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deedireads's review
adventurous
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
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Billed as The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue meets Life of Pi, A Short Walk Through a Wide World is a sweeping, magical story about the life of a girl (eventually a woman) who cannot spend more than three days in the same place. If she stays too long, her body will shut down and she will die. So she wanders the world dozens and dozens of times over, meeting new people and seeing whatever there is to see — including the impossible. But without the ties that bind us to others, what is the purpose of a life?
I was drawn to this book because I love literary magical realism and because I loved Addie LaRue. It definitely delivers on the magic. The Addie comparison is thanks to the plot similarities and not Douglas Westerbeke writing anything like VE Schwab, but that was okay — there was plenty to love and get lost in, especially if you have a bad case of wanderlust.
I will say that the plot was a little more “and then and then and then” than I would prefer (and yet also somehow nonlinear?), and don’t expect a well-explained magic system, but this book is definitely storytelling at its finest. It’s easy to get swept away, and Aubrey’s loneliness is palpable and heartbreaking. I also found its meditation on purpose and relationships and what it means to live well to be quite powerful.
If you also love magic and travel, give this one a shot.
Billed as The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue meets Life of Pi, A Short Walk Through a Wide World is a sweeping, magical story about the life of a girl (eventually a woman) who cannot spend more than three days in the same place. If she stays too long, her body will shut down and she will die. So she wanders the world dozens and dozens of times over, meeting new people and seeing whatever there is to see — including the impossible. But without the ties that bind us to others, what is the purpose of a life?
I was drawn to this book because I love literary magical realism and because I loved Addie LaRue. It definitely delivers on the magic. The Addie comparison is thanks to the plot similarities and not Douglas Westerbeke writing anything like VE Schwab, but that was okay — there was plenty to love and get lost in, especially if you have a bad case of wanderlust.
I will say that the plot was a little more “and then and then and then” than I would prefer (and yet also somehow nonlinear?), and don’t expect a well-explained magic system, but this book is definitely storytelling at its finest. It’s easy to get swept away, and Aubrey’s loneliness is palpable and heartbreaking. I also found its meditation on purpose and relationships and what it means to live well to be quite powerful.
If you also love magic and travel, give this one a shot.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Blood
Moderate: Body horror
sarahweyand's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
Thanks to Avid Reader Press and NetGalley for providing me a physical ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and feedback are my own.
When I first started this book, I thought it was just a version of THE INVISIBLE LIFE OF ADDIE LARUE that just didn't live up to its predecessor. However, as I look back on it, I'm enjoying it more for its own merits.
I really enjoyed the fantasy aspects of this book, and I'm okay with the fact that we didn't really get an explanation for any of it. I really enjoyed the role that books and libraries played in the plot as well. I thought the premise was unique despite what it's being compared to. I thought the stories that were told and the characters we met were well-executed and interesting to read about. There were a couple of things that weren't my favorite that I'll list real quick:
When I first started this book, I thought it was just a version of THE INVISIBLE LIFE OF ADDIE LARUE that just didn't live up to its predecessor. However, as I look back on it, I'm enjoying it more for its own merits.
I really enjoyed the fantasy aspects of this book, and I'm okay with the fact that we didn't really get an explanation for any of it. I really enjoyed the role that books and libraries played in the plot as well. I thought the premise was unique despite what it's being compared to. I thought the stories that were told and the characters we met were well-executed and interesting to read about. There were a couple of things that weren't my favorite that I'll list real quick:
- Even if it was purposeful, the jumping timeline was very confusing to place and organize mentally
- Pacing was a little slow at times and plot points felt repetitive
- Because of the nature of the plot, we don't get a lot of relationship building or depth to the characters we met.
- Most of the plot points covered during Aubrey's journey were based around male love interests, and I find that a little disappointing given that she's travelled the whole world and met countless people.
Overall, I did enjoy the book, and I'd recommend it to people who find the synopsis interesting. I don't know if I'd recommend it over THE INVISIBLE LIFE OF ADDIE LARUE, but it was still a fun read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood and Chronic illness
Moderate: Body horror and Domestic abuse
gondorgirl's review
adventurous
challenging
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Alcohol, Blood, Body horror, Gore, Animal death, Chronic illness, Death of parent, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, and Death
fictionandfarming's review
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Medical trauma, Animal death, Body horror, and Violence
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