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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
Got about halfway through this one—felt like the vibe and narration were surprisingly negative, and it was a bit too fever dream-y for me!
It started out ok, but overall I thought it was a bit too cute and whimsical. I couldn't really get into it, and I didn't care much about the characters. The whole time I was reading it, I was debating stopping. But I guess I kept going, so one star it is?
Such a beautifully written literary fairytale, not at all what I was expecting. All of the characters were delightful and charming and the book was so much smarter than your average children's fairy story. Highly recommend for the precocious child in your life.
I absolutely LOVED THIS BOOK! I wasn't sure how much I would enjoy it to start with, wondering if it would be too much of a children's book to really enjoy. I don't think the story has a specific age demographic, as it's full of fun story like, fantasy ideas and events, but also has many humorous moments which would be lost on kids. All in all I really enjoyed it.
The story follows 12 year old September on her adventure through Fairyland - where she encounters all kinds of fantastical creatures on her mission to save Fairyland from it's evil Marquess.
The storytelling is wonderful, I love the way that the narrator writes self-aware at times, acknowledging their-self as a factor in how the story is told! I love the beginnings of all the chapters which starts with a little black and white drawing and text like:
"Chapter 1
Exeunt on a Leopard
In Which a Girl Named September Is Spirited Off by Means of a Leopard. Learns the Rules of Fairyland, and Solves a Puzzle"
It's fun, exciting, emotional, and a really good story. I will definitely be picking up the following books!
The story follows 12 year old September on her adventure through Fairyland - where she encounters all kinds of fantastical creatures on her mission to save Fairyland from it's evil Marquess.
The storytelling is wonderful, I love the way that the narrator writes self-aware at times, acknowledging their-self as a factor in how the story is told! I love the beginnings of all the chapters which starts with a little black and white drawing and text like:
"Chapter 1
Exeunt on a Leopard
In Which a Girl Named September Is Spirited Off by Means of a Leopard. Learns the Rules of Fairyland, and Solves a Puzzle"
It's fun, exciting, emotional, and a really good story. I will definitely be picking up the following books!
September is twelve. Lives in Omaha. And is bored. One day the Green Wind arrives at her window with a leopard that can fly, and invites her to fairyland. This is ruled in an iron grip by the Marquess, and fear haunts the land. September offer to get and return a spoon to the Marquess.
In her adventures in this land she meets some amazing creatures, a Wyverary half Wyvern and half library called Ell, a soap golem and a lantern that comes to her aid.
It is kind of a mash up of a variety of fairy tales, from Alice, to the Wizard of Oz, a dash of Narnia with darker undertones. In this fantastic tale, Valente also devises a way that children can travel between the real word and fairy land. Not bad overall, 2.5 stars.
In her adventures in this land she meets some amazing creatures, a Wyverary half Wyvern and half library called Ell, a soap golem and a lantern that comes to her aid.
It is kind of a mash up of a variety of fairy tales, from Alice, to the Wizard of Oz, a dash of Narnia with darker undertones. In this fantastic tale, Valente also devises a way that children can travel between the real word and fairy land. Not bad overall, 2.5 stars.
adventurous
lighthearted
adventurous
dark
funny
hopeful
mysterious
sad
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
Fantastic. Whimsical. Heartbreaking.
Catherynne Valente wrote exactly the kind of book I loved to read as a kid and turned it into something I loved as an adult. Perfect just-so twisting of tropes, beautiful touches of realism, and a completely wacky world that does, at the same time, make perfect sense. I will say I found the last half of the book much more impactful than the first, and I wish the beginnings had just a touch more of the emotion that made the end of the book so good--but maybe it needed to build up to that. A lovely read, as always with Catherynne Valente.
Catherynne Valente wrote exactly the kind of book I loved to read as a kid and turned it into something I loved as an adult. Perfect just-so twisting of tropes, beautiful touches of realism, and a completely wacky world that does, at the same time, make perfect sense. I will say I found the last half of the book much more impactful than the first, and I wish the beginnings had just a touch more of the emotion that made the end of the book so good--but maybe it needed to build up to that. A lovely read, as always with Catherynne Valente.
Highly enjoyable. I enjoyed knowing ride of the typical "fairyland" story. So many rich fantasy ideas and good language. I'd be happy with a handful of the delightful concepts and this story was continuously rich in unexpected, delightful magic.
While this book is clearly meant for someone younger, I found it to be incredibly magical. While I thought the first chapter was a little rocky, it was full steam ahead after about 30 pages, and I was able to more easily handle the style and the language of the story. I did struggle a little with the Saturday/September thing, and wished the author had differentiated their names a bit (even Sunday/September would have been easier on the eyes of a quick reader). I found I had to stop and go back to make sure I completely understood who was saying what. Still, I found the characters likable (especially A-through-L, given his amazing shout out to statistical sampling). I definitely recommend this book to lovers of fairytales of any age, and can't wait to read the next one.