Review by ravalyn - House of Many Ways

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ravalyn 's review for:

House of Many Ways by Diana Wynne Jones

4.0

adventurous lighthearted relaxing medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: No

I enjoyed this book more than the previous one; it was more like my favourite, Howl's Moving Castle. As with many of Jones' books, the main character, Charmain, is not very likeable at the start. She is spoiled and used to a sheltered life, but she becomes more tolerable when she is forced into problem solving at the wizard's house. There are enchanted beings, kobolds and creepy insect-like magical creatures. And of course, magic is mysterious and not always reliable. I had to chuckle at Charmain wanting to sit down and read a book everywhere instead of doing chores - Diana Wynne Jones, are you looking at me from the pages of the book? Haha.

The book starts off a little slow, then got really fun in the middle when you get pulled into the mystery further. The denouement is very chaotic, with many things happening at once. This part is clearly written for young children, with happenings that they would find hilarious. I enjoyed the ending, though.

Overall, House of Many Ways is very much a children's book, but it is still enjoyable to read as an adult. I would have been absolutely enchanted by this when I was 8.

Content Warnings