The Prince of Mist by Carlos Ruiz Zafon

Never having read any Ruiz Zafon novels I was unaware of his style. Therefore, I was pleasantly surprised to discover his very gothic nature, here translated into a YA novel. The Prince of Mist was first published in Spain 15 or so years ago and has only recently been published in the US.

The novel opens with the Carver family moving to a small seaside town to escape the war (we don't know which one). Max Carver and his sisters Alicia and Irina find various amusements to entertain themselves, but when Max meets Roland he and Alicia become instant friends with the young and handsome native and he leads them on various adventures around their new town.

The first half of the novel was very eerie with strange discoveries and happenings occurring in their home, including the appearance of an evil cat . The second half of the novel is action packed with life-threatening situations plaguing the Carvers' and Roland. The cause of all of the disturbance in their lives is revealed by Roland's grandfather, the lightkeeper on their coast. He relates the story of an unbelievably strange man who has haunted him since he was a boy and is now intent on destroying Roland. But why? You'll stay up much too late to discover the secret of The Prince of Mist.