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Journal Entry 1 by leeny37 from Melbourne, Victoria Australia on Monday, February 16, 2009
 Purchased from BookDepository.co.uk - I bought this specifically for the Southern Cross 2009 Monthly Exchange on BookObsessed.com.
From Amazon.com:
In present-day London, strange things start happening around Zanna: dogs stop to stare at her, birds circle her head. Then, she and her friend Deeba find themselves in an alternate reality where obsolete objects such as old typewriters eventually "seep" and strange people and creatures dwell, including sentient "unbrellas." The girls learn that Zanna is the chosen one, the "shwazzy," of UnLondon. However, her first fight with the nefarious Smog isn't what was predicted in the book of prophecies. The girls soon end up back in London with Zanna unable to recall their time away. Alone in the memory, Deeba pieces together the Smog's plot and finds a way back to UnLondon via library stacks. Readers soon realize that sometimes the chosen one doesn't get to save a city, and that sometimes steps in a preordained quest don't come out as planned. Miéville's fantastical city is vivid and splendidly crafted. Who would have thought a milk carton could make such an endearing pet? Or that words, or utterlings, could have a life and form of their own? Fans of Neil Gaiman's Coraline or Norton Juster's The Phantom Tollbooth will love this novel. The story is exceptional and the action moves along at a quick pace. Given that the girls are 12, older readers might be put off, but it is well worth selling to them.
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Journal Entry 2 by leeny37 from Melbourne, Victoria Australia on Monday, June 01, 2009
What an amazing story! Un Lun Dun is spectacularly imaginative and the UnLondon that China Miéville has created is endlessly fascinating. Certainly, there will be comparisons to Neil Gaiman’s Neverwhere that also features an alternate London called London Below (Miéville acknowledged Neverwhere as a source of inspiration) but Un Lun Dun is uniquely charming in its own right. I loved the characters and the surprising turns that the story took. I kept expecting Book to discover that it was wrong about the prophecies all along and it was actually Deeba who was the Schwazzy, but I liked how Miéville stuck to celebrating the sidekick – you know, the funny one. The madcap universe of UnLondon (and other abcities) was absolutely delightful; my favourite inhabitants were the binjas and utterlings. Oh, and of course, Curdle, your very own pet milk carton. Un Lun Dun was an utterly engaging and entertaining read and I would be happy to revisit this weird and whimsical world with carnivorous giraffes and half-ghosts again and again. Now, can someone tell me how I can get my very own rebrella?
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Journal Entry 3 by leeny37 at Melbourne CBD, Victoria Australia on Monday, June 01, 2009
Released 2 yrs ago (6/2/2009 UTC) at Melbourne CBD, Victoria Australia CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:
CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:
This wishlist book is heading to Ms. May, catsalive, as part of the Southern Cross 2009 Monthly Exchange on BookObsessed.com. My apologies to catsalive for the delay in sending this out! I hope you will enjoy it as much as I did! :)
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Un Lun Dun
