Saturday, January 14, 2012

Review: The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making

The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making (Fairyland #1)
by Catherynne M. Valente
Hardcover
247 pages
Published May 10th 2011
by Feiwel & Friends

Summary:
Twelve-year-old September lives in Omaha, and used to have an ordinary life, until her father went to war and her mother went to work. One day, September is met at her kitchen window by a Green Wind (taking the form of a gentleman in a green jacket), who invites her on an adventure, implying that her help is needed in Fairyland. The new Marquess is unpredictable and fickle, and also not much older than September. Only September can retrieve a talisman the Marquess wants from the enchanted woods, and if she doesn’t . . . then the Marquess will make life impossible for the inhabitants of Fairyland. September is already making new friends, including a book-loving Wyvern and a mysterious boy named Saturday. With exquisite illustrations by acclaimed artist Ana Juan, Fairyland lives up to the sensation it created when the author first posted it online. For readers of all ages who love the charm of Alice in Wonderland and the soul of The Golden Compass, here is a reading experience unto itself: unforgettable, and so very beautiful.

Thoughts:
Here is a tale so exquisite that I can't help but gushed about it to everyone. It's such a wonderful little tale that made me feel like a little girl all over again. What can I say? I love..love.. love this book!
The characters, the wonderful setting of Fairyland and the witty style of writing of Catherynne M. Valente will certainly captivate any kid or young at heart like me. And the use of unusually big words astound me to no end that sometimes I need a dictionary on hand. Gosh, all I can say is that Miss M. Valente must have such an imagination to write something so delightful as this.

September reminds me of Alice in Wonderland and Dorothy all wrapped up but with a little rebellious streak and a sometimes thoughtful maturity beyond her years. Maybe being a somewhat neglected child made her so independent. The Wyvern; A through L is simply a whimsical know it all type of dragon who thinks he's the descendant of a librarian. And Saturday the little blue Marid is so honest and naive that sometimes I feel like slapping him altogether.
But the ending is kind of bittersweet and I feel so sad for the Marquess (even if she's supposed to be the villain and all). All I can say is, I just hope there'll be more of September and her friends. Love them so much!

Recommended for: fans of Alice, Wizard of Oz or Lemony Snicket series
Verdict: 5 stars

Available on: Amazon 

10 comments:

  1. cute
    adventurous ^_^
    tnx 4 reviewing

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  2. I'm looking forward to reading this. I t looks just wonderful.

    marypres(AT)gmail(DOT)com

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  3. Awesome... I have this on my wishlist and love your review. :)

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    1. This sounds like a really fun book! Thanks :)

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  4. I think I would love this book. I like the cover too, old-fashioned-ish, but cool.

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  5. I've heard a lot about this one, at first I thought it was by Lauren Oliver, lol

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  6. I want to read this book! The cover is so cute!!

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  7. The truth is that I draw much attention the cover, and not to mention the synopsis. Thanks for contributing.

    Have a good day

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  8. It seems like I've been seeing this everywhere lately. I have only read good reviews for it and I appreciate your taking the time to share your thoughts. This is on my to-read list!:)

    Sarah

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  9. The storyline sounds cute. I really like the cover. I have read a few reviews for this book. It seems like most reviewers enjoy the book.

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