Over the Woodward Wall is a children's middle-grade fantasy book that follows the adventures of two kids, Avery and Zib, who find themselves in a magical world after crossing an unexpected wall. The story takes them on an adventure along the Improbable Road in search of the Impossible City, encountering whimsical characters and facing challenges along the way. The writing style is described as evocatively descriptive, emotional, and reminiscent of older works, creating a dark fairy tale or twisted tale that engages readers in a unique and fantastical journey.

Characters:

The main characters, Avery and Zib, face challenges in a fantastical setting, but some reviewers feel the characters could be more fully developed.

Writing/Prose:

The writing style is whimsical, descriptive, and emotional, effectively capturing the fantastical elements of the story.

Plot/Storyline:

The story follows two children on a quest through a whimsical, magical world, tackling challenges and learning along the way, ultimately leading to a setup for a series.

Setting:

The setting is a magical, whimsical world filled with unexpected encounters, resembling elements of classic fairy tales.

Pacing:

The pacing is inconsistent, with some parts feeling slow and a rushed ending that prompts anticipation for the next book.

In the same ordinary town, on the same ordinary street, lived two very different, very ordinary children who had never quite managed to cross paths with one another. This, too, was sadly ordinary, for...

Notes:

Over the Woodward Wall is written by A. Deborah Baker, a pseudonym for Seanan McGuire.

It is a children's middle grade portal fantasy book.

The story features two children, Avery and Zib, who embark on an adventure in a magical world.

The book includes themes of friendship, growth, and understanding.

There are creepy villain characters in the story that challenge the protagonists.

Over the Woodward Wall ends on a cliffhanger, indicating a series rather than a standalone tale.

The narrative is whimsical with some darker undertones, likened to a twisted fairy tale.

It was inspired by classic portal fantasies like Alice in Wonderland and The Wizard of Oz.

The book showcases a variety of interesting side characters that enrich the story.

It was described as touching and well-written, capturing the essence of a modern fairy tale.

From The Publisher:

Writing as A. Deborah Baker, New York Times bestselling and award-winning author Seanan McGuire introduces readers to a world of talking trees and sarcastic owls, of dangerous mermaids and captivating queens in Over the Woodward Wall, an exceptional tale for readers who are young at heart.

If you trust her you'll never make it home…

A 2021 Locus Award Finalist!

Avery is an exceptional child. Everything he does is precise, from the way he washes his face in the morning, to the way he completes his homework - without complaint, without fuss, without prompt.

Zib is also an exceptional child, because all children are, in their own way. But where everything Avery does and is can be measured, nothing Zib does can possibly be predicted, except for the fact that she can always be relied upon to be unpredictable.

They live on the same street.

They live in different worlds.

On an unplanned detour from home to school one morning, Avery and Zib find themselves climbing over a stone wall into the Up and Under - an impossible land filled with mystery, adventure and the strangest creatures.

And they must find themselves and each other if they are to also find their way out and back to their own lives.

Ratings (4)

Incredible (1)
Loved It (1)
Liked It (1)
It Was OK (1)

Reader Stats (10):

Read It (4)
Want To Read (5)
Not Interested (1)

1 comment(s)

Rachelguy72

It Was OK

6 months

I'm gonna be honest, I was lost a few times in this book.

Very Alice in wonderland vibes with different perspectives being written.

Overall good but doubt i'll read the next.

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Over the Woodward Wall?

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About the Author:

A. DEBORAH BAKER is a pen-name of SEANAN McGUIRE, the author of Middlegame, the Hugo, Nebula, Alex and Locus Award-winning Wayward Children series, the October Daye series, the InCryptid series, and other works. She also writes darker fiction as Mira Grant. Seanan lives in Seattle with her cats, a vast collection of creepy dolls, horror movies, and sufficient books to qualify her as a fire hazard. She won the 2010 John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer, and in 2013 became the first person to appear five times on the same Hugo ballot.

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Over the Woodward Wall

A. Deborah Baker

Book 1 in the series:The Up-and-Under