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3.54 AVERAGE
3.54 AVERAGE
2.5
This Publisher's Weekly review really sums it up for me (http://www.publishersweekly.com/978-0-670-02281-6). This book had a lot going for it & was a quick, engaging read, but in the end, felt flat and lackluster.
This Publisher's Weekly review really sums it up for me (http://www.publishersweekly.com/978-0-670-02281-6). This book had a lot going for it & was a quick, engaging read, but in the end, felt flat and lackluster.
I liked this book, which I must have read in like 2015 or so, about a children's librarian and a special child in her library.
This was a fun little book--well, kind of fun, a little dark. The antiheroine protagonist is the daughter of Russians who escaped to America, and she works at the children's desk at a library. One of the library's frequent patrons is a young boy whom she believes is being abused--or at least brainwashed by one of those "Brainwash the Gay" out churches. When he hides overnight in the library, the two of them set out on a road trip--essentially, she kidnaps him. Which she knows. And feels guilty about. But on they go.
A nice touch about this book is that occasionally she would write in the style of popular children's books, such as "Madeleine," "If You Give a Mouse a Cookie," "The House that Jack Built," etc.
This was a fun little book--well, kind of fun, a little dark. The antiheroine protagonist is the daughter of Russians who escaped to America, and she works at the children's desk at a library. One of the library's frequent patrons is a young boy whom she believes is being abused--or at least brainwashed by one of those "Brainwash the Gay" out churches. When he hides overnight in the library, the two of them set out on a road trip--essentially, she kidnaps him. Which she knows. And feels guilty about. But on they go.
A nice touch about this book is that occasionally she would write in the style of popular children's books, such as "Madeleine," "If You Give a Mouse a Cookie," "The House that Jack Built," etc.
adventurous
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
A young children's librarian in a small town in Missouri has a favorite patron, an effeminate and brilliant ten-year-old boy who loves reading but whose parents are evangelical conservatives who place tight controls on what books he's allowed to read. She tries to help him as best she can, but sees him becoming more and more unhappy, and she suspects his mom might be abusing him. Then she finds out he's being sent to a program run by a pastor who claims he can "cure" homosexuality in boys.
This is where the story gets implausible. When the boy runs away and hides in the library, she... kidnaps him. They run away together on a road trip to an unknown destination. The children's librarian is a frustrating character. She knows that what she's doing is wrong and crazy. But she justifies her actions because she can't stand not being able to help him and she finds intolerable the idea of having to watch him as years pass and he gets squashed down and trampled because of his differences, and never grows into the person he deserves to become, the person whose life is changed by books and ideas:
"I believed that books might save him because I knew they had so far, and because I knew the people books had saved. They were college professors and actors and scientists and poets. They got to college and sat on dorm floors drinking coffee, amazed they'd finally found their soul mates. They always dressed a little out of season. Their names were enshrined on the pink cards in the pockets of all the forgotten hardbacks in every library basement in America. If the librarians were lazy enough or nostalgic enough or smart enough, those names would stay there forever.”
I found this book frustrating because I couldn't see how it would end in a realistic way. But I ended up liking it; recommended reading for youth services librarians especially.
This is where the story gets implausible. When the boy runs away and hides in the library, she... kidnaps him. They run away together on a road trip to an unknown destination. The children's librarian is a frustrating character. She knows that what she's doing is wrong and crazy. But she justifies her actions because she can't stand not being able to help him and she finds intolerable the idea of having to watch him as years pass and he gets squashed down and trampled because of his differences, and never grows into the person he deserves to become, the person whose life is changed by books and ideas:
"I believed that books might save him because I knew they had so far, and because I knew the people books had saved. They were college professors and actors and scientists and poets. They got to college and sat on dorm floors drinking coffee, amazed they'd finally found their soul mates. They always dressed a little out of season. Their names were enshrined on the pink cards in the pockets of all the forgotten hardbacks in every library basement in America. If the librarians were lazy enough or nostalgic enough or smart enough, those names would stay there forever.”
I found this book frustrating because I couldn't see how it would end in a realistic way. But I ended up liking it; recommended reading for youth services librarians especially.
adventurous
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
medium-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:
Yes
funny and charming. though this book may not have been realistic, i enjoyed it thoroughly and found its clear passion for books to be relatable but also to serve a purpose in the novel itself. makkai's humor in this book is zany and sharp, and i enjoyed the various interludes that appeared as if they were from the pages of a children's book. i was also quite a fan of the relationship between lucy and ian and how books played a role in that relationship. overall, enjoyed this quite a bit.
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
I read this after reading Ms. Makkai's THE GREAT BELIEVERS, which I loved, and which is a fundamentally different type of book from this one. A librarian more or less incidentally kidnaps a 10-year-old library patron she believes is being persecuted for potential gayness by his evangelical parents. They drive all over the country in her crappy car while having adventures of a sort.
I enjoyed everything that was in the book, but I missed what I'd expected based on the blurb: the librarian has no particular communion with the child beyond having recommended him books, and they never discuss her reason for absconding with him. She hints at it a time or two, but the kid is oblivious. Maybe that's absolutely right. The religious indoctrination the librarian sees as abuse is just going to church for the boy. But I found myself wanting more insight into the child, who was absolutely opaque. Maybe that was the point.
If you're interested in a story about a young librarian that has a lot of Russian cultural flavor slathered on top, this is a very entertaining story.
I enjoyed everything that was in the book, but I missed what I'd expected based on the blurb: the librarian has no particular communion with the child beyond having recommended him books, and they never discuss her reason for absconding with him. She hints at it a time or two, but the kid is oblivious. Maybe that's absolutely right. The religious indoctrination the librarian sees as abuse is just going to church for the boy. But I found myself wanting more insight into the child, who was absolutely opaque. Maybe that was the point.
If you're interested in a story about a young librarian that has a lot of Russian cultural flavor slathered on top, this is a very entertaining story.
"But books, on the other hand: I do believe that books can save you."
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This is a book about an accidental child abduction by a well-meaning, but naive, librarian. I loved reading about Ian, a precocious 10-year-old who reads voraciously. I also liked Lucy the librarian, but that was a little more difficult, given that she doesn't even know what she thinks of herself. The characters, even the ancillary ones, are drawn well, and I found them believable. As others have said, the plot is not super believable, but it makes for an interesting read, and the author does a good job of keeping the reader dialed in.
I (for the most part) liked the questions posed in this book. What role is it appropriate for an adult to play in a child's life? How much do we really know about the people around us? When we are trying to help, are we, really? Be warned, though - some people will find this book preachy, and others may be offended (Ian is taken to classes to ensure his heterosexuality, which Lucy takes serious issue with). I was not offended because it is clear that though Lucy thinks her view on things is the correct one, it is clear that she knows very little about Ian's real life (or anyone else's), and there really may be no dragon for her to slay.
Certain segments of the narrative are structured to read like specific children's books, which I enjoyed. Some were repeated (such as If You Give a Mouse a Cookie). I also liked the writing style in general.
This is a unique read for lovers of library books and quirky adventures.
I (for the most part) liked the questions posed in this book. What role is it appropriate for an adult to play in a child's life? How much do we really know about the people around us? When we are trying to help, are we, really? Be warned, though - some people will find this book preachy, and others may be offended (Ian is taken to classes to ensure his heterosexuality, which Lucy takes serious issue with). I was not offended because it is clear that though Lucy thinks her view on things is the correct one, it is clear that she knows very little about Ian's real life (or anyone else's), and there really may be no dragon for her to slay.
Certain segments of the narrative are structured to read like specific children's books, which I enjoyed. Some were repeated (such as If You Give a Mouse a Cookie). I also liked the writing style in general.
This is a unique read for lovers of library books and quirky adventures.