The Girl Who Cicumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of her Own Making (Fairyland #1) by Catherynne M. Valente

The Girl Who Cicumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of her Own Making (Fairyland #1) by Catherynne M. Valente

Goodreads Synopsis

Twelve-year-old September lives in Omaha, and used to have an ordinary life, until her father went to war and her mother went to work. One day, September is met at her kitchen window by a Green Wind (taking the form of a gentleman in a green jacket), who invites her on an adventure, implying that her help is needed in Fairyland. The new Marquess is unpredictable and fickle, and also not much older than September. Only September can retrieve a talisman the Marquess wants from the enchanted woods, and if she doesn’t . . . then the Marquess will make life impossible for the inhabitants of Fairyland. September is already making new friends, including a book-loving Wyvern and a mysterious boy named Saturday.

With exquisite illustrations by acclaimed artist Ana Juan, Fairyland lives up to the sensation it created when the author first posted it online. For readers of all ages who love the charm of Alice in Wonderland and the soul of The Golden Compass, here is a reading experience unto itself: unforgettable, and so very beautiful.

_________________________________________________________________________

This was a wonderful novel for young-er adults and children, but even for adults like me who still want to live in a land of magic for a little while longer. It had the same writing style as a fairy tale and I think that is part of the reason I enjoyed it so much. I was expecting it to be longer and for the plot to go further along, but I did really enjoy the ending.  Every character that we met in this was so well-developed, it was almost difficult to figure out who the main character was because they all had such bright personalities and weren't just included to be a plot point for September's journey than never discussed again.I really liked all the big cats in this. They had such wonderful personalities. 

September was an interesting character and an excellent heroine for this story. I liked the description of children being semi heartless. It adds a depth to September that I wouldn't know how to explain otherwise. She was very fun to read and get into the mind of. She really grew as a person and made some hard choices that as a child I would have made if I were in her shoes. She is a very relatable character and extremely well written.

This is one of my new favourite series and I will definitely be picking up the rest of them!

Overall: 4/5 stars. For big cats and spoiled brats and children being semi-heartless. Would recommend this to readers of all ages.