While I have to admit that the concept was clever and the wordplay fun, I just found Un Lun Dun to be non-compelling in the extreme. At no point was I genuinely worried about the two protagonists, and the fearsome parts (killer giraffes?!?) seemed like slapstick to me. The best adjective I could use for this book was *self-conscious.* I didn't feel that lovely submersion that I usually feel when reading good fantasy.

I know this was a BBYA title, and no doubt it will find readers. But I thought this skewed incredibly young for it to be marketed as a YA title. I think it's firmly for the proficient 8-12 y/o reader.