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.

3.5 stars

This is a rare case where I feel that the movie is far superior to the book. I watched the movie first, and that may have been to my own detriment. Maybe I should’ve read the book first because the book is extremely different from the movie. However, I was expecting it to be different because I heard from other reviewers that it was. But I wasn’t expecting it to be as different as it was. 

That being said, it is a cute, sweet, and cozy story. The world-building was very immersive and engaging. I loved the concept of a moving castle. I also liked the door that led to different places, like a portal. The setting definitely gives off an eerie and unsettling feeling, but in a good way. All of the different characters and creatures were interesting. I loved Sophie, Michael, and Calcifer, but didn’t really care for Howl. I thought he was a snobby, smug, arrogant wizard who was selfish, self-centered, and such a drama queen (or king). He didn’t have many redeeming qualities to me, so I couldn’t understand why Sophie wanted to stay with him. But she had a kind soul and looked after everyone like a nurturing mother. I loved the found family element. I wish there was more build-up to the love story because we don’t really get that in the book.

However, it did drag on longer than I thought it needed to be. This took me almost an entire month to read because I was losing interest in it, and it was getting boring in the middle. But I powered through because I wanted to see how it would end, and it didn’t disappoint. It was a little anticlimactic, but it was still a sweet, satisfying ending. There is a lot of magic in it, which I appreciate. 

It is a very creative and imaginative but strange and bizarre story. At times, it was a little too weird for me, and I was confused. But it was pretty funny and endearing. 

It’s part of a trilogy. I’m not sure if I will read the other two books. I may borrow the audiobooks from the library and give them a try. I am curious to read more from this author.