Review: The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making
The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making by Catherynne M. ValenteMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
I loved this book! Admittedly, I feel kind of funny labeling it YA because I think it's probably more middle grade, but it's so much fun and such a yummy read, I think anyone who stumbles upon The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making will be better off for it.
The protagonist, September, is a delightful, bright, and curious girl with a wonderful sense of humor. The voice in this book is a bit old fashioned, but it just adds the right amount of whimsy to the whole thing. Plus, the little illustrations are adorable. Yes, I know that some teens may think they've outgrown cute pictures, but these would melt anyone's heart. I mean, look at the cover? You can't tell me that isn't the most adorable Wyvern you've ever seen (no, it's not a dragon.)
While it's tempting to add a brief summary here, I realized that it still probably wouldn't make much sense. The most helpful way I can think of describing this book is Catherynne M. Valente builds a world as magical and vivid as Narnia and enlivens all the characters with a sense of humor like Roald Dahl tempered with an irresistible sweetness.