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I stumbled upon this book at my daughter’s school library thinking that it might be fun to read a magical, adventure story.
Yes there was magic and adventure, but it also had one of the scariest and horrific sounding ghost that truly frighten me. I felt sensations that I hadn’t felt in years. Reading this sent shivers up my spine, put goose pimples on my arms, and it had me screeching like a little girl.
The book starts at a nice steady pace when Max Carver’s father decides to move his wife and three children from the city to an abandoned seaside beach house to protect his family from the ongoing war. But as Max and his family arrive at their new town and home, he notices some peculiar things are starting to happen. Clocks that seem to move backward, that feeling of someone breathing on your face, voices only children can hear, and circus statues that change shape and positions. The house itself has a devastating history, and Max being a curious young boy starts snooping around. It almost felt like he had woken or disturbed something. As time goes by the pace does build as the Carver children and their new friend Roland struggle to defend themselves against payback from this dark sinister entity.
Like Mr Zafon’s previous books (Shadow of the Wind, and Angels Game) he has a knack of creating this eerie, gothic atmosphere, but at the same time is beautiful. At the beginning of the book Mr Zafon said it was aimed at young reader, but would also appeal to all ages. Well I think he has achieved it. I personally thought it was wonderful, and I would recommend it to ages from 12 years old onwards.
Yes there was magic and adventure, but it also had one of the scariest and horrific sounding ghost that truly frighten me. I felt sensations that I hadn’t felt in years. Reading this sent shivers up my spine, put goose pimples on my arms, and it had me screeching like a little girl.
The book starts at a nice steady pace when Max Carver’s father decides to move his wife and three children from the city to an abandoned seaside beach house to protect his family from the ongoing war. But as Max and his family arrive at their new town and home, he notices some peculiar things are starting to happen. Clocks that seem to move backward, that feeling of someone breathing on your face, voices only children can hear, and circus statues that change shape and positions. The house itself has a devastating history, and Max being a curious young boy starts snooping around. It almost felt like he had woken or disturbed something. As time goes by the pace does build as the Carver children and their new friend Roland struggle to defend themselves against payback from this dark sinister entity.
Like Mr Zafon’s previous books (Shadow of the Wind, and Angels Game) he has a knack of creating this eerie, gothic atmosphere, but at the same time is beautiful. At the beginning of the book Mr Zafon said it was aimed at young reader, but would also appeal to all ages. Well I think he has achieved it. I personally thought it was wonderful, and I would recommend it to ages from 12 years old onwards.
