Abarat by Clive Barker

Candy Quakenbush (try saying that three times fast!) has been transported by an ocean that appeared out of nowhere from boring old Chickentown, Minnesota, to the mystical land of Abarat, where every hour of the day is a different island and she is apparently a hero. Stalked by Christopher Carrion, the Lord of Midnight (who frighteningly brings to mind the veteran horror author’s other well-known and terrifying movie villain, Pinhead) and helped by the eight-headed John Mischief, Candy tries to discover who she is in this new and wonderfully weird plane of existence. With stunning full-color illustrations by the author that bring to life every bizarre creature that swims, flies and trots across his pages, Clive Barker’s Abarat is fabulous feast for both the eyes and the mind. And don’t be disappointed when the numerous plots don’t converge in the end–this is the first book in a planned series.