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missnatalieann's review
4.0
I really liked this book. Magical realism is my favorite genre to read, I love the idea that there could be magic in the real world that just not everyone knows about. Parts of this story were easy for me to figure out ahead of the reveal but that didn't take anything away from the story for me. (I am a person who definitely likes to know what is happening in a story as quickly as possible.) Overall I enjoyed the story and trying to fit everything together and solve the mystery. I liked the different narrators and hearing the different perspectives of the same story being told by each of the characters. I am definitely left with some questions, but that's ok, I don't think everything needs to be answered.
screamingphoenix405's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
neurodivengeance's review against another edition
Flat story, dreadful pacing, abysmally read. I stuck it out this long because The Book of M is one of the best books I’ve ever read & I kept thinking surely its author couldn’t write something this bland & rote after something that compelling & unforgettable - but now it’s at a point where I’d rather concede that this book isn’t for me than continue in the hopes that it might improve.
frenchleigh's review
4.0
I went to the woods for an English program once and a man taught me how to read maps. He said, “when the map and the world conflict, the world is right.” (If you know, you know). But what if the map is right instead?
This is the kind of book where everybody is somebody and everything is highly predictable and despite that I enjoyed it a lot. I give the first 90% of the book 5 stars. It’s well paced, magical and does justice to a big cast of characters.
My complaints are that the ending was a bit weaker than the rest of the book and I really disagreed with the moral structure of this world- people got blamed for things I didn’t think they were to blame for.
This is the kind of book where everybody is somebody and everything is highly predictable and despite that I enjoyed it a lot. I give the first 90% of the book 5 stars. It’s well paced, magical and does justice to a big cast of characters.
My complaints are that the ending was a bit weaker than the rest of the book and I really disagreed with the moral structure of this world- people got blamed for things I didn’t think they were to blame for.
mrossow's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
arielleb148's review
5.0
“she could hardly fathom it. this was academia, for crying out loud. rivals wrote counterarguments and published rebuttal papers. they didn’t kill.”
when famed cartographer dr. daniel young is found dead with a seemingly worthless map hidden in his desk, his daughter nell can’t resist investigating. to her surprise, she soon discovers she may have the only copy of the map left in existence, since a “mysterious collector” has been destroying all other copies. nell embarks on a dangerous journey to answer her ever growing list of questions regarding the map, but also uncover her dark family history.
i really had no idea what to expect from this book, but it honestly surpassed all my wildest hopes. there’s so many layers and nuances to this book i feel like i need to read it again to appreciate them all. nell’s determination is so admirable and i was rooting for her the whole time. it honestly felt like i WAS her sometimes, with how hard i was trying to piece together the mystery.
about halfway through the book, things really take a turn, and i can’t say much without spoiling it, but from reading reviews i’ve gathered that a lot of people didn’t like it. for awhile, i wasn’t sure how i felt about it either, but the more i thought about it, the more i really liked it. i have no interest in cartography whatsoever but this book gave me so much respect for the field and made me look at maps in such a different way. and the characters do make some decisions that are questionable, but again, i think the more you sit and think about them, the more they make sense.
the second to last chapter had me thinking i was going to hate the ending, but the last two pages made me LOVE it. i think that was the perfect way to end it. it reminded me a lot of the addie larue ending. felix and nell are also just very similar to addie and henry, i think.
also the fact that this was based on a true story? so cool.
even if you don’t typically read mysteries, i HIGHLY recommend at least giving this one a shot. it’s so well-written and honestly has transformed me into a mystery stan. there so many twists and turns and the multiple povs keep the book interesting from start to finish. i can tell peng shepherd did a lot of research for this book and just poured a whole lot of love into it. i loved it.
when famed cartographer dr. daniel young is found dead with a seemingly worthless map hidden in his desk, his daughter nell can’t resist investigating. to her surprise, she soon discovers she may have the only copy of the map left in existence, since a “mysterious collector” has been destroying all other copies. nell embarks on a dangerous journey to answer her ever growing list of questions regarding the map, but also uncover her dark family history.
i really had no idea what to expect from this book, but it honestly surpassed all my wildest hopes. there’s so many layers and nuances to this book i feel like i need to read it again to appreciate them all. nell’s determination is so admirable and i was rooting for her the whole time. it honestly felt like i WAS her sometimes, with how hard i was trying to piece together the mystery.
about halfway through the book, things really take a turn, and i can’t say much without spoiling it, but from reading reviews i’ve gathered that a lot of people didn’t like it. for awhile, i wasn’t sure how i felt about it either, but the more i thought about it, the more i really liked it. i have no interest in cartography whatsoever but this book gave me so much respect for the field and made me look at maps in such a different way. and the characters do make some decisions that are questionable, but again, i think the more you sit and think about them, the more they make sense.
the second to last chapter had me thinking i was going to hate the ending, but the last two pages made me LOVE it. i think that was the perfect way to end it. it reminded me a lot of the addie larue ending. felix and nell are also just very similar to addie and henry, i think.
also the fact that this was based on a true story? so cool.
even if you don’t typically read mysteries, i HIGHLY recommend at least giving this one a shot. it’s so well-written and honestly has transformed me into a mystery stan. there so many twists and turns and the multiple povs keep the book interesting from start to finish. i can tell peng shepherd did a lot of research for this book and just poured a whole lot of love into it. i loved it.
mws's review
adventurous
informative
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
suvata's review
3.0
• ModernMrsDarcy.com #MMD book club pick for August 2022 #MMDBookClub
• ModernMrsDarcy.com 2022 Summer Reading Guide #MMDSummerReading #MMDBookClub
•#StoryGraph: fiction literary magical realism thriller adventurous mysterious medium-paced
400 pages | first published 2022
From the critically acclaimed author of The Book of M, a highly imaginative thriller about a young woman who discovers that a strange map in her deceased father’s belongings holds an incredible, deadly secret—one that will lead her on an extraordinary adventure and to the truth about her family’s dark history.
What is the purpose of a map?
Nell Young’s whole life and greatest passion is cartography. Her father, Dr. Daniel Young, is a legend in the field, and Nell’s personal hero. But she hasn't seen or spoken to him ever since he cruelly fired her and destroyed her reputation after an argument over an old, cheap gas station highway map.
But when Dr. Young is found dead in his office at the New York Public Library, with the very same seemingly worthless map hidden in his desk, Nell can’t resist investigating. To her surprise, she soon discovers that the map is incredibly valuable, and also exceedingly rare. In fact, she may now have the only copy left in existence… because a mysterious collector has been hunting down and destroying every last one—along with anyone who gets in the way.
But why?
To answer that question, Nell embarks on a dangerous journey to reveal a dark family secret, and discover the true power that lies in maps...
• ModernMrsDarcy.com 2022 Summer Reading Guide #MMDSummerReading #MMDBookClub
•#StoryGraph: fiction literary magical realism thriller adventurous mysterious medium-paced
400 pages | first published 2022
From the critically acclaimed author of The Book of M, a highly imaginative thriller about a young woman who discovers that a strange map in her deceased father’s belongings holds an incredible, deadly secret—one that will lead her on an extraordinary adventure and to the truth about her family’s dark history.
What is the purpose of a map?
Nell Young’s whole life and greatest passion is cartography. Her father, Dr. Daniel Young, is a legend in the field, and Nell’s personal hero. But she hasn't seen or spoken to him ever since he cruelly fired her and destroyed her reputation after an argument over an old, cheap gas station highway map.
But when Dr. Young is found dead in his office at the New York Public Library, with the very same seemingly worthless map hidden in his desk, Nell can’t resist investigating. To her surprise, she soon discovers that the map is incredibly valuable, and also exceedingly rare. In fact, she may now have the only copy left in existence… because a mysterious collector has been hunting down and destroying every last one—along with anyone who gets in the way.
But why?
To answer that question, Nell embarks on a dangerous journey to reveal a dark family secret, and discover the true power that lies in maps...
hannahbrinckley's review
4.0
I found the mystery of the book very engaging. There were parts that felt like they were supposed to be a twist but I saw it coming. However, the storytelling was good enough that I didn’t mind the few predictable parts. I would have liked the ending to be expanded a bit. Felt a bit rushed in the end, but that’s my only complaint.