Reviews with content warning for Fire/Fire injury - The Lost Library

Super cute story filled with loveable characters, an easy storyline and great writing. A light mystery that explores a small town, and lets the reader revel in a shared nostalgia.

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rachelkreadsbookz's review against another edition

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hopeful lighthearted mysterious fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.25

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khakipantsofsex's review against another edition

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lighthearted medium-paced

3.5

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beepbeep101's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional hopeful lighthearted mysterious reflective sad 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? No

4.0

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ezwolf's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful mysterious reflective fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

This was a nice, short read about a lost library, the boy who’s trying to find it, a cat, some ghosts, and a handful of mice. I was not expecting this mysterious middle grade book to give me so many emotions, but the end did have me tearing up a bit!

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thrym's review against another edition

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hopeful lighthearted mysterious 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? It's complicated

4.0

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ashleysills's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

What a sweet book! I absolutely loved the unique POV characters and their individual stories, which all came together beautifully in the end.

The Lost Library is what I would consider a cozy middle-grade mystery. Narrated by Mortimer the cat, Evan the boy, and Al the ghost, each character each character overcomes their own struggles as they solve the mystery of why the library in their town burned down 20 years ago. And solving that mystery might uncover more of the truth than they ever expected.

I've never read a book quite like this. It spoke to my introverted, tender-hearted, book-loving soul and had so many empowering truths that even young readers will appreciate.

One of my favorite quotes: "Being a Great Reader has nothing to do with reading great sophisticated books, or reading great long books, or even with reading a great many books. Being a Great Reader means feeling something about books." (Note: these words are still subject to change)

I highly recommend this book to middle-grade kids and kids at heart everywhere, especially those who are a little more shy and unsure of themselves. This book is definitely for them. 💜

Thank you to Macmillan and NetGalley for the digital ARC of this book. It will release on 8/29/23.

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rachel_from_avid_bookshop's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful mysterious sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

5.0

The Lost Library by Rebecca Stead and Wendy Mass is a middle-grade mystery that celebrates the power of a good book. Evan has grown up in a town without a library and none of the adults talk about the fire that destroyed such a beloved place. A librarian, a cat, a few ghosts, and a handful of mice put in motion an unraveling of a collective puzzle that may make you gasp! Highly recommend.

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