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<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/71370.Inkspell?utm_medium=api&amp;utm_source=blog_review" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px"><img alt="Inkspell (Book 2)" border="0" src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/510mku55CkL._SL160_.jpg" /></a> <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/71370.Inkspell?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_review">Inkspell</a> by <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/15873.Cornelia_Funke">Cornelia Funke</a><br/><br/>
  <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/11148228?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_review"><h3>My review</h3></a>
  rating: 1 of 5 stars<br/>After enjoying "Inkheart," the first book in this trilogy, "Inkspell" was a huge disappointment. First, I thought Meggie's character suffered a tremendous loss in her falling in love with Farid. She became less independent and less self-reliant. Their relationship struck me as unbelievable, as well, which angered me to think of kids leaving this book with the idea that relationships work like Meggie's and Farid's. Writers of young adult fiction should be more responsible! Furthermore, I felt the writing dropped in quality; Funke did more telling than showing, and as a result I had a hard time staying present with the characters.
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<br/>I wonder if she planned to write a trilogy when she began "Inkheart"... "Inkheart" was just richer and more believable. This book, it seems like there are too many threads and she's having a hard time keeping track of them all. I'm hoping the last book will be better.
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<br/>Finally, I was disturbed by the trials Funke put her characters through. Prison, death threats, kidnappings--the ways the characters handled these, I felt, was unrealistic. I think my opinion would be different if these situations didn't strike so close to home. Why don't any of the characters show symptoms of PTSD? Fighting bad guys just isn't as easy as she made it seem.
  <br/><br/><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/list/275270?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_review">View all my reviews.</a>

Karin's review
rating:

After enjoying "Inkheart," the first book in this trilogy, "Inkspell" was a huge disappointment. First, I thought Meggie's character suffered a tremendous loss in her falling in love with Farid. She became less independent and less self-reliant. Their relationship struck me as unbelievable, as well, which angered me to think of kids leaving this book with the idea that relationships work like Meggie's and Farid's. Writers of young adult fiction should be more responsible! Furthermore, I felt the writing dropped in quality; Funke did more telling than showing, and as a result I had a hard time staying present with the characters.

I wonder if she planned to write a trilogy when she began "Inkheart"... "Inkheart" was just richer and more believable. This book, it seems like there are too many threads and she's having a hard time keeping track of them all. I'm hoping the last book will be better.

Finally, I was disturbed by the trials Funke put...more

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message 1: by Meika

01/02/2008 06:55PM

hm...perhaps I'll just check it out from the library and skim through it. I kind of felt like Inkheart didn't really need a sequel; like the unfinished story threads were places where imaginative readers could fill in gaps and tie their own knots.

you might try reading The Thief Lord, also by Funke...it's my favorite story of hers that I've read. She doesn't lead you quite so close to the brink of dispair in Thief Lord and the story sparkles with imagery.