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A review by lovelymisanthrope
How Can I Help You by Laura Sims
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
I stumbled across this book on Libby and was drawn in by the cover.
"How Can I Help You" follows Margo, or at least that is what her colleagues and patrons at the small local library think her name is. No one suspects that she actually has a very sinister past and may have played a part in countless deaths. No one really sees how hard Margo tries to play her role, until Patricia, a recent college graduate, starts at the library. Patricia aspires to be a novelist, and she thinks Margo may be the perfect inspiration for a character.
I am not exactly sure what I expected from this book, but I was blown away! Margo is a highly unlikeable character, in fact I really and truly despised her, but I also could not stop reading from her perspective. I NEEDED to know her story and I was highly invested in uncovering why she was at this small-town library after a seemingly successful career as a nurse. I did really enjoy her mentality of why she was working at the library. She sought a quiet life that she could help people, which made the library seem like the perfect fit for her.
I really empathized with Patricia and her failed writing career. Patricia so desperately just wants to write; in fact, she has to write to keep her sane. But the more she becomes invested in a story, the more she seems to lose herself and the less good writing is actually doing for her. Patricia so easily succumbs to obsession and almost jeopardizes everything to get a good story. That all-encompassing need to create is a feeling I think any artist can relate to.
I was expecting a sweet story about meek women who lead quiet lives and work in the library, but what I got was pure anarchy. I did not know where the story was going, and I thoroughly enjoyed the ride to get there. This story is both strange and familiar, and it just worked for me.
I highly recommend this book (if you too like the strange), and I cannot wait to read more from Laura Sims in the future.
"How Can I Help You" follows Margo, or at least that is what her colleagues and patrons at the small local library think her name is. No one suspects that she actually has a very sinister past and may have played a part in countless deaths. No one really sees how hard Margo tries to play her role, until Patricia, a recent college graduate, starts at the library. Patricia aspires to be a novelist, and she thinks Margo may be the perfect inspiration for a character.
I am not exactly sure what I expected from this book, but I was blown away! Margo is a highly unlikeable character, in fact I really and truly despised her, but I also could not stop reading from her perspective. I NEEDED to know her story and I was highly invested in uncovering why she was at this small-town library after a seemingly successful career as a nurse. I did really enjoy her mentality of why she was working at the library. She sought a quiet life that she could help people, which made the library seem like the perfect fit for her.
I really empathized with Patricia and her failed writing career. Patricia so desperately just wants to write; in fact, she has to write to keep her sane. But the more she becomes invested in a story, the more she seems to lose herself and the less good writing is actually doing for her. Patricia so easily succumbs to obsession and almost jeopardizes everything to get a good story. That all-encompassing need to create is a feeling I think any artist can relate to.
I was expecting a sweet story about meek women who lead quiet lives and work in the library, but what I got was pure anarchy. I did not know where the story was going, and I thoroughly enjoyed the ride to get there. This story is both strange and familiar, and it just worked for me.
I highly recommend this book (if you too like the strange), and I cannot wait to read more from Laura Sims in the future.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Toxic relationship, and Murder
Moderate: Medical content and Sexual content