The Education of Ali Waly and Pious Jaius: Book 1, Every Way the Wind Blows.

Information

Status

Completed

Year

2024

Author

Busrob62

• Chapter 7 What lies beyond.
  Oct 28, 2024
• Chapter 6 Lies
  Oct 28, 2024
• Chapter 5 Absence
  Oct 28, 2024
• Chapter 4 A Special Day
  Oct 26, 2024
• Chapter 3 Night Terrors
  Oct 26, 2024
• Chapter 2 Pious Jaius
  Oct 26, 2024
• Chapter 1: Ali Waly
  Oct 25, 2024

Reviews

Community Reviews(10)

• Ellen TaylorRoyal Road

  ★★★★★ 5.0

  This was fun! This was far more of a slow burner, but it did a great job of really introducing us to our characters and their life in the beginning.
  I'll go through each section and give my reasonings. First is always grammar because that is the easiest for me. If it didn't pull me from the story, I always give it five stars. I saw a few punctuation and formatting that were off, but it was nothing that pulled me from the story. I could understand the flow of it all quite easily.
  The style was great. We mostly follow the two protagonists, Ali and Jaius. It's mostly through their point of view, and in one section there was a flashback. It was clearly marked, though, and I never found myself confused at what I was reading.
  The story and character I want to do together. Both were great. I have not yet reached the fantasy elements of the story, but so far the build up is why I wanted to do these two sections together. With the slower elements, we really got to spend time with Jaius and Ali. Got to know their backgrounds, their family. The bullying was so realistic, and it really put them both firmly in the sympathetic corner. I knocked off half a star only because there were a lot of characters introduced to me all at once in the first chapter and I felt a bit overwhelmed, but once the story progressed, I was able to follow it well enough.
  Overall, it was a great read!
• Maya RobertsonRoyal Road

  ★★★★★ 5.0

  The Education of Ali Wally and Pious Jaius is a really charming, coming of age fantasy which I'm enjoying reading.
  The main characters are really well developed and thought out. The early chapters do an amazing job of introducing Ali and Jaius and bring us onto their side very quickly. They both have a tough time of it at school and I think that makes them easy to relate to. Most of us, at one time or another have been on one or the other side of bullying and that brings in a real sense of realism.
  The story is most certainly a slow burner with some very long chapters. I don't see that as a negative though, I don't think at any point I've felt that things move too slowly. The chapters put across what they need to without feeling overly drawn out.
  Alianna mentions Narnia a few times which is interesting because the story really reminds me of the charm and magic of CS Lewis and the Narnia stories.
  If I was to give any constructive criticism, I was have to say that there are a handful of grammatical errors but that's me being very picky and they in no way detract from the enjoyment of the story.
  A great story, well written!
• R. C. VettaRoyal Road

  ★★★★★ 5.0

  Wow! What a fantastic beefy sandwich of Young Adult Fantasy and Buddy Cop Energy.
  Style- The author's style is an excellent blend of dialog and description. The dialog flows smoothly between the two main characters with ease. It is clear the author has put a lot of time, effort, and thought into the story they need to tell.
  Grammar- I saw their grammatical decisions as justified for their intent. Some might say the paragraphs are a little long, but if you're sitting down for a 10k to 20k chapter you should know what you are getting yourself into.
  Story- Now I had an agreement with the author to start at chapter 7 go 20k words from there for my review. Even starting as deep in as I did, I was immediately aware of what was going on and the story made perfect sense. I never felt like I needed to go back and read (even though I will the next time I pick this beauty back up!) Chapters 7 and 8 are where the aforementioned fantasy elements are introduced and I was able to appreciate the subtly of the transition. I really think the author did a fantastic job there.
  Characters- If you came for the premise you will stay for the characters. While every story needs characters this story lives and breaths through the two main characters. They are incredibly well written and distinct. They have an amazing connection and the vibe when it is just the two of them in a scene is tremendous!
  If YA is your thing, I highly recommend giving this story a read!
  The only thing that muddies the water for me a tiny bit is their age. As with every scrap of young adult lit the kids are incredibly eloquent and mature for their age. If they were like any average kid at that age the story wouldn't work. But if YA is your thing you already know this.
• Century boyRoyal Road

  ★★★★★ 5.0

  Style:
  the style reminds me of a children’s book or at least something along the lines of Percy Jackson or Harry Potter. The pacing is definitely slow with a mystery that builds up over the chapters. Overall it’s very PG thirteen. I personally find it quite charming.
  Story:
  The story is very slow paced and feels very much slice of life at times. One suggestion I could give is that the author should add a slice of life tag. The narrative is heavily character driven with a relatively large caste. I do like that every character feels nuanced and understandable. Alianna’s loyalty to her friend and choosing to keep the diary secret despite being betrayed. Jaius’s relationship with his sister is heartwarming and his circumstances are very frustrating. The story is particularly good at bringing back the feeling of powerlessness a lot us experienced as children and the desire to seek help from adults who often fail to understand or do the right thing. While the fantasy elements do take a good minute to develop, I will say that the characters are already good enough to make up for it.
  Characters:
  as previously mentioned the characters are all amazing so far. Even the bullies while very hatable are still understandable from the perspective of a child. Alianna in particular is very well written. Her desire to gain validation from her ex friend and her new clique despite their terrible behaviour is very accurate to how a lot of kids behave at that age. This is also one of the few instances in fiction where school hierarchies are depicted in a way that isn’t downright cringe. Jaius’s outburst against his sister and the frustration he feels with his circumstances hit home as I’m sure we’ve all had days when we took out our frustrations with others on people who didn’t deserve it, especially as children.
  grammer:
  nothing much to say here. It’s pretty good.
  Overall:
  This story is definitely a hidden gem. While the start is a little slow and fantasy elements do take a long time to d
• CosmicQuillRoyal Road

  ★★★★★ 5.0

  This story narrates the experiences of two seventh graders, Alianna and Jaius, during their daily struggles at their school, dubbed the dungeon while having to endure being bullied by their fellow students.
  Style: The prose is nice, almost poetic at times. However, my only issue with it is that it is also kind of bloated, and the pacing is too slow, which may deter some readers.
  Story: I quite liked the overall premise of the book and the differing viewpoints of the two main characters. Although I haven't gotten to the allured fantasy elements yet, I have enjoyed following Ali's journey so far.
  Grammar: English is not my native language, so take my opinion with a grain of salt. However, I didn't notice any obvious mistakes, and the sentences were nicely written.
  Character: The story excels in fleshing out Alianna's character, showing her vulnerability and her inner emotional turmoil, so there is nothing to criticize here.
  Overall: This story is a touching and somewhat harrowing exploration of the trials of middle school life. If you are willing to invest some time to overcome the overly slow start and allow yourself to get immersed in the story, I think you will find this book quite enjoyable. I certainly did.
• shadowfirekittyRoyal Road

  ★★★★★ 4.5

  I'm really loving the parts of the story I've read so far. The characters are interesting, and the world building is on point. I love how aspects of magic and religion seem to be mixed together, and the occasional references to The Neverending Story.
  There are some issues with run-on sentences and paragraphs that make it a bit harder to read, but I think the story, world building and character development help make up for it. I can already see the growth the writer is making, and hope to see more!
• Crystal of WormsRoyal Road

  ★★★★★ 4.5

  Take this following review with the following grain of salt: this novel isn't really in one of my main genres. I tend to find this style of fiction is not really within my wheelhouse, but that said -- I think that this genre needs some representation on this site and Ali and Jaius are just the earnestly enjoyable characters to be the frontrunners for this site.
  Pros:
  - Laser-focused characters: Ali and Jaius are clearly fleshed out from the jump. Where many authors will Pants their way into discovering the emotional center of who their protagonists really are, we learn exactly who they are ASAP. Starting off the novel with the third worst day in Ali's life brings her character to the fore very quickly.
  - Brilliant multi-POV work: Focusing on the different styles of bullying that the two titular characters endure early on sets out a promising delineation between the characters. Jaius and Ali feel as though they have very different narrative voices and that is an accomplishment in and of itself. Bravo!
  Cons:
  - Unrealistic Children: As someone with a background in education, I have to dock a half point because of the sheer oddness of the chorus of middle schoolers. In my experience, we do not see seventh graders getting too flustered about the remarkably juvenile K-I-S-S-I-N-G chant. This would not bug me so much if it was not so important to the plot that it kept showing up. Again, take with a grain of salt, this might not bug other readers as much as it does for me, but with my background in education it did not pass the "real children" smell test.
  All in all, I think this is very much the kind of fiction that some of my friends and family might like, so I will pass it on to them.
  Worms, Out!
• Lovely-Cosmic-IcicleRoyal Road

  ★★★★★ 4.5

  This work has good emotional beats that will resonate with many readers. You should keep writing to improve your grammar and technical skills. The biggest issue with the actual content is the telling instead of showing. You have emotional scenes that show what you explain to us, you can let those scenes speak for themselves.
• M.E. CheRoyal Road

  ★★★★★ 4.5

  Overview
  The Education of Ali Wiley and Pius Jaius is a middle-grade fantasy that blends relatable coming-of-age themes with subtle magical elements. The story follows two protagonists—Ali, a young girl navigating bullying and self-esteem issues, and Jaius, a neurodiverse boy with a unique perspective on the world. Their eventual meeting promises an engaging and heartwarming narrative.
  Strengths
  Relatable Characters: Ali and Jaius are well-developed, with struggles and personalities that feel authentic.
  Nuanced Themes: The story tackles bullying, self-esteem, and sibling dynamics with sensitivity and depth.
  Steady Pacing: The slow-burn approach allows the story to build gradually, with meaningful developments in each chapter.
  Subtle Magic: The gradual introduction of fantasy elements adds intrigue without overwhelming the narrative.
  Recommendation
  I recommend The Education of Ali Wiley and Pius Jaius to fans of middle-grade fantasy and coming-of-age stories. The relatable characters, nuanced themes, and subtle magical elements make it a compelling read. If you enjoy stories with Narnia-like vibes and well-developed characters, give this one a try!
• cursedclarkeRoyal Road

  ★★★★ 4.0

  Reading The Education of Ali Wali and Pious Jaius is like being slowly rolled down a hill inside a grief-soaked copy of Bridge to Terabithia while someone throws crystal-infused fantasy lore at your head. It is intense, immersive, and emotionally devastating. And that’s before anyone even starts casting magic. The first three chapters of this story are ambitious in both scale and tone, treading fearlessly into dark emotional territory that most middle grade fantasy would shy away from entirely.
  To start: the characters. The story is character-driven to its marrow. These aren’t plot devices or fantasy archetypes painted in vague detail; they are deeply human. Alianna Oaksen is written with such sensitivity and painful realism that it’s hard not to feel protective of her. She is not merely a bullied girl; she is grief incarnate, moving through a world that refuses to show her mercy. Her relationship with books, with her grandmother, and with her former best friend Alison is heartbreakingly real. Jaius, likewise, is an absolute standout. He’s not the charming outcast or the plucky underdog. He’s awkward, distractible, over-informed in weird ways, and painfully out of sync with his world. And he’s perfect for that. His portrayal of neurodivergence isn’t patronizing or filtered through the lens of savant genius, it’s deeply relatable, often frustrating, and above all, honest.
  Alison and Keri, on the other hand, are like a two-headed emotional gut punch. Alison might be the most compelling character in these early chapters. Her spiral into betrayal, shame, guilt, and the suffocating pressure of her family is not only believable, it’s unbearable. Her dynamic with Keri, the terrifying queen bee of the middle school hierarchy, is saturated with power games and emotional landmines. Keri herself walks the perfect line between tyrant and tragic figure. She is what Regina George would look like if you gave her night terrors and a bear named Liquorish. In other words, she’s excel