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A review by hannahmariebrankley
The Library Thief by Kuchenga Shenjé
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
inspiring
mysterious
sad
tense
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? N/A
4.5
This was one of my most anticipated releases for 2024 and it is not what I thought it would be.
“In this gothic mystery debut, set in Victorian England. Florence, cast out by her father, finds refuge at the remote Rose Hall to restore its rare books. Lord Belfield’s library holds dark secrets, especially about his late wife. When the library is broken into, Florence discovers a half-burned diary that may reveal the truth about the wife’s fate.”
Thinking I had picked up a murder mystery, I didn’t realise how many different storylines and themes this was going to hold. It is so difficult to not spoil this because as I was reading, the surprise of each revelation is what not only drew me in but opened my mind too.
So I thought, I would do a simple line with some of those themes as that would then hopefully not spoil it too much but give you an idea if you were wanting to read this…
Theme Spoilers on my blog (link in bio)
Kuchenga writes such depth and complexity to her characters but doesn’t erase the issue(s). It isn’t lectured or spoon-fed to the reader. It just is and she writes with such a clear direction, it’s a fantastic debut novel. 4.5 Stars from me.
“In this gothic mystery debut, set in Victorian England. Florence, cast out by her father, finds refuge at the remote Rose Hall to restore its rare books. Lord Belfield’s library holds dark secrets, especially about his late wife. When the library is broken into, Florence discovers a half-burned diary that may reveal the truth about the wife’s fate.”
Thinking I had picked up a murder mystery, I didn’t realise how many different storylines and themes this was going to hold. It is so difficult to not spoil this because as I was reading, the surprise of each revelation is what not only drew me in but opened my mind too.
So I thought, I would do a simple line with some of those themes as that would then hopefully not spoil it too much but give you an idea if you were wanting to read this…
Theme Spoilers on my blog (link in bio)
Kuchenga writes such depth and complexity to her characters but doesn’t erase the issue(s). It isn’t lectured or spoon-fed to the reader. It just is and she writes with such a clear direction, it’s a fantastic debut novel. 4.5 Stars from me.