Another book I’ve been meaning to get around to for a while. This one stars 12 year old Meggie, who finds out her father can read characters out of stories, bringing them to life.
Neat idea, and great for a range of ages. I’d say it’s suitable for anyone middle grade and up. There is some violence. The bad guys are definitely bad guys. They use guns, they kidnap children, they murder, and one of the child characters talks about having been beaten repeatedly.
Most of the bad stuff is off camera, but there’s definitely a real air of danger here. So be aware if suggesting it to sensitive children.
On the whole I loved this story. The plot is good. The idea is unique. The writing is of good quality. You really get a feel for the richness of the world the characters are in. There’s some great action scenes, and a lot of tension and emotion.
Now the negatives. The character development could’ve been better. The character don’t change much over the course of the story. And the pacing was a little muddled. Some places were great, and in other parts it slowed to a crawl.
Overall I give it four stars. It’s a richly written book with an interesting story. If the blurb strikes a cord with you, give it a go:
Twelve-year-old Meggie learns that her father, who repairs and binds books for a living, can “read” fictional characters to life when one of those characters abducts them and tries to force him into service.
Characters from books literally leap off the page in this engrossing fantasy. Meggie has had her father to herself since her mother went away when she was young. Mo taught her to read when she was five, and the two share a mutual love of books. He can “read” characters out of books. When she was three, he read aloud from a book called Inkheart and released characters into the real world. At the same time, Meggie’s mother disappeared into the story. This “story within a story” will delight not just fantasy fans, but all readers who like an exciting plot with larger-than-life characters.
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