Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.54 AVERAGE
3.54 AVERAGE
Somewhere around 3.5 stars.
It's rare that I never even get an inkling of how a book is going to end, especially when I've only got around 60 left to go. But I had no idea. I knew Lucy would end up in a library, because that's how the book starts, but I had no other idea.
I kind of... it was meandery, but in a good way. I liked the adventure, the road trip, but I also liked Lucy's constant introspection and doubt. The way finding out about her life, family, and friends would reframe the current situation for her. And I loved the way she tried. so. hard. for Ian.
It's rare that I never even get an inkling of how a book is going to end, especially when I've only got around 60 left to go. But I had no idea. I knew Lucy would end up in a library, because that's how the book starts, but I had no other idea.
I kind of... it was meandery, but in a good way. I liked the adventure, the road trip, but I also liked Lucy's constant introspection and doubt. The way finding out about her life, family, and friends would reframe the current situation for her. And I loved the way she tried. so. hard. for Ian.
I got an ARC from the publisher right before my move, so I just go to this one this week.
Makkai's dated depiction of library-life kind of ruined this one for me. Maybe there are some 26 year old librarians who feel utterly defeated, but 26 year old librarian me was just starting out and totally on fire with library love just a few years ago. And I still am. Lucy didn't seem to be keeping up with contemporary reading trends, either.
Regardless of my qualms of how libraries are shown, I just never became fully immersed in this book. The plot trudged along and I wanted to see how everything would be resolved, but I didn't really care. Lucy is so self-involved and the other characters are not terribly interesting folks. I did like the Russian family themes that haunted Lucy, and I did find her character funny at times. Overall, though, this didn't really go anywhere and things wrapped up a little too tidily for my tastes. Okay.
Makkai's dated depiction of library-life kind of ruined this one for me. Maybe there are some 26 year old librarians who feel utterly defeated, but 26 year old librarian me was just starting out and totally on fire with library love just a few years ago. And I still am. Lucy didn't seem to be keeping up with contemporary reading trends, either.
Regardless of my qualms of how libraries are shown, I just never became fully immersed in this book. The plot trudged along and I wanted to see how everything would be resolved, but I didn't really care. Lucy is so self-involved and the other characters are not terribly interesting folks. I did like the Russian family themes that haunted Lucy, and I did find her character funny at times. Overall, though, this didn't really go anywhere and things wrapped up a little too tidily for my tastes. Okay.
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
I picked up this book due to some research I was doing and the fact that it was about a children's librarian. And while I personally have never felt like kidnapping a child, I felt I could still connect to Miss Hull. I really loved all the little children's lit references too. But I felt a large sense of not knowing how this was going to work out while reading it in a way that unsettled me and while I completely understand it ending the way it did, I felt I wanted something else.
adventurous
emotional
reflective
tense
fast-paced
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Slow, very rarely engaging, the narrator is a pathetic and annoying and says insulting, romanticized and pejorative things about libraries and what they mean. I didn't make it through the whole thing.
emotional
hopeful
sad
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
such a tender heartwarming book written for people who love books!! there were definitely times when I felt like it didn't necessarily have a point, but I loved the writing and the ending redeemed a lot for me.