"Curdle, I don't think we're in London anymore..."

I've just recently finished the book "Un Lun Dun" By China Mieville, given to me by my one of my loving sisters for my Birthday and I must say: It was strange.
Not altogether poorly written, its characters were solid and the twists in the plot were unexpected and even gripping, but the whole idea of personifying London's infamous smog and making it the antagonist is slightly strange. Of course, it made a GOOD villain, being evil, insane, power hungry, and all that, but still... SMOG?!?!
But I did enjoy the idea that it started out as the classic "Prophecy," written by someone no one can remember, of a CHOSEN ONE, who is some ordinary kid that gets called into another world which they must save from some uncanny evil force. But then it made a complete U-turn, and the main character switches: The original protagonist, of whom there are dozens of "prophecies," making her the CHOSEN ONE, IS defeated, which was NOT written with the rest of the prophecies. Instead, her "side kick" (And not the "Clever side kick" either. We're talking the "Humorous Side-kick") must take over for her in saving Unlondon, the Alternate reality of London.
I love how the writer makes somethings that were "prophesied" come true, and yet with others, the 'side kick' says, "To heck with this!" and saves the world her own way. She is nicked named The Unchosen One, and SHE, in fact, gets the cute Supporting male character whose sights were originally set on the SHWAZZY ("the chosen").
And then there were the occasional play on words and puns, that I will admit, I laughed at, being completely original and out-of-the-blue.
But on the whole, the entire book was bizarre: For starters, there's a man named "Skool" who is actually made up of random sea creatures compiled together and stuffed in an old-fashioned diver's suit, which then animate it as if with one mind. Why? Just because.
And then there are the random characters, like Yorick Covea, who was a small parakeet inside a cage, controlling some headless body on which its cage rested. And that wasn't the strangest.
At first I started it, then had to quickly put it down. Rogue garbage, Trash can Ninjas ("binjas") Pet milk cartons (named "Curdle"), Broken umbrella slaves (called "UNbrellas"), and Double-Decker buses that had adapted to Unlondon's peculiar traffic with either legs for wheels or were strapped to enormous balloons, and I was pretty wierded out. But once the story took hold, it became enjoyable, easily reminding one of Alice In Wonderland and The Phantom Toll Booth. Very Inventive, though still very, very, very, VERY strange, I liked it, even so. Thank you, Zanna!