February 12th, 2013 from Candlewick
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.
What a weird little book! This one is hard to describe beyond the paragraph up above. Don't get me wrong, I liked the book. This one just may be a little hard to market. The cover and short chapters make it appear to be a middle grade book, but the eff words and a gruesome murder scene pulls away from that audience. I almost put it in the same category as Wonder by Palacio. Both wonderful books, but to me adults will like the heart-felt stories better than kids. Regardless, this book deserves to be heard.
The storytelling is fantastic. I was mesmerized during the first opening chapters. I'm a sucker for a British accent (thanks to Robert Madge), but the words themselves were captivating. I was immediately sympathetic to Standish. He is more than just different, he is one of a kind and I don't mean that in a good way. His home life if bleak and his school life is downright frightening. I kept asking myself if any of this was really possible. Oy, sucked right in... The big secret and ending might just leave you a little teary. Highly recommend, 14+.
Add to Goodreads
You can find Gardner at her website
Check out the Maggot Moon discussion guide HERE
