This book is really weird. After all with a main character named Candy Quackenbush from Chickentown, Minnesota who travels to a mysterious world called the Abarat, you can't exactly expect it to be like any other book. But the story is intriguing and eventually draws you in. The author's imagination is incredible with his ability to invent this new world and strange creatures. However the most fascinating part is the artwork. Barker made 300 paintings before he even wrote the first book. The paintings are fantastic that give you an incredible look into the author's mind. Littered throughout you can view the islands of Abarat and the mysterious characters described in the pages. It added extra pizazz to the novel.