Un Lun Dun

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER - "Endlessly inventive . . . a] hybrid of Alice in Wonderland, The Wizard of Oz, and The Phantom Tollbooth."--Salon

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.

Praise for Un Lun Dun

"Mi ville fills his enthralling fantasy with enough plot twists and wordplay for an entire trilogy, and that is a good thing. A-."--Entertainment Weekly

"For style and inventiveness, turn to Un Lun Dun, by China Mi ville, who throws off more imaginative sparks per chapter than most authors can manufacture in a whole book. Mieville sits at the table with Lewis Carroll, and Deeba cavorts with another young explorer of topsy-turvy worlds."--The Washington Post Book World

"Delicious, twisty, ferocious fun . . . so crammed with inventions, delights, and unexpected turns that you will want to start reading it over again as soon as you've reached the end."--Kelly Link, author of Magic for Beginners

" A] wondrous thrill ride . . . Like the best fantasy authors, Mi ville] fully realizes his imaginary city." --The A.V. Club

"Mieville's compelling heroine and her fantastical journey through the labyrinth of a strange London forms that rare book that feels instantly like a classic and yet is thoroughly modern."--Holly Black, bestselling author of The Spiderwick Chronicles

Author: China Miéville
Publisher: Del Rey Books
Published: 01/29/2008
Pages: 496
Binding Type: Paperback
Weight: 0.90lbs
Size: 8.00h x 5.50w x 0.80d
ISBN: 9780345458445
Audience: Young Adult

Accelerated Reader:
Reading Level: 4.3
Point Value: 16
Interest Level: Middle Grade Plus
Quiz #/Name: 113535 / Un Lun Dun


Award: Locus Awards - Winner


Review Citation(s):
New York Times Book Review 02/03/2008 pg. 16
Entertainment Weekly 05/20/2011 pg. 75

About the Author
China Miéville is the author of King Rat; Perdido Street Station, which won the Arthur C. Clarke Award and the British Fantasy Award; The Scar, which won the Locus Award and the British Fantasy Award; Iron Council, which won the Locus Award and the Arthur C. Clarke Award; and a collection of short stories, Looking for Jake. He lives and works in London. Un Lun Dun is his first book for younger readers.