Abarat is a one-of-a-kind fantasy start that begins with flawless writing. This author has style, and doesn't feel the need to flaunt his writing with big words or challenging text, in fact, he illustrates the books with beautiful, strange oil paintings, more than fifty that help illustrate the strange but magical taste of his new world he designed. The only down fall, and trust me, the ONLY, is the pacing needs to be worked on. The pacing is slow at times, even at the exciting bits, otherwise, this book is pith-perfect. I love the characters that are dynamic and original. The story tells of a girl named Candy Quackenbush who has a acholic father who lives in Cickentown a boring place in the u.s. She then finds herself in Abarat, a whole new world where strange things are a foot. A darkness that plans to take over Abarat. Candy must save Abarat. The violence includes Candy's father who pushes her and swears at her. Also people fight each other, and a character beats his slave. Candy is in peril all through the book, even in her school and her home. Barker has a crazy mind, but proves to be creative, which is cool to see. I loved this book, and I'v already picked up the sequel from the library. I loved it! I can't wait to read the sequel. I recommend it for people who are fans of fantasy, or just for people who love books. Its awesome!

Humble beginnings offer the wildest possibilities. Wonderfully described, believable, true-to-life characters, some of them outrageously fictitious, make choices true to the story. Good guys surprise you by demonstrating maturity, honesty, loyalty and sacrifice. Bad guys fall prey to their character flaws. I read this with my daughters (10 and 12)and we all loved it. We eagerly await number three.

This has to be one of my favorite books ever, it never fails to entertain me! cant wait for the third!