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Newford #16
Little (Grrl) Lost
Fourteen-year-old TJ and her family are forced to move from their farm to the suburbs. She has to give up her beloved horse, Red, but she makes a surprising new friend. Elizabeth is a Little, a six-inch-high punked-out teen with an attitude, who has run away from home to make her way in the world. TJ, the Big, and Elizabeth, the Little, soon become friends, but each quickly finds herself in a truly life-threatening situation, and they are unable to help each other. Little (Grrl) Lost is a delightful combination of realism, magic, humor, and hope, and is sure to win Charles de Lint many new teen and adult fans.
271 pages, Hardcover
First published September 6, 2007
29 people are currently reading
1619 people want to read
About the author
Charles de Lint
446 books3,993 followersCharles de Lint is the much beloved author of more than seventy adult, young adult, and children's books. Renowned as one of the trailblazers of the modern fantasy genre, he is the recipient of the World Fantasy, Aurora, Sunburst, and White Pine awards, among others. Modern Library's Top 100 Books of the 20th Century poll, conducted by Random House and voted on by readers, put eight of de Lint's books among the top 100.
De Lint is a poet, folklorist, artist, songwriter and performer. He has written critical essays, music reviews, opinion columns and entries to encyclopedias, and he's been the main book reviewer for The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction since 1987. De Lint served as Writer-in-residence for two public libraries in Ottawa and has taught creative writing workshops for adults and children in Canada and the United States. He's been a judge for several prominent awards, including the Nebula, World Fantasy, Theodore Sturgeon and Bram Stoker.
Born in the Netherlands in 1951, de Lint immigrated to Canada with his family as an infant. The family moved often during de Lint's childhood because of his father's job with an international surveying company, but by the time Charles was twelve—having lived in Western Canada, Turkey and Lebanon—they had settled in Lucerne, Quebec, not far from where he now resides in Ottawa, Ontario.
In 1980, de Lint married the love of his life, MaryAnn Harris, who works closely with him as his first editor, business manager and creative partner. They share their love and home with a cheery little dog named Johnny Cash.
Charles de Lint is best described as a romantic: a believer in compassion, hope and human potential. His skilled portrayal of character and settings has earned him a loyal readership and glowing praise from peers, reviewers and readers.
Charles de Lint writes like a magician. He draws out the strange inside our own world, weaving stories that feel more real than we are when we read them. He is, simply put, the best.
—Holly Black (bestselling author)
Charles de Lint is the modern master of urban fantasy. Folktale, myth, fairy tale, dreams, urban legend—all of it adds up to pure magic in de Lint's vivid, original world. No one does it better.
—Alice Hoffman (bestselling author)
To read de Lint is to fall under the spell of a master storyteller, to be reminded of the greatness of life, of the beauty and majesty lurking in shadows and empty doorways.
—Quill & Quire
His Newford books, which make up most of de Lint's body of work between 1993 and 2009, confirmed his reputation for bringing a vivid setting and repertory cast of characters to life on the page. Though not a consecutive series, the twenty-five standalone books set in (or connected to) Newford give readers a feeling of visiting a favourite city and seeing old friends.
More recently, his young adult Wildlings trilogy—Under My Skin, Over My Head, and Out of This World—came out from Penguin Canada and Triskell Press in 2012, 2013 and 2014. Under My Skin won 2013 Aurora Award. A novel for middle-grade readers, The Cats of Tanglewood Forest, published by Little Brown in 2013, won the Sunburst Award, earned starred reviews in both Publishers Weekly and Quill & Quire, and was chosen by the New York Times Editors as one of the top six children's books for 2013. His most recent adult novel, The Mystery of Grace (2009), is a fascinating ghost story about love, passion and faith. It was a finalist for both the Sunburst and Evergreen awards.
De Lint is presently writing a new adult novel. His storytelling skills also shine in his original songs. He and MaryAnn (also a musician) recently released companion CDs of their original songs, samples of which can be heard on de Lin
De Lint is a poet, folklorist, artist, songwriter and performer. He has written critical essays, music reviews, opinion columns and entries to encyclopedias, and he's been the main book reviewer for The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction since 1987. De Lint served as Writer-in-residence for two public libraries in Ottawa and has taught creative writing workshops for adults and children in Canada and the United States. He's been a judge for several prominent awards, including the Nebula, World Fantasy, Theodore Sturgeon and Bram Stoker.
Born in the Netherlands in 1951, de Lint immigrated to Canada with his family as an infant. The family moved often during de Lint's childhood because of his father's job with an international surveying company, but by the time Charles was twelve—having lived in Western Canada, Turkey and Lebanon—they had settled in Lucerne, Quebec, not far from where he now resides in Ottawa, Ontario.
In 1980, de Lint married the love of his life, MaryAnn Harris, who works closely with him as his first editor, business manager and creative partner. They share their love and home with a cheery little dog named Johnny Cash.
Charles de Lint is best described as a romantic: a believer in compassion, hope and human potential. His skilled portrayal of character and settings has earned him a loyal readership and glowing praise from peers, reviewers and readers.
Charles de Lint writes like a magician. He draws out the strange inside our own world, weaving stories that feel more real than we are when we read them. He is, simply put, the best.
—Holly Black (bestselling author)
Charles de Lint is the modern master of urban fantasy. Folktale, myth, fairy tale, dreams, urban legend—all of it adds up to pure magic in de Lint's vivid, original world. No one does it better.
—Alice Hoffman (bestselling author)
To read de Lint is to fall under the spell of a master storyteller, to be reminded of the greatness of life, of the beauty and majesty lurking in shadows and empty doorways.
—Quill & Quire
His Newford books, which make up most of de Lint's body of work between 1993 and 2009, confirmed his reputation for bringing a vivid setting and repertory cast of characters to life on the page. Though not a consecutive series, the twenty-five standalone books set in (or connected to) Newford give readers a feeling of visiting a favourite city and seeing old friends.
More recently, his young adult Wildlings trilogy—Under My Skin, Over My Head, and Out of This World—came out from Penguin Canada and Triskell Press in 2012, 2013 and 2014. Under My Skin won 2013 Aurora Award. A novel for middle-grade readers, The Cats of Tanglewood Forest, published by Little Brown in 2013, won the Sunburst Award, earned starred reviews in both Publishers Weekly and Quill & Quire, and was chosen by the New York Times Editors as one of the top six children's books for 2013. His most recent adult novel, The Mystery of Grace (2009), is a fascinating ghost story about love, passion and faith. It was a finalist for both the Sunburst and Evergreen awards.
De Lint is presently writing a new adult novel. His storytelling skills also shine in his original songs. He and MaryAnn (also a musician) recently released companion CDs of their original songs, samples of which can be heard on de Lin
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 165 reviews
June 17, 2024
This is a novel set in de Lint's fictional town of Newford, but doesn't share any characters or overlap much with anything from the other stories that comes to mind, so I thought it stood quite well on its own. It's a YA book, leaning towards the Y side of the range, a coming-of-age tale about T.J, a fourteen-year-old human girl who discovers a punky/perky slightly older Little (Elizabeth; she's six inches tall) girl sharing her house. They form a friendship but become separated while on the way to meet an author who writes books about Littles. T.J. begins to fit in with her new town and Elizabeth learns about a wide supernatural community living on the edges of the human world, and they eventually reconnect. It's a nice story, very well written, and I think it would especially appeal to younger girls. The only problem I had is that at one point a serial pedophile attempts to abduct T.J., and she keeps it a secret. I thought she should have reported it or done something to try to get the pervert out of circulation, not leave him free to prey on other girls. She develops into a strong and resourceful character, and I don't think she would have left that thread hanging. It's an interesting story with sympathetic characters, as de Lint always seems to deliver.
February 9, 2017
This is the 20th book in the Newford series. It's one of the several YA books in the series, although the intended audience for this one seems to be a bit younger than his other YA books.
While it was cute for what it was, I'll admit that I hold the author's The Blue Girl as the standard by which all his YA books are measured. This one fell far short of it, especially because the voices of the characters just didn't feel authentic. I had this problem with Dingo, too, but it was especially amplified here. Both books have what I consider a uber-YA voice - the teen characters are just a little TOO snarky and sarcastic and larger than life, the adults are just a little TOO authoritative and one-dimensional, and none of it rings true. The Blue Girl had an intelligence and depth to it that avoided those problems, and I wish de Lint would write YA books like that more often.
I guess on the up side, no matter how old someone is, there's a de Lint book that's appropriate for their age. They can get hooked early!
While it was cute for what it was, I'll admit that I hold the author's The Blue Girl as the standard by which all his YA books are measured. This one fell far short of it, especially because the voices of the characters just didn't feel authentic. I had this problem with Dingo, too, but it was especially amplified here. Both books have what I consider a uber-YA voice - the teen characters are just a little TOO snarky and sarcastic and larger than life, the adults are just a little TOO authoritative and one-dimensional, and none of it rings true. The Blue Girl had an intelligence and depth to it that avoided those problems, and I wish de Lint would write YA books like that more often.
I guess on the up side, no matter how old someone is, there's a de Lint book that's appropriate for their age. They can get hooked early!
July 13, 2011
This book was... blah... yeah, I know... not very informative. Let me elaborate for you. I enjoyed the first half of the book. It was great. I loved the characters, the plot was interesting, I love the world, and the concept of "Littles" was very intriguing. I had absolutely no complaints for the first half of the book. Then I read the second half... and I was bored out of my mind. It just went downhill. I don't get it. It was going so well. I was really into it. Mostly because of the fantasy elements because, let's face it, I love fantasy. It is my absolutely favorite genre with dystopian coming in a close second. The fact that I was reading a fantasy-based novel really made me excited, especially since it's been quite some time since I read a fantasy book. However, I was very disappointed once I saw where this book was going. It became slightly painful to finish but I managed to do it anyway. (I try to never leave a book unfinished.) Ugh! What really gets me is how dull the story got. I had to try to keep my eyes open because I felt that nothing was happening. And with the way things ended, you could say nothing happened at all... things literally goes in a circle and you feel as if you wasted your time. *Sighs* I hate when I waste my time...
I thought that maybe Charles de Lint's writing style might make me consider giving this book a higher rating but no. His writing style is way too confusing to follow at times. It started out great. Going from T.J.'s POV in third person seemed to work well for him. Then, he switches it up. It goes to Elizabeth's POV in first person. Getting used to the switch is a bit strange but doable. Then he switches it back to third person but from Geoff's POV and then the same thing with Jaime. I felt that it was all over the place and not well thought out. I don't have problems with switching POVs from time to time but he did it so frequently and then having the switch with third person and first person just made my head spin. If he had kept it in third person throughout the entire book, I think it would have flowed a lot more smoothly. Also, I could see that he has some talent for creating some story. I love the world of the many fairy type creatures he created. It was very magical and it was in so much detail that I found myself wishing I could go visit some time. X3 Unfortunately, that's as good as it gets. The plot, seeming to take off from one direction, goes to a completely different route. It leaves you baffled and wondering, "Uh... dude... weren't you going to do something ELSE?" Not to mention that once it takes this new twist, it results in absolutely nothing. Nothing, I says! It was dull, tedious, and just plain stupid.
The characters were no better! T.J. started out to be a pretty decent character. I love how she was kind yet didn't allow for people to walk all over her. She refused to change the way she dressed because she felt she didn't need to change for anyone. I love that! I love when characters have a mind of their own and don't want to give into the social norms. I respected her. She seemed to have a good head on her shoulders. However, this changed in the later half of the book. She became... stupid... *Twitch* For one thing, she couldn't keep a bloody secret. Telling people left and right what was going on with her. Also, the fact that, because she told someone and they reacted unexpectedly (more on this later), she went off with some biker dude she doesn't even know. In fact she goes off with strangers all the time in this book. (A total of FOUR times, to be exact!!!) Was she bloody five? She couldn't tell who was a stranger and who wasn't? Next she'll be running around the block with a pair of scissors in her hands! >_< The only thing that saved her ass was the biker turned out to be a nice guy. God, what a dumbass... could have gotten herself killed. Plus, she moves quick. She was first interested in Geoff then she moved onto Jaime; both who suck major balls. Geoff was the one who reacted unexpectedly to her "news." At first, he appeared to be a very kind, gentle boy. And to tell you the truth, he still is! The only thing I have to complain about him was how he acted towards her when she told him what was going on (which she shouldn't have said in the first place but I digress). He acted like a real douche. Then she got all defensive (which is normal) but then she does something horrible to him. At first, I didn't feel sorry for him. In fact, if you look at my status updates, you can see where I say that he actually deserved it. But now that I think about it... he was genuinely trying to care for her and protect her. He did the right thing so the fact that she lied and made him seem like a total perv, that was uncalled for. In the end, I sympathize with what he had to deal with. I really did like his character and the fact that she did that... *Shakes her head in disapproval* I know he was getting in the way but she literally was ruining his reputation. It was low, vile, and disgusting.
Oh, but the blame can't all go to T.J. No. This idea came all from Jaime, her love interest. The bloody bastard who has no spine of his own and thinks that he's a badass just because he hangs around with some cowards actually came up with the idea to sabotage Geoff. Okay, he's a bit of a jerk but Geoff didn't mean to say those things in a bad way. He was looking out for T.J. And this idiot (Jaime) had to come and ruin it. Seriously, he tries giving her some sob story for the reason as to why he hangs out with low-lifes. (And they are low-lifes.((By the way, the English dictionary is weird sometimes...)) They love beating up girls, stealing, doing drugs, and the like. The biggest low-life being Ricky. He seems to relish in doing these acts. The buta! >_<) But hey? Do you want to know the reason why he hangs out with them? Of course you do! It's because he's new in town and nobody else would hang out with him... boo fucking hoo. You're in a new town? Make new friends! They don't have to be gang people or trash! You pick the friends you want to be with! God, he's such a pussy. What really ticks me off is how he thinks he's so badass because of it. Giving people some attitude because he thinks it's "cool." Oh, wait! There's more! The author made him out to be "Hispanic." Normally, I don't care but since I am Hispanic, I feel I must say this... SAYING "OYE" EVERY OTHER WORD DOES NOT MAKE YOU HISPANIC!!! Also, who plays the race card nowadays anyway? I'm not stupid. I know racism still exists but to be the first one to pull out the card before you even know someone? Yeah, bloody brilliant. Okay... so maybe I'm getting a little too into this... it just rubs me the wrong way. -_-"
That's not to say all the characters suck. I did love Elizabeth, or Tetty, was pretty kickass! I love her attitude. She was the tough-talking, sarcastic, punk bitch on the block! She was amazing. I love how, even when she was scared shitless, she still managed to be brave and face whatever came her way. She had a bit of a mean side but I felt that made her so much more real. There was nothing "goody-two shoes" about her. The only thing I didn't like about her was... she was a bit superficial. She cared a lot about appearance. Clothes in general. I get that she likes fashion but... sometimes... she pushed it too far. Still, she was a lot better than most of the characters here. Another character that I liked was Derek. He came off as your typical "My little sister annoys me" brother but he proved to be very caring and... possibly my favorite character out of the entire book. (He appears in just... two chapters... it's kinda sad he's my favorite.) But I love how he stood up for his sister. It was cute and I loved him. Jan... got in the way and made everything pointless... won't even say who he is. That's how pointless he was. *Sighs* Not too many memorable characters.
The book... kinda sucks. I'll give it credit in the fact it was interesting for the first half, not all the characters suck, and it definitely didn't lack in the unpredictability scale. Actually, that was a great thing to this book. I didn't expect a lot of the things that happened here to happen. Nice change. But everything else is just so blah, you want to run yourself, HEAD FIRST!, into a wall. Bah! I hate when this happens. The book has so much promise and then POOF! All gone because of one turn of events or other... yeah. Rain is not pleased. I was hoping for a great fantasy adventure! ...what I got? A pathetic attempt at writing thrown together like a jigsaw puzzle for the reader to decipher whilst dodging all the idiotic characters that come your way... minus one. (I really did enjoy Derek's character. He was cute~) Kids, do yourself a favor and skip this one. This is so not a fantasy book worth reading. Well, if you're really curious, get it from the library first. Save your money and read it before you decide to add it to your collection. Either way... yeah... I warned you. >_<
Note to Self: Never write a review when you've been up longer than 29 hours. *Nods*
I thought that maybe Charles de Lint's writing style might make me consider giving this book a higher rating but no. His writing style is way too confusing to follow at times. It started out great. Going from T.J.'s POV in third person seemed to work well for him. Then, he switches it up. It goes to Elizabeth's POV in first person. Getting used to the switch is a bit strange but doable. Then he switches it back to third person but from Geoff's POV and then the same thing with Jaime. I felt that it was all over the place and not well thought out. I don't have problems with switching POVs from time to time but he did it so frequently and then having the switch with third person and first person just made my head spin. If he had kept it in third person throughout the entire book, I think it would have flowed a lot more smoothly. Also, I could see that he has some talent for creating some story. I love the world of the many fairy type creatures he created. It was very magical and it was in so much detail that I found myself wishing I could go visit some time. X3 Unfortunately, that's as good as it gets. The plot, seeming to take off from one direction, goes to a completely different route. It leaves you baffled and wondering, "Uh... dude... weren't you going to do something ELSE?" Not to mention that once it takes this new twist, it results in absolutely nothing. Nothing, I says! It was dull, tedious, and just plain stupid.
The characters were no better! T.J. started out to be a pretty decent character. I love how she was kind yet didn't allow for people to walk all over her. She refused to change the way she dressed because she felt she didn't need to change for anyone. I love that! I love when characters have a mind of their own and don't want to give into the social norms. I respected her. She seemed to have a good head on her shoulders. However, this changed in the later half of the book. She became... stupid... *Twitch* For one thing, she couldn't keep a bloody secret. Telling people left and right what was going on with her. Also, the fact that, because she told someone and they reacted unexpectedly (more on this later), she went off with some biker dude she doesn't even know. In fact she goes off with strangers all the time in this book. (A total of FOUR times, to be exact!!!) Was she bloody five? She couldn't tell who was a stranger and who wasn't? Next she'll be running around the block with a pair of scissors in her hands! >_< The only thing that saved her ass was the biker turned out to be a nice guy. God, what a dumbass... could have gotten herself killed. Plus, she moves quick. She was first interested in Geoff then she moved onto Jaime; both who suck major balls. Geoff was the one who reacted unexpectedly to her "news." At first, he appeared to be a very kind, gentle boy. And to tell you the truth, he still is! The only thing I have to complain about him was how he acted towards her when she told him what was going on (which she shouldn't have said in the first place but I digress). He acted like a real douche. Then she got all defensive (which is normal) but then she does something horrible to him. At first, I didn't feel sorry for him. In fact, if you look at my status updates, you can see where I say that he actually deserved it. But now that I think about it... he was genuinely trying to care for her and protect her. He did the right thing so the fact that she lied and made him seem like a total perv, that was uncalled for. In the end, I sympathize with what he had to deal with. I really did like his character and the fact that she did that... *Shakes her head in disapproval* I know he was getting in the way but she literally was ruining his reputation. It was low, vile, and disgusting.
Oh, but the blame can't all go to T.J. No. This idea came all from Jaime, her love interest. The bloody bastard who has no spine of his own and thinks that he's a badass just because he hangs around with some cowards actually came up with the idea to sabotage Geoff. Okay, he's a bit of a jerk but Geoff didn't mean to say those things in a bad way. He was looking out for T.J. And this idiot (Jaime) had to come and ruin it. Seriously, he tries giving her some sob story for the reason as to why he hangs out with low-lifes. (And they are low-lifes.((By the way, the English dictionary is weird sometimes...)) They love beating up girls, stealing, doing drugs, and the like. The biggest low-life being Ricky. He seems to relish in doing these acts. The buta! >_<) But hey? Do you want to know the reason why he hangs out with them? Of course you do! It's because he's new in town and nobody else would hang out with him... boo fucking hoo. You're in a new town? Make new friends! They don't have to be gang people or trash! You pick the friends you want to be with! God, he's such a pussy. What really ticks me off is how he thinks he's so badass because of it. Giving people some attitude because he thinks it's "cool." Oh, wait! There's more! The author made him out to be "Hispanic." Normally, I don't care but since I am Hispanic, I feel I must say this... SAYING "OYE" EVERY OTHER WORD DOES NOT MAKE YOU HISPANIC!!! Also, who plays the race card nowadays anyway? I'm not stupid. I know racism still exists but to be the first one to pull out the card before you even know someone? Yeah, bloody brilliant. Okay... so maybe I'm getting a little too into this... it just rubs me the wrong way. -_-"
That's not to say all the characters suck. I did love Elizabeth, or Tetty, was pretty kickass! I love her attitude. She was the tough-talking, sarcastic, punk bitch on the block! She was amazing. I love how, even when she was scared shitless, she still managed to be brave and face whatever came her way. She had a bit of a mean side but I felt that made her so much more real. There was nothing "goody-two shoes" about her. The only thing I didn't like about her was... she was a bit superficial. She cared a lot about appearance. Clothes in general. I get that she likes fashion but... sometimes... she pushed it too far. Still, she was a lot better than most of the characters here. Another character that I liked was Derek. He came off as your typical "My little sister annoys me" brother but he proved to be very caring and... possibly my favorite character out of the entire book. (He appears in just... two chapters... it's kinda sad he's my favorite.) But I love how he stood up for his sister. It was cute and I loved him. Jan... got in the way and made everything pointless... won't even say who he is. That's how pointless he was. *Sighs* Not too many memorable characters.
The book... kinda sucks. I'll give it credit in the fact it was interesting for the first half, not all the characters suck, and it definitely didn't lack in the unpredictability scale. Actually, that was a great thing to this book. I didn't expect a lot of the things that happened here to happen. Nice change. But everything else is just so blah, you want to run yourself, HEAD FIRST!, into a wall. Bah! I hate when this happens. The book has so much promise and then POOF! All gone because of one turn of events or other... yeah. Rain is not pleased. I was hoping for a great fantasy adventure! ...what I got? A pathetic attempt at writing thrown together like a jigsaw puzzle for the reader to decipher whilst dodging all the idiotic characters that come your way... minus one. (I really did enjoy Derek's character. He was cute~) Kids, do yourself a favor and skip this one. This is so not a fantasy book worth reading. Well, if you're really curious, get it from the library first. Save your money and read it before you decide to add it to your collection. Either way... yeah... I warned you. >_<
Note to Self: Never write a review when you've been up longer than 29 hours. *Nods*
February 19, 2010
Cute little story, but nothing really special, and definitely seems to be geared more for the younger end of tha YA spectrum.
"Goody-two-shoes" girl learns to stand up for herself... "chip on the shoulder" girl learns to trust and be more open with others... mayhaps happen, everything's nicely resolved and everyone's happy... The end.
"Goody-two-shoes" girl learns to stand up for herself... "chip on the shoulder" girl learns to trust and be more open with others... mayhaps happen, everything's nicely resolved and everyone's happy... The end.
September 3, 2018
Charming story of a teen newly moved to the city and the Little (as in six-inch high) girl she befriends, with plenty of adventures and cool world bits along the way.
April 27, 2018
My first De Lint book. What a fun read!
October 7, 2014
"Little (Grrl) Lost" is Charles De Lint's latest novel set in the fictitious city of Newford, the setting for much of De Lint's work that helped to establish the urban fantasy genre.
The story in "Little (Grrl) Lost" is refreshingly straightforward for a fantasy: Fourteen-year-old T.J. is furious when her family has to leave their farm and move to Newford. To makes matter worse, T.J. has to leave behind her horse, Red, and her best friend. T.J. has a hard time adjusting to city life and making new friends--until she meets Elizabeth: a punky teenager who lives with her family in the walls of T.J.'s house. Elizabeth is a Little by name. And literally, standing only six inches tall.
As time passes, the girls form an unlikely friendship and begin an even more surprising adventure as they navigate their way through Little-lore and the urban streets of Newford as T.J. tries to help Elizabeth find her way in the Big world (and maybe find her own place in Newford at the same time).
This novel is extremely complicated stylistically. The story is told in multiple points-of-view with varying narration styles. The amazing thing about this technique is that De Lint still manages to create a seamless narration. He transitions between sections easily without being redundant or leaving the reader at a loss.
In order to better establish the difference between the narrations, De Lint writes T.J.'s section using the traditional third-person, past tense narration ("Jane walked to the store.") incorporating periods from Geoff or Jaime's perspective to flesh out certain events. Elizabeth's sections, on the other hand, are written in the first-person, present tense ("I walk to the store."), a style that is becoming very common in contemporary novels. (This style is also what makes Elizabeth's sections of the narration sound more like De Lint's other YA Newford novel, "The Blue Girl.")
Most of the novel is set in the course of two very eventful days for the girls. Nonetheless, the narrative feels expansive. De Lint takes his time, fleshing out the details of T.J. and Elizabeth's adventures. The story is also fairly light, maintaining a generally upbeat feel.
The important thing to remember about the story is that T.J. is fourteen while Elizabeth is sixteen or seventeen. For this reason, T.J.'s sections of the story read younger than the rest. And rightly so. In addition to creating very individual "voices" for the protagonist's, De Lint also makes their age difference (and personality differences) clear with the divergent focuses of their narrative segments. That's really hard to do without making the characters seem exaggerated or flat.
Unfortunately, for prolific authors like De Lint comparisons become inevitable. The most obvious one being between "Little (Grrl) Lost" and "The Blue Girl" because the novels are both YA and close together in terms of publications. To be clear, this is not a fair comparison. "The Blue Girl" is longer which means it has more space to deal with plot issues, and the characters are older which means they are not going to sound like T.J. In fact, beyond being set in Newford, the books have nothing in common.
"Little (Grrl) Lost" does have the same character types as "The Blue Girl": punk "bad" girl (Elizabeth/Imogen) and normal "goody-two-shoes" girl (T.J./Maxine). The difference is that the "good girl" gets a chance to voice her own opinions instead of leaving all of the narration to her best friend.
Despite it's relatively short length, "Little (Grrl) Lost" is rich with detail, but the narrative is never over the top with description or explanation. Even with its numerous narrative voices, the story is never redundant. Basically, "Little (Grrl) Lost" gets everything right in terms of writing conventions. De Lint once again brings Newford and his characters (Big or Little) to life in this vivid and magical novel.
The story in "Little (Grrl) Lost" is refreshingly straightforward for a fantasy: Fourteen-year-old T.J. is furious when her family has to leave their farm and move to Newford. To makes matter worse, T.J. has to leave behind her horse, Red, and her best friend. T.J. has a hard time adjusting to city life and making new friends--until she meets Elizabeth: a punky teenager who lives with her family in the walls of T.J.'s house. Elizabeth is a Little by name. And literally, standing only six inches tall.
As time passes, the girls form an unlikely friendship and begin an even more surprising adventure as they navigate their way through Little-lore and the urban streets of Newford as T.J. tries to help Elizabeth find her way in the Big world (and maybe find her own place in Newford at the same time).
This novel is extremely complicated stylistically. The story is told in multiple points-of-view with varying narration styles. The amazing thing about this technique is that De Lint still manages to create a seamless narration. He transitions between sections easily without being redundant or leaving the reader at a loss.
In order to better establish the difference between the narrations, De Lint writes T.J.'s section using the traditional third-person, past tense narration ("Jane walked to the store.") incorporating periods from Geoff or Jaime's perspective to flesh out certain events. Elizabeth's sections, on the other hand, are written in the first-person, present tense ("I walk to the store."), a style that is becoming very common in contemporary novels. (This style is also what makes Elizabeth's sections of the narration sound more like De Lint's other YA Newford novel, "The Blue Girl.")
Most of the novel is set in the course of two very eventful days for the girls. Nonetheless, the narrative feels expansive. De Lint takes his time, fleshing out the details of T.J. and Elizabeth's adventures. The story is also fairly light, maintaining a generally upbeat feel.
The important thing to remember about the story is that T.J. is fourteen while Elizabeth is sixteen or seventeen. For this reason, T.J.'s sections of the story read younger than the rest. And rightly so. In addition to creating very individual "voices" for the protagonist's, De Lint also makes their age difference (and personality differences) clear with the divergent focuses of their narrative segments. That's really hard to do without making the characters seem exaggerated or flat.
Unfortunately, for prolific authors like De Lint comparisons become inevitable. The most obvious one being between "Little (Grrl) Lost" and "The Blue Girl" because the novels are both YA and close together in terms of publications. To be clear, this is not a fair comparison. "The Blue Girl" is longer which means it has more space to deal with plot issues, and the characters are older which means they are not going to sound like T.J. In fact, beyond being set in Newford, the books have nothing in common.
"Little (Grrl) Lost" does have the same character types as "The Blue Girl": punk "bad" girl (Elizabeth/Imogen) and normal "goody-two-shoes" girl (T.J./Maxine). The difference is that the "good girl" gets a chance to voice her own opinions instead of leaving all of the narration to her best friend.
Despite it's relatively short length, "Little (Grrl) Lost" is rich with detail, but the narrative is never over the top with description or explanation. Even with its numerous narrative voices, the story is never redundant. Basically, "Little (Grrl) Lost" gets everything right in terms of writing conventions. De Lint once again brings Newford and his characters (Big or Little) to life in this vivid and magical novel.
February 25, 2018
I read through this so I could put it on my classroom shelf (and thus get it off my own), but I can't say that I strongly recommend it. The set up for the story is a nifty one--an isolated and uncertain teenage girl meets another, older girl, whose "take no prisoners" attitude doesn't quite mask the fact that she is equally at sea in her life, and who happens to be only 6 inches high--but it doesn't really go anywhere from there. Having read the short story that this came from, I feel as if De Lint, having written it, thought, "This would make a great novel," but didn't really have a novel-length story to tell about the characters. The plot meandered here and there, people got lost, new characters showed up, some of them turned out to be good and others not so much, some of the lost found each other, and a few questions were answered, but none of the problems that arose were as interesting as the initial premis. Without my commitment to finish any book I actually want to review, I could easily have put this one down at any point.
I think part of my tepid reaction was because of the way the characters talked. Not all believable, engaging teen characters speak like actual teenagers, but these kids talked like adult mouthpieces, in an awkward, info-dumping kind of way. De Lint is Canadian, but I'm sure even Canadian teenagers don't sound like that. I wonder if he had any adolescent beta readers--they might have helped with that. I also thought that his handling of diverse characters was a little cringy. He was clearly trying, and even had the protagonist call out her father close to the end for seeing another character as Hispanic first and an individual second--but I thought that was a little ironic, considering that the only time De Lint specified a character's race when he described them was if he said they were black. This was definitely "e for effort" in terms of representation.
On the other hand, I would totally love to have a 6-inch, punky girlfriend. I do appreciate the concept--it just probably should have stayed a short story.
I think part of my tepid reaction was because of the way the characters talked. Not all believable, engaging teen characters speak like actual teenagers, but these kids talked like adult mouthpieces, in an awkward, info-dumping kind of way. De Lint is Canadian, but I'm sure even Canadian teenagers don't sound like that. I wonder if he had any adolescent beta readers--they might have helped with that. I also thought that his handling of diverse characters was a little cringy. He was clearly trying, and even had the protagonist call out her father close to the end for seeing another character as Hispanic first and an individual second--but I thought that was a little ironic, considering that the only time De Lint specified a character's race when he described them was if he said they were black. This was definitely "e for effort" in terms of representation.
On the other hand, I would totally love to have a 6-inch, punky girlfriend. I do appreciate the concept--it just probably should have stayed a short story.
May 9, 2014
Like my rating suggests..it was OK.
October 13, 2017
Punk borrowers...what could be better?
November 28, 2025
What did I enjoy about the book?
I am a sucker for fae and/or borrower stories, so I will abstain from mentioning those point as positive. To put it in simple terms the story that follows TJ, I liked, with some caveats, and the sectiosn where the girls interact where by far the best part of the book, it is just a shame there are not that many.
What did I not enjoy about the book?
Now, there are a lot of small things that I didn't quite like. For instance, agreeing with what other review said, the amount of incomprehisnble decisions TJ makes is astonishing . But some of my grivencess I guess those may come from the perspective of an adult reading this book.
The main issue I had with the book is that it introduced some elemnts that completly broke my suspension of disbelif. Now with heavy spoilers...
I am a sucker for fae and/or borrower stories, so I will abstain from mentioning those point as positive. To put it in simple terms the story that follows TJ, I liked, with some caveats, and the sectiosn where the girls interact where by far the best part of the book, it is just a shame there are not that many.
What did I not enjoy about the book?
Now, there are a lot of small things that I didn't quite like. For instance, agreeing with what other review said, the amount of incomprehisnble decisions TJ makes is astonishing . But some of my grivencess I guess those may come from the perspective of an adult reading this book.
The main issue I had with the book is that it introduced some elemnts that completly broke my suspension of disbelif. Now with heavy spoilers...
May 9, 2019
This was a fun and entertaining read. The story moves smoothly and quickly. Sections alternate between the viewpoints of the teen human girl TJ and the teen but very tiny Little called Elizabeth.
During most of the story Elizabeth is out on her own in the big world and she meets lots of interesting characters, including other types of creatures like gnomes. She is very spunky and tough, out to chase her dream (but she doesn't really know if she wants it). She has heard a rumour that Littles can learn to shape-change into birds and she thinks it would be grand to be able to fly. That's why there is a bird on the book cover. In the end she has some hard choices to make.
TJ learns to stand up for herself. She's always done what others have expected of her (the right thing, as she is a "goody two-shoes" according to Elizabeth) but in desperation to find Elizabeth (who gets lost) she's forced to do things she would not normally do and thus she has to learn how to stand up for herself against some unscrupulous characters.
The two teen girls go on separate but exciting adventures in the book. I really enjoyed reading it. I also really love the artwork on the front cover. Elizabeth looks like a cool girl.
Also lots of neat setting locations, like the marketplace with all of the various creatures and how the Bakro the ranger had a pet dog. Nice world building.
During most of the story Elizabeth is out on her own in the big world and she meets lots of interesting characters, including other types of creatures like gnomes. She is very spunky and tough, out to chase her dream (but she doesn't really know if she wants it). She has heard a rumour that Littles can learn to shape-change into birds and she thinks it would be grand to be able to fly. That's why there is a bird on the book cover. In the end she has some hard choices to make.
TJ learns to stand up for herself. She's always done what others have expected of her (the right thing, as she is a "goody two-shoes" according to Elizabeth) but in desperation to find Elizabeth (who gets lost) she's forced to do things she would not normally do and thus she has to learn how to stand up for herself against some unscrupulous characters.
The two teen girls go on separate but exciting adventures in the book. I really enjoyed reading it. I also really love the artwork on the front cover. Elizabeth looks like a cool girl.
Also lots of neat setting locations, like the marketplace with all of the various creatures and how the Bakro the ranger had a pet dog. Nice world building.
January 22, 2019
Charles de Lint is one of my favourite authors. This was a YA story set in Newford (without it being named). I think because it was YA I felt something was missing. I felt for the young girl who'd had to leave all her friends behind as that happened to me. But the usual mixture of fantasy and reality, didn't really lead to any interesting revelations or changes of perspective like normally in his books. The fairy side seemed almost as mundane as the normal. The plot was basic and unfortunately it seemed most of the drive for the young teenagers was finding a boyfriend or a job, nothing really deeper. Still going to keep reading his books though even if this one was a little disappointing.
June 7, 2024
This was a miss for me. I didn’t feel that the book was structured particularly well, nor some of the characters fully developed. I’ve read other Newford stories in which De Lint handled the voice of young characters well, but this one felt like a person in their 40s trying to write an early-00s teenager. It didn’t come off as authentic as in other works. The shifting POVs also threw me, especially since TJ and Elizabeth seem to spend so little of the story together. I also felt that we learn practically nothing about Sheri Piper for how important she is to the story.
June 1, 2017
Another great story from de Lint with the main character meeting a Little. Littles are only 6" tall people who live in the walls of our houses. The main character, T.J. is no more certain about all of this than you or I would be. Likely intended for the young adult audience, the story doesn't pander and is enjoyable from an adult perspective as well.
January 10, 2019
I really liked it - good pacing, interesting characters, solid plot, and great character arcs
My one complaint, make it four star instead of five, would be how the ending had a classic fairytale feel - “...and they all lived happily ever after!” Well it is Urban Fantasy...
I did like how there was a bit of an afterword to wrap up a few loose ends but kept enough open to wonder what if
My one complaint, make it four star instead of five, would be how the ending had a classic fairytale feel - “...and they all lived happily ever after!” Well it is Urban Fantasy...
I did like how there was a bit of an afterword to wrap up a few loose ends but kept enough open to wonder what if
July 14, 2022
Not my favorite book by deLint, but it was enjoyable. The characters and the world they live in are interesting, and the situations relatable, even if you are more than 6 inches tall. A really good YA novel.
May 27, 2019
Entertaining romp that doesnt shy away from heavy topics
August 10, 2019
Not sure how I feel about it now because it's been so long since I've read this. But I loved this book when I was a kid and I'm thinking of maybe reading it again.
February 4, 2020
An amazing new take on the borrowers, and definitely far more impressive
August 4, 2020
This is a lovely YA novel. I'm a huge fan of Charles de Lint, and wish I was still in my 20s when I enjoyed YA much more. Beautiful cover art!
February 7, 2022
loved this book
July 6, 2023
Fun read but pretty imaginary
January 14, 2024
Sweet and finished all too soon but very satisfyingly concluded.
February 25, 2025
I read this a long ass time ago, I don't even remember what it was about.
March 22, 2025
"The world's a big and strange place."
This is basically The Borrowers and/or The Secret World of Arrietty.
This is basically The Borrowers and/or The Secret World of Arrietty.
March 2, 2017
Aside from the slightly annoying (aka forced teenage-sounding) dialogue which I guess I just have to accept is the way Charles de Lint writes his YA fiction, I rather enjoyed this book. The concept isn't particularly original but the characters are fun to follow and the cliche romance isn't as completely cliche as I feared it would be when T.J. first met Geoff and then Jaime (I was honestly dreading a love triangle so anything was better than that). The whole goblin market scene was great and I really loved the character of Hedley, also Jan experiencing Big-hood for the first time is pretty cute! Another thing I realized in this book is that the hobs in Charles de Lint's books are so freaking adorable and I want more stories about them... even though there are no hobs central to this story, they are mentioned a couple of times, like how they set up safe places just for other magical creatures to live in and then leave! and that one hob T.J. and Hedley see sitting at the top of a streetlight reading a book! It made me recall Dick from Spirits in the Wires and how much I loved his character (although I don't think I even mentioned him in my review).
And I was pleased with T.J.'s plans for the future and the fact that she wants to apprentice herself to Red the motorcycle mechanic. Elizabeth will think she's so cool when she tells her that! You can really see how T.J. and Elizabeth have influenced each other by the end of the book, with Elizabeth making more of an effort to be kind, and finding something that she is passionate about which is totally not what you would picture her doing when you first meet her! And T.J. becoming a bit more tough and self-assured and taking interest in something you would never imagine her doing when you first meet her. Good stuff.
And I was pleased with T.J.'s plans for the future and the fact that she wants to apprentice herself to Red the motorcycle mechanic. Elizabeth will think she's so cool when she tells her that! You can really see how T.J. and Elizabeth have influenced each other by the end of the book, with Elizabeth making more of an effort to be kind, and finding something that she is passionate about which is totally not what you would picture her doing when you first meet her! And T.J. becoming a bit more tough and self-assured and taking interest in something you would never imagine her doing when you first meet her. Good stuff.
August 4, 2015
(Original review posted on my livejournal account)
Why I Read It: I came across this title the same time as when found What I Was by Meg Rosoff: they were both on a bargain clearance table for $2 each, for the hardcover! At this point, I had only read The Blue Girl by de Lint, and while it didn't blow me away, I had still heard so much about him and his Newford series that I decided to pick it anyway. It's not like it could hurt with it being so cheap. I read this during my reading week because while I was visiting my boyfriend Jacob, we had decided to go see the new Studio Ghibli film The Secret World of Arrietty, which is based off the children's book The Borrowers, which I'm sure most of you know, is all about little people. So, I thought this book would be very fitting to read before seeing the movie. :)
This is the second YA title that I've read by de Lint, the first The Blue Girl, and I have to say, from what I remember of the latter, this book reads more like it's for the younger spectrum of YA (despite some of the cussing -- but, young teenagers DO cuss, so). This didn't hinder the enjoyment I got from it, but it still left me with a feeling of LIKE, not LOVE.
One of the things that really bugged me about the book was the dialogue. I had this complaint with The Mystery of Grace as well, so I hope that this isn't something found in a lot of de Lint's work, but there was something wooden about a lot of the dialogue -- it just felt really unnatural at times. Other times it was perfectly fine, such as when Elizabeth is navigating the fantasy market and is speaking to the denizens there (those were some of the my favourite parts), but when Elizabeth and TJ converse, there was something about it that just didn't ring as realistic to me.
That's my only real complaint about the novel though. Everything else ranged from mediocre to pretty darn good. The story alternates between a third-person limited POV from TJ's perspective, to a first-person present tense POV from Elizabeth, and I think that this worked really well -- the first-person voice of Elizabeth fit her personality to a tee, and the present tense allowed her to tell the story as it was happening to her, so we got to experience all the newness SHE experiences at the same time, and I think that was effective. While the third-person POV of TJ's chapters fit her more passive demeanor (as opposed to Elizebeth's feisty one), it definitely made her pale in comparison, which is too bad because her story is all about coming out of her shell and being more assertive.
Some of my favourite parts of the novel was where the urban fantasy aspects really came in. I haven't read enough Newford books to really get a sense of what de Lint's urban fantasy world is like, but the pieces we got of it here were really fun and I enjoyed them immensely.
I also like the parallelism between TJ and Elizabeth's narratives: they're both essentially alone, and both very vulnerable in a completely new world (Elizabeth outside of TJ's house, and TJ going from the country to the city) and must learn to navigate, both while making friends on the way who help them out. The friendship between the two girls was cute as well, and even though we as readers don't get to read about them spending time together too much, I still bought their friendship and it felt fairly genuine (despite some of the aforementioned wooden dialogue).
Overall, it was a really cute read and while it didn't blow me away, I still liked it.
Final Verdict: Despite some of the dialogue feeling wooden and less-than natural for me (though this wasn't the case ALL the time; I felt it was more evident between Elizabeth and TJ) this was still a cute and fun book. The dual narratives worked well for me, as well as the parallelism between Elizabeth and TJ's narratives. I also loved the glimpses I got into de Lint's Newford urban fantasy world; I'll be excited to see how it spans out in other Newford books, because even though I haven't fallen in love with anything I've read by de Lint yet, I was still want to check out the rest of the Newford books.
Why I Read It: I came across this title the same time as when found What I Was by Meg Rosoff: they were both on a bargain clearance table for $2 each, for the hardcover! At this point, I had only read The Blue Girl by de Lint, and while it didn't blow me away, I had still heard so much about him and his Newford series that I decided to pick it anyway. It's not like it could hurt with it being so cheap. I read this during my reading week because while I was visiting my boyfriend Jacob, we had decided to go see the new Studio Ghibli film The Secret World of Arrietty, which is based off the children's book The Borrowers, which I'm sure most of you know, is all about little people. So, I thought this book would be very fitting to read before seeing the movie. :)
This is the second YA title that I've read by de Lint, the first The Blue Girl, and I have to say, from what I remember of the latter, this book reads more like it's for the younger spectrum of YA (despite some of the cussing -- but, young teenagers DO cuss, so). This didn't hinder the enjoyment I got from it, but it still left me with a feeling of LIKE, not LOVE.
One of the things that really bugged me about the book was the dialogue. I had this complaint with The Mystery of Grace as well, so I hope that this isn't something found in a lot of de Lint's work, but there was something wooden about a lot of the dialogue -- it just felt really unnatural at times. Other times it was perfectly fine, such as when Elizabeth is navigating the fantasy market and is speaking to the denizens there (those were some of the my favourite parts), but when Elizabeth and TJ converse, there was something about it that just didn't ring as realistic to me.
That's my only real complaint about the novel though. Everything else ranged from mediocre to pretty darn good. The story alternates between a third-person limited POV from TJ's perspective, to a first-person present tense POV from Elizabeth, and I think that this worked really well -- the first-person voice of Elizabeth fit her personality to a tee, and the present tense allowed her to tell the story as it was happening to her, so we got to experience all the newness SHE experiences at the same time, and I think that was effective. While the third-person POV of TJ's chapters fit her more passive demeanor (as opposed to Elizebeth's feisty one), it definitely made her pale in comparison, which is too bad because her story is all about coming out of her shell and being more assertive.
Some of my favourite parts of the novel was where the urban fantasy aspects really came in. I haven't read enough Newford books to really get a sense of what de Lint's urban fantasy world is like, but the pieces we got of it here were really fun and I enjoyed them immensely.
I also like the parallelism between TJ and Elizabeth's narratives: they're both essentially alone, and both very vulnerable in a completely new world (Elizabeth outside of TJ's house, and TJ going from the country to the city) and must learn to navigate, both while making friends on the way who help them out. The friendship between the two girls was cute as well, and even though we as readers don't get to read about them spending time together too much, I still bought their friendship and it felt fairly genuine (despite some of the aforementioned wooden dialogue).
Overall, it was a really cute read and while it didn't blow me away, I still liked it.
Final Verdict: Despite some of the dialogue feeling wooden and less-than natural for me (though this wasn't the case ALL the time; I felt it was more evident between Elizabeth and TJ) this was still a cute and fun book. The dual narratives worked well for me, as well as the parallelism between Elizabeth and TJ's narratives. I also loved the glimpses I got into de Lint's Newford urban fantasy world; I'll be excited to see how it spans out in other Newford books, because even though I haven't fallen in love with anything I've read by de Lint yet, I was still want to check out the rest of the Newford books.
August 4, 2009
Little (Grrl) Lost is one of the latest in Charles de Lint's popular Newford series. Widely credited as the father of the contemporary magic realism genre, de Lint is best known for his stories set in the vaguely North American city known as Newford, where strange magical occurrences are the everyday norm for those who know where to look. Though I personally think that short stories are de Lint's real strength, I have enjoyed several of his novels including, most notably, the popular The Blue Girl. Little (Grrl) Lost follows in a similar tradition of young adult novels that de Lint has branched into in more recent years.
When T.J. first moves from her family's comfortable farm in the country to a brand new house in the Newford suburbs, she couldn't be less thrilled. She's been forced to give up her home, her friends, and her pony, Red, to move to a place where she doesn't feel like she fits in at all. And then all of a sudden she is propelled into the secret world of magic and fairy when the six-inch-tall, blue-haired, loud-mouthed Elizabeth storms into her life in the middle of the night. Elizabeth is a Little, and she's dying to make her debut in the Big world beyond the inside of T.J.'s family's walls.
What follows is a charming and enjoyable story about friendship, independence, and self-discovery that takes places in a wild goose chase through the unseen places that comprise Newford's world of fairy. De Lint addresses many of the issues facing young teens, including, prominently, the desire to belong. Both T.J and Elizabeth start out feeling lost in a world that doesn't want to accommodate them, but both discover that even a country girl can find friends in the city, and that even a Little can find a place to belong in a Big world. In this journey of self-discovery, de Lint uses magic as a metaphor for how overwhelming and startling it can be to a teenager trying to make their way in a brand new environment. His message is heart-felt and ultimately reassuring, but to me it just did not convey the same strength and sense of style that characterizes his more mature novels. Some of the same themes were there: notably, his common themes of abuse and bullying, however they were very smoothed over in this novel. Written as it was for a younger audience that de Lint's usual fare, Little (Grrl) Lost is a lighter, fluffier read, full of a simple charm that replaced the darker currents found in his adult novels. Because I am a big fan of de Lint's more mature work, I did feel the difference immediately, but it did not stop my enjoyment of the piece.
My favorite scene took place in a Goblin Market underground, where de Lint's imaginative writing reminded me of why I read fantasy novels in the first place: to get lost in a strange and fantastic world. The ability to create a compelling and beautiful magic world is definitely one of his strengths as an author, and though Little (Grrl) Lost is certainly not his best work, the basic underpinnings were still definitely there. But if you are new to de Lint, you might want to check out The Blue Girl first.
When T.J. first moves from her family's comfortable farm in the country to a brand new house in the Newford suburbs, she couldn't be less thrilled. She's been forced to give up her home, her friends, and her pony, Red, to move to a place where she doesn't feel like she fits in at all. And then all of a sudden she is propelled into the secret world of magic and fairy when the six-inch-tall, blue-haired, loud-mouthed Elizabeth storms into her life in the middle of the night. Elizabeth is a Little, and she's dying to make her debut in the Big world beyond the inside of T.J.'s family's walls.
What follows is a charming and enjoyable story about friendship, independence, and self-discovery that takes places in a wild goose chase through the unseen places that comprise Newford's world of fairy. De Lint addresses many of the issues facing young teens, including, prominently, the desire to belong. Both T.J and Elizabeth start out feeling lost in a world that doesn't want to accommodate them, but both discover that even a country girl can find friends in the city, and that even a Little can find a place to belong in a Big world. In this journey of self-discovery, de Lint uses magic as a metaphor for how overwhelming and startling it can be to a teenager trying to make their way in a brand new environment. His message is heart-felt and ultimately reassuring, but to me it just did not convey the same strength and sense of style that characterizes his more mature novels. Some of the same themes were there: notably, his common themes of abuse and bullying, however they were very smoothed over in this novel. Written as it was for a younger audience that de Lint's usual fare, Little (Grrl) Lost is a lighter, fluffier read, full of a simple charm that replaced the darker currents found in his adult novels. Because I am a big fan of de Lint's more mature work, I did feel the difference immediately, but it did not stop my enjoyment of the piece.
My favorite scene took place in a Goblin Market underground, where de Lint's imaginative writing reminded me of why I read fantasy novels in the first place: to get lost in a strange and fantastic world. The ability to create a compelling and beautiful magic world is definitely one of his strengths as an author, and though Little (Grrl) Lost is certainly not his best work, the basic underpinnings were still definitely there. But if you are new to de Lint, you might want to check out The Blue Girl first.
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