The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making

Beautifully, gorgeously written. I'm about to go back in and read parts of it a second time--the story is perfectly crafted, loved the illustrations and the imagination that created all of it. Wholly recommend.

Rather charming and fun; my only dislike was when the author would suddenly break in an talk to the reader as narrator. It didn't work IMO. Otherwise tho, the book is fun and delightful and a solid young reader's book.

3 draughts Wonderland
2 swallows Oz
1 trickle Labyrinth
1 dribble Narnia
1/2 measure Victoriana
1 pinch Shakespeare
1 dash Greek myth

Mix all ingredients thoroughly and when bound into a smooth dough, lift and slice the shadow free. Any blood droplets should be kneaded back into the dough. Set to bake for one hour, until the house smells of vanilla and maple syrup. Serve warm with honey butter on the back of a penny farthing, shared with your very-red wyvern and your best blue boy.

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Does every child dream of escaping their life and running into a land where the cities are made of bread or brocade? Does every child wish they might slip through a wardrobe or a window and discover a thousand new adventures? Surely most do--I did--and so does September, who, if one traced her family tree back, might be sister to Dorothy, Alice, and Persephone. Girls who longed for something different, and got it--in spades.

September doesn't think she has much of an exciting life, living with her mother and washing teacups aplenty, so is thrilled to bits when the Green Wind arrives to carry her to Fairyland. Fairyland, however, has many more rules than September anticipated, and not every adventure is the lark she thinks it will be. When she accepts a quest from a trio of witches--retrieve their spoon--little does September realize what she has actually embarked upon.

In a bright orange dress and a green smoking jacket which knows how to appreciate its own lines, September sets out to cross Fairyland. She will encounter fabulous friends and terribly enemies, for this is the way of such stories. She will make sacrifices and receive gifts she never imagined. She will learn the worth of herself as well as her own opinions; when September sets out upon the ship in the book's title, I cheered, for rarely does one find such a brave (and naked) heroine in YA lit.

September's adventures will take her to lands that are eternally autumn, to the snow-locked north, to the horn of Fairyland where storms cling, and to the capital city itself. Pandemonium has some in common with Valente's own Palimpsest, a city that is a character in its own right. Much of the landscape here comes to actual life; it only seems right that one finds beaches of gold and gems, migrating bicycles, and prisons of cold glass.

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When I was a kid, graduating to chapter books was a bummer, because I knew I would miss the illustrations. But when I discovered that some of the best chapter books had illustrations before each chapter, my gloom fled. Charlotte's Web, Little House on the Prairie, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. Every chapter would hold a special surprise, because one never knew what they would see. Even Harry Potter continues the tradition today. The Girl is no exception. Each chapter is illustrated by Ana Juan, and her style perfectly captures the wonder of Valente's Fairyland.

I would have adored this book as a child. Lucky me, I can treasure it even more as an adult.

I absolutely loved this book! I felt like my former self , a 12-year-old book worm again! Valente has a way with words, and I felt myself smiling the whole book. I will definitely be reading the next in the series!

Valente style is rich and evocative. A compelling story written with a lightness of touch that prevents getting bogged down while still providing a deeply satisfying ending. I would really recommend anyone who likes this book check out the free short story on Tor.com, The Girl Who Ruled Fairyland - For A Little While. It's also a good way to find out if you like Valente's style before buying.

My 10 year old daughter is slowly enjoying this book. She says it is very good, but not an easy read. Apparently it requires more concentration and attention to detail than a lot of books that her age group reads. She is an advanced reader, so if your child does not a great deal, this may not be a book you would want to get at age 10 - wait a year or so.

This is probably the most delightful book I have read in years. Valente strikes right to the heart of everything both marvelous and terrifying of what lies at the heart of the desire to run away to Fairyland, and she does it with some of the most charmingly whimsical and sharp prose it has ever been my pleasure to read.

When I first read about this book, I was interested but warry of the title and it's contents.
I've, in the past, read many of the more recent fantasy series, to include Wheel of Time and Georege Martin's Song of Fire and Ice. It seemed that the fantasy genera was shifting to a more mature and gritty theme, with little room for whismy or light-heartedness.
However, this book was a revelation, returning the jovialness of Alice and Wonderland and the Wizard of OZ.
It is a very self-aware and knowing book, poking light jabs at it's material and how questionable some actions are to the eyes of a teen or an adult. The materail never dismisses the dangerousness of a world with different rules but it never takes itself too seriously either, settling perfectly into the Goldiloc's zone of "just right."
Each chapter is smartly named, with a small subtitle that states what the overarching actions within the chapter are, but without giving away the events directly. The sub-title honestly feels like a sneak preveiw and is a delight to read because it makes one curious about how these events unfold.
The writing style is wonderous and clear. I personally adored the narrator, who briefly addresses the reader directly to comment on that while we might have chosen a different action, it is these reasons why certain events unfold.
Overall, I highly recommend this book for any age:
Read it to your childern and allow them to enjoy the whimsy of such a world.
Give it your teenager to enjoy something light-hearted yet honest
Read it yourself to get a good laugh.

Feminine heroine marks this fantasy fiction genre and stands to become classic with the likes of the Last Unicorn, Wrinkle in Time and the collected works of R.Dahl.

Plenty of literary references to keep the interest of adult readers and stimulate young readers with sophisticated presentation.

Enjoy.

Actually, I am bogged down by the allegory, which I have always been allergic to. I gave the book three stars, though, because the humor is intelligent and the author's imagination unique. The book is not for me, though. The characters are shallow, the plot moves forward very slowly (for me) and the main character has an annoying habit of sobbing too much, though her quest may end up being interesting if I ever get past all the allegory and actually read the rest of the book.

I know Catherynne. I like Catherynne. In fact, I'm a big fan of most of her work. I consider Palimpsest to be one of the best books of 2008. I even knew about this book when Cat was writing it online and taking donations. Needless to say, I bought this book as soon as it was available and I was so happy when it hit the New York Times bestseller lists.

And yet, I couldn't get into it. I normally like Cat's style. She is one of the few poets that I can stand to read and she has a way with words. It doesn't work in a kid's book. Every line seems to be a self-justifying sentence with the underlying message of "Look at me! I'm writing a book!" That trope combined with the way that Cat is writing to primarily to kids as if they are too dumb to understand sinks this thing in piles of pretensions.

There's no sentence or paragraph that stands out as particularly egregious either. Every sentence is rich in metaphor and analogy. Yet together it doesn't work. It's like when you are eating cheesecake. And cheesecake is one of the best foods in the world but if you don't have coffee, then it just becomes a overtly sweet mess.

Beyond the poetic prose - which is normally Cat's strength - the rest of the book shows her weaknesses - particularly in her lack of plotting or character. The girl of the title is a girl on an adventure. Everyone she runs into is telling her stuff. She has some ideas of being a rebel but doesn't really do much with that. The rest of the book is a tension free book where none of the stakes feel real. Even when the Marquess threatens September, it doesn't feel real. There's just a lot of episodes where she meets mythical figures and they have conversations. Rinse. Repeat.

Different. Delightfully so. Very much worth reading to get out of whatever literary rut youre in.

This book isn't going to be for everyone, and I can tell you right now that the author is perfectly fine with that.

I don't think I've read anything quite like this. It's simple and complicated, an easy read and multilayered. I definitely say give it a go; best believe I'll be getting the sequel.

My granddaughter wanted these books for Christmas, I can say I really don't know much about this series, but seems to be a popular one in her class. I am excited to hear what she has to say abnout this series.

With a style reminiscent of C.S. Lewis, this book is a fun, touching, and enthralling read. I loved the characters and the mythology that Valente creates. My only criticism is that it has a bit of a short conclusion. Other than that, I wouldn't change a thing

I must admit, I initially bought this because of the beautiful cover illustration and whimsical title! I was pleasantly surprised to find that the whimsy continued inside the book's pages as well. This is a light read--it was fanciful and fun. Although promoted as a children's book, adults will find it delightful as well. If you like "Alice in Wonderland" you should like this book!

Wow. This book blew me away. The descriptions and details are amazing. I could not put it down. I also love the fact that the "villain" has a real reason that people can relate to for doing the things that she does instead of making her want revenge or the other typical reasons.

Alice in Wonderland reinterpreted by Salvadore Dali. The author is good at creating dazzling imagery, but it's a case of style over substance. There are much better fairy tales out there - this woman has probably worn out her thesaurus when she should be working harder to create a good story and plot.

Purchased on the basis of reviews from Time Magazine on the authors second book. Decided I better start with the first in the series. Now I can't wait to get the second.Totally enjoyable and fun. Loved it.

Dear me, where do I begin? Delightful, wise, beautifully told, and thoroughly enjoyable, this is the first of Valente's novels that I have read, but it will definitely not be the last. And, I hope, it will not be the last of September's adventures in Fairyland either.