Review: Howl's Moving Castle

Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Synopsis:

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.

My Thoughts:

One of the things I really hate is when I see so many 5 star reviews of a book that makes me get excited and I can't wait to read it. Then I open the 429 page book and start reading. I had a hard time getting into this book. I didn't really like the characters much, they seemed flat. Sophie, especially, irritated me. She seemed to be emotionless most of the time (especially at the beginning). I mean she didn't even get angry that the witch put a spell on her until much later in the book. Finally, at over 300 pages in, I finally started to get the slightest bit interested in the book. By then, it was much too late. I just didn't care what happened to them and I just wanted to finish the book. It had an interesting concept but it just didn't deliver for me.

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