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2.08k reviews for:
The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making
Catherynne M. Valente
4.06 AVERAGE
2.08k reviews for:
The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making
Catherynne M. Valente
4.06 AVERAGE
adventurous
hopeful
inspiring
At first it was a little too much like Alice in Wonderland, but then their paths diverged, and I found myself drawn into the curiosities of the world created. I'll definitely keep an eye out for the next ones!
Basically the definition of whimsy. I desperately wish I'd found this when I was younger.
Great read! Really fun. Well written. One of those books that's appropriate or the age group but is intelligent enough (Valente doesn't write down to kids) that adults can and will enjoy it. I'll be curious to see what my tween book club thinks of this one later today. And I'll absolutely be reading the follow-ups and adding them to my shelves to read someday with the kid.
Update: The kids loved it! And a great discussion.
Update: The kids loved it! And a great discussion.
Actually didn't finish this book, the beginning was nice, but then the world got TOO whimsical and distracted from the plot.
Just perfect. Dark and uplifting, knowing and dreamy. Much more deep and complex than I expected for a YA novel. Made me cry.
This book was way too out-there for me. I normally like fantasy, but I felt like the author did not build her world well at all. I was confused for most of the book about how her world worked and what type of creatures inhabited it, and I still don’t understand a lot of it. A coworker saw me reading this and frequently asked me how my book was. I honestly didn’t know what to tell him because I didn’t really know what was going on myself and what I did understand would have sounded crazy. “Well, this girl went to Fairyland and is trying to steal a spoon…” And one more random thing…sometimes the author went crazy on her use of uncommonly used words. In one paragraph there were all of these words which I do not know off the top of my head: crinoline, organdy, brocade, angora, taffeta, grosgrain, and cupola. I thought that was a bit much!
A favorite read of the year! And Valente has officially become a must-read author for me.
While The Wizard of Oz, Alice in Wonderland, and Peter Pan all sprang to mind while reading this, this book is truly in a category of its own. It’s one of those books where you know right away whether you will love it or hate it because Valente’s writing style is so distinct and specific, and it stays that way consistently.
Whimsical, clever, funny, and surprisingly dark for a middle grade book at times, I knew I would love this from the first chapter on! The writing was such a sensory delight I could practically taste it.
There are so many fantastic characters, but I think my two absolute favorites were both sentient objects: September’s green jacket, and also her faithful key!
If you’re a reader who loved this book, definitely check out the book Rooftoppers by Katherine Rundell. Their writing style and tone is very similar!
While The Wizard of Oz, Alice in Wonderland, and Peter Pan all sprang to mind while reading this, this book is truly in a category of its own. It’s one of those books where you know right away whether you will love it or hate it because Valente’s writing style is so distinct and specific, and it stays that way consistently.
Whimsical, clever, funny, and surprisingly dark for a middle grade book at times, I knew I would love this from the first chapter on! The writing was such a sensory delight I could practically taste it.
There are so many fantastic characters, but I think my two absolute favorites were both sentient objects: September’s green jacket, and also her faithful key!
If you’re a reader who loved this book, definitely check out the book Rooftoppers by Katherine Rundell. Their writing style and tone is very similar!
adventurous
This book wasn't my favorite, it was a lot to keep track of and it was hard to visualize all of it. It was like the author wanted to include EVERYTHING she thought would be whimsical. Nothing overtly wrong with it, but the first half felt like a chore to read and even though it was so short it took me longer than expected. I really did enjoy the second half/the ending. Likely won't be continuing the series.
adventurous
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This is cute.