Gillian's Reviews > Howl's Moving Castle

4.5 stars!

This was a fun and magical young adult fantasy about family, courage, and learning who you are. Howl's Moving Castle follows Sophie, a hat maker who is transformed into an old lady by the Witch of the Waste. To break the spell she makes a deal with a fire demon, has to deal with Howl, a heartless wizard and fight the Witch of the Waste. During her journey she learns more about herself and discovers that Howl is a nice person.

This book was so good!! The world building was awesome, I loved learning about this unique world of witches, wizards and demons that the author created. I was completely immersed in this intriguing world from the very beginning although the pacing in the middle was a little slow. The plot was so interesting and I loved the funny moments in the book. The characters are so fun and complex. I love Sophie, she is tough, stubborn, nice, brave and helpful. I love Howl, he is funny, charming, sweet and stubborn. I also really like Micheal, he is helpful, dependent, reliable and fun. I also really liked the side characters especially Calcifer and Sophie's sisters Martha and Lettie. The character development was excellent, I loved watching Sophie grow into a strong and brave person. I also loved that she learned more about herself and her worth. I loved the banter between Howl and Sophie. The ending was so good! I'm so glad it ended on a happy note!

I recommend this book to anyone who loves young adult fantasy, fun characters and excellent world building.