I will begin by stating that this is not a book for children. It is macabre in places and some of the concepts dealt with, I feel, would be too complex for children to understand. I think older teens would be able to gets to grips with it though.
Kraken is an urban fantasy set in London. As the title may suggest a lot of it revolves around giant squid. It's a beautifully crafted story filled with realistic characters that you will come to care for.

The writing itself -

Mieville has a very fluid writing style which means there is very little filler to contend with. Things happen in this book - things happen to the characters that make them develop. The descriptions are well thought through and there are very few cliches to contend with. Mieville includes a couple of pop culture references that the reader will get.

However, the writing can be heavy in some places and I did find words that I had never come across before. It is very macabre in places which may put some people off. However, these scenes are not forced in and instead add a layer to the characters in question.


Overall?

If you like reading something that is a little different, give Kraken a go. I thoroughly enjoyed it and will be re-reading it again. The locations in London were well researched and you may even recognise some of the places mentioned. I really enjoyed Mieville's writing style as it was very fluid and he is very good at bringing loose ends together. I will warn you that Kraken is macabre in places, especially in regards to the characters Goss and Subby. However, do not let this deter you as it adds another layer to the narrative and they are not shoe-horned in but rather woven in with great care.

Also on Ciao! under the same username :)