Hi everybody! Welcome to my new blog! To kick things off, I'll review a book that has recently been released :)
Book: The Prince of Mist
Author: Carlos Ruiz Zafon
Release Date (UK): 27th May 2010
Genre: YA/Mystery
Target Audience: 12+
Review:
Very rarely does a book leave a lasting impression on the reader for weeks on end. The Prince of Mist is one of these few that will stay with people forever. It follows Max, a young boy having been uprooted from his family home on his thirteenth birthday, and his sister Alicia. Although they do not get along at the best of times, they must come together to solve the mystery of the events around them before anything too sincere can take place. Over the course of one summer, Max, Alicia and their new friend Roland must work out what is happening around them and put a stop to it immediately. Is it all coincidence or is there really such a thing as magic?
The Prince of Mist takes place in 1943, during the period of the war. Max’s family move to a small seaside town, seemingly to escape the turmoil of the war, but Max and his sister are quickly swept up in the danger of the family of their new friend. Who exactly is the mysterious Mr Cain, and why is Roland’s grandfather so reluctant to talk about him? And if that isn’t enough for Max, why is he beginning to get the feeling that Roland and Alicia are a lot closer than he thought…?
Carlos Ruiz Zafon hooks the reader right from the beginning of the book, and never completely lets them go. While reading the book, I even found myself thinking about it between lessons in school! Each small detail that the author embeds in to the story is somehow relevant to the plotline, but in a way that still keeps the reader guessing the outcome right up to the last pages of the book. It is beautifully written, and the characterisation of Max is brilliant, as sometimes, adult authors tend to make even younger characters think and act like adults. Although action-packed towards the end, the gripping plotline and the hint of romance in the story would keep any girl interested. I would recommend The Prince of Mist to any teenager, regardless of age, gender, or even taste in books. Carlos Ruiz Zafon is bound to bring back the nation’s love for reading and writing, just as other great authors have before him.
Verdict: Abseloutely brilliant! Well worth a read and impossible to forget!
Thank you to Orion Books for the book to review.
