Read for the YA 2008 and Mythopoeic Reading Challenges.
Inkheart is an absolutely charming story, definitely one of the better YA books I’ve recently read.
Being an avid reader, I have on occasion wished that the story that I was reading could come alive, but this story is great cautionary tale of why that might not actually be the best idea. Meggie has lived a life somewhat on the run, with her father Mo, but doesn’t realize why until the fateful day a man named Dustfinger comes to the door.
It turns out that Meggie’s father Mo has the ability to read characters out of books, and one of those characters, Capricorn, has been trying to find her father for years, to get him to finish the job. Before you know it, Meggie, Mo and Meggie’s aunt Elinor are caught up in a web, trying to escape, and then defeat Capricorn, before he’s able to bring his worst henchman over from this story.
The characters, especially the villains, are great, and there are several interesting twists and turns. I really wasn’t sure up until the very end how the story felt like it should end. Very enjoyable read.
I’ve also picked up the sequel, Inkspell, and while I’ve heard it’s not as good as Inkheart, I’m still looking forward to the next chapter in the story.