SOLVED. YA Sci-Fi/ Fantasy - Protag finds a portal to another world in a field near their house, makes friends with an annoying(?) inhabitant of that world. [s]

[Aure]

I read this book in middle school (around 2011-2013) after I found it in my teacher's mini library. The book seemed old to 12 year old me, and was in English. I can't remember the title, author, or what the cover looked like.

The set up for the book was a small town with a large empty field at the end of a dead-end road. The last house on the road belonged to an old woman, and the field had one large structure in it. The town is made out to be odd, but quiet.

I believe the main protagonist is a girl; I can't remember a large chunk of the plot, but she finds herself in the field for some reason or other, and is stuck or being chased by something.

The protagonist makes friends with an inhabitant of the world (possibly two of the inhabitants), who is either described as obnoxious, or his personality was written to be generally annoying but likeable. I don't think he was human.

I remember the ending being kind of vague as though setting up for a sequel, but I never ended up looking for one, so I can't confirm if it had one or not.

Thank you!

[Rainbowheart]

Can you remember any more about the portal?

How did she get to the other world, did she have to go through something in the field?

[Capn]

Hey Lauren,

Any details on the other world? Futuristic and alien, or like earth?

Was the old woman somehow involved in the plot?

[Aure]

Rainbowheart wrote: "Can you remember any more about the portal?

How did she get to the other world, did she have to go through something in the field?"

I believe she had to go through something, but I can't remember what specifically. The structure in the field was near it, but I think it was just left behind machinery or an old building. I'm sorry this is so vague; this is the most I've been able to remember so far :(

[Aure]

Capn wrote: "Hey Lauren,

Any details on the other world? Futuristic and alien, or like earth?

Was the old woman somehow involved in the plot?"

I think it was like Earth, but I believe the inhabitants were both human-like and non-human, if I remember correctly.

I don't think the old woman had anything to do with the plot; her house seemed to be just a piece in the exposition for setting up what the town and field were like. It was meant as a marker for the end of the town and the beginning of the field.

[Rainbowheart]

Maybe something on one of these portal lists?

[Aure]

Rainbowheart wrote: "Maybe something on one of these portal lists?"

I think I found it in one of those lists!! I believe it's Abarat! I'm reading part of it now to confirm :)

Thank you very much for your help!

[Capn]

Oh great!!! :) Please do confirm when you know for certain!

[Kris]

Wikipedia's plot summary (with Spoilers) of Abarat by Clive Barker:

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abarat

[David]

Also available at the Internet Archive

https://archive.org/details/abaratbar...

[Aure]

I've confirmed that it is Abarat by Clive Barker! Thank you so much for your help everyone!!

[Rainbowheart]

Yay, super glad to hear that it's solved!