An odd cast of characters who just get odder towards the end, so odd in fact I had to deliberately stop worrying that they weren't at all real and just enjoy it. Too many things happen for such a short book and too many (all) of the loose ends get tied up. But, the descriptions of the house (especially Isabel's room packed full of furniture), of Otto eating (stuffing his mouth full of greens), the darkness under the trees and alongside the waterfall, and Otto's stone carving studio (a small city) are all wonderful. Worth reading just for these.