The Bibliophile's Bookshelf

Title: Howl’s Moving Castle

Series: Howl’s Moving Castle # 1

Author: Diana Wynne Jones

Genre: Young Adult, Cozy, Fantasy

Rating: 3.5 stars

Review:

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. -summary from Goodreads

This was an interesting book. It wasn’t my favorite, but it also wasn’t my least favorite. I enjoyed it, and it was a fun, magical read.

I really loved Howl. He was just so dramatic and amazing- it made my day! I love a good dramatic person, mainly because I too am a dramatic person and it gives me ammunition for my dramatics.

Sophie, I also enjoyed. It isn’t very often that a main character in a YA book is old. I know she wasn’t actually ninety, but she did act older. I also enjoyed how stubborn and nosy she was. I also love a good nosy character, and I may be known for my nosiness, too.

The other characters were interesting, and I enjoyed them. I especially loved how Fanny was written. The book started out with it seeming like Fanny was going to take the typical stepmother role, but I was pleased to see that change by the end of the book.

There was a lot going on in this book. It was kind of confusing. I thought the magic was intriguing, but I really didn’t understand it. I also struggled to understand the door of the castle. They all lead to different places, with one of them being Wales. I believe the other three portals were in a different world from Earth, but different parts of the same world, though I don’t know how separated these places are from each other.

I thought the castle, itself, was interesting. It was odd and eclectic. I didn’t quite understand, again, how it all worked, but I did enjoy it and would love to be able to see it.

There were a few romances throughout the book. Most of them were background, and I didn’t have too much of an issue with them. The final romance, that literally came to light at the very end of the book, is the one I have an issue with. I felt like it came out of nowhere; it really didn’t make sense to me.

Howl’s Moving Castle was very cozy. It was a lovely magical escape, though slightly confusing, comforting and fun!

Quotes:

“‘I’m dying of boredom. Or maybe just dying.’”