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Very exciting premise. One fine day the letter 'D' disappears from the world. And young girl, Dhikilo travels through portals to save the letter and bring it back.

The story:
Dhikilo notices that one day at breakfast, her parents are no longer pronouncing 'd'. Then the signboards have lost the letter 'd'. Soon things that start with 'd' disappear � dalmations, dogs, daffodils, dentist, etc. Dhikilo is summoned to the home of her old history teacher Professor Dodderfield and his faithful Labrador, Nelly Robinson —who might not be a simple dog after all � and the adventure begins. In the other world they see many 'd' (s) being carried away by dragonflies. They want to know who masterminded this theft with the minions/dragonflies and bring the letter back.

Setting : England and the wintery land of Liminus. Liminus, like the Oz's world is a world enslaved by the monstrous Gamp and populated by fearsome, enchanting creatures

Inspired by : Alice in wonderland, Wizard of Oz, Dickens (Bleak House, Great Expectations characters)

What you'll love:
- V imaginative.
- I loved the team of Nelly Robinson and Dhikilo. They are perfect for the adventure
- The Bleak House - a spooky hotel where you literally cannot exit. Dhikilo and Nelly Robinson sat here. Signs appear everywhere, rooms look similar, the wallpaper is alive. It is like a haunted maze.
PS: even though it is a middle grade book, i think some references like Mr. Pumblechook and Bleak House might be lost on children.

What bothered me :
- I did expect more because of the fantastic premise.
- I did not understand why 'Somaliland' was part of the plot. Dhikilo is said to be from Somaliland, not Somalia, and there are some dry descriptions about what Somaliland could 'look like' and then we see nothing more of it. Towards the end it crops up again, almost as if Faber thought 'Oh no, the book is ending, maybe I should mention Somaliland again'. It stuck put like a sore thumb, like a weak diversity point.

Thanks for Translworld for an e-copy. All opinions my own