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A review by roniquereads
The Bookstore by Deborah Meyler
4.0
more book reviews at www.ihatecatsbr.com
This is going to seem odd, but the reason I liked this book was because I hated Mitchell van Leuven. Nope. Not going to sugar coat that. I did not like his character at all. In my mind while reading this story, Mitchell embodied every notion or idea I have about a person who has been given everything in his life but still believes he has nothing. He is a modern day Holden Caulfield. To complain about everything and everyone, yet do nothing about it to make it right while having every resource to do so is wasteful. I can't stand that mentality and therefore I could not stand him.
And I know it sounds off, to like a book because you hate a character. This book luckily is not about Mitchell however. It's centered around Esme Garland who is a British transfer student, studying Art in New York. I relate to her character because she is enamored by the world around her. She pays attention to the City, to the people and the effect she has on both. She remains quite simple and down to Earth, given the events that happen to her during this novel, and never loses her sense of self.
I liked Esme as a character as much as I disliked Mitchell. I think that's what made this story work for me. I really wanted Esme to write Mitchell off or tell him how selfish and ridiculous he was being but she never gave him the satisfaction of being down right angry at him. She just kind of let him continue his crazy elsewhere while dealing with the results of knowing him.
Esme finds solace in The Owl, a second hand bookstore at which she eventually finds a part-time job after learning she is pregnant. While Mitchell pretty much deserts her right before she is about to tell her the news, the employees and patrons of The Owl take her in and act as a second family to her during her pregnancy.
As much as this title angered me due to the blatant refusal of Mitchell and his family to take responsiblity for his actions, I loved the story between Esme and the city of New York and the patrons/workers of The Owl.
This is going to seem odd, but the reason I liked this book was because I hated Mitchell van Leuven. Nope. Not going to sugar coat that. I did not like his character at all. In my mind while reading this story, Mitchell embodied every notion or idea I have about a person who has been given everything in his life but still believes he has nothing. He is a modern day Holden Caulfield. To complain about everything and everyone, yet do nothing about it to make it right while having every resource to do so is wasteful. I can't stand that mentality and therefore I could not stand him.
And I know it sounds off, to like a book because you hate a character. This book luckily is not about Mitchell however. It's centered around Esme Garland who is a British transfer student, studying Art in New York. I relate to her character because she is enamored by the world around her. She pays attention to the City, to the people and the effect she has on both. She remains quite simple and down to Earth, given the events that happen to her during this novel, and never loses her sense of self.
I liked Esme as a character as much as I disliked Mitchell. I think that's what made this story work for me. I really wanted Esme to write Mitchell off or tell him how selfish and ridiculous he was being but she never gave him the satisfaction of being down right angry at him. She just kind of let him continue his crazy elsewhere while dealing with the results of knowing him.
Esme finds solace in The Owl, a second hand bookstore at which she eventually finds a part-time job after learning she is pregnant. While Mitchell pretty much deserts her right before she is about to tell her the news, the employees and patrons of The Owl take her in and act as a second family to her during her pregnancy.
As much as this title angered me due to the blatant refusal of Mitchell and his family to take responsiblity for his actions, I loved the story between Esme and the city of New York and the patrons/workers of The Owl.