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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
medium-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:
Yes
reminded me of phantom tollbooth, kind of strange
took a while but get to know September and start to like her but was really rooting for her by the end
some spooky parts, especially in the autumn country
did not see the twist at the end coming
never really immersed when reading kind of had to make myself continue/ easily distracted
took a while but get to know September and start to like her but was really rooting for her by the end
some spooky parts, especially in the autumn country
did not see the twist at the end coming
never really immersed when reading kind of had to make myself continue/ easily distracted
adventurous
lighthearted
medium-paced
Strong character development:
No
As superfluous as the title may sound, it actually has some bearing on the book, even ouside of it’s obvious connection to the story line. This story was a quirky adventure tale that reminded me of an odd combination of Neil Gaiman, dark Disney (a la The Black Cauldron or The Black Hole), a gothic Victorian tale and traditional mythology. It was intelligent without being pandering and yet, I can imagine little geek-seedlings loving it as much as their parents.
Ok, that was just a tease. To get a little more of Something Like a Review, please check out my blog to see what else I had to say.
Extraordinary. A beautiful meditation on love, story, and magic, wrapped up in a delightfully bizarre adventure. But this is not a middle grade novel. This is a rich and strange tale full of wisdom, and a little bit full of arch commentary on itself: in other words, a fairy tale for grownups. Magnificent.
Extraordinary. A beautiful meditation on love, story, and magic, wrapped up in a delightfully bizarre adventure. But this is not a middle grade novel. This is a rich and strange tale full of wisdom, and a little bit full of arch commentary on itself: in other words, a fairy tale for grownups. Magnificent.
adventurous
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Loveable characters:
Yes
2nd time through: I loved this even more the second time I read it. Quite possibly my all-time favorite book.
1st read:
Have you ever finished a book and hugged it to your chest because you loved it so much? No? Me neither. Just kidding. That's exactly what I did when I finished The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making (that title's a mouthful). I absolutely adored this one, and it's now on my favorites list.
Mind you, this isn't a book everyone will love. It's got a quirkiness to it that some people will find a little too precious. But I think most people will fall in love with it just like I did. It's a beautiful, magical fairy tale that is perfect for the young at heart. Here's a sample:
“When you are born,” the golem said softly, “your courage is new and clean. You are brave enough for anything: crawling off of staircases, saying your first words without fearing that someone will think you are foolish, putting strange things in your mouth. But as you get older, your courage attracts gunk, and crusty things, and dirt, and fear, and knowing how bad things can get and what pain feels like. By the time you’re half-grown, your courage barely moves at all, it’s so grunged up with living. So every once in awhile, you have to scrub it up and get the works going, or else you’ll never be brave again.”
There were so many lovely quotes like that all throughout the book. Catherynne Valente is a talented writer whose style flows, and is completely different than the typical YA. She is in a class all her own. And what's even better is that there is another book to come! I can't wait to read it, and I will definitely be re-reading this one. I highly recommend it.
1st read:
Have you ever finished a book and hugged it to your chest because you loved it so much? No? Me neither. Just kidding. That's exactly what I did when I finished The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making (that title's a mouthful). I absolutely adored this one, and it's now on my favorites list.
Mind you, this isn't a book everyone will love. It's got a quirkiness to it that some people will find a little too precious. But I think most people will fall in love with it just like I did. It's a beautiful, magical fairy tale that is perfect for the young at heart. Here's a sample:
“When you are born,” the golem said softly, “your courage is new and clean. You are brave enough for anything: crawling off of staircases, saying your first words without fearing that someone will think you are foolish, putting strange things in your mouth. But as you get older, your courage attracts gunk, and crusty things, and dirt, and fear, and knowing how bad things can get and what pain feels like. By the time you’re half-grown, your courage barely moves at all, it’s so grunged up with living. So every once in awhile, you have to scrub it up and get the works going, or else you’ll never be brave again.”
There were so many lovely quotes like that all throughout the book. Catherynne Valente is a talented writer whose style flows, and is completely different than the typical YA. She is in a class all her own. And what's even better is that there is another book to come! I can't wait to read it, and I will definitely be re-reading this one. I highly recommend it.