This book is the fourth instalment in the popular fairyland series, The Boy Who Lost Fairyland is an intelligent and wonderful fantasy novel for adults as well as children. The book has heart and is a compelling fairy tale. The plot keeps you on your toes and the story leaves you feeling joy. This is a brilliant and charming novel for readers of all ages. Highly enjoyable. Bestselling children’s author Catherynne M Valente is a winner of the Andre Norton Award and also writes books for adults. Hailed as ‘one of the most extraordinary works of fantasy, for adults or children, published so far this century’ by Time Magazine, get your hands on a copy now.
When a young troll named Hawthorn is stolen from Fairyland by the Golden Wind, he becomes a changeling – a human boy – in the strange city of Chicago, a place no less bizarre and magical than Fairyland when seen through trollish eyes.
Left with a human family, Hawthorn struggles with his troll nature and his changeling fate. But when he turns twelve, he stumbles upon a way back home, to a Fairyland much changed from the one he remembers.
Soon, Hawthorn finds himself at the centre of a changeling revolution – until he comes face to face with a beautiful young Scientiste with very big, very red assistant . . .
With The Boy Who Lost Fairyland, Catherynne M. Valente’s wisdom and wit will continue to charm readers of all ages.
The Boy Who Lost Fairyland is available here.
(published Simon and Schuster UK 2013). It should have been a good read (interesting storyline about an English nurse working for the resistance in Crete during WW2) but there were some irritating anomalies and frequent failures to capitalise on opportunities for dramatic tension. I was left feeling dissatisfied, though I did learn some fascinating facts about Crete and WW2.
(published Sceptre 2013) and keenly anticipated reading it. But I wasn’t completely convinced by her portrayal of the main character and I found the plot unrealistic in places. However, it is well written; her use of language appealed to me, as did the pace of the book, and there are some excellent descriptive passages. I think I will try another of her books. One more to add to my list.
(published Fourth Estate 2002). This was in fact a re-read for me, but I relished the opportunity to have a fresh look at a book which has long been on my Top Ten List. It’s based on the true story of a Derbyshire village coping with an outbreak of plague in the seventeenth century and is one of those books which is almost unbearable to read, and yet equally you can hardly bear to put it down.
(published Fourth Estate 2014) and I wasn’t disappointed. Each individual story is a compelling read and all are powerful, harrowing, disturbing and haunting. In fact they made me question why I read. Is it for pleasure and relaxation? To learn? To be challenged? Or to appreciate the skill of the writer? In the case of this book, I think it is the latter two. And that is a tribute to Hilary Mantel who is a supremely good writer.
(published Pan Books 2014) Who doesn’t love Mary Berry and the Bake Off programmes? I’m a big fan, and this lighthearted tale of a harassed mother teaching herself with Mary Berry’s help to bake appealed to me. In fact I could have done with a bit more of the baking and a bit less of the rest of the story. It isn’t a book that will stick in my mind for years to come, but it is an enjoyable and relaxing read and I definitely recommend it if that’s the sort of book you’re looking for.
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