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A review by maggies
The Banned Bookshop of Maggie Banks by Shauna Robinson
hopeful
lighthearted
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? No
4.0
In a recent episode of If Books Could Kill, Michael Hobbes spoke about how an argument that literacy, writing, and reading is civilizing and important to society is necessarily persuasive to him, a writer, because he already believes this, as a writer. I feel the same about this book, which is at its core about the power of books—to bring people together, to help give meaning to people’s lives, to open our eyes and our worlds—an argument to which I already subscribe. Very much speaking to the choir here.
We meet Maggie as someone who claims she doesn’t like reading; she just doesn’t get it. Quickly, however, (maybe too quickly?) she’s transformed! She’s a reader now: she just needed to find the right motivation, the right books, the right bookish community! And oh, what a community. The cast of characters is diverse and engaging, quirky in their small town ways. Ralph is a great, if at times cartoonish, villain as well. I love to hate him. The story was remarkably stressful between the lies and deceit and breaking and entering, for a light book it’s definitely thrilling. There are many ways I don’t relate to Maggie, the most obvious being her extroversion, but I still found her charming and enjoyed following her journey.
Content Warnings
Minor: Infidelity