Well, that was a letdown. I really don't know what all the hype is about this one. Most part of the story felt like random, eventually misleading events. First half of the book it seemed like the author was building up to something; second half of the book was a hurried mess. 
 What bothered me the most was the lack of reasons behind everything. Second thing that bothered me the most was the unrelatedness of so many sections of the plot (view spoiler)[ Why introducing Howl's family? Was it necessary to include in the story a portal to the real world's Wales? Why introducing Wizard Suliman if he wasn't really gonna take any part in the story? Same thing with the whole Prince disappearance thing. It didn't add much to the story. I honestly think the author just wanted some filler characters to marry off their characters with, which seems cheap to me in more than one way. Do we really need that trite idea that getting a man is the equivalent to a happy ending? And if you're gonna have such a lovey dovey ending at least give the reader some freaking relationship development! Sophie falling for Howl was so out of the blue, man. And Sophie's magical powers didn't ever make much sense to me either. Looking back, there was so little character development all around the story. (hide spoiler)] 
 I would recommend this to a novice reader that doesn't mind having a bunch of loose ends.