Title: Surprisingly Bland...
Review: I began reading the book with great expectations, but was quickly let down. For whatever reason (don't know if it's the translation or the author's overall storytelling), the book never catches fire. What should be a grand adventure just falls flat. For all that goes on, Funke just can't seem to generate any real sense of excitement or danger necessary for an adventure story, nor does she manage to envoke any real sense of wonder necessary for a fantasy story. It's a sweet story, but so bland in it's execution that it fails to satisfy. The only thing the book really did for me was spark an interest in Venice. Young readers less jaded than I may find the book entertaining, but for me it was, more often than not, a bore.
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