Gracie lives in a United States that is not altogether like ours in a world that is flat.  Oh sure, there are the 50 states, but beyond that it is a world of dragons, sasquatches, witches, ghosts, angels, and clouds that come for people who are dying.  This is the story of spunky middle child, Gracie and her family.  Perfect older sister Millie, sweet younger brother Sam, loving mother, scientist father, and orphan Oliver are trying to out run a cloud that appears to have come for Sam.  They have heard of The Extraordinary World (our techno world that revolves around the sun) where they hope they can lose the cloud and save Sam’s life.  They quickly crowd into a Winnebago, leaving their home in Maine, head to their witch grandmother’s home in the Smoky Mountains, then journey through the wilds of the West.  Once there, they hire a guardian angel and a skipper to take them south by boat to the extraordinary world.

This delightful, enchanting, charming adventure story is chock full of well-drawn characters.  People in each world take in their marvels as commonplace.  While it’s a curious and interesting world, the family’s journey really is a desperate attempt to try and save the life of a child and going to the ends of the world to do so.  It’s a story of love and acceptance and family.  Unique and so readable – the diary musings of Gracie are wonderful and the perfect vehicle to tell this story.  Highly recommend.

eGalley review                         Publication date 11.3.15