"The wooden woman had four arms, each outstretched in a different direction, pointing with authority... on the westerly arm, pointing up to a little headland and a dwindling of the golden beach, it said: TO LOSE YOUR HEART... You and I, being grown-up and having lost our hearts at least twice or thrice along the way, might shut our eyes and cry out: Not that way, child! But as we have said, September was Somewhat Heartless, and felt herself reasonably safe on that road. Children always do."

Oh, wow. It took me a while to find my footing in the erratic rhythm of the first few chapters, and I almost returned the thing to the library and let it slide into my endless "to read someday" list, but I am so very glad I didn't.

This is the book I wish I wrote, a book for book lovers, a fairy tale set in the 1940s that is fresh and feminist without being cliched and predictable.

Unique creatures and evocative characters, fluffy fantasy deftly interwoven with seriously dark turns, equal parts childhood whimsy and growing-up heartache. I recommend it if a fairyland version of Hitchiker's Guide to the Galaxy sounds appealing to you. I recommend it if you want a fairy tale that feels like it's simmered for years, developing rich layers of flavors. Dang! I just recommend it.

Though our heroine September is twelve, this book may be suited (as the above quote suggests) for a slightly older audience (but if they can handle the last few Harry Potter books, they should be fine).