BOOK REVIEW: The Girl who Fell Beneath Fairyland and Led the Revels There
Title: The Girl who Fell Beneath Fairyland and Led the Revels There
Author: Catherynne M. Valente
Series: Fairyland (Book Two)
After defeating the Marquess and saving Fairyland, September has returned home to Omaha Nebraska. Unfortunately, normal life just can’t compare to Fairyland, and September finds herself wishing for a chance to go back. When she is given this chance, she finds that Fairyland is once more in need of a heroine. Everyone’s shadow is escaping to Fairyland Below, leaving the world above very short on magic. September agrees to venture downwards to Fairyland Below, but will she be prepared for the familiar faces she encounters there?
Catherynne Valente’s first foray into middle grade fiction, The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of her own Making, was a delightful little book written in the style of classic tales where children are whisked away to a magical world (think Alice in Wonderland and Peter Pan). Although the book was pretty self contained, the author left a door open to tell more stories. The Girl who Fell Beneath Fairyland and Led the Revels There delves into this next chapter of September’s story, finally letting the readers know what happened to September’s long lost shadow. The result is a wonderful story that reveals new sides of old characters, as well as brings our heroine into the world of adolescence.
As one might expect from reading previous works by Valente, the greatest strength of The Girl who Fell Beneath Fairyland is in the writing itself. Valente surely has a talent for beautiful language, and with this series, she manages to present it in a way that is enjoyable for both young and old readers. Similar to fantasy series like Harry Potter, The Girl who Fell Beneath Fairyland shows our heroine starting to grow up. September is now ready to experiences shades of her first romance. I liked that Valente dealt with this issue without completely throwing September into a conventional love story. Romance is a complicated and confusing issue at thirteen, and September feels these emotions in all of their appropriate complexities. As a fan of the previous book in the series, I was really excited about getting to explore Fairyland Below. I don’t want to spoil too much but we do get to encounter many of the major players from previous books, but Valente manages to accomplish this in a really interesting way. The story was quite enjoyable, although perhaps not as consistently so as the first book, filled with fantastic characters. I quite enjoyed the ending as well.
Final Thoughts: If you enjoye The Girl who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of her own Making, then you must read this sequel. The Girl who Fell Beneath Fairyland delivers a wonderful fantasy story and does a great job of developing our young heroine. Similar to book one, book two of the series is very self contained but there's plenty of room for new adventures. I hope Catherynne Valente decides to write more stories in this series. Four and a Half Stars
Next I will be reviewing Bellwether by Connie Willis
Author: Catherynne M. Valente
Series: Fairyland (Book Two)
After defeating the Marquess and saving Fairyland, September has returned home to Omaha Nebraska. Unfortunately, normal life just can’t compare to Fairyland, and September finds herself wishing for a chance to go back. When she is given this chance, she finds that Fairyland is once more in need of a heroine. Everyone’s shadow is escaping to Fairyland Below, leaving the world above very short on magic. September agrees to venture downwards to Fairyland Below, but will she be prepared for the familiar faces she encounters there?
Catherynne Valente’s first foray into middle grade fiction, The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of her own Making, was a delightful little book written in the style of classic tales where children are whisked away to a magical world (think Alice in Wonderland and Peter Pan). Although the book was pretty self contained, the author left a door open to tell more stories. The Girl who Fell Beneath Fairyland and Led the Revels There delves into this next chapter of September’s story, finally letting the readers know what happened to September’s long lost shadow. The result is a wonderful story that reveals new sides of old characters, as well as brings our heroine into the world of adolescence.
As one might expect from reading previous works by Valente, the greatest strength of The Girl who Fell Beneath Fairyland is in the writing itself. Valente surely has a talent for beautiful language, and with this series, she manages to present it in a way that is enjoyable for both young and old readers. Similar to fantasy series like Harry Potter, The Girl who Fell Beneath Fairyland shows our heroine starting to grow up. September is now ready to experiences shades of her first romance. I liked that Valente dealt with this issue without completely throwing September into a conventional love story. Romance is a complicated and confusing issue at thirteen, and September feels these emotions in all of their appropriate complexities. As a fan of the previous book in the series, I was really excited about getting to explore Fairyland Below. I don’t want to spoil too much but we do get to encounter many of the major players from previous books, but Valente manages to accomplish this in a really interesting way. The story was quite enjoyable, although perhaps not as consistently so as the first book, filled with fantastic characters. I quite enjoyed the ending as well.
Final Thoughts: If you enjoye The Girl who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of her own Making, then you must read this sequel. The Girl who Fell Beneath Fairyland delivers a wonderful fantasy story and does a great job of developing our young heroine. Similar to book one, book two of the series is very self contained but there's plenty of room for new adventures. I hope Catherynne Valente decides to write more stories in this series. Four and a Half Stars
Next I will be reviewing Bellwether by Connie Willis