A review by mellowbry
The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafón

dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

The brain of this author!! This book made me audibly gasp too many times in public istg. And that fucking half-insect twist! HOLY SHIT

Quick nitpicks: 

• There’s too many characters with the same 1st-letter name: Julian, Jorge, and Javier;  Daniel and David. Like my guy, couldn’t you have thought of other names?!? 
• Fermin is a great, softhearted guy but his creepiness towards women got really annoying. I’m glad Daniel called him out, but I still hated Fermin whenever he touched or commented on a women’s body even after that idiot got Bernada!!

Overall, I adore this book and its plot of two vastly different but almost alike arcs coming together in harmonious, destructive fashion. I love my boy Daniel and his father (father of the year btw when he saved up money to buy Daniel the Hugo pen for his b-day 🥹). I grew to love Beatriz and Nuria for their headstrong but sweet personalities. I was saddened by the tragic fates of Jacinta and Penelope who did not deserve their final years of forced isolation, despair and finally death. Javier was such a great villain and I loved how despite Julian’s attempts to befriend him in their younger years, nothing could change the darkness in that boy (literally shot his mama). And I 10000% stand by the belief that Miquel was in love with Julian (aka bi-king. No straight man risks imprisonment AND devotes his entire life for another man unless he a little fruity).