Copy received from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I didn't know that a middle-grade book could completely blow me away until I read Otherwood. This book is incredible and I'm honored to have received an ARC for it. If you only read one more kid's book in your life, even if you're an adult, take the time to read this.

Otherwood is one big cluster of mystery, but it's not frustrating. The plot can be confusing at times, but it comes together perfectly as you read along. Instead of getting a big reveal at the very end, the reader gradually receives hints throughout the story as to what's going on. This was an aspect that I really enjoyed because the book doesn't try to stump you or trick you into thinking one thing's happening when it's really something else.

The two separate points of view is a majorly important part of Otherwood, which makes it a good thing that it's done so well. Without any spoilers, I'll just say that these perspectives make the book what it is, and Otherwood could not be written without it.

What makes this middle-grade novel stand out against all others is the amazing writing style and the even more amazing concepts put into it. The characters are great, the setting is the best part, and the mystery and suspense are ever so present. I'm not kidding when I say that Otherwood was a read that blew my mind.

The purest thing about this middle grade novel is it’s voice. The relationships are the core of the story. I love that the author doesn’t pander to its audience but trusts that these readers caught between children and teenagers can absorb the nuances of the story.

The friendship between Stuey and Elly is authentic and charming. The story is paced well, with plenty of mystery and suspense. An excellent story for middle grade readers!

Throw away whatever YA you’re reading at the moment and start with fantastic middle grade fiction like this. You won’t be disappointed by the medley of fantasy, quantum physics, characters and suspense.

This book is simple, but complex. It has a plot that is easy to understand, but so intricate in all its details, characters and character development. It stimulated my mind and growth as a human being. I hope everyone gets around to reading this gem.

Is reality simply a dream we share? Will sharing my story change what is real? Alas, I will never know. – From Grandad’s Book of Secrets.

Stuey was eight years old, living with his over-protective mother and loving grandfather. Suddenly, a storm hit and Stuey’s life was changed forever – his grandfather died in the storm, along with many ideas and even more family secrets.

They found Grandpa Zach on the floor behind his desk, curled up, arms wrapped around his belly as if he was hugging himself.

Everyone knows how much I love grandparent-themed stories (I’m looking at you, Jane) but this was phenomenally done. Stuey suffers the loss of his grandpa as the loss of a father and best friend.

Stuey remembered that day the way he remembered nightmares – a sort of horrific slide show, one awful image piled on top of another. He went back to the house, carrying with him the knowledge that Gramps, his best friend, was gone.

Like My Grandmother Sends Her Regards and Apologises by Fredrik Backman, this book manages a beautiful set up of the grandparent in question. We get such a good feel for Stuey’s gramps, and a mystery book left behind filled with secrets.

The apples were tiny green nubbins. Most of them would be wormy when they got bigger. Gramps didn’t believe in spraying trees. “Bugs have to eat too.” He would say.

The day before gramps died, Stuey discovered what he called a “Fairy Circle” – a circle with perfect grass in it. Gramps explains that it was only part of the golf course Stuey’s great grandad had built many years before. Before, that is, Stuey’s great grandad disappeared out of nowhere – and so did the town lawyer, Robert Rosen.

This book isn’t exactly supernatural or fantastical – but it is whimsical and Otherworldly

I don’t believe there are fairies here, Stuey. But there might be a ghost or two. “Ghosts?” Stuey’s voice quavered. He didn’t really believe in fairies, but he wasn’t so sure about ghosts. Grandpa Zach grinned. “Got you!” he said.

Years after Grandpa Zach’s death, Stuey meets an unforgettable friend called Elly Rose
Now, Elly Rose is a beautiful, fairy-like character who seems to transcend earth with her imagination. Stuey begins to uncover that they share so much – interests, a birthday and an even darker secret.

”We could be soul mates!” “What’s a soul mate?” he asked. “It means we have a special connection and we can’t have any other secrets from each other.” Elly said.

And so, the two children share the deadfall – an area of previously-owned golf land that has logs that are arranged like a castle. They spend so much time together and begin to grow a strong bond. Until one day, when Elly disappears from Stuey’s life – literally disappears into thin air. She is missing. But when he goes to the deadfall, he sees her sometimes, and she explains that in her world, he is missing too.

And so begins the wonderfully crafted conflict of the book – two children missing in different time zones, impossible – except that Grandpa Zach’s book of secrets says otherwise. I won’t spoil much, but the tenacity, character, smarts and beauty of the two children is beautiful and heartbreaking. They have to go through years of trials and tribulations to find each other once again.

Conclusion
I loved this book so much. I loved the characters, plot, character development, writing, dialogue, suspense – everything there is to look for in a book. Although it was middle grade the book dealt with complex issues. I recommend this book to everyone – absolutely everyone. The author is able to describe and bring children to life the way children really are – not just little adults, but children. And I loved this to death, since very few authors are good at this sort of thing. I also laud the author for how well suspense is carried out in a middle grade book – it’s phenomenal. There is also a lot of commentary on nature, and how or society is ridding us of beautiful marshes, forests and swamps to make way for more and more malls.

My favourite quotes
”I’ll be a bootlegger.” He liked the way Elly was staring at him. She didn’t speak for a few seconds, which was unusual. “Maybe a murderer too.” He added.

”We hang pictures here. It’ll be like our own secret moving castle, with pictures. This can be our meeting place while our moms are mad at each other.

The void within pulled at his skin, threatening to turn him inside out. His bones ached; his thoughts whirled and spun into an infinitely deep, infinitely empty sinkhole.

It was as if he had split into two different people, a boy who told adults the things they wanted to hear, and the boy who knew the truth.

He thought about what his mom had said about soul mates. They make you whole. He hadn’t really understood that until Elly went away.

”Don’t worry, Grimpy” she said. It’s not dragons. Just stupid men and their stupid machines.”

There is so much more I could say about this book, but I’d rather not – it’s for the reader to discover and treasure. I dare not spoil such a beautiful piece of work. This is a beautiful coming of age story that no one should miss out on.

A mystery, a secret that grandpa Zach had in his life and everything within the surroundings of a Golf Court in the woods. But then when Stuey and Elly Rose became friends and started getting into the mystery, all thing became clear.
This is a book about memory and loss and the destructive nature of secrets, but also about the way friendship, truth, and perseverance have the ability to knit a torn-apart world back together.
If you liked Bridge to Terabithia, you will love this book. Many things reminded me of this story, two friends ( a girl and a boy), one is very artistic, they spend their time in the woods and see magical creatures, well I see the same vibes.
Nevertheless, it is beautifully written, enjoyable and easy reading.
It will be released in September 2018.

4.5 stars*

Stuey’s summer is looking up when he meets Elly Rose, a girl who shares his birthday and declares them to be “soul mates.” They build a kingdom of castles and imagination in the woods bordering their homes, close despite the deep rifts in their families from generations before. But then Elly Rose disappears, right in front of Stuey’s eyes, and Stuey has to question everything he knew about life, the past, and the woods. Maybe his Grandpa was right in saying ghosts dwelled there. Maybe if Stuey figures out what happened, he can get Elly Rose back.

Or is it Stuey who disappeared, and Elly Rose who has to find him?

This was a thoughtful, well-written novel. Stuey and Elly Rose are young when the novel begins, but I feel that it’s a more mature middle grade novel due to the themes of loss, grief, and hatred. In the afterword, Hautman writes that this is a homage to the woods of his childhood, but the novel is not overly nostalgic but rather unflinching.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC.

“I suppose if we forgot stuff we’ll never know we forgot it, because we won’t remember.”

a general problem with fantasy books is capturing the attention of readers, but this book did not have that problem. This book is surprisingly deep for a middle grade book. It is complex and intricate with themes deeply woven into the story.

I like how certain middle grades books have the special talent of being so much deeper than they are meant to be.

As this is in the Fantasy genre, it dealt with topics that were more on the supernatural level but I was still able to heavily relate to it in a more philosophical way.


plot:

though it had a slow start for me, it picked up fairly quickly. The beginning was already enough to capture my attention. The timeline was spread out enough that it was able to show the development and change with the characters.

stuey and elly are so innocently cute that it makes the whole story seem innocent even though it dealt with sort of serious and heavy topics. The developments were slow but it hit me really hard and I couldn't help tearing up at some parts. And even though the structural flow did not appeal to me as much because it is a middle grade novel, I enjoyed it very much due to the topics that it tackled and how much it just hits you everytime.


“hatred combined with lies and secrets can break the world.”

characters:

the characters were written with so much passion that reading their relationships made my heart swell. I felt all the emotions they were feeling on a magnified level. Their connections just felt so real to me.

“Do You know what ghosts are, Stuey? I’ll tell you. They’re secrets haunting the memories of the living. So long as we carry their secrets, they refuse to leave. They wait.” “Wait for what?” “To be forgotten. My father has been gone for sixty years, but” — he tapped the side of his head — “he’s still here. He never left.”

this made me think of my own dad and i must be lying if i said that i didn’t shed a tear. The characters had diversity. Even though the style makes it seem like a very kiddish read, I was glad to have read it because the characters felt alive and they did start growing up towards the end.

Their families were very much present throughout the whole book and I appreciated how their actions played a part in the plot.


“we live in different worlds, different realities.”

themes:

it revolved around a lot of themes: ghosts, memories, dreams, friendship, family, growing up but most importantly, realities and what we choose to believe. Is there more than one reality? Are there different worlds? It provided a lot of philosophical ideas to ponder on and it always left me thinking.

what hit me the most was how in the end, Stuey forgot a significant part of his past with Elly, it signified how he has grown up. It showed that we change as we grow older and it made me realize that we won't even remember the things that we forget. But as long as it stays with us, it will stay alive though us.

In this story, it isn't important who's side of 'reality' is true and which is not. What is important is that you understand that each of us can have our own versions of realities, and that's okay. . . because we will always choose to believe our own reality.

“the dead live in our memories.”

FULL REVIEW: to be posted on my blog about a week before September 11