Review: The Prince of Mist by Carlos Ruiz Zafon

Ugh!  I dread giving negative reviews!  I hate it because I know that the author worked hard on this book, and that there are going to be people out there who love it.  Everyone has a different opinion, and people like totally different things.  But I feel like if I don't tell you all the books that I don't like, that you won't believe me when I tell you what I do like.  So here it goes....

• Reading level: Young Adult
• Hardcover: 224 pages
• Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers; First American Edition edition (May 4, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0316044776
• ISBN-13: 978-0316044776

It's war time, and the Carver family decides to leave the capital where they live and move to a small coastal village where they've recently bought a home. But from the minute they cross the threshold, strange things begin to happen. In that mysterious house still lurks the spirit of Jacob, the previous owners' son, who died by drowning.

With the help of their new friend Roland, Max and Alicia Carver begin to explore the strange circumstances of that death and discover the existence of a mysterious being called the Prince of Mist--a diabolical character who has returned from the shadows to collect on a debt from the past. Soon the three friends find themselves caught up in an adventure of sunken ships and an enchanted stone garden--an adventure that will change their lives forever.

Although this book had a somewhat interesting storyline, and even had some tense moments....it was just utterly boring!  I ended up scanning half of the pages and skipping to the dialog just so that I could finish it.  I didn't feel like it was a believable story at all.  There was no rhyme or reason behind the evil ways of the Prince of Mist, he just terrorized children.....because.  I know there was some explanation about needing them to live forever, but the motive just left me feeling unsatisfied.  So much of the story was left untold.  There were many mentions of statues in the book, but nothing really even happened with them or was explained.  And there were strange voices in the closet....but nothing came of it.  Then there was the cat.  What happened with the cat?  

The romance was dull, and could have been left out completely, as it basically popped into existence in one day.  Also, the fact that Max and Alicia's parents just left them for days on end with no supervision in a brand new town was ridiculous, especially when it seemed like their mother, at least, felt like something suspicious was going on.  

The only good things I can say are that there was a fairly interesting twist at the end, and there were some parts of the book that really freaked me out (the clown....I hate creepy clowns).  Also, it was very clean!!  I just wish I could recommend it more!  Luckily, it only took me a day to read and I was reading at the pool, so at least the day wasn't totally wasted :)  If you like creepy books, and are looking for something to grab at the library, you might check this one out.  But if you tend to like the same things as me....don't bother!  (Check out The Body Finder instead!)

~Andye

Parents should know:  There are a few religious exclamations in this book and some minor kissing but this is an otherwise very clean book.  There are also some pretty scary moments and intense situations.  For more details go to The Prince of Mist on Parental Book Reviews.