Reviews - The Borrower | The StoryGraph

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776 reviews for:

The Borrower

Rebecca Makkai

3.54 AVERAGE

allenos's review against another edition

3.5

adventurous reflective medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

itsflorence's review against another edition

5.0

funny hopeful reflective medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Loveable characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

millyferg's review against another edition

3.0

I liked this novel for the literary references it made. I like it as a librarian & the silliness that Librarians go through. I recognize what the author was trying to do with how the story was structured. Chapter 8 is a must read for all librarians.

Overall this book is a story about a 20 something librarian who realizes she doesnt like where her life is going and basically allows a ten year old to dictate a road trip because of reasons.I feel like this book was anti-climatic? Was it because the author wasnt trying to push an agenda, but at the same time they kinda were?
Honestly, I want to know more about her family & I think the story would have been more fun if that route was expanded.

I much preferred reading this to listening.
This really should be 2 stars but since I did like for all the book and librarian stuff it gets three.

team_worm's review against another edition

3.0

funny hopeful sad slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Complicated

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

ktierney's review against another edition

3.0

funny lighthearted 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

jana6240's review against another edition

2.75

medium-paced

tigerknitting's review against another edition

4.0

Continuing with books I read from our Overdrive site, this book is by Rebecca Makkai, the author of The Hundred Year House. I liked that one enough to read another of her's-The Borrower.

The story is told by Lucy Hull, a children's librarian. Her favorite patron is Ian Drake. Ian loves to read, but his strict family wants to tightly control what he reads. One Sunday, Lucy goes in to work early only to find that Ian has spent the night in the library and is intent on running away. After a series of questionable decisions on Lucy's part the two take off towards Chicago and points East. It is a highly amusing road trip, with lots of characters along the way.

The book asks the larger question of how involved should adults be when they think that parents are, even unintentionally, harming their children. How do they support a child when that child is not becoming what the parents imagined, and the parents are trying to fit a round child into a square hole. It was definitely thought provoking.