A review by barnesbookshelf
The Library of Lost and Found by Phaedra Patrick

3.0

Honestly, it took a bit to get into the book. It may have just been me, or the gratuitous descriptions of minute details, but it just took a minute. Also, the back of the book was misleading, because for some reason the version I have just says "[Martha's] best friend" instead of "her best friend - her grandmother Zelda," which did change my expectations for the book a little. Still, I enjoyed it. Zelda is a firecracker, and I liked how well set up the reveal was, with all the early on references to various city life.

Spoiler

The dad was straight-up abusive though, so I'm glad he never truly got redeemed. And I'm glad that Martha was given a chance to mourn and release the life she could have had with Joe, rather than just having her brush it aside and/or ignore it. I also loved that Zelda was queer and in a relationship with a woman. Bonus points for that.

I loved Martha's growth in the story, and how she learns to listen to her needs instead of everyone else's. It's definitely a book that I would recommend to people pleasers everywhere.