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.

Thank you to the author Douglas Westerbeke, publishers St. Martin's Press, and NetGalley for an advance digital copy of A SHORT WALK THROUGH A WIDE WORLD. All views are mine.

<i>She tells ... all she has learned about the kindness of others: that she survived on charity for a long time, that she received the most generosity from the poorest homes, the best trash from the richest....</i> Loc.653

Like the publishers claims is this book's predecessors, Addie LaRue and Life of Pi, this book ends on a nonsensical note that doesn't appear to keep with the narrative. A few other technical issues aside, I find most of this book to be an enchanting read. From infancy, Aubry suffers from the unspeakable condition of never being able to remain in one place without becoming ill unto death. Her parents move her around to kep her alive, when she is a child, but at too young an age, she becomes responsible for her own fate.

All during my reading, I asked myself what I would do if I never again were able to experience the familiarity and stability of home? As much as I am a homebody, I would surely perish. Each time Aubry scrambled around, her body dying, crying out for a boat that could take her somewhere new-- my heart broke. I kept wondering-- surely, she will run out of places to run? Surely this world is wide enough that it would be impossible? I really enjoyed the journey of this story!

<i>[D]iscovery lies where no one is looking.</i> Loc.1541

Three (or more) things I loved:

1. The idea of someone who starts dying whenever she stops moving for too long is very compelling for a story! Hope he makes the most of it! (edit: He really does!)

2. The world through this character's perspective is truly fascinating. I love how the author builds the world and the main character simultaneously, which seems natural, given the character's condition. Loc.653

3. I love the lessons about depending on charity versus self-reliance. Loc.680

Three (or less) things I didn't love:

This section isn't only for criticisms. It's merely for items that I felt something for other than "love" or some interpretation thereof.

1. This story really emphasizes the role of grief in developing who we are and how we make decisions. <i>She dreamed of her sisters, terrible dreams, of Pauline and Sylvie, playing games at home while she watched them through a window. She dreamed of her mother cooking an elaborate Christmas dinner she would never eat, of sitting on her father’s lap while he talked to others, unaware she was there. Only later, in memory, did she appreciate what she had. She wished she’d been a better daughter, a better sister. She wished she had them back. She’d have given anything, but had nothing to give.</i> Loc.755

2. At one point, the story kind of disintegrates for me. It feels as though Westerbeke just didn't know what to do with his story any longer. Felt painted into a corner. Magical realism can do that– how does the writer procede without violating their own world's rules? So they introduce a story element that conveniently doesn't, and also propels the story forward. These are deus ex machina and some readers can't hang with them. I couldn't hang with this one, and the second half of the book was disappointing for me. More Addie LaRue than Life of Pi.

Rating: 🩹🩹🩹🩹🩹 terrible symptoms
Recommend? Yes!
Finished: May 8 '24
Format: Digital arc, Kindle, NetGalley
Read this book if you like:
🪄 magical realism
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 family stories, family drama
🚢 travel stories
💇‍♀️ teenage girl's coming of age
😵 curses

This novel follows the steps of the protagonist, Aubrey, from her youth when she first discovers a puzzle ball and shortly afterwards falls victim to a “disease” that will cause her death if she does not continue moving on to a new place. Aubrey spends her life traveling solo across the globe, meeting all kinds of people, but rarely forming attachments since her condition will not allow her to stay put for more than a few days at a time.
This novel is, on the surface, the story of a fantastical life, but it goes further than that, delving into philosophical musings on the impact our life has on the world around us. This was an enjoyable book with a number of engaging characters. Aubrey is an interesting and inspirational main character, as well as a very strong female lead.
This novel will appeal to readers of both fantasy and literary fiction. I will watch for more from this first-time novelist.

Incredibly imaginative tale of a girl trapped in endless travel because of a disease. The adventures, the travels, and the characters are fascinating. It’s a rich world and well worth the read.

How did Douglas Westerbeke come up with the idea? It's wonderful and I loved this book. Aubrey's "disease" is impossible and her life is impossible and I felt no need to have it explained or to somehow be rational. It's a life I would choose for myself - without the pain and blood if possible.

This debut novel follows the extraordinary life journey of Aubry Tourvel, a young woman cursed to constantly be on the move to stay alive. Aubry's globe-trotting adventure takes her through wondrous and challenging landscapes as she searches for a place to call home. Blending magical realism, adventure, and self-discovery, this captivating story explores what it takes to thrive despite seemingly insurmountable obstacles.

This book follows Aubry Torvel, a girl who contacts a disease that leaves her bleeding out if she doesn't move geographical locations every few days. I was intrigued and enjoyed reading this novel, though I don't have a grasp on what the author was trying to say with the work. It was a book that feels like it's making a point, but I didn't quite get it. In some ways, it is a physical embodiment of what wanderlust feel like, something I deeply identify with. In others, the secret (and magical) libraries and the puzzle ball, I found it intriguing without understanding any deeper meaning.

Noting that, it was a fun travel story that brought back backpacking memories of my own and the people you can meet along the way. It's an adventure from start to finish.

3.8. An interesting premise in which a young girl contracts an incurable illness resulting in her having to constantly travel constantly to new locations around the world to avoid any recurrence of the debilitating symptoms. It was a fantastastical experience covering many years following Aubry’s travels and her sheer strength and resilience in dealing with her condition. It started off well but I lost interest in the middle and frankly found the outcome rather predictable. An interesting read. Thank you to NetGalley for providing me a copy in exchange for an honest and candid review

Thanks, Simon & Schuster, for the early review copy via NetGalley. (Available now)

Synopsis: “Paris, 1885: Aubry Tourvel, a spoiled and stubborn nine-year-old girl, comes across a wooden puzzle ball on her walk home from school. She tosses it over the fence, only to find it in her backpack that evening. Days later, at the family dinner table, she starts to bleed to death.
When medical treatment only makes her worse, she flees to the outskirts of the city, where she realizes that it is this very act of movement that keeps her alive. So begins her lifelong journey on the run from her condition, which won’t allow her to stay anywhere for longer than a few days nor return to a place where she’s already been.”

My thoughts: Take a series of mysterious doors that bridge space and time (like TEN THOUSAND DOORS OF JANUARY), add in a mysterious and never-ending library (like MIDNIGHT LIBRARY) and an enigmatic, mysterious woman walking the earth alone for 50 years while cursed (like THE INVISIBLE LIFE OF ADDIE LARUE). Then, make it convoluted, confusing, and overly long while mixing in uneven pacing and shallow character development. I finished the book last night and still don’t really understand what I read.

However, the premise was good, and considering this was a debut, I am optimistic about trying the author again.

I enjoyed this book but I’m not sure where the story was going. I would call the individual stories of her adventures were excellent and interesting, but the “whole” story of her life led to an uninspired ending for me. I needed more of an explanation of her “situation” which never came. I kept reading hoping that it would but unfortunately it never did. I’m writing this review being vague so as not to give any spoilers.