Reviewed by Olivia
Rating: High Five
Who I'd Recommend to: Fans of the War that Saved My Life, anything Cornelia Funke, the Land of Stories, and Book Scavenger.
Synopsis (from Amazon):
"Spirited, restless Gracie Lockwood has lived in Cliffden, Maine, her whole life. She’s a typical girl in an atypical world: one where sasquatches helped to win the Civil War, where dragons glide over Route 1 on their way south for the winter (sometimes burning down a T.J. Maxx or an Applebee’s along the way), where giants hide in caves near LA and mermaids hunt along the beaches, and where Dark Clouds come for people when they die.
To Gracie it’s all pretty ho-hum…until a Cloud comes looking for her little brother Sam, turning her small-town life upside down. Determined to protect Sam against all odds, her parents pack the family into a used Winnebago and set out on an epic search for a safe place that most people say doesn’t exist: The Extraordinary World. It’s rumored to lie at the ends of the earth, and no one has ever made it there and lived to tell the tale. To reach it, the Lockwoods will have to learn to believe in each other—and to trust that the world holds more possibilities than they’ve ever imagined."
Rating: High Five
Who I'd Recommend to: Fans of the War that Saved My Life, anything Cornelia Funke, the Land of Stories, and Book Scavenger.
Synopsis (from Amazon):
"Spirited, restless Gracie Lockwood has lived in Cliffden, Maine, her whole life. She’s a typical girl in an atypical world: one where sasquatches helped to win the Civil War, where dragons glide over Route 1 on their way south for the winter (sometimes burning down a T.J. Maxx or an Applebee’s along the way), where giants hide in caves near LA and mermaids hunt along the beaches, and where Dark Clouds come for people when they die.
To Gracie it’s all pretty ho-hum…until a Cloud comes looking for her little brother Sam, turning her small-town life upside down. Determined to protect Sam against all odds, her parents pack the family into a used Winnebago and set out on an epic search for a safe place that most people say doesn’t exist: The Extraordinary World. It’s rumored to lie at the ends of the earth, and no one has ever made it there and lived to tell the tale. To reach it, the Lockwoods will have to learn to believe in each other—and to trust that the world holds more possibilities than they’ve ever imagined."
Thoughts: How to begin? 432 pages long, this book is packed with emotion, bittersweetness, and adventure - as well as plenty of sasquatches! The book is written in diary form, but don't let that put you off from this incredible book, which is really more of a young girl's attempt at recording her family's adventures, hoping to sound like a "real author." I have to admit, I'm not a fan of monsters (vampires, sasquatches, ghosts, etc.), which crowd the edge of everything Gracie and her family goes through, and I was worried, as some points, that I could misinterpret some of them as scary (when really, they're intended to be whimsical, imaginative, and fantastical), but it was never an issue. The only time something bordered on "scary," it was short-lived and only managed to send brief chills down my back (in a good way - that's when I know I'm really into a book!). The writing was suspenseful, yet heartfelt, and I loved the voice Anderson wrote with. I was constantly caught up in the wonder and element of fantasy in Gracie's world, which really builds this whole story. When I explained the aspect of this book to my mom, she was fascinated by the creativity - Dark Clouds? The Extraordinary World? And I completely agree with her reaction. After all, what's not to love? The character development was great as well. I just loved Oliver, Sam the Mouse, Gracie's parents, Millie... the entire cast of characters! I was constantly kept on the edge of my seat, and I couldn't help shedding a few tears at the ending, which really just reached out straight to your heart. I've heard the ending being described as "too much" for kids, but for me, it was perfect. Bittersweet, heartwarming, and still, throughout it all, adventurous and exciting.
