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776 reviews for:

The Borrower

Rebecca Makkai

3.54 AVERAGE


This was quirky. Lucy Hull is a children's librarian with a special relationship with 10 year old Ian. Ian is a voracious reader with a wide variety of interests not always associated with stereotypical boy interests. His parents are worried and have enrolled him in religious anti-gay classes which he hates. Lucy allows herself to be talked into helping him run away (temporarily). Their trip would never happen in real life and the anti-gay folk are painted here with too narrow a brush. But I understand the librarian's sentiment and I especially liked the little vignettes she writes where she uses the rythmn of well-known children's stories (Good Night Moon, The Very Hungry Caterpillar etc.) to advance the story.

I got this book for the literary references, but Lucy's refusal to actually DO anything made me furious, so I just couldn't enjoy this one.

Es ist gut geschrieben und lustig, aber das Thema hat mich gelangweilt und ich mochte keinen der beiden Protagonisten und fand ihre Entscheidungen nicht nachvollziehbar. Man muss die Hauptfiguren nicht immer mögen, um ein Buch gut zu finden, daher kann ich mir vorstellen, es in der Zukunft irgendwann noch einmal zu versuchen und auch mehr von dieser Autorin zu lesen. Daher auch drei Sterne, obwohl ich bei 40% abgebrochen habe und mich einem anderen Buch zugewandt habe.

Weird premise but i really didn’t get the whole bit about the rash.
adventurous reflective tense fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

📚🪪🚙⛪☕📼⚖️

I loved this book. Just the fact that the author addresses how someone with no MLS can be working as a librarian is a triumph, really. So many good things happening here, about the stories we love, the stories we tell ourselves, the ways we predict our own futures. Just terrific.
adventurous emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective tense medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Kennt das Buch irgendjemand? Ich habe es zufällig in der Bibliothek gefunden und mich wundert, dass die Buch Community es noch nicht für sich entdeckt hat. Schließlich geht es um eine rebellische Bibliothekarin und einen jungen Leser, der Zuflucht in Büchern sucht. All das gipfelt in einem Roadtrip durch die USA, begleitet von mafiösen Familienvergangenheiten. Kurzweilig, herzlich und ulkig.
adventurous hopeful lighthearted fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

4.5 - read this so fast!!