Over the Woodward Wall

This is another novella by the same author as the author of the Wayward Children series (Seanan McGuire), but she used the pen name Deborah A. Baker. I didn't enjoy this one nearly as much as I love the Wayward Children books, but it wasn't horrible. I may eventually read the rest in the series, but probably not until I get through my already long list of “to-read” books.

A decent book but the copy I had didn't mention that it was part of a series. I much prefer standalone books and, if I had known it was part of a series, I probably wouldn't have started it.

It felt very rushed at the end. Like the whole book was about the journey and then it was just over.

This book-within-a-book is nothing like Middlegame, and if you're looking for a connection, you'll be disappointed. It's just a story in the vein of Narnia or the Wizard of Oz. Not bad, but also not knocking me off my feet.

This book felt written specifically for me. It was everything I always wanted, daring and adventurous, curious and charming! Amazing! Loved it!

Well that was beautiful! I love Seanan McGuire so much, her books always have that quality where I just want to keep reading because the words sound so nice. It took a friend mentioning Middlegame for me to actually remember why I know this title-before that, I'd assumed she just decided to play with another pseudonym.

Avery and Zib are close in age and home address, but very different in personality. Zib finds joy in being daring and getting her hands dirty. Avery finds solace in predictability and good manners. On their respective walks to school, they hit a wall. On the other side awaits adventure, danger, a whole lot of birds, and an unlikely friendship.In the tradition of Alice in Wonderland, The Wizard of Oz, The Phantom Tollbooth, and other classics of middle grade fantasy, Over the Woodward Wall is a story about strange dynasties, falling down holes, finding brick roads, cowardice and companionship, and how much things can change through quests to get back to normal.The tone and pacing both stand out; Baker/McGuire has a knack for quietly and beautifully describing terrible events. Several weighty themes are explored—autonomy, consent, and caring about people without knowing them well, even if you couldn't be more different in what you value most. How those we trust have their own blind spots and ignorance, and that doesn't make them dishonest. I'm torn on what to rate this. The writing was flowery, but it really resonated with me. I have a soft spot for almost every character introduced, and I like that there were two protagonists instead of one. But the pacing was strange, and I can see a lot of readers hating the ending. I don't think I feel that strongly, but it did feel like a last minute setup for a sequel that I don't know needs to exist. In general, I wish this author would write fewer books that are a little longer. I feel like we're just getting to the heart of a story right as it wraps up, and that's a pity. In all, Over the Woodward Wall is weird and charming, and I will begrudgingly but definitely read [b:Across the Saltwise Sea 56179349 Across the Saltwise Sea A. Deborah Baker https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/book/50x75-a91bf249278a81aabab721ef782c4a74.png 87513137].

I loved the Over the Woodward Wall excerpts in [b:Middlegame 35965482 Middlegame (Middlegame, #1) Seanan McGuire https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1537297437l/35965482.SX50.jpg 57524946]Middlegame, but I'm not sure I knew what to expect when I picked up Over the Woodward Wall to read in its entirety. It reads like a middle grade adventure novel. It reminded me, several times, of The Wizard of Oz. That said, I think I kept reading for clues or hints about the science of Middlegame and then feeling a bit lost because they either are not there or I missed them. To be fair, it's been over a year since I read Middlegame. At the same time, I sat in my back yard on a beautiful October day, with my coffee and my feet up and just enjoyed this sweet tale of two kids on a very dangerous mission to find The Impossible Road. I even laughed a few times. I should have taken notes so I can remember what's going on for the sequel.

A well written story about two very different children who find themselves in a strange magical world and have to learn the importance of friendship and to value their differences as they walk the Improbable Road to find their way home. I really enjoyed this little book, which reminded me in places of [b:Narnia 100915 The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (Chronicles of Narnia, #1) C.S. Lewis https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1353029077l/100915.SY75.jpg 4790821], [b:The Phantom Tollbooth 378 The Phantom Tollbooth Norton Juster https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1558858485l/378.SX50.jpg 1782584] and, of course, [b:Alice's Adventures in Wonderland 24213 Alice's Adventures in Wonderland & Through the Looking-Glass Lewis Carroll https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1327872220l/24213.SY75.jpg 2375385].Clearly written with adults in mind (as is the Phantom Tollbooth), I feel that this would also be appropriate for younger readers.I understand that this is a sort-of spinoff of the book [b:Middlegame 35965482 Middlegame (Middlegame, #1) Seanan McGuire https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1537297437l/35965482.SX50.jpg 57524946] and I've seen some discussion about whether this book works as a stand-alone. I've never read Middlegame and not once did I feel like I was missing out.This did absolutely feel like a side tale from the utterly wonderful [b:Wayward Children 25526296 Every Heart a Doorway (Wayward Children, #1) Seanan McGuire https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1431438555l/25526296.SX50.jpg 45313140] series, which can only be a good thing.My one complaint is that this book ended on a cliff-hanger and I was not aware that this was part of a series. To phrase that differently - Ms Baker / McGuire had better continue the tale and not leave those children stuck over the wall! I want to find out what happens next!

Thank you to Netgalley and Tor.com for providing me with a copy of this in exchange for my open and honest review.

Over The Woodward Wall by A. Deborah Baker is a complicated book to review. A. Deborah Baker is the newest pseudonym of prolific author Seanan McGuire and goes hand in hand with one of her other works, Middlegame. It is meta, Over the Woodward Wall was mentioned in Middlegame, and now we have the full children's book to go with it.
Honestly, I wasn't even aware of the connection until I had an a-ha moment about halfway through the story. You don't need to have read Middlegame to appreciate Over The Woodward Wall. Still, I think readers will have a fuller appreciation and understanding of the story if they have read Middlegame.

“Humans always look the same to me once they're old enough to leave the nest. Hatchling humans are one thing, but the rest of you? Pssh.”

The story is about two children who are polar opposites of each other in almost every way. Avery, who is calm, collected, systematic, and rule-abiding, is half the duo. While Zib, who is loud, frizzy, wild, and free-spirited, is the other half of the pair. Together they balance each other and cancel each others strongest tendencies. The only thing Zib and Avery have in common is their age. That is... until a chance meeting while on a wall to the Up and Under intertwined their destinies. Now, in a land completely different than our own, the two of them have to work together because they will never escape otherwise.

Seanan McGuire is a master storyteller. If you haven't had a chance to check out the myriad of her novels, series, and short stories, you should. She has a way about writing that is lyrical enough to dance across the pages, but substantial enough that a reader does not get lost in the words. All that being said, I don't think this is her best work. That is a relative thing. Even on McGuire's worst days, she still is a fabulous writer.

But, Over the Woodward Wall was missing something.

The story has a lot of good. The worldbuilding is well done. There are giant talking blue owls, waterfalls made of mud, a crow girl, and so many other fantastical things. It is reminiscent of Alice in Wonderland and McGuire's Wayward Children series. The world is an elaborate creation, and it is believable and whimsical at the same time. I can see two children getting lost in all this.

“Neither of them could see the cliff they fell past, but if they had, they would have understood the mud a little better, for the stone was banded in pink and blue and purple, stripes of one color sitting atop the next, like something from a storybook.”

Avery and Zib are fun lead characters that balance each other well but learn to adapt to the situations as they arise. It is a good lesson for kids because, technically, this is written for children. But I think the lessons were too heavy-handed; every character Avery and Zib crossed had something to teach them, some lesson. That is generally important in a fable; it seems too much. Even fables and children's stories have subtleties. Because it was apparent what each of the characters was doing, I could not get engaged in it as much as I would have liked to.

On the flip side, the story did not seem long enough. It felt incomplete. I wanted more. Maybe that will be realized in future books, but I ended this story slightly dissatisfied. It was a weird combination of too much info in one part of the story and not enough in another.

“A piece can represent the whole,” said Meadowsweet. “If the human child wants to hold up a branch and say it means the entire tree, I don't see where it's another human child's place to stop it. Representative symbols are an essential piece of making so many things. Without them, we wouldn't have maps, or books, or paintings. Peace, human child. Let your fellow be.”

Of course, even with slight criticism of the plot, this is a fun story. The children's voices are engaging, and its meandering manner is thematic. You are meandering with the kids as they make their way through the world. And, even though this isn't McGuire's best work, it is still a fun read. Besides, I loved Middlegame. It was one of the best books I read last year, and the meta quality of Over the Woodward Wall adds another layer to the story and makes me appreciate Middlegame all the more.

If you are a fan of McGuire's work, you will undoubtedly appreciate this. And, even though it wasn't as engaging as I had hoped, this is still a very good story and worth the time it takes to read it.

3.5/5 stars rounded to 4

This deserves to be an instant classic of children's literature. The story is so fun, the scenes full of an Alice in Wonderland like surreal beauty, and the characters so fully realized. On top of that, it layers subtle things that are so important to learn—messages of understanding and honoring our emotions, of identity being more than what people see, of inequality and unfairness being something to fight against. I love how deep and meaningful everything is. I can't wait for the sequel!