Reviews tagging 'Kidnapping'

The Girl Who Fell Beneath Fairyland and Led the Revels There by Catherynne M. Valente

1 review

cocacolor's review

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adventurous funny hopeful tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No

4.25

This sequel is less rooted in themes of friendship and internal conflict than its predecessor, which is saying something for a story whose characters were more like archetypes. The focus shifts from September's bonds with her Fairy-friends to her understanding of herself, and her relationships with her parents. Valente also returns to the moral dilemma of the Marquess, left over from the first book, with a compassionate spirit; on the other hand, the ethics of simply having a shadow, as well as the proposed solution of
keeping people and shadows separate
, leaves me with some question marks. But I love the first Fairyland book, and I love this one even more (a whole extra quarter star more). Book Two is redolent with thoughtful, playful poking at the nature of narrative and the ethics of quests. This novel is also a masterclass in foreshadowing and narrative callbacks done right, a neat narrative engine that folds in on itself perfectly. Near the end, if anything, the reveals come too thick and fast, and perhaps September's solution for the main conflict is too pat and easy.
(Halloween's plots, though, were always about her own loneliness and fears, and so simply convincing her to let the shadows return to Fairyland regularly, while not quite satisfying, also makes complete sense.)


I recommend either re-reading the first Fairyland book immediately before beginning this one or starting this one right after finishing the other. There are two or three moments where elements of the first book are referenced without signposting what they are, and a quick search through the text of both books was necessary before I fully understood--nothing integral to the plot, though.
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