vanessamariebooks 's review for:

Where the Library Hides by Isabel Ibañez

5.0

adventurous emotional funny mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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A new favorite and the first of 2025! It's not easy to surprise me in a book, but this one did surprise me a couple of times. While I did guess some of the more obvious twists, there were a couple I did not see coming at all and it was a pleasant surprise. This whole book is one crazy rollercoaster ride and I loved every minute of it (even the parts that slightly annoyed me). The narrators did a great job as well. Highly recommend this duology. If you want to know more of my in-depth thoughts, check out the Diversity is Lit Bookclub discussion: https://www.youtube.com/live/abC8pPrLX-w?si=e7ZTvaaJcG7srIG_

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, Violence, Kidnapping, Murder, Abandonment, Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Gun violence, Infidelity, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Colonisation

Minor: Cursing, Sexism, Sexual content, Terminal illness, Torture, Fire/Fire injury, Toxic friendship, Alcohol