THE GIRL WHO CIRCUMNAVIGATED FAIRYLAND IN A SHIP OF HER OWN MAKING
CATHERYNNE M. VALENTE
SERIES: FAIRYLAND, #1
GENRES/ SUBJECTS: MIDDLE GRADE, FANTASY
★★★☆
GOODREADS LINK
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.
I have to say, first off, that The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making is a completely amazing book title, and absolutely what first drew me to this series.
The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland is a neat adventure story, wherein our protagonist, Septemeber, journeys across Fairyland, meeting and befriending a number of incredible sounding creatures and characters along the way. My favourite was A-Through-L, a Wyverary (Wyvern/library) whose knowledge specialises in the first half of the alphabet. September’s journey reminded me a little of Alice in Wonderland and a little of The Wizard of Oz. I really liked the way the ending was dealt with, the idea of September as Persephone and being able to return to Fairyland in cycles.
For me though, the most interesting thing about The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland is the villain — The Marquess. She’s basically a Pevensie in the Narnia Chronicles — a girl who arrives, defeats the villain, becomes Queen, grows up and build her life in Fairyland, only to have it all snatched away. I loved her backstory and her motivation, her reasoning behind bringing all of the bad things about the human world back through with her. I thought the Marquess was really intriguing and I hope, if I continue this series, that I get to read more about her.
