Call number
Series
Genres
Publication
Feiwel & Friends (2012), Hardcover, 272 pages
Pages
258
Description
After returning to Fairyland, September discovers that her stolen shadow has become the Hollow Queen, the new ruler of Fairyland Below, who is stealing the magic and shadows from Fairyland folk and refusing to give them back.
Awards
Locus Award (Finalist — Young Adult Novel — 2013)
IBBY Honour Book (2016)
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
2012-10-02
Physical description
258 p.; 9.5 inches
ISBN
0312649622 / 9780312649623
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User reviews
LibraryThing member paradoxosalpha
The immediate sequel to The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Boat of Her Own Making continues to draw on tropes from classical children's fantasies, including Alice in Wonderland and the Oz books. But the World War II backdrop and the role of the child protagonist as a recurrent actor in
There seems to be little room for doubt that the author consciously drew on Jungian ideas in this book about the estrangement and reintegration of Fairyland's shadows. In a not-oversubtle psychoanalytic scheme, the first volume involves reflection on September's image of her mother, and this second one on her image of her father. This sequencing, along with the dropping of a second shoe regarding the excision of September's shadow in the first book, helps to grow the sequel directly out of the original story, so that it gives off no sense of superfluity.
A few common structural elements made it seem as if a formulaic approach might have been taken in this book. In particular, the "interludes" in each book concern the flying pursuers of September, who arrive to aid her only at the book's end. There is also a pattern of accumulating a trio of companions, who are then stripped away for the heroine's final feats. The fuller descriptions and more overt involvement of the characters of the Winds at the climax of the story were certainly welcome. On the whole, the book is worthy of its predecessor.
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Fairyland's "history" makes these books more kindred to Narnia than any of the others. And yet, it is certainly not the misogynistic Christian otherworld of C.S. Lewis, but a vigorously pagan and feminist one, where Valente's September plays the role of a recurrent redeemer. Riffing on Through the Looking-Glass, this volume finds September promoted from Knight to Bishop, now in her "slantwise" struggle with the Queen of Fairyland-Beneath, who is her own own severed shadow.There seems to be little room for doubt that the author consciously drew on Jungian ideas in this book about the estrangement and reintegration of Fairyland's shadows. In a not-oversubtle psychoanalytic scheme, the first volume involves reflection on September's image of her mother, and this second one on her image of her father. This sequencing, along with the dropping of a second shoe regarding the excision of September's shadow in the first book, helps to grow the sequel directly out of the original story, so that it gives off no sense of superfluity.
A few common structural elements made it seem as if a formulaic approach might have been taken in this book. In particular, the "interludes" in each book concern the flying pursuers of September, who arrive to aid her only at the book's end. There is also a pattern of accumulating a trio of companions, who are then stripped away for the heroine's final feats. The fuller descriptions and more overt involvement of the characters of the Winds at the climax of the story were certainly welcome. On the whole, the book is worthy of its predecessor.
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LibraryThing member beserene
This YA/children's novel is the sequel to Valente's brilliant and beautiful 'The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making', which started the Fairyland series out with a high bar. The second installment is, if perhaps not quite as engaging as the first, still brilliant and
Valente's narrative voice, a clever homage to the omnipresent narrators of nineteenth and twentieth century children's books, is as strong and enjoyable as ever. Her heroine, September, is growing up -- a fact acknowledged throughout the book -- but remains fierce and vulnerable at once, a combination that makes her one of the most wonderful protagonists I've encountered in years. And, though September has voyaged underneath Fairyland this time, where shadows are cavorting, we the readers do recognize the lovable and not-so-lovable figures from the first book, which provides a pleasant familiarity while not rehashing exactly the same sort of adventure as previously undertaken.
The adventure plot itself is where the sequel doesn't quite live up to its predecessor. While it was enjoyable enough, I did not feel as invested in the peril and wonder of September's journey. We cannot lay this at the feet of Ms. Valente entirely, though, because part of what made the first book so extraordinary was its newness -- and with the return of a now-familiar world, we automatically lose a little of that charge of excitement that drove the intensity of the first book. That we get to see new parts of Fairyland and meet new citizens of the world helps -- and provides some of the most intriguing parts of this book -- but those new faces who contribute to the path of the story sometimes feel rushed here. I am eager, however, to see whether some of the most tantalizing glosses are further developed later in the series.
I will say, above all this, that even though this book might not have reached quite the the level of the first, I loved it. I loved it mostly because, no matter whether or not her book is perfectly paced or balanced in its complexity, underneath the bits that can be nitpicked, Valente is an absolute master of emotional tone. For children, no doubt this is a wondrous adventure story, but for adults... well, in my own experience, the novel -- especially its end -- was so achingly nostalgic that I closed it with slow tears running down my face.
I read Catherynne Valente because her imagination makes unthought-of things live. But I also read her books because they show me an impossible childhood that I none the less wish -- desperately wish -- I could've had. Recommended without reservation.
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beautiful in its own ways. Valente's narrative voice, a clever homage to the omnipresent narrators of nineteenth and twentieth century children's books, is as strong and enjoyable as ever. Her heroine, September, is growing up -- a fact acknowledged throughout the book -- but remains fierce and vulnerable at once, a combination that makes her one of the most wonderful protagonists I've encountered in years. And, though September has voyaged underneath Fairyland this time, where shadows are cavorting, we the readers do recognize the lovable and not-so-lovable figures from the first book, which provides a pleasant familiarity while not rehashing exactly the same sort of adventure as previously undertaken.
The adventure plot itself is where the sequel doesn't quite live up to its predecessor. While it was enjoyable enough, I did not feel as invested in the peril and wonder of September's journey. We cannot lay this at the feet of Ms. Valente entirely, though, because part of what made the first book so extraordinary was its newness -- and with the return of a now-familiar world, we automatically lose a little of that charge of excitement that drove the intensity of the first book. That we get to see new parts of Fairyland and meet new citizens of the world helps -- and provides some of the most intriguing parts of this book -- but those new faces who contribute to the path of the story sometimes feel rushed here. I am eager, however, to see whether some of the most tantalizing glosses are further developed later in the series.
I will say, above all this, that even though this book might not have reached quite the the level of the first, I loved it. I loved it mostly because, no matter whether or not her book is perfectly paced or balanced in its complexity, underneath the bits that can be nitpicked, Valente is an absolute master of emotional tone. For children, no doubt this is a wondrous adventure story, but for adults... well, in my own experience, the novel -- especially its end -- was so achingly nostalgic that I closed it with slow tears running down my face.
I read Catherynne Valente because her imagination makes unthought-of things live. But I also read her books because they show me an impossible childhood that I none the less wish -- desperately wish -- I could've had. Recommended without reservation.
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LibraryThing member fyrefly98
Summary: It's been a year, human time, since September has returned from Fairyland, and she's started to grow up (at least a little), but when the opportunity comes to return, she leaps at the chance. But once she gets to Fairyland, she realizes that things have gone badly wrong in her absence -
Review: For me, most of The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland..., the first book in the series, was enjoyable if not socks-knockingly so. I like fairy tales, I like modern takes on fairy tales, I like modern takes on fairy tales that use lots of vocabulary and don't talk down to their readers and where you can feel the narrator grinning at you slyly. So I liked The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland... and I liked The Girl Who Fell Beneath Fairyland..., but the first book had a phenomenal twist at the end that pushed the whole thing over into "love" territory, whereas this book didn't quite make it there.
I mean, it was good. I enjoyed listening to it. It was episodic, but that comes with the nature of this kind of story. I liked watching September deal with A-through-L's and Saturday's shadows, how they're like her friends but not quite like her friends, but also a part of her friends that was there all along. That was a complex idea that was presented appropriately for the age group but still had quite a lot of depth to untangle. S. J. Tucker does a lovely job with the narration. Her voices were distinct and diverse and well suited to a fairy story: not quite normal but not completely outlandish, either, and her precise diction and overall tone were a perfect fit for Valente's pseudo-Victorian and slightly smirking prose. I also loved the addition of Aubergine the dodo, and the explication of Questing Physicks was exactly the kind of story deconstruction I like best, about some of my favorite types of stories.
But for as much as I enjoyed the individual pieces, I didn't think they fit together in this book as well as they did in the previous one. There were a lot of elements, which is to be expected, but not all of them were as well developed as they could have been, and the way they came together at the end felt convenient rather than organic. Between the shadows and the Alleyman and Halloween's plans and the Prince Who Sleeps at the Bottom of the World and the various Physics and the mechanics of Fairyland Below, there was just a whole lot of stuff going on, yet there was never that one piece that made it all click together into something more than the sum of its parts. But tricks like the end of The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland are hard to pull off, and I'm still satisfied with this book as a fun reading experience, even without that extra something. 4 out of 5 stars.
Recommendation: There are a lot of elements in this story that depend on a familiarity with the first book, so start at the beginning. But the series as a whole is good fun for kids who like fairy stories, and adults who never grew out of them.
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and worse, that it might all be her fault. For the shadows of the inhabitants of Fairyland are being sucked into Fairyland Below, and the magic in Fairyland is correspondingly waning, and September suspects that it is the doing of her own shadow, the one that she gave up the first time she was in Fairyland. In order to stop the destruction, September must journey to Fairyland Below, where she meets up with her friends A-through-L and Saturday - or at least with their shadows - and find some way to restore order, even if it means confronting her own shadow to do it.Review: For me, most of The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland..., the first book in the series, was enjoyable if not socks-knockingly so. I like fairy tales, I like modern takes on fairy tales, I like modern takes on fairy tales that use lots of vocabulary and don't talk down to their readers and where you can feel the narrator grinning at you slyly. So I liked The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland... and I liked The Girl Who Fell Beneath Fairyland..., but the first book had a phenomenal twist at the end that pushed the whole thing over into "love" territory, whereas this book didn't quite make it there.
I mean, it was good. I enjoyed listening to it. It was episodic, but that comes with the nature of this kind of story. I liked watching September deal with A-through-L's and Saturday's shadows, how they're like her friends but not quite like her friends, but also a part of her friends that was there all along. That was a complex idea that was presented appropriately for the age group but still had quite a lot of depth to untangle. S. J. Tucker does a lovely job with the narration. Her voices were distinct and diverse and well suited to a fairy story: not quite normal but not completely outlandish, either, and her precise diction and overall tone were a perfect fit for Valente's pseudo-Victorian and slightly smirking prose. I also loved the addition of Aubergine the dodo, and the explication of Questing Physicks was exactly the kind of story deconstruction I like best, about some of my favorite types of stories.
But for as much as I enjoyed the individual pieces, I didn't think they fit together in this book as well as they did in the previous one. There were a lot of elements, which is to be expected, but not all of them were as well developed as they could have been, and the way they came together at the end felt convenient rather than organic. Between the shadows and the Alleyman and Halloween's plans and the Prince Who Sleeps at the Bottom of the World and the various Physics and the mechanics of Fairyland Below, there was just a whole lot of stuff going on, yet there was never that one piece that made it all click together into something more than the sum of its parts. But tricks like the end of The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland are hard to pull off, and I'm still satisfied with this book as a fun reading experience, even without that extra something. 4 out of 5 stars.
Recommendation: There are a lot of elements in this story that depend on a familiarity with the first book, so start at the beginning. But the series as a whole is good fun for kids who like fairy stories, and adults who never grew out of them.
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LibraryThing member malexmave
"You eat dreams?", September said, and not without some wonder. "Naturally", said the tapir, licking its snout. "Everyone does". "I don't!". "'course you do. If you didn't sleep and dream, you'd get sick and eventually you'd die. Dreams keep the heart alive, just like your boring old suppers keep
This book was quite good. It always amazes me how well some people can tell stories, and even package some wisdom into them (this seems especially common with some childrens / YA books and movies. The new Disney and Pixar movies are also quite good at that (and at playing with clichés and expectations), and I actually like them a lot because they are a nice counterpoint to a world that is otherwise quite depressing in parts).
So, this book. It's just so clever in some parts. There are some parts where I was laughing out loud just from how true some of the things in this book are. Especially the Adventure-theoretic discussion with the Questing Phsyics person ("EKT-Field") was a highlight of the book for me as a Pen-and-Paper-RPG player. But the book also had some more serious parts. What I liked best was the way the book always manages to pull a surprise out of its hat, and make it plausible. Everyone has their realistic motivations, even if they may not be obvious from the beginning.
Finally, the ending was great. There was no cliffhanger, no nothing. This could be the ending of the series, and I would not be mad. I hope the author can keep this quality up.
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your body alive."This book was quite good. It always amazes me how well some people can tell stories, and even package some wisdom into them (this seems especially common with some childrens / YA books and movies. The new Disney and Pixar movies are also quite good at that (and at playing with clichés and expectations), and I actually like them a lot because they are a nice counterpoint to a world that is otherwise quite depressing in parts).
So, this book. It's just so clever in some parts. There are some parts where I was laughing out loud just from how true some of the things in this book are. Especially the Adventure-theoretic discussion with the Questing Phsyics person ("EKT-Field") was a highlight of the book for me as a Pen-and-Paper-RPG player. But the book also had some more serious parts. What I liked best was the way the book always manages to pull a surprise out of its hat, and make it plausible. Everyone has their realistic motivations, even if they may not be obvious from the beginning.
Finally, the ending was great. There was no cliffhanger, no nothing. This could be the ending of the series, and I would not be mad. I hope the author can keep this quality up.
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LibraryThing member salimbol
A wonderful read: inventive, delightfully female-oriented, with dazzling imagery and the most gorgeous use of language (I *must* have a listen to the audio version of this). Valente plays gleefully with classic fantasy tropes, sneaking in some clever commentary, but at the same time builds in solid
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character development. 'The Girl Who Fell Beneath Fairyland' is very nearly as good as its predecessor, 'The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland', and that is high praise indeed. Just magical, and highly recommended. Show Less
LibraryThing member pussreboots
The Girl Who Fell Beneath Fairyland and Led the Revels There by Catherynne M Valente is the sequel to the similarly long-titled The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making. It is also very much an homage to Dorothy's second trip to Oz (and the 4th book in the series), Dorothy
Whereas Alice first gets to fairyland through falling down an impossibly deep hole, Dorothy and September save this method of travel for their return trip. For Dorothy, it's a giant California earthquake (quite possibly the 1906 San Francisco quake). For September, the trip downwards takes the form of an elevator — but not with the underworld / Hades overtones as The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan. So although September is essentially exploring / questing through the land below Fairyland, there still remains that odd combination of magic and technology (much in the way that the Land of Oz embraces and brings to life the commonplace technology of the early 1900s)
Dorothy's second journey to Oz is as unexpected as the first, but September goes willingly. She has been waiting anxiously for an entire year to return. Dorothy's time away from Oz is never fully outlined, but it was long enough for her and her aunt and uncle to travel to Australia (Oz of our world). It is on their landing in California for the trip home that she and her cousin, Zeb, are plummeted beneath Oz via the earthquake.
It is September's desire to revisit Fairyland and upon arrival, fix the broken pieces of it (caused, perhaps by her own hand) that sets her apart from either early Dorothy (before she campaigns to move herself and her family to Oz on a permanent basis) and Alice. Alice and Dorothy both focus on seeking a way home — even if for Alice she must be moved through the land like a pawn on a chessboard.
September has a greater sense of purpose and a stronger free will than her earlier fantasy counterparts. It is her strength of character that gives the Valente's Fairyland books an adult appeal to them, even though these darker themes will probably go over the heads of most of the series's younger readers. THIS IS A GOOD THING. The books will grow with their audience on subsequent re-reads.
I have been cagey about describing specific characters or specific scenes. I don't want to spoil anything. I also don't want to give false expectations. Yes — September's friends are there. But her visit isn't a rehash of her previous adventures (although a pair of crows do follow a familiar route). Instead, it's an exploration of uncharted (for us as readers) areas and the meeting of new characters. Without getting too spoilerly, let me just sign off by saying the last quarter of the book took my high expectations (which I'd felt had already been satisfactorily met), and thrown them out the window, resulting in many squeals of joy and thrusting of the ARC into the hands of kith and kin so that I'd have someone to talk about the book with.
I have, by the way, pre-ordered an audio copy of the book and will later buy a hardback copy so I can have all the glorious illustrations. The ARC I will continue to share with my book club friends.
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and the Wizard in Oz.Whereas Alice first gets to fairyland through falling down an impossibly deep hole, Dorothy and September save this method of travel for their return trip. For Dorothy, it's a giant California earthquake (quite possibly the 1906 San Francisco quake). For September, the trip downwards takes the form of an elevator — but not with the underworld / Hades overtones as The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan. So although September is essentially exploring / questing through the land below Fairyland, there still remains that odd combination of magic and technology (much in the way that the Land of Oz embraces and brings to life the commonplace technology of the early 1900s)
Dorothy's second journey to Oz is as unexpected as the first, but September goes willingly. She has been waiting anxiously for an entire year to return. Dorothy's time away from Oz is never fully outlined, but it was long enough for her and her aunt and uncle to travel to Australia (Oz of our world). It is on their landing in California for the trip home that she and her cousin, Zeb, are plummeted beneath Oz via the earthquake.
It is September's desire to revisit Fairyland and upon arrival, fix the broken pieces of it (caused, perhaps by her own hand) that sets her apart from either early Dorothy (before she campaigns to move herself and her family to Oz on a permanent basis) and Alice. Alice and Dorothy both focus on seeking a way home — even if for Alice she must be moved through the land like a pawn on a chessboard.
September has a greater sense of purpose and a stronger free will than her earlier fantasy counterparts. It is her strength of character that gives the Valente's Fairyland books an adult appeal to them, even though these darker themes will probably go over the heads of most of the series's younger readers. THIS IS A GOOD THING. The books will grow with their audience on subsequent re-reads.
I have been cagey about describing specific characters or specific scenes. I don't want to spoil anything. I also don't want to give false expectations. Yes — September's friends are there. But her visit isn't a rehash of her previous adventures (although a pair of crows do follow a familiar route). Instead, it's an exploration of uncharted (for us as readers) areas and the meeting of new characters. Without getting too spoilerly, let me just sign off by saying the last quarter of the book took my high expectations (which I'd felt had already been satisfactorily met), and thrown them out the window, resulting in many squeals of joy and thrusting of the ARC into the hands of kith and kin so that I'd have someone to talk about the book with.
I have, by the way, pre-ordered an audio copy of the book and will later buy a hardback copy so I can have all the glorious illustrations. The ARC I will continue to share with my book club friends.
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LibraryThing member heaven_star
Let's be honest, I probably could have given this 5 stars before even cracking the spine. I loved the first Fairyland book, it was dark and whimsical and lyrical in exactly the right proportions.
I liked this one just as much. This is the underbelly of Fairyland, it's the shadow-self of the first
I really loved the metaphor of September having to deal with her shadow self as the villain in this book. Having her friends as shadows, but still their own individual selves was beautiful as well. The overarching quest/underworld theme was really well done, too.
The ending was strange, but I think I liked it? It's really the only question mark I've got about the book, it warped the fantasy/reality boundary for me in ways I didn't quite follow and therefore couldn't appreciate as much as I'd like. I suspect the ending here is one of the driving forces behind the next one, though, so I'll pick that up and have a look.
Final words: I wish I had access to children old enough to read stories to, these books are made for it!
I liked this one just as much. This is the underbelly of Fairyland, it's the shadow-self of the first
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book literally and figuratively, but it still has everything to love about the first - the quest, the gorgeous prose, the courageous pluckiness of September and her friends.I really loved the metaphor of September having to deal with her shadow self as the villain in this book. Having her friends as shadows, but still their own individual selves was beautiful as well. The overarching quest/underworld theme was really well done, too.
The ending was strange, but I think I liked it? It's really the only question mark I've got about the book, it warped the fantasy/reality boundary for me in ways I didn't quite follow and therefore couldn't appreciate as much as I'd like. I suspect the ending here is one of the driving forces behind the next one, though, so I'll pick that up and have a look.
Final words: I wish I had access to children old enough to read stories to, these books are made for it!
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LibraryThing member Saretta.L
Settembre tornerà a Fairyland e si troverà a rimediare a problemi causati da lei. Sarà una discesa in un altro mondo ancora, popolato da ombre così diverse dai loro possessori, per detronizzare questa volta una regina.
Ancora una volta il linguaggio è protagonista della storia assieme a vari
Bello, ricco, sempre di difficile lettura in lingua originale.
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September is back to Fairyland and has to face problems caused by herself. There will be a climb down to another world, full of shadows so different from their owners, to dethrone an evil queen.
Also this time language is a protagonist with various mythological references.
Nice, rich and difficult to read in the original language.
Ancora una volta il linguaggio è protagonista della storia assieme a vari
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riferimenti mitologici.Bello, ricco, sempre di difficile lettura in lingua originale.
---
September is back to Fairyland and has to face problems caused by herself. There will be a climb down to another world, full of shadows so different from their owners, to dethrone an evil queen.
Also this time language is a protagonist with various mythological references.
Nice, rich and difficult to read in the original language.
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LibraryThing member DeathsMistress
This is the sequel to The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making.
This one is just as whimsical as the first. I really enjoy reading about September and her adventures in Fairyland. Kids will love reading this too. I would dare say this book is as good as the first. Would
This one is just as whimsical as the first. I really enjoy reading about September and her adventures in Fairyland. Kids will love reading this too. I would dare say this book is as good as the first. Would
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definitely recommend to others. Show Less
LibraryThing member MsNick
While I very much enjoyed The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making by Catherynne M. Valente, this sequel didn't live up to my expectations. Valente's imagination continues to amaze me, but The Girl Who Fell Beneath Fairyland and Led the Revels There failed to reel me in.
LibraryThing member callmecayce
The Girl Who books never fail to delight me. And Valente's second book in the series lived up to my (high) expectations. Not unlike Prue from Under Wildwood, September has trouble focusing on her real live when Fairyland is out there waiting for her. Unlike Prue, what September discovers is a
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bigger secret than she can imagine. The second book in the Girl Who series is a bit darker than the first, in both plot and tone (it takes place underground), but Valente gives us version of our favorite characters (September's friends) along with a while new set of characters that are just as fun as the others. I know I say this a lot, but I love this series. It's for tweens, really, but I think that anyone can read it. Show Less
LibraryThing member MickyFine
It's been a year since September's adventures in Fairyland and after much wishing and waiting she has finally returned. However, the Fairyland she comes back to is much different as she discovers that everyone is losing their shadows - and their magic - to Fairyland-Below. There September's shadow
Fans of the first book will love this sequel. The narrative voice remains a delight, weaving the rich tapestry that makes up Fairyland and Fairyland-Below. September is still a charming heroine, who is starting to grow up, and starting to come into a new, fresh heart. A great fairy tale for all ages.
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rules as the Hollow Queen, Halloween. Once again, September finds herself on a Quest to set Fairyland back to rights.Fans of the first book will love this sequel. The narrative voice remains a delight, weaving the rich tapestry that makes up Fairyland and Fairyland-Below. September is still a charming heroine, who is starting to grow up, and starting to come into a new, fresh heart. A great fairy tale for all ages.
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LibraryThing member shabacus
I didn't think it would be possible to like this volume better than the first, but I did. I've rarely read a book with such an engaging narrative style, one that simultaneously subverts and respects fairytale logic. My only criticism, and as I recall the same issue I had with book one, was the
Still, I totally and thoroughly recommend this book, for young readers and adults alike.
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suddenness of the ending. There are plot-specific reasons this time, but the effect was jarring and not entirely pleasant.Still, I totally and thoroughly recommend this book, for young readers and adults alike.
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LibraryThing member michelle_bcf
Another great cover, and another long title! ‘The Girl Who Fell Beneath Fairyland and Led the Revels There‘ follows on from ‘The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making‘, which I reviewed last year. It’s probably not necessary to read the 1st, if you’ve picked up
Both books are quite difficult to describe, and I don’t think my reviews do them justice. They are, in essence, wonderful fairy stories, with some very imaginative creatures and characters. Catherynne’s style is very lyrical, and no matter what strange thing she is describing, the words seem to flow from the page.
Most of the important characters from her earlier adventure are there, but are not themselves. In the world under Fairlyland, she meets their shadows, almost the same, but with differences – some subtle, some not so subtle. Her own shadow, taken from her during that first adventure, is in charge, and September feels that things are not right, and it’s up to her to put it right.
Amongst the strangeness and magic, there are serious themes and truths, and this felt like a more grown up book than the 1st. September is now a young teenager, and throughout her adventure, she somehow manages to go through those usual teen thoughts and situations, including learning to think about others, her plans for her future, and her first kiss.
I don’t see these books mentioned enough, and I think they have the potential to be future classics – younger readers will enjoy the magical strangeness, whilst those a little older will start to see a little deeper. There are many layers, and I’m sure I will find more on re-reading.
Recommended for readers of all ages who enjoy falling into a book and getting lost there.
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this one, but it would certainly add to the experience, so I would recommend going back if possible.Both books are quite difficult to describe, and I don’t think my reviews do them justice. They are, in essence, wonderful fairy stories, with some very imaginative creatures and characters. Catherynne’s style is very lyrical, and no matter what strange thing she is describing, the words seem to flow from the page.
Most of the important characters from her earlier adventure are there, but are not themselves. In the world under Fairlyland, she meets their shadows, almost the same, but with differences – some subtle, some not so subtle. Her own shadow, taken from her during that first adventure, is in charge, and September feels that things are not right, and it’s up to her to put it right.
Amongst the strangeness and magic, there are serious themes and truths, and this felt like a more grown up book than the 1st. September is now a young teenager, and throughout her adventure, she somehow manages to go through those usual teen thoughts and situations, including learning to think about others, her plans for her future, and her first kiss.
I don’t see these books mentioned enough, and I think they have the potential to be future classics – younger readers will enjoy the magical strangeness, whilst those a little older will start to see a little deeper. There are many layers, and I’m sure I will find more on re-reading.
Recommended for readers of all ages who enjoy falling into a book and getting lost there.
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LibraryThing member CurrerBell
3*** is probably generous. I don't that much care for this Girl Who series which, though written in extravagant language, is weak on characterization and thin in plot. I find the same flaws here as I find in Clive Barker's Abarat series, and as I think through the problem I believe I've discovered
Too much magic. That may be an odd thing to say about a "fairy tale" -- too much magic -- but when magic is used to excess, providing the transition from one chapter/incident in the story to the next, it eventually destroys all cause-and-effect relationships and thus destroys any coherent narrative thread.
That's what's happened here. Cleverly written, and with numerous clever literary allusions, but not a coherent plot line. Finally, in the end, we do see some resolution, but it really doesn't flow credibly out of what went before it in the story. I'm hoping that this "final resolution" means that Valente doesn't plan on publishing any more of these Girl Who novels.
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just what it is.Too much magic. That may be an odd thing to say about a "fairy tale" -- too much magic -- but when magic is used to excess, providing the transition from one chapter/incident in the story to the next, it eventually destroys all cause-and-effect relationships and thus destroys any coherent narrative thread.
That's what's happened here. Cleverly written, and with numerous clever literary allusions, but not a coherent plot line. Finally, in the end, we do see some resolution, but it really doesn't flow credibly out of what went before it in the story. I'm hoping that this "final resolution" means that Valente doesn't plan on publishing any more of these Girl Who novels.
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LibraryThing member Pabkins
An Adventure, with a capital A! This Fairyland installment shines as much as the tale before it! The Girl Who Fell Beneath Fairyland and Led the Revels There continues to chronicle September’s exploits in Fairyland with whimsy, flair and a healthy helping of balderdash!
If you are of a mind to
There’s something to be said for breaking things. They make a satisfying sound when they crunch. ~location 2884
September’s return journey into Fairyland brings her back a year older, a touch wiser and no less determined to do what needs doing. She is still without a shadow and discovers so are many of the residents of Fairyland. With the shadows gone from Fairyland-Above the magic is seeping away into Fairyland-Below. Magic is in such short supply that it needs to be rationed. September knows this must have started with her shadow and sets out to confront herself.
At each turn of the page I was delighted and amazed at how much more in love with September and this world I could become.
“A book is a door, you know. Always and forever. A book is a door into another place and another heart and another world. ~location 2027
There are no truer words that could be written and captures the exact reason why I read: To see those other worlds and know those others hearts.
Then would come a line that would make me crack an evil smile like no other, squeeze the book and let out a forceful, “YES, precisely!” These are the things I could picture myself doing…whether I was a child or the 30-something I am now. I know such lines will resonate with the child within us all.
September could just barely see the ornate handle in the dark. It made her think of the one that, when flipped, animated Frankenstein’s monster in the film her mother quite regretted taking her to. For a week afterward, September had run about the house, turning on the lights in every room and booming out what she considered a very scientific and professional cackle. ~location 717
The Girl Who Fell Beneath Fairyland and Led the Revels There would be a perfect book to read together with your child or one that a middle grade reader could devour on their own, but is most definitely a guilty pleasure that I highly recommend to every adult who has ever imagined Fairyland.
If you are of a mind to
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pick up these books you will find a world full of wonder and nonsensical wisdom that of course makes the most perfect sense you will ever read! What makes these books so marvelous is that Valente takes the simplest thoughts, pleasures and actions you might ever have an impulse of doing – and brings them to life in such a way that is not only true – but FUN!There’s something to be said for breaking things. They make a satisfying sound when they crunch. ~location 2884
September’s return journey into Fairyland brings her back a year older, a touch wiser and no less determined to do what needs doing. She is still without a shadow and discovers so are many of the residents of Fairyland. With the shadows gone from Fairyland-Above the magic is seeping away into Fairyland-Below. Magic is in such short supply that it needs to be rationed. September knows this must have started with her shadow and sets out to confront herself.
At each turn of the page I was delighted and amazed at how much more in love with September and this world I could become.
“A book is a door, you know. Always and forever. A book is a door into another place and another heart and another world. ~location 2027
There are no truer words that could be written and captures the exact reason why I read: To see those other worlds and know those others hearts.
Then would come a line that would make me crack an evil smile like no other, squeeze the book and let out a forceful, “YES, precisely!” These are the things I could picture myself doing…whether I was a child or the 30-something I am now. I know such lines will resonate with the child within us all.
September could just barely see the ornate handle in the dark. It made her think of the one that, when flipped, animated Frankenstein’s monster in the film her mother quite regretted taking her to. For a week afterward, September had run about the house, turning on the lights in every room and booming out what she considered a very scientific and professional cackle. ~location 717
The Girl Who Fell Beneath Fairyland and Led the Revels There would be a perfect book to read together with your child or one that a middle grade reader could devour on their own, but is most definitely a guilty pleasure that I highly recommend to every adult who has ever imagined Fairyland.
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LibraryThing member JeremyPreacher
I am increasingly delighted to have a Alice-style children's series (full of wonder, nonsense, a smartass narrator, and all sorts of oblique references) written by an intelligent, modern, feminist author. I appreciate very much both a heroine who knows how to set boundaries and a love interest who
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has no interest in "the One" or "First Kiss" nonsense. Absolutely lovely, and if anything an improvement over the first one. Show Less
LibraryThing member alwright1
I always find Catherynne Valente's writing beautiful and terribly clever. Her two fairyland books are also very accessible and fun. It's always such a delight to travel with September, though as a teenager she has now developed a new and raw heart (children are heartless), and now has some aches
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and betrayals to show for it. I missed her friends that she could trust when she was forced to set off with their wild and untamed shadows, just like she did. All in all, another pleasure to read. Show Less
LibraryThing member jugglingpaynes
I'm not often fond of sequels because they are usually set-ups for a third book, but The Girl Who Fell Beneath Fairyland is unique. It's a second book with interesting characters and places that does an excellent job of wrapping everything up neatly at the end, while still giving hope that maybe we
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will all have a chance to return again to Fairyland. Very much worth the read for anyone who read the first book. If you haven't read the first, you may get a little lost, as several characters return from the Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland and it does continue the story where that book left off. Show Less
LibraryThing member Yona
Yeah, I really stretched this out. It was wonderful, as expected. September is a great character and these stories are done very, very well. I hope we get a chance to follow her through more Fairyland adventures as she continues to grow.
I'm pretty sure I will be rereading these.
I'm pretty sure I will be rereading these.
LibraryThing member LoftyIslanders
The sequel to the stunning 'The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making.' You will enjoy this one more if you read that one first. The author has created a fantasy world rivaling Oz, and a heroine to cheer for. It's funny, beautiful, grabs your heart reading. The heroine,
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September, is now 13. A year has past since her return from Fairyland. And when she is drawn back, it's not what she expects. She's thinking of being reunited with old friends, and everyone in the land being delighted to see the girl who saved them before. Instead, they are suffering-due to her. Last book, she gave up her shadow to save someone-and her freed shadow is the cause of the current troubles! An Amazon reviewer compared the author to E.Nesbit and Eva Ibbotson, and I find I agree. Read the first, read this, read the third when it comes out. I'm searching out all her work now. Show Less
LibraryThing member bragan
The sequel to The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making sees our hero September returning, just a little more grown up, to Fairyland, where she must confront her own liberated shadow. As with the first book, this is, on the surface, a charmingly written little fantasy story
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with lots of adventure and whimsical imagination, but one with lots and lots depths lurking below it. Rather like Fairyland itself, really. This is one of those books that I think can be enjoyed equally well by both children and adults, although the experience of reading it is bound to be very different for each. In either case, I heartily recommend it. Show Less
LibraryThing member peptastic
Not since the Harry Potter series have we seen different facets of our favourite characters through the lens of the hero. One of my favourite aspects of Harry Potter was how the characters remained true to themselves but we got to see how they changed through Harry. Professor McGonagall seemed less
September is growing up. [I do hope she never grows up too much.]
The charm of these books is the aspect of trying to get home the entire time from classic fantasy genres are gone. The Fairyland books have a healthy balance between wanting your own life but also the wildness of fairyland. Adventure, Quests and magical lovely friends.
The lovely Sundays reading in companiable silence sounded nice and relatable to my own life of wanting to be away from work or in my youth, school. The nice quite times get their special spot in September's life.
She returns to Fairyland a year after the events of The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making. This time she chases a silver figure back into fairyland. This time it's her cut-off shadow Halloween whose made things topsy turvy by stealing shadows.
Without their shadows the citizens of fairyland have lost their magic thus have to use ration cards.
The ration cards are similar to September's own life back home during the war.
Everyone's shadow selves are a darker version of who they once were. Ell and Saturday are not quite like the friends she left behind from the first book.
Now that September is growing up and is not quite so heartless she feels like must put things right since it is her shadow causing all of the trouble.
While my favourite characters from The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making aren't exactly the same they are still just as loveable. We're just viewing them from a different angle.
Abguirine, the night Dodo, is my new favourite friend she makes.
This book reminded me more of the Alice books than it's predecessor [which reminded me more of Oz & Labryinth] because of the Dodo bird, tea and chess references.
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strict through the eyes of a grown-up.September is growing up. [I do hope she never grows up too much.]
The charm of these books is the aspect of trying to get home the entire time from classic fantasy genres are gone. The Fairyland books have a healthy balance between wanting your own life but also the wildness of fairyland. Adventure, Quests and magical lovely friends.
The lovely Sundays reading in companiable silence sounded nice and relatable to my own life of wanting to be away from work or in my youth, school. The nice quite times get their special spot in September's life.
She returns to Fairyland a year after the events of The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making. This time she chases a silver figure back into fairyland. This time it's her cut-off shadow Halloween whose made things topsy turvy by stealing shadows.
Without their shadows the citizens of fairyland have lost their magic thus have to use ration cards.
The ration cards are similar to September's own life back home during the war.
Everyone's shadow selves are a darker version of who they once were. Ell and Saturday are not quite like the friends she left behind from the first book.
Now that September is growing up and is not quite so heartless she feels like must put things right since it is her shadow causing all of the trouble.
While my favourite characters from The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making aren't exactly the same they are still just as loveable. We're just viewing them from a different angle.
Abguirine, the night Dodo, is my new favourite friend she makes.
This book reminded me more of the Alice books than it's predecessor [which reminded me more of Oz & Labryinth] because of the Dodo bird, tea and chess references.
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LibraryThing member peptastic
Not since the Harry Potter series have we seen different facets of our favourite characters through the lens of the hero. One of my favourite aspects of Harry Potter was how the characters remained true to themselves but we got to see how they changed through Harry. Professor McGonagall seemed less
September is growing up. [I do hope she never grows up too much.]
The charm of these books is the aspect of trying to get home the entire time from classic fantasy genres are gone. The Fairyland books have a healthy balance between wanting your own life but also the wildness of fairyland. Adventure, Quests and magical lovely friends.
The lovely Sundays reading in companiable silence sounded nice and relatable to my own life of wanting to be away from work or in my youth, school. The nice quite times get their special spot in September's life.
She returns to Fairyland a year after the events of The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making. This time she chases a silver figure back into fairyland. This time it's her cut-off shadow Halloween whose made things topsy turvy by stealing shadows.
Without their shadows the citizens of fairyland have lost their magic thus have to use ration cards.
The ration cards are similar to September's own life back home during the war.
Everyone's shadow selves are a darker version of who they once were. Ell and Saturday are not quite like the friends she left behind from the first book.
Now that September is growing up and is not quite so heartless she feels like must put things right since it is her shadow causing all of the trouble.
While my favourite characters from The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making aren't exactly the same they are still just as loveable. We're just viewing them from a different angle.
Abguirine, the night Dodo, is my new favourite friend she makes.
This book reminded me more of the Alice books than it's predecessor [which reminded me more of Oz & Labryinth] because of the Dodo bird, tea and chess references.
Show More
strict through the eyes of a grown-up.September is growing up. [I do hope she never grows up too much.]
The charm of these books is the aspect of trying to get home the entire time from classic fantasy genres are gone. The Fairyland books have a healthy balance between wanting your own life but also the wildness of fairyland. Adventure, Quests and magical lovely friends.
The lovely Sundays reading in companiable silence sounded nice and relatable to my own life of wanting to be away from work or in my youth, school. The nice quite times get their special spot in September's life.
She returns to Fairyland a year after the events of The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making. This time she chases a silver figure back into fairyland. This time it's her cut-off shadow Halloween whose made things topsy turvy by stealing shadows.
Without their shadows the citizens of fairyland have lost their magic thus have to use ration cards.
The ration cards are similar to September's own life back home during the war.
Everyone's shadow selves are a darker version of who they once were. Ell and Saturday are not quite like the friends she left behind from the first book.
Now that September is growing up and is not quite so heartless she feels like must put things right since it is her shadow causing all of the trouble.
While my favourite characters from The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making aren't exactly the same they are still just as loveable. We're just viewing them from a different angle.
Abguirine, the night Dodo, is my new favourite friend she makes.
This book reminded me more of the Alice books than it's predecessor [which reminded me more of Oz & Labryinth] because of the Dodo bird, tea and chess references.
Show Less
LibraryThing member edspicer
Valente, C.M. (2012). The girl who fell beneath fairyland and led the revels there. (Ill. by A. Juan). NY: Feiwel and Friends/Macmillan. 258 pp. ISBN: 978-0-312-64962-3. (Hardcover); $16.99.
I love poetic language and I love authors who take risks. This book is the sequel to The Girl Who
I love poetic language and I love authors who take risks. This book is the sequel to The Girl Who
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Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making (also fabulous). In that book September is described as a child, which is a creature without a heart—for her own protection—since hearts are so easily damaged, as it says in the first book: “All children are heartless. They have not grown a heart yet, which is why they can climb tall trees and say shocking things and leap so very high that grown-up hearts flutter in terror. Hearts weigh quite a lot. That is why it takes so long to grown one.” (p. 4). Now September is older, a teenager: “For though, as we have said, all children are heartless, this is not precisely true of teenagers. Teenage hearts are raw and new, fast and fierce, and they do not know their own strength. Neither do they know reason or restraint, and if you want to know the truth, a goodly number of grown-up hearts never learn it. And so we may say now, as we could not before, that September’s heart squeezed, for it had begun to grow in her like a flower in the dark. We may take a moment to feel a little sorry for her, for having a heart leads to the peculiar griefs of the grown.” (p. 8). In this novel all the shadows are being sucked down below, which has the effect of deleting the magic from Fairyland. The nether lands below, however, are becoming a churning, roiling, teeming mass of magical revelry—a perfect place for a clever teen. Lo and behold, the person behind the revelry is September’s very own shadow that she gave away in the first book. Consequently, September’s goal is to convince her shadow to come back to her, which will stop the flow of magic from Fairyland. New characters, especially Aubergine, the dodo bird, spice up this sequel without replacing favorites from the first book. The Wyverary is back! If the first book is compared to Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, then maybe this is Through the Looking Glass? Valente’s world is not one that works through logical rules, but one that works because of the poetic detail, which has the effect of making this book one to puzzle through as if it were some sort of allegorical riddle. Juan’s illustrations remind me of how I felt when I saw Edward Gorey’s illustrations in T.S. Eliot’s Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats. They add a richness to the text, a bit of creep factor, which matches the story. You will be tempted to purchase this one for elementary school students and I don’t blame you—hearts make plenty of mistakes. Don’t forget to purchase this one, as you did with the Alice books, for high school readers too. Show Less