yesss, this was amazing! 
 i was kinda shocked when i entered this page and saw all the negative reviews; mainly of this book being preachy . I'm pretty sure those people are missing the point. The story is told as a legend , and it also speaks of personal legends. 
 It reads like a bedtime story for kids full of positivity and promoting the whole follow your heart rhetoric that people seem to forget as they get older. This was a cute reminder that following your heart will always stay relevant. 
 Yes, the book was written simplistic. There is no denying that; but as said before, it is supposed to be a bed time story type legend so it adds to that aesthetic. 
 **spoilers from here on out** 
 The premise of the story was that there is a personal legend for everyone, and by following your heart you will find the treasure. 
 "Remember that wherever your heart is, there you will find your treasure." 
 We were lead through Andalucia, in Southern Spain (my absolute favorite place on this earth!), Morocco (Tanger) and the desert and right to the pyramids in Egypt. 
 The story ends with the treasure not being in Egypt, but right back in Spain, the place where the whole legend started. Because that is where his heart is. He loved his sheep and he loved his existence. He got to travel, his main goal in life. He did not become a Priest, like his parents wanted, because he wanted to see the world, and he could do that as a shepherd. 
 "When each day is the same as the next, it's because people fail to recognize the good things that happen in their lives every day that the sun rises." 
 ^^ I think that is a very important quote to remember. Sometimes when life is bad, or I am in a foreign place, or I am sick, I remember the simple pleasures of life; laying on the couch watching a movie with my dogs or boyfriend next to me, eating delicious snacks. Or simply reading a good book in the sun. 
 The journey we follow in the book is spectacular. Santiago becomes a crystal salesman and serves tea in crystal glasses to earn money. I thought this part was particularly important because it did not state that a treasure will just appear to people without working for it. Wherever you go, you will have to work to get there. You will get robbed (three times, apparently); you will lose faith; war may (temporarily) block your journey. The war in the desert could also be a metaphor for an internal war. Sometimes our own thoughts block us from continuing our journey. But sometimes, even pausing your journey for a moment can lead to great new discoveries (in Santiago's case, it was Fatima). 
 I do wholeheartedly believe there is a soul to the world, but I do not believe everything is pre-determined like this book seems to promote. But that is why it is just a legend to remind you of the important lesson; follow your heart. you will get robbed. fear will get in your way. you will need to work for what you want; but in the end, you will find your treasure (maybe even closer than you thought). 
 So even though the vision of a single soul unified world contradicts my somewhat realistic point of view (where there is still loads of room for art, i believe art unifies us all, and that art is the language of the universe. no matter how corny that may sound. it is the most important thing for me). 
 I will definitely re-read this book when I need a little push in the right direction and so should everyone who is struggling with realizing their dreams or feels stuck in their own world and feels there is nothing out there for them. the book is pure positivity and such a good read! <3