Title- Howl’s Moving Castle
Rating– 3/5
Genre- YA Fantasy
POV- Third person, past tense
Similar Books/Comps– Harry Potter
Vibe- Charming, whimsical
Comments–
This is a shorter review because I ended up skimming it and not digging into the story fully. I kept going but I didn’t enjoy the writing style it felt dated with the telling instead of showing and seemed to be geared to middle grade- 11 year olds.
Characters–
Howl- dashing and vain and quirky
Sophie- practical and intelligent
Plot/Blurb-
Sophie has the great misfortune of being the eldest of three daughters, destined to fail miserably should she ever leave home to seek her fate. But when she unwittingly attracts the ire of the Witch of the Waste, Sophie finds herself under a horrid spell that transforms her into an old lady. Her only chance at breaking it lies in the ever-moving castle in the hills: the Wizard Howl’s castle.
To untangle the enchantment, Sophie must handle the heartless Howl, strike a bargain with a fire demon, and meet the Witch of the Waste head-on. Along the way, she discovers that there’s far more to Howl—and herself—than first meets the eye.
In this giant jigsaw puzzle of a fantasy, people and things are never quite what they seem. Destinies are intertwined, identities exchanged, lovers confused. The Witch has placed a spell on Howl. Does the clue to breaking it lie in a famous poem? And what will happen to Sophie Hatter when she enters Howl’s castle?
All fans of classic fantasy books deserve the pleasure of reading those by Diana Wynne Jones, whose acclaim included the World Fantasy Award for Life Achievement. As Neil Gaiman stated, she was “quite simply the best writer for children of her generation.”
Best part-
Cute chapter titles like “In which Sophie leaves the castle in several directions at once” or “In which Howl expresses his feelings with green slime.”
Pacing- Fast read
Cassie Swindon 