Just finished the ARC of this. Probably the best middle grade book I have read since Gregor the Overlander, and better in some ways. Adorable, outstanding, phenomenal. Pick a positive adjective and it works for this book. It is beautiful, funny, heartbreaking, real, and fantastic. 
 The style reminded me of Lemony Snicket, clever with author's asides throughout; the tongue-in-cheek flavor of a ready-made classic. It has the feeling of comedy but the depth of drama, characters to love and hate that can at once be stereotypical and unique. Archetypes with personalities all their own. 
 There is a depth here that any child might miss, then years later come to realize when they re-read this childhood favorite. It is thick with symbolism that is so well-integrated you might not even notice it. Rife with coincidence that brings together plots and characters, the story is tightly woven and flawless. 
 For a children's book, it has a great deal of spirituality in it. Her depiction of "The Other Side" is moving and enlightening. This is the book I needed to read when I was eleven and lost my grandmother. It reads like a fairy tale but it packs the punch of a memoir of someone who has suffered love and loss. I can easily see a young person who needed comfort in the wake of loss finding solace in this book. 
 I simply adore this story. There is no doubt this will be on my shelf ready for my children to read. As if I weren't a huge fan of the author before, now I am a die hard. Read this as soon as you possibly can; you won't regret it.