Un Lun Dun by China Miéville

What is Un Lun Dun?It is London through the looking glass, an urban Wonderland of strange delights where all the lost and broken things of London end up . . . and some of its lost and broken people, too--including Brokkenbroll, boss of the broken umbrellas; Obaday Fing, a tailor whose head is an enormous pin-cushion, and an empty milk carton called Curdle. Un Lun Dun is a place where words are alive, a jungle lurks behind the door of an ordinary house, carnivorous giraffes stalk the streets, and a dark cloud dreams of burning the world. It is a city awaiting its hero, whose coming was prophesied long ago, set down for all time in the pages of a talking book.When twelve-year-old Zanna and her friend Deeba find a secret entrance leading out of London and into this strange city, it seems that the ancient prophecy is coming true at last. But then things begin to go shockingly wrong.From the Hardcover edition.

Smart, charming, and inventive. A lot of fun.

This is a solid 4.5 stars for me. A trip into a wacky steampunk Wonderland-esque alternative version of London, this book plies a great middle ground between middle-grade and adult without being entirely one or the other. It's brimming with such refreshing creativity and such a vibrant world built with the vibes of Enid Blyton, Lewis Carroll, Terry Pratchett, and Neil Gaiman. Most of this review will be under a spoiler tag because it's just so hard to discuss it without spoiling anything.

“Where's the skill in being a hero if you were always destined to do it?”

The first part of the book was fun enough, although it read a little tropey and formulaic. The action and surprises only really started at about the 30% mark, and that's when I started getting really invested. There was a bit around the 50-60% mark or so where things got a little draggy, which is probably the only reason why I've knocked off half a star from my rating.

The characters in this book were generally endearing, although you're not really in it for fleshed-out developed characters per se. They're like the wacky ensemble cast that you might see in Alice in Wonderland, hanging out with our heroine throughout her adventure and making the odd humourous quip here and there. Despite this, however, it was easy to get attached to any one of them. My heart particularly belongs to Curdle and Diss.

The book also had such tongue in cheek humour, whether it's the names of places, characters, or things (the Black Windows in a Webminster Abbey is a striking example: predatory wooden windows moving about a cobwebbed church with eight wooden legs), or just the way it pokes fun at tropes and themes in conventional children's adventure stories (more on that under spoilers).

About the plot and themes of this book:

I loved that this book was both an homage and also a satire of the Chosen One trope that it seemed to play into right at the beginning. I was really expecting Zanna to be the main character in this whole thing, but she was the red herring Shwazzy and it was the "funny sidekick" Deeba who turned out to be the real hero. It was just so satisfying and pleasing that of course UnLondon would need an UnChosen One to save it in the end.I loved that it poked fun at that trope in adventure stories where the hero has to go around all the different lands/worlds to collect a series of magical items in order to defeat the big baddie at the end. After suffering a couple of casualties getting their first item, Deeba's like, "But why?" and basically skips past the rest of the list and makes a beeline to the actual weapon that they needed to get their hands on.My attention drifted a little during the bit where they were going to find the featherkey though, and I thought that part was a bit draggy. I only really snapped back when they were dealing with the Black Windows. That was one of the best bits in the book for me.Also particularly liked the ending where it's not some teary farewell, but just a "See you later". Deeba once again rejects the usual trope of having to choose between one world or the other, and just goes on determined to shuttle between both because why not? I love that she gatecrashed Minister Rawley's office and shows just how much her motley crew of UnLondoners can stand their own against Rawley's standard London defences. I almost wish there was a sequel!

Overall, a must-read for anyone who loves absurdist fantasy with a dash of humour. Dare I confess that I might actually have enjoyed this more than Neverwhere?

A full review can be found at SFF Book Review.

China Miéville's brain must be an awesome and terrifying place.
Un Lun Dun is a young adult adventure that takes place in a city that is so original it could be a character of its own. I cannot put into words how original and fun and clever this book is.

Over 500 pages long, it reads like it's half that size. I was surprised how much I cared about all the characters (especially the milk carton Curdle) and delighted at how the author turns fantasy tropes on their head.

One of the coolest and most fun YA books I have ever read.