This book is deceptive. I nearly regretted buying it because the first few chapters seemed contrived and poorly written - but over the summer, I had nothing better to read, so I kept going. I tell my friends now, at least give it until page 75, because that's when I noticed the change. That's when Changeling suddenly went from bad to very good, and it kept me turning the page until the very end. I've read plenty of modern urban fantasies, but Delia Sherman puts an interesting spin on a New York full of fairies, monsters, and gods. The beginning barely hooked me, yet I was sad for it to end! ( )

Delia Sherman takes readers on a wild romp throuhg the New York that we know and the unseen faerie-New York as we tag along on protagonist Neef's quest to regain her home in CEntral Park. Neef is a changeling, so she has access to much of the faerie world, but there's still a lot for her to learn; By teaming up wih the half-faerie girl who she was swapped for at birth, Neefs gets to make new friends (supernatural and Changeling alike), travel to places outside her normal stomping ground (Wall Street and the New York Harbour), and gets to use heedr skills at questing and faerie lore. Sherman manages to pack a lot of adventure into the pages of this book, and the only thing that I didn't like was Neefs faerie-half. Her behvaior was so out of whack that started to wonder if she has a mental disability rather than writing it all off as "faerie behaviour." ( )

This one is extremely fun and clever, creating an urban fantasy NYC with a plucky heroine. There is a strange tension between the perceived dangerousness of the faerie world and the safety of the story. I never felt like Neef was really in danger. It's also got an odd take on Asperger syndrome and a few nods to other children's books. ( )

Highly recommended for New York City parents looking for a good book to read aloud to their young children as bedtime stories.

For everyone else... well...
Having read some of Delia Sherman's other books, I wasn't expecting this to be quite so juvenile. It is definitely a kids' book - aimed at 8-10 years old, I'd say, though younger kids would definitely enjoy it as well. However, a lot of the cleverness is probably going to zip right past a lot of kids, who might not have the background to 'get' all the references.

The tone of the book is primarily clever and silly, rather than eerie and magical. I can't deny that I was hoping for the latter, not the former - it wasn't bad, but I didn't really get into it.

Still, I do think that NYC kids will enjoy the adventures of Neef and her Changeling twin, as they quest through a fairy-tale version of New York, visiting the Metropolitan Museum, Chinatown, Wall Street, roaming through Central Park, etc. ( )

♥♥♥

Fantasy set in New York that is in love with New York and has a quest and a non-neurotypical main character who is treated beautifully and omg I have sparkly hearts in my eyes for this book, the end. ( )