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A review by dullshimmer
Kiki's Delivery Service by Eiko Kadono
4.0
Kiki's Delivery Service is a book I didn't know existed until I watched the film by Miyazaki and saw that it was based on this book. Of course at the time I noticed this it wasn't available in English, but in 2020, it was made available to English readers and we get a cute little book that feels somewhat similar, but also very different than the movie.
They both share the same premise, a young witch is coming of age and must find her own town to live in and make her way in the world. Kiki also ends up in the same town by the sea in both, but the details are very different. There are a number of stories in the book that aren't even in the movie, and the ones that do overlap tend to be a bit more dramatic in the movie than in the book.
The book takes things at a much slower pace and tends to present itself as a series of short stories that take place over the year as Kiki starts her delivery service and makes a name for herself in her new town. They don't tend to be too connected though, other than Kiki getting put into a new challenge that she has to figure out.
The good of the book is that it's a cute book. Kiki is a very likable character, as is her pet cat Jiji. They're fleshed out fairly well. They're funny at times, but also have worries and concerns that they have to work through. It's nothing overly complex, but it makes for a good children's age read.
I guess my biggest problem with the book is that none of the other characters are really developed all that much. You'll meet them, they'll become friends or customers of Kiki, but then you don't really see them all that much. I felt like movie Osano and Tombo were much more developed than the book versions. I guess I just would have liked to see more development of some of the other characters.
Now, I also understand that there are more books in Japan in this series. So maybe that criticism is addressed in future books as Kiki continues to be in her new town and continues to develop relationships, but for this book I just felt like it was missing a bit. Like Mimi, she is a customer and you get introduced to her and she becomes Kiki's friend. However, all you do is hear her mentioned in later chapters, but not really seen or developed.
Now while I'm mentioning this in detail, it's not a huge detractor. I just think that the lack of overarching plot or conflict and the lack of character development just hinders the book a bit. It's still a cute and charming story that I enjoyed, but it's just missing a little something extra.
They both share the same premise, a young witch is coming of age and must find her own town to live in and make her way in the world. Kiki also ends up in the same town by the sea in both, but the details are very different. There are a number of stories in the book that aren't even in the movie, and the ones that do overlap tend to be a bit more dramatic in the movie than in the book.
The book takes things at a much slower pace and tends to present itself as a series of short stories that take place over the year as Kiki starts her delivery service and makes a name for herself in her new town. They don't tend to be too connected though, other than Kiki getting put into a new challenge that she has to figure out.
The good of the book is that it's a cute book. Kiki is a very likable character, as is her pet cat Jiji. They're fleshed out fairly well. They're funny at times, but also have worries and concerns that they have to work through. It's nothing overly complex, but it makes for a good children's age read.
I guess my biggest problem with the book is that none of the other characters are really developed all that much. You'll meet them, they'll become friends or customers of Kiki, but then you don't really see them all that much. I felt like movie Osano and Tombo were much more developed than the book versions. I guess I just would have liked to see more development of some of the other characters.
Now, I also understand that there are more books in Japan in this series. So maybe that criticism is addressed in future books as Kiki continues to be in her new town and continues to develop relationships, but for this book I just felt like it was missing a bit. Like Mimi, she is a customer and you get introduced to her and she becomes Kiki's friend. However, all you do is hear her mentioned in later chapters, but not really seen or developed.
Now while I'm mentioning this in detail, it's not a huge detractor. I just think that the lack of overarching plot or conflict and the lack of character development just hinders the book a bit. It's still a cute and charming story that I enjoyed, but it's just missing a little something extra.