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mrossow's review
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 against another edition
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 against another edition
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 against another edition
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 against another edition
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.
bmuertz's review against another edition
challenging
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.75
This is partially not my jam but also partially hard to wrap my head around the lore of how the “secret town” works. Something just doesn’t add up about the whole plot line of what’s special about this place. Is it for everyone? Why keep it secret? I don’t get it.
nikkigbn's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
rootie's review against another edition
3.0
Unfortunately, the book was 5 stars until it slowly started to unravel and lost its spark. I feel bad for giving this book 3 stars, but I genuinely think it deserves it in this state.
I was so excited seeing a fantastical book on cartography and genuinely interested and intrigued as to how the author would weave the book together.
The first half of the book was everything I had hoped for when I had picked up this book. A map, last of its kind, brimming with secrets and value, which placed the keeper of it, in the sights of enemies hunting it down. The mix of murder and mystery kept me captivated and the feeling of the main character being watched and hunted kept the stakes high and the tension on max. I loved the idea of phantom settlements in maps becoming real places as long as someone followed the map to get there.
However, the second half of the book became bland and frustrating very quickly.
I think the author had too many characters to try and breathe life into, and because of this they felt very surface level. What you see is what you get. The antagonist was very obvious from the start of the book. I understand that the author was trying to convey that the secret of the map brought out the worst of each member of the group, but I think we spent more than an eternity detailing each betrayal which I felt could have been boiled down to a few chapters if need be.
I'm all for having additional backstory and understanding, but I dreaded reading the extended drama for half the book when the real magic of the story is put on the sidelines.
I was so excited seeing a fantastical book on cartography and genuinely interested and intrigued as to how the author would weave the book together.
The first half of the book was everything I had hoped for when I had picked up this book. A map, last of its kind, brimming with secrets and value, which placed the keeper of it, in the sights of enemies hunting it down. The mix of murder and mystery kept me captivated and the feeling of the main character being watched and hunted kept the stakes high and the tension on max. I loved the idea of phantom settlements in maps becoming real places as long as someone followed the map to get there.
However, the second half of the book became bland and frustrating very quickly.
I think the author had too many characters to try and breathe life into, and because of this they felt very surface level. What you see is what you get. The antagonist was very obvious from the start of the book. I understand that the author was trying to convey that the secret of the map brought out the worst of each member of the group, but I think we spent more than an eternity detailing each betrayal which I felt could have been boiled down to a few chapters if need be.
I'm all for having additional backstory and understanding, but I dreaded reading the extended drama for half the book when the real magic of the story is put on the sidelines.