Un Lun Dun

This was Mieville’s first foray into YA fantasy and boy was it a good one; he manages to subvert the standard fantasy formula, giving the reader a story that’s both new and completely unexpected in some ways. There is a subtle message here to the reader: don’t wait for someone to save you, seize the initiative and challenge the authority if you have your doubts about the veracity of something. Un Lun Dun is a strange, wonderfully wacky world with vivid characters and creatures popping out of every page - from the omni present evil “smog” seeking to destroy the world, to the flying buses that sail through the air, to the umbrella wielding hero that floats in and out of the story like the sentient umbrellas he commands. Highly recommended for readers of any age, though it’s particularly cute for young readers who’ll get a kick out of the whole zany story.