Changeling

by Delia Sherman

Book Overview

A determined heroine, a quest? adventure galore! Neef is a changeling, a human baby stolen by fairies and replaced with one of their own. She lives in ?New York Between,? a Manhattan that exists side... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0670059676
• ISBN13: 9780670059676
• Release Date: August 2006
• Publisher: Viking Books
• Length: 292 Pages
• Weight: 0.95 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.1" x 5.9" x 8.6"
• Age Range: 12 years and up
• Grade Range: Grade 7 and higher

Customer Reviews

Changed

Our elfin brother Anadae recommended this book to us... dear lovers of faerie fantasy, ... and we were not disappointed. This is the story of Neef, a mortal child that has been stolen and raised by the Faerie kind in modern New York Between (the faery part of New York existing just a sideways glance away from normal New York, if New York can be called normal), who unknowingly breaks the rules of the realm and must set out on a quest to regain her place in Faerie. It is similar to Charles De Lint's stories, however the action here takes place in New York Between and not in the mundane world of men and women, where most of his tales are centered. However, if you enjoy De Lint's works, you'll surely love this fairy tale as well. We did. kyela, the silver elves

Fun fantasy for middle grade and older

CHANGELING is really middle grade rather than YA, but because of the humor and the references to New York that might be over 12-year-olds' heads, older kids might like it, too. I can barely remember 5th grade, but I enjoyed reading it. Neef is a human child who was exchanged for a fairy when in her cradle. She lives in Central Park, in "New York Between," with a white rat for a fairy godmother, and a pooka for a fairy godfather. This is New York City book. The action moves all over Central Park, up to Broadway, over to Wall Street, into the harbor, and even onto the New York Between version of the subway. Neef and her new friend, known as Changeling, face dangers and use their wits and talents to survive. The resolution is satisfying, even if the last-minute save is pretty obvious, and by the end, you're really pulling for both girls to make it home. A thoroughly fun read with a lot of energy. Note that I read the Kindle version, and it was in excellent shape as far as formatting.

The Between Quest

Changeling (2006) is a standalone fantasy novel. This fairytale is set in New York Between, a version of New York City with the same landscape and slightly variant buildings. It also has a very different populace, including almost every kind of mythical creature and even literary characters. In this novel, Neff is a changeling. She was Kid-napped as a child from New York Outside by agents of the Bureau of Changeling Affairs. In her place, these agents left a fairy creature that looked like her, but who had a very different personality. Don't tell anyone, but their name is Jennifer Goldhirsch. Now Neff lives in Central Park Central with Astris, a giant white rat who is her fairy godmother. Neff is the only mortal changeling within Central Park and has the protection of the Green Lady, Genius of the park. If you are not aware of the term, a Genius is the spirit of a famous place and is very powerful. When the time comes for spring cleaning, Neff has to tidy her room. Yet Astris doesn't have the time to fetch the Blockhouse brownie. So Neff convinces Astris to let her go instead. She is finally big enough to have her own solo adventure. Neff knows that it is foolish (and dangerous) to go off the marked path in the North Woods. Yet she turns off the path to follow a previously unnoticed trail. The trail gets steadily worst and finally vanishes at a swampy green pool. A voice seems to come from the pool and sounds like sharp teeth and hunger. It questions whether she is tender and delicious. Neff immediately responds with the proper words, claiming the protection of the Green Lady. Sounding very hungry, a second voice complains about this protection. The first voice belongs to Peg Powler, a bogeywoman. The second voice belongs to Blueberry, a demon. Both are part of the Wild Hunt and would eat her if it wasn't for the Green Lady's protection. Peg tells Neff about the Solstice Dance on Midsummer Eve. Neff loves to dance and is very curious about the festivities. But Peg also tells her that Astris has lost other mortal changelings to accidents. Neff vehemently objects to her statements, but she wonders about the truth of these claims. In this story, Neff attends the Solstice Dance and finds herself in deep trouble. The Green Lady removes her protection and the Wild Hunt closes in on her. Yet Neff is snatched away by a tengu. Eventually, Neff escapes to the Metropolitan Museum. But the Green Lady comes after her and Neff has to negotiate an alternative to the Wild Hunt. She goes on a quest for three significant objects with which she can buy her return to the park. This story introduces Neff to her fairy changeling from New York Outside. The tengu has also abducted the Outsider and they meet in the closet where both are being held. Her copy is subject to typical fairy faults, such as having violent fits of temper, but she also knows a lot about computers. Neff names her Changeling. On the quest, Changeling sometimes

Entertaining

Neef is human who was switched at birth with a fairy and brought into New York between to become the Changeling of Central Park. She's is an overly curious child and soon becomes aware of a Solstice dance that occurs every year that she somehow always misses. Neef loves to dance and wants very badly to go. She realizes that she has been given a sleeping potion on the previous nights of the dance. She quickly finds a way around that and on the night of the dance, she sneaks down to it. There she causes a ruckous and the Green Lady of the Park states that she was forbidden to attend the dance and must be banished. If she is banished, she will be left for the Wild Hunt who waits in anticipation to get there hands (or claws) on her. She ends up making a deal (with the help of the Pooka)to go on a quest to obtain 3 objects to appease the Green Lady. On her quest she is accompanied by the fairy that was left in her place. Although they look alike, they are very different. They become close during there quest and realize each other's differences are good in their own way. This was a great book that teaches many different morals. I recommend it highly.

Changeling is a real treat!!!

I read this immediately after Valiant by Holly Black and enjoyed it immensely because they have similar themes and settings, but very different heroines. Changeling is more for the jr high/ MS crowd and Valiant for HS types. Both are urban fantasy taking place in New York City. To the other reviewer who wondered if you needed to live in NYC to understand Changeling, I'd say no more than one needs to live in Newford to read Charled de Lint's books. Neef is a mortal changeling, raised in New York Between with a talking rat fairy godmother and a pooka fairy godfather. Neef gives them the slip and attends a Solstice fairy dance, so the Green Lady of Central Park withdraws her protection. Neef must go on a quest to get three magical items from three other Genuii of New York Between. Neef is helped on her quest by her counterpoint, the one the fairies left when they took her. She calls her Changeling, but their name is Jennifer Goldhirsch and she has Asperger's. She doesn't like to be touched, tends to freak out, is a very literal thinker. I hope Delia Sherman writes another of these; it would be real treat to see Neef in Jennifer's world. I have read all of Delia Sherman's books -- this is a real keeper! As one who has read a lot about autism, Asperger's and changeling stories, is a special education teacher and parent of an autistic child I *appreciated* Sherman's frank discussion of Jennifer's difficulties. Autism and Asperger's were only named in the 1940's, but parents and others have been trying to come up with reasons for it for thousands of years. The changeling story was one of the explanations; a perfect looking baby, who around the age of 3 is no longer able to hold gaze, is slow to walk and or talk, or has speech and seems to loose it.