This kind of allegorical magical realism just like isn't my cup of tea. This seems like it would be a good classroom read to talk about literary devices but I'm not sure how appealing it would be for a tween just looking for a book to read, tbh. I kind of feel like it's not realistic enough to serve as a compelling adventure story but it's also not fantasy-y enough to serve as a compelling fantasy? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯