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kailey_luminouslibro 's review for:
The Girl Who Fell Beneath Fairyland and Led the Revels There
by Catherynne M. Valente
Usually the second book in a series is a bit of a disappointment and doesn't live up to the first book... NOT this one! This book is just as wonderful as the first book!
September is a little older, a little wiser, and she has the "beginnings of a heart, raw and untamed". Her adventures are quite different this time, and she is a bit more independent. Her decisions from the previous book have consequences, and now she has to deal with those consequences and find a solution for all of Fairyland. I love how cleverly she meets obstacles, how she balances trust and truth, and especially how her tenacity pushes the story forward.
Betrayal and Trust are big themes in this book. Who can you trust when their motives are ambiguous? Can you trust them to be their best selves? Can you trust yourself to be your best self?
If the theme of the first book was about losing and finding your heart, this one is more about losing and finding parts of your Identity. Since the shadows that are ripped from their owners contain pieces of that persons personality which they generally keep hidden, now September and the others have to come to terms with these separate persons in their shadows, part of themselves and yet separate from themselves. They have to re-define who they are, how they identify themselves.
All the things I loved about the first book are still there, the charm and delight, with little bits of wisdom laced through the story. It's amazing to me that there is not really a villain in this book, just people who want different things and are willing to step on or steal from other people to get what they need. You know the villains have made bad choices, but you can't hate them for it, b/c you understand why they did it and feel pity for them. All those different motivations and needs are woven perfectly around the story, creating the conflict and action that moves all those characters towards and away from each other.
Just beautiful writing! Every little sentence has it's own delicious crunch and snap. It jumps off the page and wraps you up. Sometimes I have to stop and re-read a paragraph, savoring each word.
Love it!
September is a little older, a little wiser, and she has the "beginnings of a heart, raw and untamed". Her adventures are quite different this time, and she is a bit more independent. Her decisions from the previous book have consequences, and now she has to deal with those consequences and find a solution for all of Fairyland. I love how cleverly she meets obstacles, how she balances trust and truth, and especially how her tenacity pushes the story forward.
Betrayal and Trust are big themes in this book. Who can you trust when their motives are ambiguous? Can you trust them to be their best selves? Can you trust yourself to be your best self?
If the theme of the first book was about losing and finding your heart, this one is more about losing and finding parts of your Identity. Since the shadows that are ripped from their owners contain pieces of that persons personality which they generally keep hidden, now September and the others have to come to terms with these separate persons in their shadows, part of themselves and yet separate from themselves. They have to re-define who they are, how they identify themselves.
All the things I loved about the first book are still there, the charm and delight, with little bits of wisdom laced through the story. It's amazing to me that there is not really a villain in this book, just people who want different things and are willing to step on or steal from other people to get what they need. You know the villains have made bad choices, but you can't hate them for it, b/c you understand why they did it and feel pity for them. All those different motivations and needs are woven perfectly around the story, creating the conflict and action that moves all those characters towards and away from each other.
Just beautiful writing! Every little sentence has it's own delicious crunch and snap. It jumps off the page and wraps you up. Sometimes I have to stop and re-read a paragraph, savoring each word.
Love it!