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

adventurous 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? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

I’m struggling to find the words for what this novel did to me. The words in these pages profoundly affected me in ways that I haven’t really experienced since I was a kid. This is a NOVEL-ass novel in no uncertain terms. I laughed, I cried, I felt fear, tension, anger, hope, loss, sadness, joy, and basically everything else on the wide spectrum of human emotions. It does everything that a novel should do and does it all unbelievably well. No matter what your taste in books is, you’re going to fall in love with some element of this book, be it the strong characters, the mystery of the main plot, the beautiful writing, or the incredibly tense and satisfying conclusion. There’s something in here for everyone, and if you love fiction novels, you will love this. Seriously struggling to find anything to criticize about this book. Some sections might go on for a bit too long but there really isn’t an ounce of fat here. Everything has its purpose and seeing it all come together is truly a rewarding experience for the reader with plenty of “oh shit” moments throughout. I don’t even want to talk about the actual plot because there isn’t enough room here to talk about it here and honestly the less you know going into it, the better. It’s just such a dense and satisfying narrative to sink your teeth into. This thing is a treasure.

Strong recommend to anyone who is looking to rediscover their love of reading.
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