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A review by vsnuffles
Castle in the Air by Diana Wynne Jones
adventurous
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I thought this was a decent four-star read that hit well within its specific niche: fairytale stories based on classic fairytale genres, in this case Middle Eastern folktales - or at least their depictions in western media. This felt sympathetic to the fantasy Middle Eastern culture and characters depicted (to me, who is not from a Middle Eastern culture) and not degrading.
But I've rated this 3 stars instead due to the degrading content that did exist in the book. I can't recall the quote exactly, but while listening to "The Only Warrior Cats Podcast" Zoe mentioned the inexplicable and intense fat-phobia that tends to be present in English children's books and media and that feels very present here. I wanted to mention it here because it feels so out of no-where in this story and so pointlessly cruel in an otherwise very child-friendly book. It only surrounds two characters who only briefly appear, but they do appear at the end and are part of the overall conclusion of the book, so it feels like more of an embedded theme in the story than it might have - though it is a horrible inclusion regardless.
I did like how this story tied into the Howl's Moving Castle characters and continued the story, though it felt a little like a rug-pull to have all the conflict and characters be secretly about this other cast of characters. It felt a little unsatisfying to feel like the main characters of this story were secretly side characters all along, even if that wasn't the case. I think the framing by the end of it felt a bit that way. But this can be a fun element in childrens' series, so I don't think it's that big a deal.
I would otherwise say a lot of the story and setting were great.
But I've rated this 3 stars instead due to the degrading content that did exist in the book. I can't recall the quote exactly, but while listening to "The Only Warrior Cats Podcast" Zoe mentioned the inexplicable and intense fat-phobia that tends to be present in English children's books and media and that feels very present here. I wanted to mention it here because it feels so out of no-where in this story and so pointlessly cruel in an otherwise very child-friendly book. It only surrounds two characters who only briefly appear, but they do appear at the end and are part of the overall conclusion of the book, so it feels like more of an embedded theme in the story than it might have - though it is a horrible inclusion regardless.
I did like how this story tied into the Howl's Moving Castle characters and continued the story, though it felt a little like a rug-pull to have all the conflict and characters be secretly about this other cast of characters. It felt a little unsatisfying to feel like the main characters of this story were secretly side characters all along, even if that wasn't the case. I think the framing by the end of it felt a bit that way. But this can be a fun element in childrens' series, so I don't think it's that big a deal.
I would otherwise say a lot of the story and setting were great.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Fatphobia
It's not a huge part of the book, only concerning two minor characters, but there is (within the otherwise lighthearted context of the book) quite cruel fatphobia. It feels very out of no-where and appears briefly, but it does reappear as part of the conclusion of the book.