World Famous Comics: Flora Segunda: Being the Magickal Mishaps of a Girl of Spirit, Her Glass-Gazing Sidekick, Two Ominous Butlers (One Blue), a House with Eleven Thousand Rooms, and a Red Dog (Magic Carpet Books)
Flora Segunda: Being the Magickal Mishaps of a Girl of Spirit, Her Glass-Gazing Sidekick, Two Ominous Butlers (One Blue), a House with Eleven Thousand Rooms, and a Red Dog (Magic Carpet Books)
By: Ysabeau S. Wilce Publisher: Magic Carpet Books Average Rating: Binding: Paperback Label: Magic Carpet Books Number of Items: 1 Number of Pages: 448 Publication Date: May 01, 2008 Reading Level: Young Adult
Flora knows better than to take shortcuts in her family home, Crackpot Hall--the house has eleven thousand rooms, and ever since her mother banished the magickal butler, those rooms move around at random. But Flora is late for school, so she takes the unpredictable elevator anyway. Huge mistake. Lost in her own house, she stumbles upon the long-banished butler--and into a mind-blowing muddle of intrigue and betrayal that changes her world forever.
Summer reading I purchased this book for my 15 yo who described it as weird and juvenile. I am passing it on to my 13 yo to read, I think it is more suited for that age group!
Can I give more than 5 stars? Inventive and fresh debut.
There are a lot of incredibly sad things going on in Flora's world. For one thing her very name, Flora Segunda, refers to the fact that she is the second Flora born to her parents, the first being lost in the war when her and her father were taken hostage by the Huitzil soldiers. Her father spent three years as a prisoner of war, and when he returned his spirits were broken and he now putters around the house a rampant alcoholic who cannot forget the past, nor forgive himself for it. Her mother is the Warlord's Commanding General, the rock of Califa she is called, and she is a workaholic who leaves all of the household responsibility on young Flora's shoulders. And that's a lot of work. In Crackpot hall, as in all grand houses, there is supposed to be a butler to maintain the 11,000 space-shifting rooms but her mother banished him for misdeeds before Flora was born, so now it's Flora's responsibility. Added to that she has the upcoming pressures of her Catorcena speech, her coming-into-the-age-of-maturity ceremony, and that means she won't be able to pursue her dream, to be trained as a Ranger like her idol, Nini Mo.
Things start to look up at Crackpot hall when an overdue library book and a rogue elevator introduce Flora to Valefor, the young magical Denizen who resides in the house as its butler, or rather, former butler as he no longer has the strength to do any real work. At first his appearance is strange to Flora until he acquires some of his rather unique nourishment... the anima breathe from Flora, which he steals in the form of kisses. Then he proves to be a very handsome, and purple, young man. Now Flora can concentrate on other activities while Valefor surreptitiously does the household chores; like spending time with her best friend, Udo (a foppish young dandy who I also suspect to be a bit of a whoopsie), while they try to break Udo's idol (one Dainty Pirate) out of jail just before his scheduled death sentence... Sentenced by Flora's mother, of course... before Flora disappears.
I was amazed and astounded by Wilce's ability to compel the reader. Not only does she have the knack at writing characters that are really interesting, but she has impeccable dialogue and intriguing plotlines that add a freshness to what could be an old hat tale. It reminds me of Diana Wynne Jones, but not in plagiarism kind of way. I adored this. I am buying a copy for everyone I know. It's superb... sublime... splendiferous even!
A wonderful read that defies classification This enjoyable book includes fantasy, magic, and eccentric, but loveable characters that are very real and that the reader cares about. I didn't want the book to end. This novel defies classification. I thought it would be another "Gormenghast" (it isn't) or a picaresque comedy like "Tristam Shandy" (it's not). It is a young adult novel, as the plot centers around a couple of teens struggling to grow up in trying circumstances. But unlike many YA books, it doesn't talk down to kids and displays a large and varied vocabulary. And sometimes (not always) the teens are wiser than the adults. The audience for this novel isn't limited to teen readers. I'm not young, but I really enjoyed the book. I can't wait for the next book, which I understand will be published in a few months.
Fantastic Fun Ysabeau Wilce (pronounced Iz-a-bow Wils) has entered the literary scene with a genre-blending and rule-bending story she likes to call Flora Segunda, Being the Magickal Mishaps of a Girl of Spirit, Her Glass-Gazing Sidekick, Two Ominous Butlers (One Blue), A House with Eleven Thousand Rooms, and A Red Dog. This tongue-twister of a title is just as fun to say as supercalifragilisticexpialidocious, and the story is more fun than a barrel of monkeys . . . unless the monkeys are wearing fashionable clothes, diving into their family's past, learning about their country's military pathways, and attempting to figure out the intentions of a ghostly genie-esque butler, in which case, those monkeys are more than ready to party with the likes of Flora.
The title character, Flora Segunda, is sometimes naive but always spunky. When she finds a mysterious, forgotten room in her gigantic home, she also finds a magical butler who is stuck there. He charms her and begs her for help. This sends Flora on a journey full of twists and turns, mixed with magic, politics, and family secrets.
I recommend this inventive book to adults who like the Thursday Next books by Jasper Fforde, as it similarly combines elements of history, comedy, and fantasy, and to kids and teens who like to explore new worlds.
Bore-a Segunda There is a lot of honesty in this book, although it is sometimes covered up by too much effort to create a parallel world. Once you get past the jargon and the altered realities, you meet a girl who is different enough to be compelling. There are nice touches that made this book stand out for me: her mother is a hard-core military hero (which is different); her father is an alcoholic nutjob who lives in the attic; and the house comes with its very own immaterial servant who ends up nearly stealing our heroine's life force. It could almost be a metaphor of not giving ones self away to easily to please others, but I think I was reading too much in to it. Fun, strange...that about sums it up.
Anything Goes Trivia
Megaton Man
Tailipoe
Trevor
