Common Sense Media Review
By Michael Berry
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Gothic tale set in Barcelona raises goosebumps.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 12+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
What's the Story?
While exploring the back streets of Barcelona in the late 1970s and escaping the drudgery of his boarding school, 15-year-old Oscar Drai discovers a mysterious residence occupied by a girl named Marina and her sickly father, German. Marina takes Oscar to a cemetery, where they witness a macabre ritual that takes place on the final Sunday of each month: A woman dressed in a black shroud places a single rose on an unmarked grave. From that encounter, the children embark on a hair-raising adventure that takes them into a mysterious labyrinth beneath the city's streets and embroils them in a tale of corruption and tragedy that harks back three decades.
Is It Any Good?
MARINA is a novel that indulges in big themes and sweeping gestures. Its plot is fairly implausible, but author Carlos Ruiz Zafon gets away with its preposterousness through sheer conviction and manipulative emotion. Fans of gothic literature will appreciate its themes of madness, doomed love, and scientific experiments gone awry, and the final chapters are likely to bring a tear to the eye.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about what "gothic literature" means. Why do you think the genre has remained popular for so many decades?
When people refer to a book as a "cult classic," what do they mean? Can a book's reputation change over time?
What other horror novels have you read? How does this one compare?
Book Details
- Author :
- Genre : Horror
- Topics : Fantasy ( Magic ) , Adventures , Friendship
- Book type : Fiction
- Publisher : Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
- Publication date : July 22, 2014
- Publisher's recommended age(s) : 12 - 18
- Number of pages : 336
- Available on : Nook, Audiobook (unabridged), Hardback, Apple Books, Kindle
- Last updated : October 1, 2025
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