leopold, and the quirks of Riggs’ magical community make the journey all the more fun. Leopold’s own attitude and experiences add another layer of interest to the story, and the contrary idea of the premise, which acknowledges and dismisses the Chosen One trope, while being a bit meta, makes the story refreshing.
I found the characters and worldbuilding to be interesting, and the book was a good dose of action and fantasy – one of my favourite combinations. The Extraordinary Disappointments Of Leopold Berry is a novel I’d recommend to any teenager looking for a fun read.
- Rating: 𝙼
- Author: Ransom Riggs
- Published: 2024
- Review: ★★★★☆