You get lost in this wonderful fantasy book. Loved the way it took you to places you never imagined!

What I loved:
1. A Debut author that has a strong out of the gate book!!
2. Loved the description of the world and places she traveled.
3. Felt her loneliness and emotions as she traveled....so hard to read at times and other times - so amazing!

What I wished was different:
1. I was left with an unfinished feeling at the end of the book.
2. It stalled about 2/3 of the way through - felt like we needed a crisper ending.
3. So many unanswered questions.



My heartfelt thanks to Net Galley and Avid Reader Press / Simon & Schuster for the ARC.

"𝘐𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘦𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘦 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘩𝘢𝘣𝘪𝘵 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘧𝘦𝘳 𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘴𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯, 𝘴𝘦𝘤𝘶𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘺, 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘰𝘯𝘥𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘧𝘢𝘮𝘪𝘭𝘺."

Thank you Avid Reader Press and NetGalley for the advanced reader copies! I ended up listening to the audiobook and really enjoyed the narrator. I liked the premise and despite the length of the book it felt rushed. Perhaps that is intentional given that Aubry can’t spend more than a few days in each place; as she never settles neither does the reader, and the wandering feels endless. I definitely felt like how her condition began and her understanding of how it worked could have been more fleshed out (what nine-year-old quickly and fully understands a mysterious, unknown illness that suddenly inflicts her without a seeming cause?). Also, the structure of jumping around between periods of Aubry’s life felt chaotic and it would’ve been nice instead of the chapters having names they had a date or time frame.

In her worldwide quest to survive Aubry never lives despite all she has seen, experienced, and the people she has met, and by this she at times comes across as shallow. She sees and faced things most and sometimes no other has seen or faced, yet lacks depth. The last 10% or so was curious, almost as if the author wasn’t sure how to wrap things up. Personally I think the magical realism he incorporates contributes to the overall floundering that overlays the story once it's introduced.

"𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵’𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘶𝘳𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘷𝘦𝘭, 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘪𝘧𝘵 𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘢𝘮𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘢𝘳 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘦𝘪𝘨𝘯, 𝘵𝘰 𝘶𝘯𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘴𝘦 𝘮𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘳𝘦𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘥𝘴 𝘶𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘩𝘰𝘮𝘦."

Warnings include chronic illness (and how this separates family), homelessness, mild profanity, some vague sexual content, and one violent scene. There was promise to this one but it ends up getting lost in itself. By its conclusion you feel like you’ve gone for a long walk yourself that didn't really lead to anywhere.

I really enjoyed this, I was in tears by the end. An insightful look into what makes us human and life worth loving and the importance of love.

A spiritual successor to Addie LaRue, this took onboard the common complaint that Addie LaRue only visited white Europe and America, and actually fully showed us as much of the world as it possibly could, through the eyes of a young girl cursed to constantly always be on the move, clutching at human interaction along the way.

This story was cleverly written, taking us to the quiet moments of Aubry's life when she has a moment to sit down with a fellow passenger of trains and boats, and tells of her story to them, from her childhood to the fateful day she's forced to leave, to snapshots of her life hunting on ships and in jungles, constantly finding herself back in an infinite library.

The only thing that let this down just a little for me was the ending. I so wanted to meet back up with Marta, and I felt there could almost have been a budding romance there. Following Aubry over the course of nearly her entire life, I was so reluctant to leave her story behind and wanted to stay until the end.

A Short Walk Through a Wide World feels like an instant classic. Not bad for a debut novel. Before reading A Short Walk (excuse the abbreviated title), I was intrigued by a description comparing it to The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue, a book with a similar structure I really enjoyed. Where Addie LaRue is doomed to never be remembered by anyone she meets, Aubry Tourvel is doomed to never stay in one place more than three or four days. If she stays anywhere longer than that limit, she begins to bleed out, stricken by convulsions to the point of helplessness. While there’s more poignancy in Invisible Life, A Short Walk is often just as bittersweet. Aubry is forever discovering new places and meeting new people, regularly depending on the kindness of strangers, despite her hard-earned resourcefulness. But her lifelong journey is one she must travel alone. And where Invisible Life embraces the fantastical elements early, A Short Walk teases them out a little longer, with the exception of the puzzle ball, which launches the story. Aubry’s lifelong travels take her across the globe and through the changing times, but Westerbeke doesn’t give much page-time (as opposed to screen time) to her travels through North America, with the exception of a few mentions. That choice gives A Short Life more of an exotic, fairytale feeling, which seems appropriate given the subject matter. Aubry becomes something of a celebrity, which helps endear her to many of the strangers she is destined to meet (and eventually leave) by the nature of her ‘curse.’ While Aubry is often alone, she is never lonely, as there is always someone to meet just over the next rise. Best of all, despite not answering all the questions a reader might have had along the way, A Short Life Through a Wide World manages a satisfying conclusion, making one glad to have experienced her journey.

I have to admit, I waited a while to write this review. Sometimes I do this because I'm busy, and it's easier to just grab the next book off my to-read pile than ponder the one I just read. Other times, I need to let the experience stew a bit in my head. The short walk I planned to take with Westerbeke turned out to be quite longer than I expected, covering continents. Unlike other "walks" I've read about, this one was not compelled by a motivation to travel or to see a certain person, but rather, by the main character's desperate will to stay alive. Of course there is magic in this—a puzzle ball, library portals!—these are the parts I found most compelling. Aubry's vast travels were mythic in scope, especially given that they began in 1885 when her travel options were limited, and Westerlake's writing is beautiful in its description. But I left this story with unresolved questions. Looking at other reviews here, I uncovered a "spoiler alert" hoping to find some answers, only to discover that I am clearly not the only one looking. It would have been a 4 if the author had not been so vague in some important plot points, including the final resolution. But, as it's a debut, (and he's a librarian) I will still look forward to the author's next book.

A Short Walk Through a Wide World was such a rich and powerful read. If you loved The Secret Life of Addie LaRue, or The Ten Thousand Doors of January, then I feel like you will also love this book. It is a beautiful fantasy book that is grounded in reality.

The book follows Aubry Tourvel, who becomes cursed at age nine to have to constantly travel or she will die. She can only stay in one place for a few days at a time or her body becomes wracked with pain and she starts to bleed out. She also cannot return to anywhere she has already been. She has to learn to be self sufficient, because it is hard to form connections and relationships when she has to be constantly on the move.

I really loved the character of Aubry. You really feel her pain about not being able to find a place she can call home. Despite all that her curse has kept her from doing, she never really loses hope that one day she will find a way to break it. I loved reading about her many adventures and all the places she was able to go. I loved the writing style and I look forward to seeing what the author comes up with next.

The premise of this book originally had me excited to read it - a girl forced to walk the world due to a mysterious illness that will not let her stay in one place for more than three days had all the potential for a great story. However, after nearly 400 pages, I feel completely let down. Not only did Aubrey's journey feel like a travel log, but a boring one at that. I felt absolutely no connection to either her or the characters that she met along the way. The relationships that she had during her short stays felt forced and never went anywhere past those few pages where those characters were featured, and the entire scenario just kept repeating itself over and over and over again. The magic in the novel is never explained and there doesn't even seem to be a clear message. The ending left me completely confused despite the fact that I consider myself an avid reader and with well above average intelligence.

The writing was above average, but the lack of a cohesive plot and ending did not make this an enjoyable read for me.

Thank you to NetGalley, Avid Reader Press, and the author for an advanced reader's copy in exchange for an honest review.

Enjoyed the book well enough, I wanted to love it. Some parts felt to long and I did not get the explanation I was looking for about the illness, the wooden puzzle ball and the libraries. I liked the travel and the idea of having to keep moving to stay alive. I just felt it came up short and I like books to have an ending and I did not feel I got it here. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

A great debut novel!
If you enjoyed The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue, you will probably enjoy this one.
Very interesting premise. A bit slow starting but, an overall compelling read that you will not want to put down.
Definitely recommend.

When I first read the description of "A Short Walk Through a Wide World" I was hooked. I had recently finished "The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue" and Westerbeke's book sounded like it would be different enough to be intriguing on its own merit, but also similar enough to have the same vibes I had just enjoyed from V.E. Schwab. I wanted to like this book. I thought I would like this book. But unfortunately, I was disappointed.

There were things I enjoyed overall, like the worldwide travels. But there seemed to be an itch that I just couldn't scratch the whole time I was reading; something about the story just didn't sit right with me, especially as we neared the end. There wasn't enough plot—it seemed to be a collection of "woe-is-me" scenarios without a lot of anything actually happening. The ending was underwhelming, the magic was never explained, and when I was finished, I was left wondering what I had actually spent my time experiencing...a lot of trauma?

Ultimately, "Wide World" is the story of a woman who was literally tortured for most of her life, and for what? To learn a lesson and not be spoiled? Seems extreme. Just because Aubry traveled the world and essentially created a cool travel log doesn't mean that this was in any way satisfying. She could never have meaningful relationships, never had a grasp on her own destiny, and was subject to the whims of an omniscient narrator who seemed to take pleasure in her pain.

Aubry Tourvel was cursed as a child and she cannot stay in one place longer than a couple to a few days. If she does then she starts to bleed to death. So she's been traveling alone for years. She's been able to see the world but she longs for human connection. At least connections that can last more than a few days.

I was really intrigued by the synopsis of this book and in the beginning I was hooked. But there's really not much in terms of plot so it slowly but surely lost my interest. Also so many questions were left unanswered so when I finished the book it almost felt incomplete. Maybe that was the point and the appeal was just missed on me.

Thank you to NetGalley and Avid Reader Press for providing me a digital reviewer copy in exchange for my honest thoughts.

What would you do if you had a curse that forced you to always be moving? In 1800s Paris, 9y/o Aubry discovers a wooden puzzle ball on a walk. Days later she starts to bleed to death, only stopping when she’s left her home. She is cursed to always be on the move and never returning to the same place or else she will die. Decades later, she’s learning more about the world around her and survival, meeting all walks of life along the way, but a place to call home is always out of reach.
This was an interesting approach to the story but would’ve loved more explanation behind the origin (maybe a spinoff idea?)
Thank you to Avid Press for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

Aubry can’t stay in one place for too long. Literally. After three or so days in any location, she starts to bleed to death. And so begins her life on the road. At just nine years old, she must learn to hunt and barter. She must also be sure to avoid visiting any place more than once. A tricky feat! Westerbeke’s writing was stellar, but I have so many questions. What the hell was the puzzle ball? How and why did Aubry develop this condition? Does no one else in the entire world have access to her magical libraries? The timeline jumped around a lot, which made it hard for this reader to follow the story at times… not the mention the lack of explanations re: the magical elements. I hate when I finish a book and I don’t know what I just read. ☹️ Two and a half stars for overall “Couldn’t Put It Down”-ness but Westerbeke’s talent shone through.

A Short Walk Through a Wide World follows (pun intended) Aubry Tourvel, a woman born in the late 18oos Paris. After discovering a mysterious puzzle ball in a well as a child, she develops a strange curse where she starts to bleed to death if she stays in one place for too long, such as four to five days. She ends up circling the world as she tries to outrun her curse. On the way, she meets new people, experiences new cultures, and shows the readers some of the wonders of a wide world.

So! Let's address the elephant-ish in the room as the book blurb does. This kind of sounds like the Invisible Life of Addie LaRue. I honestly think it's mostly because the name Aubry Tourvel fairly similar, she's originally from France, and there is a strange unexplained curse. Otherwise, it's not super super similar. I'm not even sure that I would have put the pieces together to make that connection if she had a slightly different name and if it it wasn't mentioned in the blurb. Addie LaRue is one of my favorites and I'm VERY EXCITED to read any book that talks about different places and cultures through a historical and semi-fantastical lens.

I read this book in about a day! I was very intrigued by the premise and excited to see where it led. I liked the semi-all knowing narrator and getting to see a lot of different places, cultures, and people in a historical context. But now that I finished the book, mannn I'm having a hard time deciding on how to review this book. I initially rated it 3 stars and then dropped it down to 2/2.5 stars as I thought more about it. Now, a few weeks after I read it, I'm raising the rating back up to 3 stars. I'm not sure what is the right decision with this, but here are my two main gripes:

MILD SPOILER AHEAD

1. The treatment of the one queer character in the book. The character presents as a man, uses a male name, and wears a binder. However, it's explained immediately that the character is actually female and provides her given name. And then the character is just referred with she/her pronouns and the given name throughout the book. I'm really struggling with picking the right way to address this character in this review because I'm not sure how they identify? It's kind of pitched like here is this girl who dresses like a boy, and oh hoho here is her real name. But is that how they want to be described? Do they identify as male? How do they want to be addressed or seen? I have no idea. And that's a problem! Later, it's revealed that the character is in love with Aubry, the woman who has transversed the entire globe many many times and met tons of different people over decades. And Aubry's reaction to a potentially flirtatious touch is o_O That honestly just really rubbed me the wrong way. Addie LaRue is an amazing bisexual queen (as are most characters in that book) so I was expecting something similar. The almost outright rejection without any nuance of a queer and potentially trans character living in a time and place that very much denied both made me sad.

2 Next! The ending!!!!!! UGH!!!!! All of this setup for NOTHING! Aubry's ending did not add up to me as something that the character has ever wanted. The puzzle ball, the intersecting libraries, and everything else was not explained in a way that was satisfactory to me. And I feel like it was very close!! I read the book so quickly so that I could see how it all lined up and it just didn't for me,

So, I'm going back to my 3 star rating because I did genuinely enjoy a lot of the book. This is also the author's debut novel and I think there is a lot of promise in the book. It just wasn't quite what I wanted it to be, but it was so close that I think it's provoking more of a visceral reaction out of me than I would otherwise feel for a book where I liked and didn't like some aspects of it. If you have read all of this review and are intrigued, read it! Just be prepared that things might not line up how you would like them to at the end Thank you to Avid Reader Press and NetGalley for the electronic advanced reader's copy of this book, my thoughts are my own!

A Short Walk Through A Wild World has a wonderful concept. It starts in Paris in 1885. Young Aubrey Tourvel finds a wooden puzzle ball, which she tosses only to find it in her bag later. She develops a condition and eventually learns that movement is the only cure. She must continue moving if she does not want to suffer from the condition.

While reading the book, I did not find the “grab.” I found that it meandered through the world without going anywhere. For me, the characters did not develop. Unfortunately, I did not complete the book.

I want to thank NetGalley for the opportunity to have an advanced reader’s copy.

I had to DNF this book. I tried to read it twice and it is not for me. Unfortunately the story of a girl that has to travel everywhere because she can die if she stays in a place for a long time is not something that really spoke to me once I started reading it so for this reasons I had to DNF it. I’m completely sure there’s others who will find this book interesting and give it a good review and I feel so bad to give it a one star.

I had a hard time following at times but once I was able to I enjoyed this novel. It’s very sensical/ whimsical and ends up being a beautiful story about the main character and her. She is unable to live a “normal” life because of her sickness but she makes the best of it and finds a way to live longer than expected.

This was an interesting story. While the time loops and constant movement are confusing, this begins to clear up as the story progresses. It's excellent and colorful prose, though.