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3.54 AVERAGE
3.54 AVERAGE
A really special book that was about so many things, especially literature. This odd little book was about music, Russia, conversion therapy, and human nature. It was quite different, and ultimately satisfying. Or at least, I like to think so.
I enjoyed this book. The author has a very clear voice and the characters are rich and well-drawn, if one or two may seem to be a bit of a stereotype. The best way to describe the story, I think, would be to call it a youth fiction book for grown-ups.
This book is about a children's librarian and a 10 year old boy. The boy is a passionate reader, and is probably gay. His mother tries to censor what he reads, and sends him to an evangelical class to make him heterosexual. When the boy runs away to the library, the librarian helps him, and essentially kidnaps him. What makes this book great--the references to children's literature, the reverence with which it treats reading, and the growing, learning, and forgiving process of the librarian. It took me to the end to appreciate what a great book it is.
Clever and wordy, this is a book that pulls from classic literature of all categories. It is a book that uses writing and book tropes to write a book. The writing is clever, but also lengthy. The ending brings things full circle in a way I wouldn’t have guessed.
Lucy, a children's librarian, somehow ends up kidnapping Ian, a 10 yr old who ran away from home. They go on a 6 day drive across the country and he eventually goes back home by bus, never telling that it was Lucy he was with
This book leaves me very conflicted. If you are a reader and have an appreciation for what good YA fiction can mean to a developing young person, you will love the literary references throughout the story. If you are a person who believes that acceptance of those who are different is a core value you'll love how Lucy stands up for and in her own way nurtures Ian.
However, I'm still stuck with the implausibility of the plot....a seemingly mentally stable, responsible 26 year old Kidnaps or aids in the running away of a 10 year old, driving him first to Chicago, then to Pittsburgh, then to Vermont before finally putting him on a bus back to Hannibal, Missouri, with no repercussions and a neat tidy ending....willing suspension of disbelief is definitely required.
I wanted to love this book, as I love each character and the entire "moral of the story", but it was all too far-fetched. That said, I'll definitely read the next book by this author.
However, I'm still stuck with the implausibility of the plot....a seemingly mentally stable, responsible 26 year old Kidnaps or aids in the running away of a 10 year old, driving him first to Chicago, then to Pittsburgh, then to Vermont before finally putting him on a bus back to Hannibal, Missouri, with no repercussions and a neat tidy ending....willing suspension of disbelief is definitely required.
I wanted to love this book, as I love each character and the entire "moral of the story", but it was all too far-fetched. That said, I'll definitely read the next book by this author.
Such a fun book! You must suspend disbelief because several things are completely ridiculous, but, my oh my, it is fun and very profound at times.
A nice light book about two people who are finding their way and do so with the backdrop of books. The something they both seem to be running away from is revealed by the end of the story. Both Lucy and Ian are likable characters as are those they meet along the way. Travelling across country with these two was a delight. Their banter was of two people covering up their emotions, something I enjoyed. And when they reached the unlikely conclusion I was satisfied.
adventurous
funny
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
No, this book is not realistic. If the MC did what she did in real life (no spoilers) the consequences would have been very severe no matter what, and if that is a reading turn off then you definitely won't want to read this book.
I, however, loved it. It was whacky, fun, outrageous, and so unrealistic that it may as well be called a fantasy (/nsrs), and growing to understand the two protags was delightful and insightful, all in one.
I've seen manh readers conflating "morally grey" or "unreliable narrator" to "awful book", whereas I think it deserves a lot more nuance than that. From the first page our MC says she is the villain in the story, and spends much of the book either being in denial over her actions, or talking about how she was in denial over her actions, but I think we as an audience are unused to seeing true morally grey MCs, and we don't know how to truly respond to them anymore.
(Morally grey characters don't iclude Megamind by the way, he is more of an antihero/villain-turned-hero.)
I really liked this book, I liked the themes and constant questioning of morals, or reality vs imagination, of being right vs doing right, and I would highly recommend if you want to experience the magic of libraries as we never see it.
I, however, loved it. It was whacky, fun, outrageous, and so unrealistic that it may as well be called a fantasy (/nsrs), and growing to understand the two protags was delightful and insightful, all in one.
I've seen manh readers conflating "morally grey" or "unreliable narrator" to "awful book", whereas I think it deserves a lot more nuance than that. From the first page our MC says she is the villain in the story, and spends much of the book either being in denial over her actions, or talking about how she was in denial over her actions, but I think we as an audience are unused to seeing true morally grey MCs, and we don't know how to truly respond to them anymore.
(Morally grey characters don't iclude Megamind by the way, he is more of an antihero/villain-turned-hero.)
I really liked this book, I liked the themes and constant questioning of morals, or reality vs imagination, of being right vs doing right, and I would highly recommend if you want to experience the magic of libraries as we never see it.