Howl’s Moving Castle

Summary:

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.  (Summary and cover courtesy of goodreads.com)

Review:

I am a big Diana Wynne Jones fan and had read this when I was younger, but didn’t remember it well.  When it popped up on the 2016 Reading Challenge, I decided I had to give it a reread!

Sophie does not have a good sense of herself.  She thinks she knows what is proper and what she should be doing, and yet she finds herself in a lot of uncomfortable situations!  What, with having to face her fears all the time and pull her sisters out of trouble, it’s no wonder she keeps finding herself behind on the uptake.

I liked this book because it consistently proves that first assumptions are rarely right and to give everything a chance.  Howl is an odd wizard, but proves himself throughout the book.  The best thing about rereading this one was discovering that there are others in the series!  I’ll have to catch up in the very near future.

Rating: 4 stars!

Who should read it? Fantasy fans looking for something with a spunky heroine and a variety of odd characters

Want to read the series?

• Castle in the Air (Howl’s Moving Castle #2)

• House of Many Ways (Howl’s Moving Castle #3)