Wednesday, 7 January 2015

Review: The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making by Catherynne M. Valente

All children are heartless. They have not grown a heart yet, which is why they can climb tall trees and say shocking things and leap so very high that grown-up hearts flutter in terror.

When the Green Wind arrives at 12-year-old September's kitchen window and offers to whisk her away to Fairyland she doesn't have to think twice - what child would?! Upon her arrival, however, there are no mermaids or flying dragons as one might expect. Indeed, dragons are banned from flying! For Fairyland is currently suffering under the harsh rule of its new Marquess who is quick to set September a task which puts the fate of Fairyland and its inhabitants into the young newcomer's hands. With the aid of some of Fairyland's most fantastical creatures, September adventures across the land in order to complete her mission. But will she succeed? Can September save Fairyland?

Sadly, I didn't enjoy this as much as I'd hoped which was really disappointing considering how many rave reviews I've seen singing this book's praises! It was just a bit too surreal for me which meant that I wasn't able to take the story seriously for the most part. I understand that this is a book set in FAIRYLAND so I should have known to expect some quirky characters but a golem made of soap? A wyvern who claims he was fathered by a library? Maybe it's my lack of imagination that's at fault, but it was all a bit too much for me! It did become more enjoyable once I knew what to expect but by this time I was 3/4 of the way through the book and it was just too late for me to start getting into it.

If you're into whimsical, surrealist fantasy then you'll probably enjoy this book a lot more than I did! As I suggested before, there are many many people who LOVE this book so there must be something about it to have stolen so many hearts. The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland is the first of five in the Fairyland series, but I think my own adventure is unfortunately going to end here.

RATING: ★★☆☆☆

Lou x

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