Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones
⋅⊱ ༓ ⊰⋅ Howl’s Moving Castle ⋅⊱ ༓ ⊰⋅
Diana Wynne Jones
01.02.2010
HarperCollins Children's Books
Children’s Chapter Books, Fantasy, Romance
Disclaimer: these thoughts are entirely my own, based on my reading experience, and is no reflection of whether or not this title should be read. Thus, I try to keep my writing fair and constructive, and reveal my personal rating at the end. I always enjoy reading the varying thoughts of other readers because we all experience books differently - which is just so wonderful! So please feel free to leave a comment at the end.
Please be aware that this review may contain spoilers.
✨ BOOK SYNOPSIS 📖
‘In this beloved modern classic, young Sophie Hatter from the land of Ingary catches the unwelcome attention of the Witch of the Waste and is put under a spell…
Deciding she has nothing more to lose, Sophie makes her way to the moving castle that hovers on the hills above her town, Market Chipping. But the castle belongs to the dreaded Wizard Howl, whose appetite, they say, is satisfied only by the souls of young girls… There Sophie meets Michael, Howl’s apprentice, and Calcifer the fire demon, with whom she agrees a pact. Her entanglements with Calcifer, Howl and Michael and her quest to break her curse come alive’
“In the land of Ingary where such things as seven-league boots and cloaks of invisibility really exist, it is quite a misfortune to be born the eldest of the three. Everyone knows you are the one who will fail first, and worst, if the three of you set out to seek your fortunes.”
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✨ MY REVIEW 🤔
I imagine that a number of people considering reading this title, much like myself, enjoy Studio Ghibli films and have an appreciation for their adaptation of Howl's Moving Castle. And if you are one of them, and you haven't yet read the book, I couldn't recommend it more. There is so much wealth to this story that you will not find in the movie adaptation, and familiarities that will make you smile with appreciation.
Sophie is the eldest of three sisters, unlike in the film where there’s just her sister Lettie, and following their Father's death they each set out to work.
Sophie; who believes that as the eldest she is bound to not amount to as much as her sisters, is forced into an adventure greater than she could have anticipated. All because she is unfortunate enough to be cursed with a spell that makes her old, and unrecognisable compared to her young-adult counterpart.
With a promise to aid a fire-demon in breaking a curse in return for the same in kind, and discovering along the way that there is more to her than what she could ever have imagined, Sophie is saddled with chasing after the unruliness of the great wizard: Howl. Which may or may not be more trouble than it's worth.
This book is charming, witty, clever and brimming with magic. Nothing is what it might seem, and once you know... it is most certainly worth another read to revel in the signs and hints that were missed the first time around.
The character development shines throughout the story, and doesn’t get lost behind the plot but instead grows with it. Each character is a different, more evolved, version of themselves come the end. And the story wraps-up beautifully.
“I hope your bacon burns.”
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I’d like to wrap up this entry by thanking you for taking the time to read my review of Howl’s Moving Castle. If you have read this title I would love to share in your own experience in the comments below.
✨ RATING 📣
4/5
✨ COMPLETION DATE 🗓️
29.12.2023
