As I say, I think Zaf?n writes well, but for what audience I am not sure. From early on I wondered to myself, am I reading Young Adult fiction here but have simply not been told? Some of the content challenged this impression, but only just - the sex just a shade too much, the violence just a little prolonged, perhaps one relationship reveal a touch beyond the pale - while otherwise it seemed comfortably, even admirably appropriate for younger readers, exposing them to a coming of age story wrapped in a rich and unfamiliar world and a worthy bound beyond the fare of Harry Potter. In the author bio, I find that Zaf?n published four successful YA novels prior to this one - and that is I think what this is, cleverly marketed to the rest of the adult world as an accessible romantic thriller.