Zafón wrote this story with young readers in mind and hoped it would also appeal to older readers whether aged '23 or 40 or 83'. I read the book with this in mind. Zafón was successful - I found this a quick, but enjoyable read.

As expected, the storytelling is linear and fairly straight forward, yet the author creates a dramatic and evocative atmosphere with very little description... Despite its quick pace and action-based plot, the book is also unnervingly spooky (even for an adult). This took me completely by surprise!

A number of dark motifs and scenes wil most definitely stay with me (ueber-creepy!) ... The more adult [b:The Shadow of the Wind|1232|The Shadow of the Wind (The Cemetery of Forgotten Books, #1)|Carlos Ruiz Zafón|https://d2arxad8u2l0g7.cloudfront.net/books/1344545047s/1232.jpg|3209783] had the same effect on me. Zafón really knows how to get under your skin (shudder).

I would recommend this book as a creepy, evocative adventure for young readers and those who are young at heart