Inkheart: 3 Stars

Inkheart by Cornelia Funke

For a girl who doesn't like children and YA books, I sure do seem to read a lot of them.  This particular one was a favor to my mother, I think because she needs someone to talk to about it. I mean, don't we all finish a book and feel a little let down when we have no one to talk to about it? I guess that explains book blogs and book clubs. So I was happy to oblige. 

Have you ever read a story desperately wanting to be apart of it, or meet the characters? Mo was the same way.  Then one day while reading a book called Inkheart, it happened. Some of the characters came out, but not only that, his wife went into the story. Mo swore he'd never read aloud again.  To keep this promise, Mo had to continually run from the characters he had made appear; one in particular who desperately wanted to go back. But when they finally find him, he must to save his daughter Meggie.

The stories premise is fascinating. Its based on a concept I myself have wondered about often. I can see why she wrote this book for children.  I can imagine a child reading this book and then trying to read any other book.  You'd begin to wonder what would happen if suddenly the characters were in your room. What a wonderful play on imagination!

But I felt the great concept was left a little untouched. For such a great premise, the book drug on in boring fashion for far too long. The knew how they were going to win several chapters before they pulled it off.  It took out all of the suspense and left me wondering why there were so many "empty" chapters in which very little happened. Considering this is the first in a series, maybe the other books tap into the limitless potential the concept holds. We shall see. 

I will say this, if you tell a normal person "Hey, I met the characters from this book" they will think you are insane. If you tell a writer, "Hey, I met the characters from your book" no other explanation is needed because they will instantly believe you!  Well done in nailing the extreme ridiculous personality writers have!  I loved it!