Scan barcode
fangslibris's review against another edition
2.0
I realized I never finished this the last time I started and decided to give the audiobook a chance while at work. I really wish I'd just left it unfinished.
The concept of a 24 hour bookstore operating as a front for a secret book society is something so directly on brand for me that it's almost impressive how much the author made me hate this book. It's a cool concept absolutely tanked by nerdbro writing. No respect for women, painfully dull protag, dudebros abound. It doesn't even pass the Bechdel test.
What a flop.
The concept of a 24 hour bookstore operating as a front for a secret book society is something so directly on brand for me that it's almost impressive how much the author made me hate this book. It's a cool concept absolutely tanked by nerdbro writing. No respect for women, painfully dull protag, dudebros abound. It doesn't even pass the Bechdel test.
What a flop.
jess_mango's review against another edition
4.0
4.5 out of 5.
My Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore was a truly enjoyable read. It was a fun escapist read perfect for book lovers.
My Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore was a truly enjoyable read. It was a fun escapist read perfect for book lovers.
kaylat413's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
3.5
cecipeas's review against another edition
adventurous
inspiring
mysterious
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.5
fbroom's review against another edition
1.0
This reminded me of Ready Player One which I didn't like either. I just don't care for the main character. Another nerdy / genius boy who's about to save the world or whatever. I mean in real life I work with plenty with these boys so maybe that's why I don't care to read about them in my spare time as well ;) Also what was the Google glorifying thing about? and what's up with Neel and his virtual boob business ... not even funny really :(
One more thing, this also felt like a YA novel. Had I known, I would've skipped the whole thing.
One more thing, this also felt like a YA novel. Had I known, I would've skipped the whole thing.
jantown's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
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? No
2.0
I wanted this to be more fun, but it wasn't my cup of tea. It felt like it was trying to be Hitchhiker's Guide, but it wasn't very funny for me. I listened to the audiobook and sped it up to finish it on a long walk, otherwise I would have DNF'd it.
ethias's review against another edition
3.0
I really liked some of the ideas in this, and found others a bit tedious or uninteresting. I don’t much care for the big reveal being a slideshow I thought that kind of cheapened it. The end of the epilogue was delightful, and I liked that the secret was in the typeface and I liked the involvement of the fantasy novels. I think there is a problem in this book where no one seems to really earn any of the solutions to their problems, and that made it a bit difficult to take it seriously, but overall I enjoyed it and liked the idea the author had here.
stepriot's review against another edition
2.0
I remember the optimism of the era. In hindsight, it just feels like we childishly embraced the path to every cyberpunk dystopia we've ever been warned about. That's what this book feels like in 2023. This is a snapshot of how we didn't stop to think about the harm we were doing.