akarently 's review for:

The Lost Bookshop by Evie Woods

3.5

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The Lost Bookshop has all the right ingredients for a captivating story. There’s a mysterious bookshop, magical realism, hidden manuscripts, historical fiction shout-outs, lots of  literary references, and complex characters with dark pasts. Unfortunately, despite its intriguing premise, it ultimately falls short in execution, missing opportunities to explore the magical realism areas in more depth, and leaving inconsistencies/plot holes (which, aren’t even necessarily relate to the magical realism, lest you think I wasn’t “buying in” to the story). 

The book’s central concept is CHARMING, once there's a bit of clarity around it. The bookshop is a magical space where secrets and histories unfold, and we're on a quest to uncover Emily Bronte's potential second novel.  I loved the idea of the lost bookshop in Dublin, and the bookshop itself felt like a character: mysterious and elusive.  But there were moments when the magical elements felt completely underexplored:  the "reading" gift Martha and her mother possess, the books that appearing in odd places, and the glowing book titles (speaking of, then Martha never even made it into the attic?). I kept thinking, "There’s potential here for something deeper, something more meaningful!" But the book just didn’t take full advantage of that. 

I kept wanting more: more about the tree growing in Martha’s bedroom (what is the point of that?) and more about tattoo she continuously adds to throughout the story. While she explains the words coming to her and getting and healing from a tattoo, the last lines of the story she goes to have tattooed and the words are ~HELLO MAGICAL REALISM~ already there (including the author’s initials). Little details like this pulled me out of the story and made the magical elements feel more like convenient plot devices than integral parts of the world-building. But the fantasy elements, especially the origins and purpose of the bookshop, are never fully explained. Why does the bookshop exist? What’s its true purpose? These are questions that lingered throughout the book without satisfying answers. I don’t necessarily need everything spelled out (notice I m not even asking how the magic works), but I kept feeling like the magical world had so much more potential to be explored and developed. 

The character development of Martha, the main character in the present timeline, was another area that didn’t quite work for me. At times, she felt overly naive, and her reactions to basic situations (like using a library card or shopping for clothes) were hard to believe given that we were in at least 2019 and given her backstory. Yes, her abusive marriage shaped her, but her complete lack of life skills felt exaggerated. There’s also the odd subplot where she seems to have an aversion to books and getting further education degrees. When books start appearing in the walls of her new home, I expected this to trigger some deeper exploration or overcoming of her fears, but that never fully materializes either. She just, starts reading books. The relationship between Martha and Henry also felt rushed and underdeveloped. Their sudden, intense connection felt unearned, and their actions (they both cheat on their respective partners) are never really questioned by the narrative, which kind of felt off for both of their characters. 

There’s also the issue of the setting’s timeline, which felt a little muddled. The book is set in the present day (around 2020, I assume), but it doesn’t really feel like it. The lack of texting or Googling seems deliberate for plot reasons, but it just didn’t feel modern, especially when paired with some outdated vibes (it felt more early 2000s, maybe?). But then there is the repeated and deliberate references to Sally Rooney’s novel Normal People, making this likely at least 2019, possibly a year or two later (the book came out in late summer 2018, and I believe the present is at least early spring). 

The historical timeline in the 1920s, which followed Opaline Carlisle’s journey (later Opaline Gray), had a lot of potential. Her involvement with Sylvia Beach and Shakespeare and Company in Paris was fascinating (especially since I’d recently read The Paris Bookseller last month). But the timeline and the jumps between decades were confusing. Events like WWII seemed to come out of nowhere, and the 17 years Opaline spends in the asylum felt disconnected and unnecessary. More clarity and smoother transitions would have made the historical timeline more immersive. 

A smaller gripe was with the writing itself. At times, it felt overly simplistic or clunky, with short, almost juvenile sentences (maybe this would have worked better packaged as YA) and too many “quotable” one-liners that didn’t always fit the context and reminded me of click-baity moments. The pacing also was frustrating; after all the buildup and intrigue, the resolution came too quickly, leaving me with lingering questions that weren’t fully addressed. The connection between Madame Bowden and Opaline is from me assuming that Bowden was actually Opaline in disguise via magical realism though I’m still not entirely sure. 

I also was confused if Opaline's brother was supposed to know Armand or if Armand betrayed Opaline, since before her brother reveals that he is actually her father and then takes his life, he calls her a nickname that only Armand ever called her. The ending, in particular, felt rushed, with the entire resolution wrapped up in a single chapter, and the epilogue didn’t provide the closure I was hoping for. 

While I didn’t love the book overall, I can still appreciate the potential in its premise. When I finished it, I actually felt like I enjoyed it and that it was a decent book, so I’m keeping this rating even though after writing this all out, I feel like I should likely give it a 3 instead of a 3.5.