What if the football hadn't gone over the wall. On the other side of the wall there is a dark secret. And the devil. And the Moon Man. And the Motherland doesn't want anyone to know. But Standish Treadwell - who has different-colored eyes, who can't read, can't write, Standish Treadwell isn't bright - sees things differently than the rest of the "train-track thinkers." So when Standish and his only friend and neighbor, Hector, make their way to the other side of the wall, they see what the Motherland has been hiding. And it's big...One hundred very short chapters, told in an utterly original first-person voice, propel readers through a narrative that is by turns gripping and darkly humorous, bleak and chilling, tender and transporting.
The political circumstances that gave rise to the classic dystopian novels of the twentieth century are in no way gone from the world. Today's young people have to make sense of grim facts about torture and totalitarianism in the news, so it makes sense to give them books in which to work through these
moral dilemmas. Still, Maggot Moon won't be right for every kid, even those who fall into the suggested range of age 12 and up. The kids who do read this will benefit from some serious follow-up conversations with their parents and teachers. With the right perspective, there is something transcendent, even ebullient, about Standish Treadwell's point of view. (Reviewed by Jennifer G Wilder).
Kirkus Reviews
Despite intentions, this tale never connects past to present, resulting in a book with a message but no resonance.
Publishers Weekly
Starred Review. Although the ending is pure heartbreak, she leaves readers with a hopeful message about the power of one boy to stand up to evil.
Booklist
Starred Review. This is alt-history second; first, it is an eerie, commanding drama.
The Bookseller (U.K.)
This novel will just blow you away...Such a beautiful read...this certainly has the potential to become a modern classic.
The Sunday Times (U.K)
Startlingly original, sophisticated and moving, Maggot Moon is out of this world.
Meg Rosoff
Dazzling, chilling, breathtaking. A perfect book.
Recent Reader Reviews
Rated of 5
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of 5
by Diane S.
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