Book Review
Apr. 2nd, 2021 02:26 pmThe Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making
by Catherynne M. Valente
This charming YA novel follows the adventures of September, a 12 year old girl from Omaha who is spirited away to Fairyland. Plotwise, this is a typical magic portal novel, in which our heroine travels around, having adventures, meeting various fantasy folk, and making friends. Over the course of these adventures, the main quest or goal coalesces and our heroine must decide if and how to pursue it. Valente is on well-traveled ground here, but she brings a lot of invention and humor to the endeavor. I loved the allusions to other portal fiction and September's awareness of the kind of story she was experiencing. As always, Valente's prose is a delight to read.
by Catherynne M. Valente
This charming YA novel follows the adventures of September, a 12 year old girl from Omaha who is spirited away to Fairyland. Plotwise, this is a typical magic portal novel, in which our heroine travels around, having adventures, meeting various fantasy folk, and making friends. Over the course of these adventures, the main quest or goal coalesces and our heroine must decide if and how to pursue it. Valente is on well-traveled ground here, but she brings a lot of invention and humor to the endeavor. I loved the allusions to other portal fiction and September's awareness of the kind of story she was experiencing. As always, Valente's prose is a delight to read.