Finished Inkheart, by Cornelia Funke, just now. It's taken me a while in fairness, but was well worth the read. Review coming as soon as possible.
Edit - 3rd review ever, comments appreciated.
Inkheart - Cornelia Funke.
Synopsis from the back.
Meggie loves books. So does her father, Mo, a bookbinder, although he has never read aloud to her since her mother mysteriously disappeared. They live quietly until the night a stranger knocks at their door. He has come with a warning that forces Mo to reveal an extraordinary secret - a storytelling secret that will change their lives for ever.
Review.
After hearing mixed reviews and opinions on this book, I finally decided to pick it of my book-shelf and just give it a shot in the dark. I was not disappointed. It's another brilliant young-adult fantasy novel that wows the reader from the moment the stranger knocks on the door. The author is trying to show people the love of books, and what they mean to some people, whilst telling a story of adventure and wonder.
The characters are what makes this book stand out from the rest, they just literally leap of the pages to you. From the mysterious fire-swallower Dustfinger, who lurks through the night with his nifty fingers, and seems to come and go like the wind, to Elinor, Meggie's great Aunt, who has an unconditional love for books, and will stop at nothing to protect her 'ink children'. Of course every good fantasy needs a villain, and who better than the tall, gaunt, pale man with light, crew-cut hair and eyes so pale that it appears "as if the colour had drained out of them", Capricorn. A man so cruel that if he found a bird being eaten by a cat, he would "feed the bird to the cat on purpose, just to watch it being torn apart."
Although the plot is slightly repetitive, the reader barely even gives this a second thought, as you find yourself swept on a journey with Meggie and co, and left turning the pages nervously wondering what is going to happen to them. When the characters voluntarily return to Capricorn's base, I wanted to yell out loud at them for being so stupid. Nothing was worth facing him again, or was it? What mystery's would they find there as they returned for the last time.. the twists and turns kept me interested throughout.
At 543 pages, I would recommend Conelia Funke's novel Inkheart to anyone that enjoys a good edge-of-your-seat type of young-adult fantasy book. A brilliant read, I will be sure to check out Inkspell, the second novel in the Inkworld trilogy.
9/10.
Anyway, logging off.. see if I can finish this book off without coming back on... tough task.