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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
This book is odd. I wish that there were more stars to give more nuanced ratings, because this book is decent but not really what I was looking for. For one thing, I imagined that circumnavigation referred to airships, but it refers to water vessels. Maybe one of the sequels has airships... Some things that this book reminds me of: East of the Sun and West of the Moon, Discworld, Peter Pan. And some others that would be spoilers. It's not quite a retelling, but a medley of various fairy tales, with some modernization. I thought the mood in the book was really well done, the atmosphere was a really good balance of wonder and danger, as well as classic fairy tales meeting a mid 20th century protagonist. I though the plot was a little winding - that's sort of another fairy tale trope, but for a novel it could have been a little tighter. There were also some parts that seemed weird / out of place. If you are looking for very fantasyish fantasy, with fairy tale prose and modern sensibilities, you might like this book.
I can't believe it took me this long to get around reading this book. It was a lovely reminder of how mystical, dark, and sad fairy tales could be.
I'm looking forward to rereading this to my future children when the time comes.
I'm looking forward to rereading this to my future children when the time comes.
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
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
adventurous
emotional
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Content Warnings
Moderate: Alcoholism
Minor: Child abuse, Physical abuse, Torture
Oh, what a wonder! I even felt like sobbing with joy at the end. This was just beautiful and wondrous and dreamy.
I feel like these very magical fairytale journeys aren't the genre for me. The story and the characters are all very sweet and imaginative, but I could end the story at any point in the middle and feel about as satisfied as I did reading it to the end.
A delightful book that has numerous glorious moments. Everything you could want in a romp around Fairyland - unusual friends, magic, quests, a villain, a hefty dose of nostalgia for older readers. And it pushes some good boundaries, I think, over what child characters could do. September not only shows courage, she shows introspection, growth, and a willingness to not play by society's rules if they'll get in the way of doing what is right or necessary. And the ending was perfectly wonderful.