by Catherynne M. Valente
When the Green Wind shows up at September’s window riding a flying leopard, she goes with them without a second thought. They show her the way to Fairyland, where she meets a wyvern and all sorts of wonderful creatures, including the Marquess in her fabulous hat. Fairyland is unhappy under the Marquess’s rule, and to save her friends, September finds herself trying to save all of Fairyland.
This book is a beautiful story, beautifully written, with all of the wonder and nonsense of Alice in Wonderland. September is never simply pulled along by events or acted upon by her surroundings—she makes very conscious choices, even if they’re not always the ones she’d like to make. My only issue is with the audiobook (not the book itself)—sometimes September sounded a bit whiny, but I believe that was an issue with the narration, not with the character or dialogue.