Gather up your courage, scoop up your wishes; grab a little pinch of luck - and prepare to be swept away, in a ship of your own making, to a land unlike any other...
September is a twelve-year-old girl, Somewhat Grown and Somewhat Heartless, and she longs for adventure. So when a Green Wind and a Leopard of Little Breezes invite her to Fairyland - well, of course, she accepts (mightn't you?).
When she gets there, she finds a land in crisis and confusion - crushed by the iron rule of a villainous Marquess - she soon discovers that she alone holds the key to restoring order. Having read enough books to know what a girl with a quest must do, September sets out to Fix Things.
As September forges her way through Fairyland, with a book-loving dragon and a partly human boy named Saturday by her side, she makes many friends and mistakes; loses her shadow, her shoes and her way. But she finds adventure, courage, a rather special Spoon, and a lot more besides...
The stunningly praised New York Times Bestseller:
'A glorious balancing act between modernism and the Victorian Fairy Tale, done with heart and wisdom.' Neil Gaiman
'September is a clever, fun, stronghearted addition to the ranks of bold, adventurous girls. Valente's subversive storytelling is sheer magic.' Tamora Pierce
'Sweet fairytale, shot through with salty tears - magic! Like all the very best young adult novels, this is a book that can (and should be!) enjoyed by grown-ups too.' Cory Doctorow
'A mad, toothsome romp of a fairy tale - full of oddments, whimsy, and joy.' Holly Black
'If you haven't heard of Catherynne Valente, give it time. She's only 32, and she's writing at a furious pace. Valente brings fathomless inventiveness to her fiction. This is nominally a book for young adults, but it's definitely rich and strange enough for grown-ups, too.' Lev Grossman
'This is a kind of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by way of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland - it's the sort of book one doesn't want to end.' Publisher's Weekly
'[Fairyland creates] a world as bizarre and enchanting as any Wonderland or Oz and a heroine as curious, resourceful and brave as any Alice or Dorothy. Complex, rich and memorable.' Kirkus
'This book is quite simply a gold mine.' Booklist
September is a twelve-year-old girl, Somewhat Grown and Somewhat Heartless, and she longs for adventure. So when a Green Wind and a Leopard of Little Breezes invite her to Fairyland - well, of course, she accepts (mightn't you?).
When she gets there, she finds a land in crisis and confusion - crushed by the iron rule of a villainous Marquess - she soon discovers that she alone holds the key to restoring order. Having read enough books to know what a girl with a quest must do, September sets out to Fix Things.
As September forges her way through Fairyland, with a book-loving dragon and a partly human boy named Saturday by her side, she makes many friends and mistakes; loses her shadow, her shoes and her way. But she finds adventure, courage, a rather special Spoon, and a lot more besides...
The stunningly praised New York Times Bestseller:
'A glorious balancing act between modernism and the Victorian Fairy Tale, done with heart and wisdom.' Neil Gaiman
'September is a clever, fun, stronghearted addition to the ranks of bold, adventurous girls. Valente's subversive storytelling is sheer magic.' Tamora Pierce
'Sweet fairytale, shot through with salty tears - magic! Like all the very best young adult novels, this is a book that can (and should be!) enjoyed by grown-ups too.' Cory Doctorow
'A mad, toothsome romp of a fairy tale - full of oddments, whimsy, and joy.' Holly Black
'If you haven't heard of Catherynne Valente, give it time. She's only 32, and she's writing at a furious pace. Valente brings fathomless inventiveness to her fiction. This is nominally a book for young adults, but it's definitely rich and strange enough for grown-ups, too.' Lev Grossman
'This is a kind of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by way of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland - it's the sort of book one doesn't want to end.' Publisher's Weekly
'[Fairyland creates] a world as bizarre and enchanting as any Wonderland or Oz and a heroine as curious, resourceful and brave as any Alice or Dorothy. Complex, rich and memorable.' Kirkus
'This book is quite simply a gold mine.' Booklist