The iron wheel began to spin, slowly at first, then faster and faster. The room grew darker. As the light lessened, so did the sound. Deeba and Zanna stared at each other in wonder. The noise of the cars and vans and motorbikes outside grew tinny . . . The wheel turned off all the cars and turned off all the lamps. It was turning off London. Zanna and Deeba are two girls leading ordinary lives, until they stumble into the world of UnLondon, an urban Wonderland where all the lost and broken things of London end up . . . and ...
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The iron wheel began to spin, slowly at first, then faster and faster. The room grew darker. As the light lessened, so did the sound. Deeba and Zanna stared at each other in wonder. The noise of the cars and vans and motorbikes outside grew tinny . . . The wheel turned off all the cars and turned off all the lamps. It was turning off London. Zanna and Deeba are two girls leading ordinary lives, until they stumble into the world of UnLondon, an urban Wonderland where all the lost and broken things of London end up . . . and some of its lost and broken people too. Here discarded umbrellas stalk with spidery menace, carnivorous giraffes roam the streets, and a jungle sprawls beyond the door of an ordinary house. UnLondon is under siege by the sinister Smog and its stink-junkie slaves; it is a city awaiting its hero. Guided by a magic book that can't quite get its facts straight, and pursued by Hemi the half-ghost boy, the girls set out to stop the poisonous cloud before it burns everything in its path. They are joined in their quest by a motley band of UnLondon locals, including Brokkenbroll, boss of the broken umbrellas, Obaday Fing, a couturier whose head is an enormous pincushion, and an empty milk carton called Curdle. Winner of the Locus Award for Best Young Adult Book, China Mi???ville's Un Lun Dun is an extraordinary vivid creation;is populated by astonishing frights and delights that will thrill the imagination.
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Add this copy of Un Lun Dun to cart. $1.01, fair condition, Sold by ZBK Books rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Woodland Park, NJ, UNITED STATES, published 2008 by Random House Worlds.
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Fair. Used book-May contain writing notes highlighting bends or folds. Text is readable book is clean and pages and cover mostly intact. May show normal wear and tear. Item may be missing CD. May include library marks. Fast Shipping.
Add this copy of Un Lun Dun to cart. $1.94, fair condition, Sold by ZBK Books rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Woodland Park, NJ, UNITED STATES, published 2007 by Del Rey.
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Fair. Used book-May contain writing notes highlighting bends or folds. Text is readable book is clean and pages and cover mostly intact. May show normal wear and tear. Item may be missing CD. May include library marks. Fast Shipping.
Add this copy of Un Lun Dun to cart. $2.03, good condition, Sold by Goodwill of Colorado rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from COLORADO SPRINGS, CO, UNITED STATES, published 2008 by Random House Worlds.
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This item is in overall good condition. Covers and dust jackets are intact but may have minor wear including slight curls or bends to corners as well as cosmetic blemishes including stickers. Pages are intact but may have minor highlighting/ writing. Binding is intact; however, spine may have slight wear overall. Digital codes may not be included and have not been tested to be redeemable and/or active. Minor shelf wear overall. Please note that all items are donated goods and are in used condition. Orders shipped Monday through Friday! Your purchase helps put people to work and learn life skills to reach their full potential. Orders shipped Monday through Friday. Your purchase helps put people to work and learn life skills to reach their full potential. Thank you!
Add this copy of Un Lun Dun to cart. $2.03, good condition, Sold by Seattle Goodwill rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Seattle, WA, UNITED STATES, published 2008 by Random House Worlds.
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May have some shelf-wear due to normal use. Your purchase funds free job training and education in the greater Seattle area. Thank you for supporting Goodwill's nonprofit mission!
Add this copy of Un Lun Dun to cart. $2.04, fair condition, Sold by Once Upon A Time Books rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Tontitown, AR, UNITED STATES, published 2008 by Del Rey.
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Fair. This is a used book. It may contain highlighting/underlining and/or the book may show heavier signs of wear. It may also be ex-library or without dustjacket. This is a used book. It may contain highlighting/underlining and/or the book may show heavier signs of wear. It may also be ex-library or without dustjacket.
Add this copy of Un Lun Dun to cart. $2.34, very good condition, Sold by Open Books Ltd rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Chicago, IL, UNITED STATES, published 2008 by Del Rey.
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Very good. Open Books is a nonprofit social venture that provides literacy experiences for thousands of readers each year through inspiring programs and creative capitalization of books.
Add this copy of Un Lun Dun to cart. $2.40, good condition, Sold by ThriftBooks-Atlanta rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Austell, GA, UNITED STATES, published 2008 by Random House Worlds.
Add this copy of Un Lun Dun to cart. $2.40, good condition, Sold by ThriftBooks-Reno rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Reno, NV, UNITED STATES, published 2008 by Random House Worlds.
Add this copy of Un Lun Dun to cart. $2.40, good condition, Sold by ThriftBooks-Baltimore rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Halethorpe, MD, UNITED STATES, published 2008 by Random House Worlds.
Add this copy of Un Lun Dun to cart. $2.42, good condition, Sold by Goodwill BookWorks rated 3.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Austin, TX, UNITED STATES, published 2008 by Random House Worlds.
A viciously brilliant take on the accepted tropes of Children's Fantasy and Heroic Fiction, which nevertheless stands on its own as magnificent Bedtime Story fare that won't bore the adult.
Being the Chosen One is all well and good, but the world is never that simple. Miéville's contempt for "Destiny" and "Fate" is as evident as his love for the City.
cadyem
May 28, 2009
visually brilliant with surprising depth
This is a wonderfully imagined "parallel universe" older child/young adult story, perfectly paced with short chapters for reading aloud at bedtime to younger kids but has plenty for the older child and adults as well. I don't want to try to summarize the plot because you can find that elsewhere, but I do want to say that there is plenty to keep you thinking about the issues, settings, characters and interactions in this book. Unlike Mieville's other works, this has a bouncy whimsy where ninja garbage cans and sentient umbrellas abound and the plucky heroine brings things to a satisfying conclusion. While not an epic like The Golden Compass, it still has some serious things to say underneath the manic action and cinematic visuals. Would make a great movie.
