I'm a huge fan of the Ghibli film based on this book and so was highly anticipating reading it to see how it differed. I enjoyed the characters from start to finish and found the insight into Sophie's mind interesting. Though much of the book is the same as the film, the differences in the plot and characters do give a different vibe. It was definitely a fun, simple read and it never felt like a chore to get through. Although middle grade book are usually not for me, this may have convinced me to try some more. My only reason for not giving 5 stars is just for me personally it didn't have the wow factor I would need to give it that higher rating.