Inkheart by Cornelia Funke

Synopsis:

One cruel night, Meggie's father reads aloud from a book called INKHEART-- and an evil ruler escapes the boundaries of fiction and lands in their living room. Suddenly, Meggie is smack in the middle of the kind of adventure she has only read about in books. Meggie must learn to harness the magic that has conjured this nightmare. For only she can change the course of the story that has changed her life forever.

This is INKHEART--a timeless tale about books, about imagination, about life. Dare to read it aloud.

Twelve-year-old Meggie learns that her father, who repairs and binds books for a living, can "read" fictional characters to life when one of those characters abducts them and tries to force him into service.

Review by Patrick:

I got to listen to this book driving to and from work in audio book format. The book was read by Lynn Redgrave, who did a fantastic job with it. I wish I could make my voice do that many impressions and accents. I always envy the performers of audio books. They always do a great job.

From the first chapter, you know that the author is a lover of books. The words chosen are very carefully picked from a field or possibilities, but like a florist, each word is carefully placed in its proper place, giving the whole arrangement a beauty that no single word could have on its own. Every book lover's dream is come true with this book. It made me want to giggle and show everyone, "This is why I love books. Right here. Read it."

Fantastic story. Who would ever think about a tongue that could bring words to life. The story was great. I felt a part of the world that was created. And these characters that were plucked by their own story was in shock, but stayed true to their book character, no matter what world they were in.

This work was pure genius. I loved it. I can't wait to read/listen to the rest of the trilogy. I give it a 4.5.

Up Next:

Book 2 of this trilogy: Inkspell.