First of all, I was in shock to find there are no reviews of "Momo". Really. A few minutes ago I checked "The Neverending Story" by the same author and there are several hundreds of them. Let me refer to that book before I move on to "Momo".
I saw the film based on "The Neverending Story" and like many wanted to read the novel. Even though I was just around 10 I immediately understood how worthless the movie was compared to that masterpiece. Yes, masterpiece of the same class as those telling stories of Alice, Winnie the Pooh or Peter Pan. Readable at every period of life, it reveals its secrets as you get older.
"Momo" is a book not a bit worse. It is much shorter but just as imaginative and intense.
Its title serves as the name of a strange little girl. She appears in a possibly Italian town wearing a too-big-for-her coat but noone can tell anything about her. She finds herself a place under a ruined amphitheatre and good, even though poor, people bring her food. Local children soon discover how precious a companion that skinny girl is.
Momo does not talk much. She mostly listens, yet thanks to her presence other children and even adults find wisdom, patience, creativity, compassion. For a group of cigarette-smoking, apparently invisible men this is not an acceptable situation. They want to make a deal with the town inhabitants. The transaction seems to be perfectly OK, a bargain even, but there is a catch in it which Momo will be able to see, so she must be taken out of the way.
I cannot reveal more of the plot. You have probably read or watched "The Neverending Story", that is what brought you here. If you want to immerse yourself once again in the vivid world of Michael Ende do it with Momo.
See what great adventure you have been waiting for.