Weidenfeld & Nicolson Marina

Having seen an extract from the novel in a comprehension exercise, I bought the book. It is a strange and often gripping yarn, set in the darkened streets of Barcelona. It clunks along occasionally, as the ongoing back story is told by different characters, all of whom seem strangely willing to share the story with an unknown schoolboy and his pale, female, eponymous companion. The threads of the story are woven together an the final picture builds up to a crescendo which, while told with gusto and enthusiasm, does stretch the imagination somewhat. There is, at the end, a final, unexpected twist to a very entertaining and occasionally lyrical novel.

I've read a couple of Carlos Ruiz Zafon books now and approached this with delight because I love gothic literature and I find his prose incredible.Oscar is at boarding school, a lonely isolated boy who seems curiously disconnected with his surroundings until he goes walking amongst the old and derelict buildings in the once wealthy areas of Barcelona. Here he discovers and is befriended by the enigmatic and beautiful Marina and her father; and together they uncover the mystery of an old widow who visits the graveyard at the same time each month dressed in a hooded cape.The story is genuinely scary in places, but delightfully so; a mature younger reader would probably enjoy this as much as an adult. The prose is beautiful; there are times when Zafon writes an image that literally makes you stop in your tracks.This is one to be savoured and one of the few books that I will revisit!

Carlos Ruiz Zafon is one of my favourite authors but this was a disappointment compared to his other work. Normally his plot twists are gripping but this one is predictable. I also found it ultimately quite depressing. Although his books always contain some very dark themes, these usually add excitement/suspense and are balanced with lighter and more uplifting parts. Didn't find that here. With the 'Forgotten Books' series I didn't want to finish them because I didn't want the experience to end. This one I struggled to finish for the opposite reason.

I've had this book on my shelf since I pre-ordered it back last year. I'm an avid Carlos Ruiz Zafon fan and wanted to make sure that I had time to really enjoy it. To savour it until the next book is released.And this really didn't disappoint. The opening pages really spark your curiosity and begins with the ending. You don't really take on board the significance of the beginning until you come to the end, where it's a book that you feel like you have to reread.Again, it's set in Spain which to me now is a place where I think there are picturesque ruins in the daytime and at night time, darker forces are at work. There are twists and turns, we are taken through sewers, grave yards and meet death at it's worse, when it's resurrected. We are taken back in time and thrown forward again. It is a tale that until you reach the end, you don't unite realise how much of your breath you've been holding.There are many themes running through this book, keeping you on your toes and taking you through a range of emotions.The tag line "A Gothic tale for all ages," really does sum this book up. Any age will enjoy this. And I just can't wait to read it again.

Carlos Ruiz Zafon describes this as a completion of his gothic style novels for young adults and he certainly finishes his 4-book series with a very gripping read. The story quickly catches the imagination and from then on it is very difficult to put this book down. I particularly like his style of shorter length, punchy chapters, with each one telling a neat section of the story before quickly moving the reader onto the next part.