Howl’s Moving Castle by Diana Wynn Jones
Reviewed by: Sarah Baker, Circulation Assistant
Genre: Fantasy
Suggested Age: Adults,Teens, Tweens
What is the book about?: Sophie is the eldest child, a role she feels dooms her to failure. After helping her sisters find their way, she resigns herself to running her late father’s hat shop. But she crosses paths with the Witch of the Waste who puts a curse on her, making her an old woman! So Sophie leaves home, seeking to remove her curse. Along the way she meets and often helps many different people, including the terrible Wizard Howl. But like Sophie herself, nothing is at it appears at first glance. And it seems that almost everyone in this world faces a curse of their own. Will Sophie be able to save herself, or anyone else?
My Review: My first intro to this story was the Studio Ghibli movie, which I loved. But the movie is NOTHING like the book. The only thing they have in common is character names and some very basic plot points. The book gave us a deeper look at their world and the rules that magic follows. It gave us a better rationale for Sophie’s actions, and her frustrations as well; we actually get to meet her family and to see how their drama affects her and causes some of the decisions she makes. She’s not afraid to speak her mind or express her irritation with Howl. We get a history on Howl that is surprising and makes him easier to relate to. AND (the best part) this is book 1 of a series!
Three Words That Describe This Book: Magical, Funny, Satisfying
Give This a Try if You Like… Howl’s Moving Castle (the movie), Harry Potter
Rating: 5/5
About FDL Reads
Welcome to FDL Reads, weekly book reviews from Fondulac District Library. Librarians (and possibly some other guest reviewers) review all types of books, from children’s picture books, young adult favorites, to the latest adult thriller, and share their thoughts each week at fondulaclibrary.org. If the book is owned by Fondulac District Library (or another local library), you’ll see a direct link to the catalog entry and whether or not it is available. If it is checked out or at another local library, you will be able to place a hold as long as you have your library card and PIN numbers. As with any book review, these are our opinions…we disagree amongst ourselves about books frequently. We all have different likes and dislikes, which is what makes the world an interesting place. Please enjoy, and keep on reading!