Howl's Moving Castle

This is a review of Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones

★ ★ ★ ★ ★ I give this book 5 stars, I loved it! 

In the land of Ingary it is well known that it is a misfortune to be the eldest child in a family of three. Sophie is the eldest of three so it is no surprise to her when she is cursed by a witch. To break her curse she seeks out the Wizard Howl who lives in a moving castle in the wastes. Howl turns out to be much more difficult than she imagined possible. Howl and Sophie have to work together to break the curses the Witch of the Waste put on each of them. They struggle through all sorts of adventures as they try to free themselves from their curses.  Not everything is quite as it seems with both Howl and Sophie.  They each have to set aside their preconceived ideas about the other person and the actions of those around them!

I initially read this book after seeing the film adaptation. I loved the film and wanted to read the source material. The film and book are quite different but they are both beautiful stories. The characters are compelling and you can't help but feel sorry for poor Sophie as she struggles with the effects of her curse. There is more to these characters than meets the eye.

If you enjoy stories about magic, witches, and wizards then you should read this one! Diana Wynne Jones weaves a beautiful tale of magic and just a little bit of mayhem in her amazing new world. I want to know more about the world of Ingary and it's people and inventions!