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raquelcanread's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
mysterious
fast-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? Yes
3.0
Pretty entertaining! Gave me da vinci code/ national treasure vibes. If it gets picked up for a film it could be a cool adventure movie!!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Abandonment, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, Death of parent, Mass/school shootings, and Murder
amandabcook's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Death of parent
Moderate: Abandonment, Toxic friendship, Murder, and Fire/Fire injury
ecn's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
If this sounds like the book for you (and you’re also into books that are way too long and don’t care about specific incorrect details) then you’ll probably like it. Though, I can’t say the same for me.
The book was fine enough, especially if you have a lot of time on your hands and choose to read the audiobook instead. However, there were so many details (about geography and institutions specifically!!!) that I could not get past that I found laughable. While these come down to editing errors… you’d think an author would do a bit more research prior? Specifically, the geography that they describe the Catskills being as well as the house that all the friends stayed at (especially on regard to where NYC is is not at all correct). Additionally, unless I misread/misheard, the author describes the one friend as working (initially) as *University of Pennsylvania* and then later continuously refer to it later as Penn State which is…. Absolutely NOT the same institution. Maybe it’s standing out to me more bc I live in PA but it’s laughable to mix up UPenn and Penn State (the first being an Ivy League school and the other being an overreaching party school with too-committed football fans).
In terms of the story, it was fine. Way too long and could have been easily shortened. I also found the love story of the MC and her ex to be boring and did not care about their plot point at all. So he lost his dream job bc of the MC’s father… who also destroyed the MC’s career….? Seems like something you can work through if you’re as obsessed and in love as you were ten years ago. Also, I found the antagonist’s purpose to be absolutely ridiculous and not at all believable.
I also wish we would have found out more about the maps themselves !! Where did they come from? Was this the case for all maps with a hidden throw off and if not, why? I need there to be a sequel just for the sake of the author answering questions and fixing plot holes. This book is fine but good if you have a lot of time to waste and don’t care about specifics.
The book was fine enough, especially if you have a lot of time on your hands and choose to read the audiobook instead. However, there were so many details (about geography and institutions specifically!!!) that I could not get past that I found laughable. While these come down to editing errors… you’d think an author would do a bit more research prior? Specifically, the geography that they describe the Catskills being as well as the house that all the friends stayed at (especially on regard to where NYC is is not at all correct). Additionally, unless I misread/misheard, the author describes the one friend as working (initially) as *University of Pennsylvania* and then later continuously refer to it later as Penn State which is…. Absolutely NOT the same institution. Maybe it’s standing out to me more bc I live in PA but it’s laughable to mix up UPenn and Penn State (the first being an Ivy League school and the other being an overreaching party school with too-committed football fans).
In terms of the story, it was fine. Way too long and could have been easily shortened. I also found the love story of the MC and her ex to be boring and did not care about their plot point at all. So he lost his dream job bc of the MC’s father… who also destroyed the MC’s career….? Seems like something you can work through if you’re as obsessed and in love as you were ten years ago. Also, I found the antagonist’s purpose to be absolutely ridiculous and not at all believable.
I also wish we would have found out more about the maps themselves !! Where did they come from? Was this the case for all maps with a hidden throw off and if not, why? I need there to be a sequel just for the sake of the author answering questions and fixing plot holes. This book is fine but good if you have a lot of time to waste and don’t care about specifics.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Death
anika222's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
Super fun, unique story and world building, great cast of characters with a great found family and bio family elements. Some parts were predictable but most of it was unexpected.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death and Death of parent
caseythereader's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
- THE CARTOGRAPHERS is part mystery, part ode to libraries and curation. I was drawn in right from the start, happily along for the ride as this strange tale unraveled.
- To be honest, I could see where the plot was going pretty much the whole time, but Shepherd's writing was so cozy and the characters so real that it didn't matter if I figured it out before they did.
- This is the kind of book that I would love to see turned into a movie: the mechanics of the unreality elements would lend themselves so perfectly to the screen. So would the plot twists, tbh, but I won't give those away here!
- To be honest, I could see where the plot was going pretty much the whole time, but Shepherd's writing was so cozy and the characters so real that it didn't matter if I figured it out before they did.
- This is the kind of book that I would love to see turned into a movie: the mechanics of the unreality elements would lend themselves so perfectly to the screen. So would the plot twists, tbh, but I won't give those away here!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Gun violence, Infidelity, Abandonment, Blood, Death, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, and Murder
idun_aurora's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
It was a slow start, but damn, it got really, really good!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Gun violence, Murder, Death, Infidelity, Stalking, and Violence
tamara_joy's review against another edition
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Murder, Infidelity, Death of parent, Death, and Grief
taelights's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
2.5
I started off really loving this book so I'm a bit disappointed that it went so downhill for me by the end.
The first half quarter of the book was honestly so good. I was so drawn in by the story and the mystery and the characters. But towards the halfway point I thought the story had grown very repetitive and boring. I was kind of desperate for it to be over so I could move onto another book which is never a good thing.
Also by the halfway point I had already guessed the two biggest twists in the story so I didn't really feel surprised at all when either of them were revealed. I was just like "oh okay cool I was right" but not even in a satisfying way.
I thought the ending was super unsatisfying and a bit too open ended for my tastes at least.
Also I felt like a lot of the sacrifices and choices made by the characters were just dumb and unjustified.
Wally's whole motivation made no sense to me and his actions were so extreme. Like turning into a serial killer just to protect the secret of this town??? And for what reason??? Literally makes no sense to me still. Also Tam deciding to live in the Agloe for multiple decades just felt pointless. Like what person would give up their whole life with a loving husband and a tobbler just for some town even if it was a secret town. Turning the husband you are supposed to love into a single parent when you could idk just call the police and/or run away. Also Swan's death was overly dramatic and I thought it added nothing to the story.
Honestly the idea of the book really interested me but the execution of it was disappointing. Most of the characters fell flat and were unbelievable to me. The story also felt underdeveloped and had a few obvious plot holes. Plus the world building just wasn't it and left me with so many questions.
The first half quarter of the book was honestly so good. I was so drawn in by the story and the mystery and the characters. But towards the halfway point I thought the story had grown very repetitive and boring. I was kind of desperate for it to be over so I could move onto another book which is never a good thing.
Also by the halfway point I had already guessed the two biggest twists in the story so I didn't really feel surprised at all when either of them were revealed. I was just like "oh okay cool I was right" but not even in a satisfying way.
I thought the ending was super unsatisfying and a bit too open ended for my tastes at least.
Also I felt like a lot of the sacrifices and choices made by the characters were just dumb and unjustified.
Honestly the idea of the book really interested me but the execution of it was disappointing. Most of the characters fell flat and were unbelievable to me. The story also felt underdeveloped and had a few obvious plot holes. Plus the world building just wasn't it and left me with so many questions.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Infidelity, and Murder
nixiedixie's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
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? Yes
4.75
it was a beautiful book with an amazing premise. the story unfolded nicely in my opinion and it was a very fun read. the ending felt slightly rushed, though (i just wished for a little more and the end left me feeling sad and disappointed, as if something was missing). it would have been great to have some kind of epilogue, even one page, just to show the new dynamics in place and to see the characters after the events but unfortunately, the book ends on a slightly positive note and then nothing.
overall it was a great book and i enjoyed it very much! it was an entertaining read. unfortunately, the end just didn't do it for me.
overall it was a great book and i enjoyed it very much! it was an entertaining read. unfortunately, the end just didn't do it for me.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death of parent and Death
jpisano's review against another edition
adventurous
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? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Death of parent, and Murder
Moderate: Violence and Fire/Fire injury