Chapter Forty-Seven: Abarat (Books 1-3)

This series by Clive Barker is one of the most original stories I've read.  He creates such a rich world in Abarat, populated by scores of strange entities and set in fantastic realms as it is.  It is essential to read the editions that include his amazing, brilliant full-color illustrations.  They add so much to the text and also really are helpful in visualizing some of what he's describing, especially the stuff that's more far-out.  These books--two more are planned--are basically adventure and coming-of-age stories, but their premise is so original--the Abarat is another world, composed of islands, each of which is an hour, confusing traditional ideas about where and when--that these books seem very fresh.  I also love the heroine, Candy Quackenbush.  She's flawed and spunky and down-to-earth and has the right balance of ordinary and extraordinary.  If you want a good fantasy and adventure series, I highly recommend these books (Abarat, Abarat: Days of Magic, Nights of War, and Abarat: Absolute Midnight).  I myself am eagerly awaiting the publication of books four and five.