• Title: Howl’s Moving Castle
• Author: Diana Wynne Jones
• Genre: Children’s Fantasy
• Pages: 448
• Publisher: Greenwillow Books
• Published: 2008

I remember buying this book when I went to visit Japantown in San Francisco. That was years ago. And it has been sitting on my shelf for that long. So what made me decide to pick this up last year? I rewatched the movie and fell in love with it all over again. Then all of a sudden, I was in the mood to pick it up – so I did.

I am definitely not the target audience of the novel. Just the print alone on my copy suggests that – large font, double-spaced. However, I found that reading this book was the refresher that I needed. Nothing says palate cleanser more than picking up a YA fantasy in the middle of me being surrounded by true crime, mysteries, and thrillers.

Just a disclaimer, if you are picking this book up because you enjoyed the movie so much – be warned that there will be a lot of differences between the mediums. Do not compare the two and it will suck the enjoyment out of this book. Appreciate it for what it is. Movie adaptations tend to practice creative liberties. However, the book is enjoyable nonetheless.

This story is about Sophie Hatter and her journey to try to reverse a spell placed on her by the Wicked Witch of the Waste. A spell that turns someone old. In this journey, she meets a bunch of colorful and interesting characters who make her realize who she really is and what she is actually capable of.

This book is marketed toward young readers. It has a touch of whimsy for sure, with such colorful characters. But this has some dark themes, that’s why when I was reading it, I could not believe that this is considered a children’s book. There’s a social construct in this story that adults can relate to. Reading this as an adult, it hits differently. It is more visceral. I enjoyed it and I’m planning on picking up the next book soon.