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bmg20's review
3.0
My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars
Purchased via Audible.com
"Just because it's imaginary doesn't mean it isn't real."
In The Girl Who Soared Over Fairyland and Cut the Moon in Two, September fears that now that she is 14 years old that she is much too old to be able to travel to Fairyland. Her fears become unwarranted as one afternoon she suddenly finds herself leaving her ordinary world once again. She’s joined again with her dear friends Saturday and A through L but instead of journeying to Fairyland, she finds herself on an adventure to the very moon itself.
'Shall I tell her? Shall I be a kind and merciful narrator and take our girl aside? Shall I touch her new, red heart and make her understand that she is no longer one of the tribe of heartless children, nor even the owner of the wild and infant heart of thirteen-year-old girls and boys? Oh, September!'
From the very beginning of the Fairyland series it has been said that are heartless and they have not yet grown a heart which is why they are able to do all the wonderful and amazing things one does when they are a child. The types of things that grown-ups with hearts frown upon and look on in fear. When children remain heartless they still retain their innocence. In this story, September finds herself in possession of a new, red heart and she’s not quite sure how to handle this. She fears that once she acknowledges its existence that the fun will all be over, that she will be forced home and will never be able to return to the wonderful world of Fairyland.
Having read the two previous Fairyland installments, I've grown used to (and grown to love) Valente’s florid use of words. Something seemed off with this one though. It was almost, dare I say, excessive? Her typical style of writing felt a tad overdone this time around and too ornate at times. While this installment may overuse the flowery writing, this entire series is a truly brilliant read. They are anything but simplistic and are actually extremely smart and sophisticated. The target audience may be middle graders and one might argue that they are much to complex for children of that age and they may be right. But technically there’s nothing wrong with a book that challenges a young reader. But personally, I think these stories serve as a tribute to those much loved children’s classics that Valente clearly draws deeply from such as Peter Pan, The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe and Alice in Wonderland. And more so, I feel that they’re intended as a catalyst for those readers that still remain heartless to ease their concerns that the adventure isn't over just because you’re grown up.
While Valente’s stories draw deeply from those classic children’s novels, she incorporates an eclectic blend of mythology, folk tales and fairy tales that make them wholly unique. Her novels will forever be a wonderful adventure to find yourself on.
Purchased via Audible.com
"Just because it's imaginary doesn't mean it isn't real."
In The Girl Who Soared Over Fairyland and Cut the Moon in Two, September fears that now that she is 14 years old that she is much too old to be able to travel to Fairyland. Her fears become unwarranted as one afternoon she suddenly finds herself leaving her ordinary world once again. She’s joined again with her dear friends Saturday and A through L but instead of journeying to Fairyland, she finds herself on an adventure to the very moon itself.
'Shall I tell her? Shall I be a kind and merciful narrator and take our girl aside? Shall I touch her new, red heart and make her understand that she is no longer one of the tribe of heartless children, nor even the owner of the wild and infant heart of thirteen-year-old girls and boys? Oh, September!'
From the very beginning of the Fairyland series it has been said that are heartless and they have not yet grown a heart which is why they are able to do all the wonderful and amazing things one does when they are a child. The types of things that grown-ups with hearts frown upon and look on in fear. When children remain heartless they still retain their innocence. In this story, September finds herself in possession of a new, red heart and she’s not quite sure how to handle this. She fears that once she acknowledges its existence that the fun will all be over, that she will be forced home and will never be able to return to the wonderful world of Fairyland.
Having read the two previous Fairyland installments, I've grown used to (and grown to love) Valente’s florid use of words. Something seemed off with this one though. It was almost, dare I say, excessive? Her typical style of writing felt a tad overdone this time around and too ornate at times. While this installment may overuse the flowery writing, this entire series is a truly brilliant read. They are anything but simplistic and are actually extremely smart and sophisticated. The target audience may be middle graders and one might argue that they are much to complex for children of that age and they may be right. But technically there’s nothing wrong with a book that challenges a young reader. But personally, I think these stories serve as a tribute to those much loved children’s classics that Valente clearly draws deeply from such as Peter Pan, The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe and Alice in Wonderland. And more so, I feel that they’re intended as a catalyst for those readers that still remain heartless to ease their concerns that the adventure isn't over just because you’re grown up.
While Valente’s stories draw deeply from those classic children’s novels, she incorporates an eclectic blend of mythology, folk tales and fairy tales that make them wholly unique. Her novels will forever be a wonderful adventure to find yourself on.
postitsandpens's review
4.0
Well, this one ended on a cliffhanger, didn't it! I certainly wasn't expecting that, just based on how the previous two installments went. That being said, I definitely think this one was a bit more mature than the previous two, which makes sense since some of the point is that September (and her friends) is growing up. I did like the whole topic of fate and how you shouldn't just sit back and let things happen to you, and am curious to see what's going to happen next!
judaroo's review
5.0
I enjoyed it quite a lot - it’s different from the first two, with some hard lessons for our dear September. But it reminds me a bit of a more palatable version of the 5th Harry Potter book, and I enjoyed this read no less for the weight of a formerly heartless girl learning the weight a heart can bring.
lizaroo71's review
2.0
This is the third in this series of Fairyland books and I think, for me, each subsequent book will be eclipsed with the first. Nothing much seems to happen in this book (even the title doesn't speak to the action of the plot really).
I still love September as a character, and I am happy that she is reunited with old friends (Saturday and Ell), but I wasn't so eager to know what happens in the end. And this was is a cliffhanger, unlike the other two, so I will read the fourth in the series and then see how I feel about going on.
This is one reason I don't like series much. They seem to lose steam as they move forward.
I still love September as a character, and I am happy that she is reunited with old friends (Saturday and Ell), but I wasn't so eager to know what happens in the end. And this was is a cliffhanger, unlike the other two, so I will read the fourth in the series and then see how I feel about going on.
This is one reason I don't like series much. They seem to lose steam as they move forward.
lonelyhuman's review
2.0
2.25/5
I am so confused.
I skimmed through this book for the most part since I just could not get into the plot and that means that the only thing that I really remember from the entire thing is that, and I have so many questions about how the book got there.
this entire review is from the overly lengthy notes I took since I could feel myself forgetting the plot as I was reading it.
I am honestly so disappointed that I did not love this book as much as I loved the first two.
My biggest complaint is how long it took to reach the actual plot, which I personally would say only really started when September reached the moon and learned about Ciderskin. The part that I had the hardest time reading was just before when September was travelling with the blue wind. I could not for the life of me tell you about anything that happened during that part. There were also other parts of the book that seemed to drag on for me.
That being said, it was kind of nice to see the characters from previous books like Ell and Saturday. I also liked learning more about Fairyland as a setting, I found it interesting to see how little September knew about Fairyland even after a few visits. I also enjoyed getting to see the older version of Saturday.
The fact that September is now permanently stuck in fairyland was actually a really nice plot twist and something that I totally didn’t expect.
Overall, the book was Okay and had some new information about the setting, and some things that I did not expect, but the plot was kind of repetitive and boring and I found myself struggling to get through the book.
I feel like there are a lot of run-on sentences in this review, so sorry about that.
I am so confused.
I skimmed through this book for the most part since I just could not get into the plot and that means that the only thing that I really remember from the entire thing is that
Spoiler
the moon gave birth for some reason? And there was a Yeti?this entire review is from the overly lengthy notes I took since I could feel myself forgetting the plot as I was reading it.
I am honestly so disappointed that I did not love this book as much as I loved the first two.
My biggest complaint is how long it took to reach the actual plot, which I personally would say only really started when September reached the moon and learned about Ciderskin. The part that I had the hardest time reading was just before when September was travelling with the blue wind. I could not for the life of me tell you about anything that happened during that part. There were also other parts of the book that seemed to drag on for me.
That being said, it was kind of nice to see the characters from previous books like Ell and Saturday. I also liked learning more about Fairyland as a setting, I found it interesting to see how little September knew about Fairyland even after a few visits. I also enjoyed getting to see the older version of Saturday.
The fact that September is now permanently stuck in fairyland was actually a really nice plot twist and something that I totally didn’t expect.
Overall, the book was Okay and had some new information about the setting, and some things that I did not expect, but the plot was kind of repetitive and boring and I found myself struggling to get through the book.
I feel like there are a lot of run-on sentences in this review, so sorry about that.
pebbles1984's review
3.0
3.5 stars
The writing is absolutely amazing, and the world is so imaginative, it's incredible. Sometimes it feels as if it's all a bit too much though, and that made it hard to follow and sometimes I had no idea how we got from one point to the next. I felt like that a few times in the previous books as well, but not as much as in this one. I have to say I haven't been very focused while reading lately, so it may be just me.
The writing is absolutely amazing, and the world is so imaginative, it's incredible. Sometimes it feels as if it's all a bit too much though, and that made it hard to follow and sometimes I had no idea how we got from one point to the next. I felt like that a few times in the previous books as well, but not as much as in this one. I have to say I haven't been very focused while reading lately, so it may be just me.
kaatiba's review
5.0
This is a book about growing up! And I have read a lot of books about growing up, but this is the best one, and is beautiful and funny and cruel and kind, and I loved it.
lmn9812's review
5.0
Catherynne Valente’s third adventure into Fairland is as charming and as magical as the previous two books. I have ranted and raved about how good this series is, in my opinion the series is one of the absolute best middle grade fantasy being published right now and this book is no exception. Beautifully written (and I mean prose that will make any language lover melt) and expertly crafted, we join the now teenage September at that awkward crossroads between childhood and becoming an adult. September is such a great main character and Valente is the master at perfectly capturing where September is in her life. I also loved the return of Ell and Saturday, who I missed so much in the second book (come on, their shadows didn’t count).
I also loved this books theme of time, and I thought that was so apt for young people – one moment you’re in school and living at home and the next you’re finishing your degree and looking for a job. Its so fleeting, and Septembers adult worries coupled with her (some say) childish desire to get back to Fairyland were framed beautifully. As usual, the plot was perfectly whimsical and we got to meet so many interesting fairy folk.
My only gripe would be that the book ended too soon. I wanted the adventure to be longer, to have slightly more substance – it felt too quick for me. Apart from that, this series continues to be one of the strongest I’ve read and I cannot believe I have to wait a whole year for the next one to come out!
I also loved this books theme of time, and I thought that was so apt for young people – one moment you’re in school and living at home and the next you’re finishing your degree and looking for a job. Its so fleeting, and Septembers adult worries coupled with her (some say) childish desire to get back to Fairyland were framed beautifully. As usual, the plot was perfectly whimsical and we got to meet so many interesting fairy folk.
My only gripe would be that the book ended too soon. I wanted the adventure to be longer, to have slightly more substance – it felt too quick for me. Apart from that, this series continues to be one of the strongest I’ve read and I cannot believe I have to wait a whole year for the next one to come out!
kittymamers's review
2.0
oeh, mul oli meeles, et see meeldis mulle Haldjamaa-raamatutest kõige vähem, aga ei olnud meeles, et nii vähe ja et miks.
selle vist ahvin küll kellegi teise arvustusest otse maha, aga: September ei tee selles raamatus mitte midagi! ta seisab erinevates kohtades ja kuulab erinevate kõrvaltegelaste loenguid, aegajalt liigub ühest kohast teise ja siis on uus loeng. ei mingit agentsust, ei mingit maailmapäästmistki seekord justkui. ja siis enne, kui alata saabki, on lugu läbi (nagu September ise ka protesteerib: ma alles tulin, ma pole veel jõudnud ühtegi toredat asja teha!) ja lõpp on pigem kurb.
isegi oma riideid (millel on selles sarjas ju nii oluline koht) ei vali September ise ja need ei tee ka midagi huvitavat ega kasulikku ta jaoks. no milleks see osa üldse. aga kui vahele jätta, jäävad jällegi järgmine ja ülejärgmine segaseks :S
selle vist ahvin küll kellegi teise arvustusest otse maha, aga: September ei tee selles raamatus mitte midagi! ta seisab erinevates kohtades ja kuulab erinevate kõrvaltegelaste loenguid, aegajalt liigub ühest kohast teise ja siis on uus loeng. ei mingit agentsust, ei mingit maailmapäästmistki seekord justkui. ja siis enne, kui alata saabki, on lugu läbi (nagu September ise ka protesteerib: ma alles tulin, ma pole veel jõudnud ühtegi toredat asja teha!) ja lõpp on pigem kurb.
isegi oma riideid (millel on selles sarjas ju nii oluline koht) ei vali September ise ja need ei tee ka midagi huvitavat ega kasulikku ta jaoks. no milleks see osa üldse. aga kui vahele jätta, jäävad jällegi järgmine ja ülejärgmine segaseks :S