Very moving story about family, creative oppression, and Seattle.

I admit, I read this book because I knew an anime movie was being made of it by Studio Ghibli, so I anticipated the story would be beautiful. It was. It was magical, whimsical, and enchanting.

View

Entertaining and engaging, in a Lifetime movie sort of way. All the characters have terrible decision making skills. Although the pace clipped along and kept me mildly interested, I had a hard time believing that it's possible that every single one of the characters is as big a mess as they are.

View

Wish I could give it 2.5 stars. The description of the culture and scenery were magnificent and worth reading for that alone. The plot was meandering, anticlimactic, and barely believable.

View