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A review by vermidian
The Library of the Dead by T.L. Huchu
adventurous
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
I really wanted to like this book. I really can't say that I did. I'm sure for the right person this will be a great book, but it just didn't appeal to my tastes. I hope my copy of the book finds a new owner who loves it.
The story follows a young girl who can speak to ghosts. She lives in Edinburgh, Scotland, although you never really get a good sense of the city from the way things are described. The world is apocalyptic in some ways, though you never get much information on what happened there. They hint at both the apocalypse and the city, but the few features they do describe seem to have been dramatically altered or only viewed from a distance. Ultimately, I think this book had big goals, but could have used more world building to make the setting really pop.
The characters were solid, but a little flat. The character you get at the beginning is the same character you'll have at the end. They really don't grow from start to finish, unfortunately. They just return to a state of equilibrium.
I don't think the plot was bad. Actually, it was a pretty solid one, though some of the final elements came out of nowhere. I think a little more foreshadowing would have been good. I also think it's a pity that the issue was only partially solved, though perhaps that's corrected in a later book.
I also would like to say that for a debut novel, this is still a solid read. I loved the diversity and the inclusion of a disabled person as a main character. I think the critique of class inequality is very legit, although definitely different due to the post-disaster setting. I think this author will grow well in later books, but this one just wasn't my particular cup of tea.
The story follows a young girl who can speak to ghosts. She lives in Edinburgh, Scotland, although you never really get a good sense of the city from the way things are described. The world is apocalyptic in some ways, though you never get much information on what happened there. They hint at both the apocalypse and the city, but the few features they do describe seem to have been dramatically altered or only viewed from a distance. Ultimately, I think this book had big goals, but could have used more world building to make the setting really pop.
The characters were solid, but a little flat. The character you get at the beginning is the same character you'll have at the end. They really don't grow from start to finish, unfortunately. They just return to a state of equilibrium.
I don't think the plot was bad. Actually, it was a pretty solid one, though some of the final elements came out of nowhere. I think a little more foreshadowing would have been good. I also think it's a pity that the issue was only partially solved, though perhaps that's corrected in a later book.
I also would like to say that for a debut novel, this is still a solid read. I loved the diversity and the inclusion of a disabled person as a main character. I think the critique of class inequality is very legit, although definitely different due to the post-disaster setting. I think this author will grow well in later books, but this one just wasn't my particular cup of tea.