changeling

Friday, June 25, 2010 |
Alyce at At Home with Books is hosting a weekly feature where she highlights one of her favorite reads from the past and encourages others to do so as well.

First off, I want to say that I’m super excited today, because I get to meet Alyce IN PERSON! She’s in town for a short while, and we’re heading to dinner with some other DC-area book bloggers (many thanks to Serena from Savvy Verse & Wit for organizing it!). I’m sure we’ll talk about our favorite reads. If I end up looking not-haggard – which would be rare for a Friday night – I’ll post photos. No promises!


As a huge fan of alternate universes or worlds just ‘sideways’ of ours, I was primed and ready for a book about ‘New York Between.’ So when Delia Sherman’s Changeling showed up on my Amazon recommendation list a couple of years ago, and bargain-priced to boot, I ordered it with alacrity. Luckily for me, the book didn’t disappoint.


A determined heroine, a quest adventure galore!

Neef is a changeling, a human baby stolen by fairies and replaced with one of their own. She lives in "New York Between," a Manhattan that exists side by side with our own, home to various creatures of folklore. Neef has always been protected by her fairy godmother until she breaks a Fairy Law. Now, unless she can meet the challenge of the Green Lady of Central Park, she'll be sacrificed! Neef is determined to beat the rap but time is running out…


Changeling is one of those children’s books that works just as well for and will appeal just as much to adults as to children. I loved the cover artwork for this one, but beyond that I didn’t have any expectations, except to hope that it would be awesome. What an entertaining read! It’s dark without being too dark, and Neef, our heroine extraordinaire, is silly sometimes but not stupid, and the adventures are precarious but fun. In other words, it’s the balance that works. I thought it was also rather hilarious in parts, as Sherman takes real-world landmarks, changes them, and then slips them into a ‘between’ world in inventive ways. It’s a solid re-read for whenever I need a bit of whimsy.


Recommended for: fans of The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman, and anyone up for a romp through a New York City you think you might, but do not quite, know. Perfect for fantasy and fairy tale aficionados of all ages. Also for those of a more literal persuasion who might enjoy a dunking in the fantastic as long as there’s lots of adventure. And of course, for the young at heart.

8 comments:

Tales of Whimsy said...

Sounds really good!

Amy said...

This one looks good and I loved The Graveyard Book and pretty much everything Gaiman writes. This one is going on the list. Great pick this week!

Laurel-Rain Snow said...

This does sound intriguing...and I'm envious that you get to meet Alyce!

She's such a great and friendly blogger.

Marie Cloutier said...

I've never read this, but it sounds adorable! :-)

Alyce said...

Hey Cecelia - I had a great time hanging out with you at dinner tonight! You have such a great sense of humor, which doesn't surprise me because it really shines through on your blog too. :)

Changeling sounds like a very fun read! I haven't read any of Gaiman's books, but I have seen Coraline. I think that's probably about as dark as I go when it comes to fantasy though.

Mystica said...

Sounds good. thanks for the heads up.

Librarian Who said...

That sounds great! I just added it to my TBR list.

Melissa (Avid Reader) said...

I've never heard of this one, but I loved The Graveyard Book. I'll have to check it out.

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