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booksnorkel's review
5.0
There are some people who will be mad about this book because it does not contain our beloved September. But this book comes back to her and touches on her story and tells you why we don’t have September, and what her parents are doing, but in the way that we knew what the key was doing in the first book. I love these books, I love their style and I love their love of fairy stories. I think that these are beautiful books and anyone who loves an overly poetic form of description who doesn’t mind the narrator talking directly to you and of course doesn’t mind a mixing of fairy tales from all over. A healthy dose of Troll, and the feeling that you don’t quite belong. This follows the story of a changeling; a young troll is taken from his home in fairyland by one of our beloved winds. He then grows up in the life of a normal human boy, but he isn’t normal, and he knows it. He likes to name inanimate objects, he like strange creatures, and he doesn’t ever seem to get social norms. Looking at our world with an eye that is set towards magic he finally finds out who he is and when he makes it back to fairyland he of course is part of the story!
Beautiful and wonderful a bit of Fairyland in our world for those who have read the others and loved them. This book like all the others is heartbreakingly good and makes you want to read all of them again and again.
Beautiful and wonderful a bit of Fairyland in our world for those who have read the others and loved them. This book like all the others is heartbreakingly good and makes you want to read all of them again and again.
mebius's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
sirdoctor's review
adventurous
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
serafim's review against another edition
4.75
the first half of the book is truly excellent, i fell in love with thomas and his life in chicago, but after they make it back, the story gets caught up in fairyland and forgets about tom and tam. left me wanting more emotional payoff
rainmisoa's review
5.0
rebeccazh's review
Fun read. I love Catherynne Valente's Fairytale series. It's refreshingly different from the usual things I read. Really love the style - I took a course in postmodernism last semester and read Jeanette Winterson's Oranges are Not the Only Fruit. Don't know if JW influenced CMV, but I see similarities, in that direct, imparting-wisdom, speaking-to-the-reader way that both have. The way CMV anthromorphizes inanimate objects, the metaphors, the word-play and etc is such a fun way to play around with language. I found it really charming and fun to read.
Anyway, was surprised not to see September all the way till the end, and that plot twist was not something I anticipated. I miss reading about her, Saturday and A-through-L but Hawthorn and Tam are fun and likeable characters too.
I like the new insight into Changelings. There's been some references to them in the previous few books that made it seem like there could be potential for a story there, and I'm glad CMV delved into it. Fun read.
Anyway, was surprised not to see September all the way till the end, and that plot twist was not something I anticipated. I miss reading about her, Saturday and A-through-L but Hawthorn and Tam are fun and likeable characters too.
I like the new insight into Changelings. There's been some references to them in the previous few books that made it seem like there could be potential for a story there, and I'm glad CMV delved into it. Fun read.
catnapping's review
adventurous
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
cat_queen005's review
adventurous
emotional
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
krejdar's review
5.0
This story may not contain our beloved trio of characters for quite some time, but please, I beg you to read on. Hawthorne and Tamburlaine are beautiful characters- a pair of characters you will absolutely fall in love with - and their story is essential to us seeing our darling September again.
I wish this book has been written 20 years sooner, so that my husband could have read it as a child and felt comforted. So that he could have seen a part of himself represented in such a beautiful way. Valente hits the nail on the head (and not at all in a cliché way) of what it feels like to be someone on the Autism Spectrum*. If you're on the Spectrum, you might appreciate and feel moved (just as my husband did when I read those specific sentences to him) when reading pages 47 and 60/61.
*for those unaware, the Changeling lore was born from parents with children on the Spectrum. These children "changed overnight" and the parents "just wanted their normal child back". These children were on the Spectrum, but were instead called Changelings and treated like aliens. Valente represented this beautifully, and I have so much respect for her and even more love for this series.
I wish this book has been written 20 years sooner, so that my husband could have read it as a child and felt comforted. So that he could have seen a part of himself represented in such a beautiful way. Valente hits the nail on the head (and not at all in a cliché way) of what it feels like to be someone on the Autism Spectrum*. If you're on the Spectrum, you might appreciate and feel moved (just as my husband did when I read those specific sentences to him) when reading pages 47 and 60/61.
*for those unaware, the Changeling lore was born from parents with children on the Spectrum. These children "changed overnight" and the parents "just wanted their normal child back". These children were on the Spectrum, but were instead called Changelings and treated like aliens. Valente represented this beautifully, and I have so much respect for her and even more love for this series.