The Girl Who Fell Beneath Fairyland and Led the Revels There by Catherynne M. Valente (Fairyland #2)

September longs to go back to fairyland. But when she falls into it almost by accident she finds it much changed. It turns out the shadow she lost has become Halloween, the Hollow Queen, of Fairyland-Below and who is stealing all the shadows and thus the magic out of Fairyland-Above. September sets out to find her shadow and try to set to rights what Halloween has done.

For there are two kinds of forgiveness in the world: the one you practice because everything really is all right, and what went before is mended. The other kind of forgiveness you practice because someone needs desperately to be forgiven, or because you need just as badly to forgive them, for a heart can grab hold of old wounds and go sour as milk over them.

This I enjoyed more than the first one. The first lacked a charm for me that I found here. I don't know if it was just a better mood for me, a better narrator or if it is just a better book. But I liked Fell Beneath Fairyland and September's adventures in Fairyland-Below. September encounters the shadows of her beloved friends, Saturday and A Through L who are and are not just like their counterparts. September learns with her new and growing heart about betrayal and love and what makes someone real. And that people, and yes even shadows, are not black and white characters but grey too. And also that everyone longs for something, even a shadow. I think there is a whole lot to this books beyond the surface story if you dig deep and look hard. But the wisdom is laid there on top too. It was all in all a labyrinth type story with many quirky sweet elements to it. I look forward to the next book.

 S.J. Tucker is the narrator and I am so happy they got a professional narrator for this book. As I've said before I am not a big fan of author read books and I didn't enjoy Valente as the narrator of the first book. Tucker's voice acting adds to the story and made me want to continue. I  enjoyed the audiobook quite a bit.

8 hours, 21 minutes