Publishers Weekly
★ 07/30/2018
An isolated boy witnesses a strange, terrible event in the wood near his house in this haunting novel by Hautman (Eden West). No other children live in Stuey’s neighborhood, so he has relied on his grandfather for companionship. After Gramps perishes during a storm, Stuey feels empty and alone but finds a kindred spirit in Elly Rose, who lives on the other side of the wood and, he finds out, shares a piece of his family history: their great-grandfathers—one a bootlegger, one a district attorney—were enemies who disappeared under mysterious circumstances in the very area where the children usually play. When Stuey tells Elly Rose of their connection, she vanishes as mysteriously as their ancestors. Only Stuey knows what happened to her, but no one will believe his version of the story. As evocative as a David Almond novel, and as infused with heartache and affirmation, Stuey’s story will set imaginations spinning with possibilities about other worlds, ancient sins, and the power of truth. Ages 8–12. Agent: Jennifer Flannery, Flannery Literary. (Sept.)
From the Publisher
Shy Stuey and just-short-of-bossy Elly Rose are likable, their friendship believable and moving. Infused with the magic of the unknown, the eerie wilderness entices them, and readers, inside. An intensely atmospheric ghost story and elegy for a vanished world: spellbinding.
—Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
As evocative as a David Almond novel, and as infused with heartache and affirmation, Stuey’s story will set imaginations spinning with possibilities about other worlds, ancient sins, and the power of truth.
—Publishers Weekly (starred review)
Explaining the implications of concurrent realities is not an easy task, but one Hautman handles skillfully. His fluid writing and lush descriptions of the natural world carry the story, even when questions of how and why remain. Readers will race to the end to learn how it all untangles.
—Booklist
Hautman plays with time and reality, spitting the story into two narratives, Stuey’s and Elly’s. The story lines touchingly merge for a satisfying conclusion. The main characters are likable and thoughtfully developed, with intelligence and flashes of humor.
—School Library Journal
This mind-bending mystery plays right into questions entertained by children and adults alike at least since Schrödinger introduced the possibility of multiple, simultaneous realities...By confining each of the main characters to his or her own universe and linear time, Hautman limits confusion, pays homage to the power of imagination fueled by nature, and explores middle-grade-friendly possibilities of agency, faith, courage, and friendships that have the power to heal generational wounds.
—Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books
There’s a rip in the space-time continuum, and two ordinary kids have to repair it. Trickier still is making such a feat seem believable for the reader. It is a trick that Mr. Hautman pulls off magnificently in this thought-provoking story. Readers ages 8-14 may find themselves mulling over the enigmatic ideas it raises long after they’ve finished the book.
—The Wall Street Journal
This is an intricately woven and affecting novel about the power of true friendship, the corrosiveness of secrets and guilt, and the mysterious possibilities of the world.
—The Horn Book
Hautman has woven a story rich with forest lore and an understanding of the fragility of wild spaces near the city. The ache of loss also permeates this story, for lost friendships and lost wildness, even as the characters look to mend what’s broken.
—Star Tribune
School Library Journal
08/01/2018
Gr 5–7—Stuey Becker lives a comfortable, outdoorsy life in Minnesota with his artist mom and Grandpa Zach, in a rambling house at the edge of Westdale Wood. Family roots run deep in the area: Westdale Wood is set on the overgrown remains of Westdale Country Club, founded by Stuey's great-grandfather, and the scene of Pop's disappearance in the 1930s. Stuey meets Elly Rose, a girl who shares his birthday, and also has a great-grandfather who disappeared. She insists that Stuey's tree-shrouded hideout is her secret discovery: Castle Rose. When Elly disappears, the town is thrown into an uproar, and Stuey is afraid to tell anyone what he knows about it. Hautman plays with time and reality, spitting the story into two narratives, Stuey's and Elly's. The story lines touchingly merge for a satisfying conclusion. The main characters are likable and thoughtfully developed, with intelligence and flashes of humor. VERDICT Though Stuey and Elly begin the story at eight years old and are nearly 11 years old by the end, some relatively complex concepts (quantum reality; Prohibition) tip this toward strong middle grade readers. A good choice for fans of Wendy Mass's 11 Birthdays, or the offbeat reality of Amy Sarig King's Me and Marvin Gardens.—Maggie Knapp, Trinity Valley Sch., Fort Worth, TX
