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Maggot Moon

4.05 of 5 stars 4.05 · rating details · 553 ratings · 162 reviews

When his best friend Hector is suddenly taken away, Standish Treadwell realises that it is up to him, his grandfather and a small band of rebels to confront and defeat the ever present oppressive forces of The Motherland.
Friendship and trust inspire Standish to rise up against an oppressive regime and expose the truth about a planned moon landing in this original and spel...more

Hardcover, 278 pages

Published September 6th 2012 by Hot Key Books

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Jan 13, 2013 Stacey (prettybooks) rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-after-university, read-in-my-twenties, young-adult-fiction

Imagine living in an alternative universe, but one eerily similar to Nazi Germany. Is this historical fantasy? Historical science fiction? It's like nothing I've read before, but that's the thrill of it. Standish Treadwell and his grandfather – Gramps – live in Zone Seven, where outcasts and political anarchists are sent. They have nothing except some scraps of food to get them through the winter and contraband television. We all know about Nazi Germany. But do the citizens in Maggot Moon fare t...more Imagine living in an alternative universe, but one eerily similar to Nazi Germany. Is this historical fantasy? Historical science fiction? It's like nothing I've read before, but that's the thrill of it. Standish Treadwell and his grandfather – Gramps – live in Zone Seven, where outcasts and political anarchists are sent. They have nothing except some scraps of food to get them through the winter and contraband television. We all know about Nazi Germany. But do the citizens in Maggot Moon fare the same?

Maggot Moon is an example of compelling, inventive and truly great storytelling. Although some chapters are only a mere half a page, by the end of the book you've become immersed in Standish's world, and genuinely understand what he has gone through. And what he goes through is horrific. It's a book you'll finish the same day you pick it up. There is no need for overly long and detailed descriptions – Standish lives in a brutal, harsh place where people are blinded by propaganda. There's no time for lyrics and poetry.

You see, Standish also has dyslexia, meaning that people underestimate him. (It also doesn't help that he has one brown eye and one blue eye!). He's intelligent yet perceived to have the mind of a young child, so he's constantly running from bullies – students and teachers alike. And then there's the soldiers – Greenflies – who are the eyes and ears of those at the top of the social ladder, making sure that everybody sticks to the rules. It's set in bleak 1956 where the Motherland want to demonstrate ultimate supremacy and be the first nation to land on the moon. But Standish and Gramps have an inkling that something is not quite right, and are determined to reveal the truth.

Narrated by a unique voice and with a host of characters you cannot help but fight for, the brilliantly haunting and highly compelling Maggot Moon, winner of the 2012 Costa Children's Book Award, is definitely one you won't want to miss!

Thank you Hot Key Books for providing this book for review!(less)

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Feb 04, 2013 Tracey rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: novels, fiction-hs, fiction-ms

OMG, put Sally Gardner on my list of favorite authors. I believe she lives in London--otherwise I would recommend this for a 2014 Printz. The little illustrations were seriously disturbing, as was the Nazi-ish society in her book. Excellent writing, great protagonist. (ARC)

Written for and posted at the Books in Bloom Blog, located at mackinbooksinbloom.com :

“I’m wondering what if…the football hadn’t gone over the wall.”

Fifteen-year-old Standish Treadwell lives in the Motherland, a dystopian soci...more OMG, put Sally Gardner on my list of favorite authors. I believe she lives in London--otherwise I would recommend this for a 2014 Printz. The little illustrations were seriously disturbing, as was the Nazi-ish society in her book. Excellent writing, great protagonist. (ARC)

Written for and posted at the Books in Bloom Blog, located at mackinbooksinbloom.com :

“I’m wondering what if…the football hadn’t gone over the wall.”

Fifteen-year-old Standish Treadwell lives in the Motherland, a dystopian society similar to Nazi Germany. He lives with his grandfather in Zone Seven, the area for people who don’t quite toe the party line. A year earlier, his parents disappeared after the government's goons dragged his mother away—and when she came back, she was changed.

Standish has problems in school, not the least of which are the bullies who taunt him with the rhyme: “Can’t read, can’t write / Standish Treadwell isn’t bright.” But though he can’t read or write, he isn’t stupid. He understands that things aren’t right in his society, and he knows how to keep under the radar and out of trouble with the authorities. His best friend Hector says that Standish isn’t like all the “train-track thinkers.”

Hector and Standish are neighbors, and next to their houses is a wall, a very tall wall, around something very secret—and in the Motherland, it is dangerous to ask or even talk about secrets. The boys know of a hidden tunnel which leads to the other side of the wall, but they are not stupid…until the football goes over the wall and Hector sneaks through the tunnel .

Now Standish is telling his story—but not on paper. He would never be that crazy. But he is afraid. Hector and his family have disappeared, and not even his grandpa will answer Standish’s questions. Why are they gone? What did Hector see when he retrieved the football? What is going on behind the wall? And how long can they keep it secret that they are hiding someone in their basement?

And the most important question, can Standish do anything to make the rest of the world understand what is going on?

Maggot Moon captured me from the first page. The voice of the dyslexic narrator, Standish, is clear and true…which is not surprising since the author is dyslexic herself and advocates for finding a better way to educate children with dyslexia. She talks about the book and dyslexia in this interview with Publishers Weekly. And check out the video on the Maggot Moon website to see how a page of print looks to someone with dyslexia. I was surprised to find that reading for them is far worse than just a matter of mixed up letters.

This book would be a great discussion starter on authoritarianism, accompanying a unit on Nazi Germany or Stalinism. Also, talking about Standish’s way of thinking could be helpful in a creative thinking class. And it is an awesome book for anyone who likes dystopian fiction.

(Quotations are taken from an advance reading copy provided by the publisher.)(less)

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May 02, 2013 Ela rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Anna

Shelves: conspiracy, dystopian, carnegie-shortlist-2013

4.5 Stars

"Standish, wake up, you fricking, daydreaming bastard! Wake up! Wake up or you'll be dead like me."

In Standish Treadwell's world, when people go missing you don't call the police. You stay quiet and pretend they never existed. You hope no one notices you because if they do, you're next.

Both the cover and the title of this book made me think it would be a pre teen adventure story. I was not expecting a Nazi-like dystopian society ruled by propaganda, betrayal and brutality. And it got w...more

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Nov 23, 2012 Teresa rated it 5 of 5 stars

Our narrator, the wonderfully named Standish Treadwell, is left bereft when his best friend Hector mysteriously disappears, probably taken by the tyrannical goons of the Motherland – a totalitarian regime where dyslexics like Standish are held in scant regard. The Motherland is intent on winning the space race, getting to the moon first without caring who gets hurts in the process. However, what if it was all one big ploy, designed to keep people in their place? What if someone like Standish, so...more

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Mar 14, 2013 Ligeia. rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: favorite-books

¿Por qué no existirá la opción de las seis estrellas en Goodreads?

Curioso empezar una "reseña" diciendo que no tengo palabras para describir este libro cuando, lo que se supone que debo hacer a continuación -e intentaré hacer, claro está- es hablar sobre él... pero así es: Las tres caras de la luna ha conseguido dejarme sin palabras y con una mezcla de sentimientos tan grande que incluso horas después de haber terminado su lectura, me sigue aplastando.

Leer más: http://incendiodenieve.blogspot.c ...more

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Mar 27, 2013 Anne rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Wow! This grabs you by the collar and pulls you up short and close, whether you like it or not. Standish Treadwell is a dyslexic timid boy with only Hector for a friend and he has disappeared. His world of school and bully boys and headmasters imitates ours to begin with, but soon we realise there is a much darker side. His parents are gone too, there are brick walls and filled-in wells. He lives with Gramps in a street that used to contain "un-bombed houses". The clever words of Standish drip-f...more Wow! This grabs you by the collar and pulls you up short and close, whether you like it or not. Standish Treadwell is a dyslexic timid boy with only Hector for a friend and he has disappeared. His world of school and bully boys and headmasters imitates ours to begin with, but soon we realise there is a much darker side. His parents are gone too, there are brick walls and filled-in wells. He lives with Gramps in a street that used to contain "un-bombed houses". The clever words of Standish drip-feed us with detail of what is occurring - what he, Gramps and the Lushes have acclimatised to, what we have to discover slowly. Many anti- words -" inhuman race" so clever, black humour - all that one can laugh at in this grim violent world.

Clever pencil illustration is becoming the vogue in children's literature and here the ominous future awaiting Standish is drawn as flies, rats and later maggots. - buzzing and crawling on and off the pages.

The writing is gobsmacking - the boy cannot spell, but uses images and words in a completely original way and with such economy "my heart egg bumping against the side of a pan of boiling water" "that flicking, undone, hangman's rope of a tie" Words are like music to him. And they are - he talks/writes with a rhythm. Sounds, the atmosphere of the coming doom - the readers wades through air as thick as treacle. Standish's words become medicine to Hector in his suffering. standish grows in stature and maturity as he plots to show up the Moon farce - his language grows up too - away from Fricking to fucking.

Words v imagination/soul/love. Tongues are cut out as punishment, but actions speak louder than words and minds can hold onto the truth. Fab desc of Gramps' hands like tree roots on p209. Hands that can paint to fool.

Stanley succeeds with his mission but of course has no magical powers so the inevitable happens. Desperately sad, but bearable because Hector is there for him and he goes to a safer, brighter place - a place those left behind will now strive to create.(less)

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May 20, 2013 Bayla rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: alternate-history, dystopian, oh-for-the-love-of-language

*3.5 stars*
This has all the marks of an award winner --
Wonderful writing? Check
A well drawn and different POV character? Check?
Horribly depressing? Check

Maggot Moon is written in the voice of Standish Treadwell, a boy who, as the description says, "sees things differently," in terms of both his imagination and his dyslexia. Standish lives in the horrifying Zone 7 of the Motherland, a setting that I first thought was Soviet Russia or Nazi Germany, and then learned is meant to be an alternate 195...more

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May 01, 2013 Anna rated it 5 of 5 stars

Recommended to Anna by: carnegie 2013

Shelves: dystopia, young-adult, carnegie-2013

Written in the first person, Standish Treadwell reveals his life in a totalitarian state. Unable to read and write and desperate to escape from school brutality and a life of deprivation, he spends much of his time in a fantasy world. When his friend Hector disappears and Standish becomes a focus for the military police, he decides it's time to make a stand.

This is a great introduction to the dystopian genre for younger teenagers. The written style is very sparse; in terms of reading age this wo...more

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Apr 21, 2013 LH Johnson rated it 3 of 5 stars

There's a difficulty for me in reviewing this, and one that I hope to address through the act of reviewing. I admit that's a fairly Moebius-esque sentence but I hope that it becomes clearer the further I go on.

Gardner's superb. Her writing here is very beautiful, very stunning and occasionally cut from the clearest of glass which shines a little more every time you look at it. But, when I reflect on it, and when that reflection takes days to formulate clearly, I think I realise something. I real...more There's a difficulty for me in reviewing this, and one that I hope to address through the act of reviewing. I admit that's a fairly Moebius-esque sentence but I hope that it becomes clearer the further I go on.

Gardner's superb. Her writing here is very beautiful, very stunning and occasionally cut from the clearest of glass which shines a little more every time you look at it. But, when I reflect on it, and when that reflection takes days to formulate clearly, I think I realise something. I realise that I don't think I like this book.

There's nothing wrong with that. Every book has readers who will fall in love and readers who will collapse in horror at the first sentence, but what I do have my issues with is when people do this and don't interrogate themselves as to why. And thus, this is my interrogation.

There were elements of this book that I loved; the narrative, spiderwebbing together, pulling images and text and breathless moments of silence into the spiralling bravery and madness of Standish Treadwell. Structurally, it's brilliant. Short, tight chapters that fade in and out of consciousness, borderline poetic in their brevity and conciseness.

But I think the crux of my curious disconnect with this book as a whole, is the fact that I felt that when it came to it, I didn't matter. That's a selfish point of view for a reader to admit to, but I think it's a vital one to realise. I want to matter to my books, to make some sort of a difference, to actualise and catalyse them, and I don't think I ever felt like I did matter with Maggot Moon.

That's all well and good, but what I do acknowledge is that as a conceptual whole, this book is brilliant. It's doing things that I admire, wholly, and I can admire that. I can admire Gardner's intense, brave, lyrical prose. I can admire the brilliant addition of the picture based narrative, paralleling the main story as a whole, adding a layer of subtle emphasis to the narrative and the reading experience. I can admire all that and I can admit that.

But I don't think I can admit that I liked it. (less)

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Apr 17, 2013 Big Book Little Book rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Alison for www.bigbooklittlebook.com

Maggot Moon won this year’s Costa Coffee Children’s book Award and is probably the one to beat when it comes to Carnegie. Incredibly original Maggot Moon tells the story of Standish Treadwell, a dyslexic boy, who struggles to read and write, and therefore everybody has decided that he is stupid. The book is set in a dystopian world, but in this case a historical one. The book has the feel of 1950’s Britain, but one that is a totalitarian state of the likes of...more Alison for www.bigbooklittlebook.com

Maggot Moon won this year’s Costa Coffee Children’s book Award and is probably the one to beat when it comes to Carnegie. Incredibly original Maggot Moon tells the story of Standish Treadwell, a dyslexic boy, who struggles to read and write, and therefore everybody has decided that he is stupid. The book is set in a dystopian world, but in this case a historical one. The book has the feel of 1950’s Britain, but one that is a totalitarian state of the likes of Hitler’s Germany or Stalinist Russia. The country is now a satellite of the Motherland and every aspect of life is closely monitored.

I read this around the time that my daughter was taking the initial screening for dyslexia, which was both a good and a bad thing. It meant that I got distracted by that element of the storyline a little too much, but at the same time was incredibly reassuring. Sally Gardener, the author, is also severely dyslexic and this really shows in how Standish appears to feel about his difficulties with reading and writing. That a dyslexic author has written such an extraordinary book, a book that would be so extraordinary no matter who had written it, really does highlight that dyslexia has absolutely nothing to do with a lack of intelligence and that everybody really can achieve anything, as long as they put their minds to it.

It is probably the most heart wrenching book that I have read so far from the shortlist. I defy anybody to have completely dry eyes when they finish the book. The characters of the book are constantly watched; have to guard every word and action, this atmosphere of close oppression just serves to make the emotion feel all the more intense. This is not a book that gives you hope, but then it tells of a world where there is very little hope. It is because of this atmosphere that Standish’s voice is so important. Standish is different, because he thinks outside the box and this is not a regime that is tolerant of differences. That Standish has managed so far is testament to his grandfather. Their relationship highlights the positive side of human nature, in a book that concentrates so heavily on the negative. It highlights the good that people can do even when everything is against them.

The writing is just beautiful, whilst at the same time being brutal. The story is told in short chapters, giving the story a stop, start feel that just seems to highlight uncertainty present in the world in which it is set.

The short chapters make the book look like it is intended for younger readers, when it probably isn’t. It is a true crossover book in that adults will enjoy it too, but I wouldn’t give it to a child younger than secondary age, the content is quite dark and they wouldn’t necessarily understand some of the complexities of the plot. It is however a book that should be read, not for light hearted enjoyment, but just to experience the incredible writing.

Verdict: Beautifully written, if a little brutal at times, a book that just cries out to be read.
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Apr 16, 2013 Pamela rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Everyone on the planet.

Maggot Moon is the first book I read this year that really, truly, just blew me away. I mean yes, Scarlet was great, but since it's a series, you kind of know what's coming. This, though ... it's just fantastic. I'm not a huge fan or believer in awards for books, because a) I generally don't agree with the choices for "winners," and b) I feel that a lot of it is politicking. However. About 66 pages into this, I thought to myself, this had better win the Printz this year. Actually, it's probably...more

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Apr 13, 2013 Caren rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: ya

Although this book is well-written, with an inventive use of descriptive adjectives, the tenor of the story is so grim, I had to force myself to finish it. Some of the plot themes seem to have been taken from history, but the time period for this dystopian society is unclear. The "Motherland" , with its Zone 7 misfits and rebels, feels very like Nazi Germany, but the moon landing hoax seems to mimic some conspiracy theories about the American moon landing. The little illustrations of a rat, flie...more

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Apr 13, 2013 Zara rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: carnegie-shortlist-2013, carnegie-longlist-2013, historical-20th-century

This is a very bizarre book! It's set in the 1950s in a dystopian world that sounds very similar to Nazi Germany or communist Russia. I thought it was futuristic science fiction until the date is mentioned about a third of the way through the book. It's about a boy called Standish Treadwell whose parents have disappeared, so he lives with his grandfather in District 7 (strong resemblance to the Hunger Games there!). It is very like the Hunger Games in a way, because it is so violent at points. A...more

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Apr 09, 2013 Sarai rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: young-adult-fiction, sci-fi

This is a dystopian tale and I found it very interesting. The way it was written threw me at first but I quickly got used to it. My only quibble was with the ending. The ending itself was fine, but seemed rushed. Maybe it was done that way to show how fast everything happened, but I felt like it cheated the rest of the book.

Overall, good read.

Release date: February 12, 2013
In Sally Gardner’s stunning novel, set in a ruthless regime, an unlikely teenager risks all to expose the truth about a hera...more

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Apr 08, 2013 Richie Partington rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Richie's Picks: MAGGOT MOON by Sally Gardner, Candlewick, February 2013, 288p., ISBN: 978-0-7636-65531

"And what's so small to you
Is so large to me
If it's the last thing I do
I'll make you see"
-- Suzanne Vega "Rock in this Pocket(Song of David)"

"The house had belonged to my parents before they became nonexistent. It made their disappearance more final. Dotted their eyes, made the question mark next to the why that much bigger, that much harder to avoid. At that time, Mum and Dad had vanished over...more

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Mar 26, 2013 Helen Stower rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: british, courage-and-bravery, dystopian, family, friendship, politics, resilience, resistance, survival, young-adult, bullying, adventure, discrimination

What if one of the pre-WW2 Dictatorships realised their desire to invade and control other territories and you lived in that territory? What if you lived in a society that didn't accept difference and you were imperfect? What if the school yard was full of bullies, including some of the teachers and you were chosen as their target? What if you had one true friend and then you arrive home to find he & his family have 'disappeared'?

Sally Gardner's Maggot Moon is a a stand out in the dystopian...more What if one of the pre-WW2 Dictatorships realised their desire to invade and control other territories and you lived in that territory? What if you lived in a society that didn't accept difference and you were imperfect? What if the school yard was full of bullies, including some of the teachers and you were chosen as their target? What if you had one true friend and then you arrive home to find he & his family have 'disappeared'?

Sally Gardner's Maggot Moon is a a stand out in the dystopian fiction genre. Standish Treadwell is a fifteen year old boy living in [alternate] 1956 occupied England. A brutal regime controls the war-torn Zone Seven where Standish lives with his grandfather. A mysterious brick wall backs onto their house and it seems to be growing larger and larger as does the threat from the Motherland which is growing in supremacy and darkness.

Everything changes for Standish when Hector Lush, a boy his own age, and his parents move in next door. The two become firm friends and with their vivid imaginations, they escape the oppression of Zone Seven by blasting off to their invented planet of Juniper, drinking 'croka-colas' and driving around in an ice-cream-coloured-Cadillac.

Then Hector disappears and Standish's world begins truly fall apart.

This is an amazing book that can be enjoyed on many levels. First and foremost, it is a great read with a staccato narrative told in the quirky voice of Standish. The themes of this book include the power of friendship and family bonds, discrimination, the dangers of conformity and the power of the imagination.

Maggot Moon celebrates difference and the contribution it makes to the diversity and richness of life. Sally Gardner's motivations for writing this book include raising awareness about dyslexia, challenging discrimination and emphasizing that superficialities should not be used to judge or condemn others (Brendan Murray). She achieves all of these aims within a gripping, unique and lyrical story and she is a well deserving winner of the Costa Children's Award 2013.
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Mar 18, 2013 Mark Mackay rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: all

I didn't expect much when I picked up Maggot Moon. I knew it was a YA sort of sci-fi maybe novel. The cover caught me eye. I needed a break from work and school reading and this promised a nice light restful read.

Set in a possible future or alternative now Maggot Moon follows the daily struggles of Standish Treadwell - a bright but challenged kid. He lives in the Motherland - in Zone 7 - home for the lowest form of citizen.

There are some echoes in the novel – “Hunger Games,” “Curious Incident of...more

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Feb 23, 2013 Katie rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: alternate-history

Interesting, brutal and compelling. While this works as an alternate- history drama, I'm not sure it addresses current issues (except maybe North Korea) so I wouldn't categorize it with contemporary dystopian novels.

Pros:
1. Standish’s voice and perspective were crucial to the story, not a barrier as I feared they might be. I don’t always like first-person narratives and sometimes can’t finish a story because I can’t stand the voice of the narrator and/or the way everything is filtered through th...more

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Feb 13, 2013 Della rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: netgalley

Maggot Moon by Sally Gardner, Reviewed
Maggot Moon is an alternate history of the world. It is well written, and heartbreaking. The characters are strong and realistic. In Maggot Moon, those who do not agree with the current regime, are sick, make the wrong people mad, don’t do what they are told, or for just about any other reason are put into slums and starved. Some are immediately put to death. Others are beaten and starved until they wish they were dead. The location of the novel is never men...more

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Feb 12, 2013 Kara Dean rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: dystopia, arc, 2013

3 1/2 stars, really, because it was better than good, but tough to say that I loved it.

The landscape of this book is probably (hopefully!) unrecognizable to anyone who reads it: a brutal, bleak, totalitarian society in which the laws of intimidation and suspicion oversee all. It reads like a dystopian novel, yet the book is firmly dated in the past. 1956, to be exact, mentioned in a "blink and you miss it" moment. Where the story is taking place is unknown, although the singing of the first two...more

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Dec 13, 2012 Lucinda rated it 5 of 5 stars

This remarkable book touches your soul with its thought-provoking poignancy, by accentuating the subtle nuance of consequential change in a young boy…

Touching your inner core this beautiful story is something truly inspired, totally captivating and a stirring read. Sally Gardner’s original work is an outstanding addition to the Young Adult genre, and which had me glued to the page for hours reading in a feverish frenzy. Once you begin to read the words instantly pull you in; reminiscent of bait...more

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Apr 23, 2013 Hayley rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: disability, historical, middleschool, mystery, realistic, sciencefiction, tragedy, survival, highschool

What an amazing read! I re-read this as soon as I'd finished it - first time I've ever done that. This is like reading '1984' narrated by Christopher from 'The Curious Incident...' It is set in a 1956 in which the Nazis won the war (this is not explicitly stated, but the clues are there, I think) and Standish and his grandfather live in Zone Seven - where the 'impure' are sent. Standish is dyslexic (maybe, again never stated explicitly) and it is his use of language that makes this such an incre...more

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Apr 04, 2013 Diane S. rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

3.5 I have to admit I have never read anything like this book before. A Nazi regime type society in the fifties, in Great Britain where the country is divided into zones but where an amazing young man, who also happens to be dyslexic and not overly bright, lives. Standish Treadwell, a character I will not soon forget, loves metaphors and tries to do the right thing in a place where knowing how to do that is not easy or often rewarded. This novel is brutal and though YA, definitely not for the yo...more

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Mar 16, 2013 Cath rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This book is set in a dystopian world, which upon reading other reviews, is around the 50s. It bears resemblance to Nazi Germany in nature, with an overarching and dictatorial Motherland. Suppression of the individual and rule by fear is the order of the day. Standish Treadwell is the first person voice of this novel. There are quite a few very short chapters, and the writing style is very straight and to the point - thoroughly enjoyed it. The plot concerns Standish and his friends and Grandfath...more

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Feb 10, 2013 Sean Kottke rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2013, ya

Save a spot on your YA and dystopian literature shelves for this harrowing tale. Imagine a totalitarian society not unlike that envisioned in The Wall, where brutal violence is used to enforce the social hierarchy, and where the only discernible ethos is might makes right. Now imagine your only lens into said society is from the lowest of the low, a poor, bullied child with learning disabilities and a physique at odds with the master race vision of the ruling class. This is the worm's eye perspe...more

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Sep 17, 2012 Kirsty (overflowing library) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: review-books, uk-author

This book is thinky.

This review is deliberately short both because I can't find the words to do it justice and because I don't want to spoil anything.

I found myself hooked from page one and I zipped through it really quickly and found it effortless to read. I found myself needing to know what happened next and ended up staying up well after bed time just because I had to.

Maggot moon is so delightfully different to anything else out there on the YA market that it's hard to compare it to anyth...more

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Apr 25, 2013 Jeanne rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: general-fiction

What do I tag this? Dystopic? Alternative history? Wasn't sure what to expect. Kept trying to place the story. USSR? Hitler's Germany? Some country taken over by either of these? When? Pre-WWII? Couldn't quite place it.

Standish Treadwell (great name) tells us a story about surviving in an authoritarian country. He lives with his grandfather after his parents disappear. His new neighbors make their life a little easier, but complicate matters a lot. When he discovers the truth about what's going...more

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Apr 06, 2013 Georgia from Books and Writers JNR rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorites-read-in-2013

“What if the football hadn’t gone over the wall? What if Hector hadn’t gone looking for it? What if he hadn’t kept the dark secret to himself? What if…?

Then I suppose I would be telling myself another story. You see, the ‘What if’s’ are as boundless as the stars…”

Standish Treadwell is a dyslexic boy living in the Motherland, in the 1950′s. He’s the outcast at school; by teachers and students, and then HEctor moves in next door, who believes in Standish’s imaginary world, and loves him for who he...more “What if the football hadn’t gone over the wall? What if Hector hadn’t gone looking for it? What if he hadn’t kept the dark secret to himself? What if…?

Then I suppose I would be telling myself another story. You see, the ‘What if’s’ are as boundless as the stars…”

Standish Treadwell is a dyslexic boy living in the Motherland, in the 1950′s. He’s the outcast at school; by teachers and students, and then HEctor moves in next door, who believes in Standish’s imaginary world, and loves him for who he is. One day, the two are kicking a football around, and when it goes over the wall, neither of them realises how much that is about to change their lives. They discover an astronaut- one who is meant to be in a rocket, flying to the moon, but actually, he’s run away. A dark secret is being kept by the Motherland… Their moon mission is a hoax.

When Hector and his parents are kidnapped and taken away because they know too much, Standish is determined to get them back, and show the world that the Motherland are lying, and putting scientists like Hector’s dad into slavery to win the race to the moon. Can Standish do both, and what will it cost?

After seeing this shortlisted for this year’s Carnegie Medal, I wanted to read it again, and relive the brilliant, and special story. I think I enjoyed it much more the second time around! Sally Gardner has executed this story perfectly, and I could see through Standish’s eyes so well. She has created such a wonderful, witty, and brave protagonist who has a very unique voice that is really thought-provoking. His narration was excellent, and, above all- so believable. He was such a well developed character and I was rooting for him throughout the book; when he was getting beaten up, when he snuck himself into the Palace to get Hector back- I have never wanted a character to win so much before! His rich imagination gave him such a determination throughout the book, and when he finally made it to the ‘Land of the Croca-Colas’ at the end, it brought a tear of happiness to my eye, despite the ending being heart-wrenchingly sad.

The plot was very thought-provoking. The whole tie-in with the moon landing being a hoax really drew me in: I’m really interested in that subject, so I became totally engrossed in this book! It had a really dystopian essence to it too, and I loved that so much. As for the setting- it was great. The Motherland is a figment of the author’s imagination, but it was scarily realistic. It mainly felt like America, with the whole moon-landing idea, but a lot of the names sounded kind of Russian, and it had that eerie strictness of Germany under the Nazi rule. The setting was shown really well through the writing.

So overall, this book was totally amazing. The writing style was very fun to read, with slight mix-ups of words by Standish, but I think that made it all the more believable and three-dimensional. With an extremely clever plot, shocking and scary scenes, and so much more packed into it, I’m sure Maggot Moon will win the Carnegie Medal!(less)

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Jan 02, 2013 Jennifer rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Fifteen-year-old Standish Treadwell lives in the Motherland, a place of tyranny, fear and isolation. School is something to be survived – which is not easy for a kid like Standish who sticks out for all the wrong reasons, including not being able to spell his own name. The teachers are loyal to the Motherland and turn a blind eye to the gangs of students who beat up kids like Standish. The only bright spot in Standish’s life is his best friend Hector, who helps keep the bullies away, and warns S...more

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Jan 07, 2013 Gary rated it 4 of 5 stars

This book has insane ratings and I was intrigued. So I picked up the book yesterday. And finished it on the same day.

The Story:

When his best friend Hector is suddenly taken away, Standish Treadwell realises that it is up to him, his grandfather and a small band of rebels to confront and defeat the ever present oppressive forces of The Motherland.

Friendship and trust inspire Standish to rise up against an oppressive regime and expose the truth about a planned moon landing in this original and sp...more

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About Sally Gardner

Sally Gardner grew up and still lives in London. Being dyslexic, she did not learn to read or write until she was fourteen and had been thrown out of several schools, labeled unteachable, and sent to a school for maladjusted children. Despite this, she gained a degree with highest honors at a leading London art college, followed by a scholarship to a theater school, and then went on to become a ve...more

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Books by Sally Gardner

The Red Necklace (French Revolution, #1)

The Silver Blade (French Revolution, #2)

The Smallest Girl Ever (Magical Children)

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“You see, the what ifs are as boundless as the stars.” — 8 people liked it

“It had struck me that the world was full of holes, holes which you could fall into, never to be seen again. I couldn't understand the difference between disappearance and death. Both seemed the same to me, both left holes. Holes in your heart holes in your life.” — 2 people liked it

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