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A review by lastblossom
The Cartographers by Peng Shepherd
informative
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
tl;dr
Strong mystery hook based on true events that spark the imagination, with a very honest love of maps and cartography. Well placed magical realism. Too many characters to track easily, and an antagonist with unclear motives.
Summary:
Nell Young loves everything related to cartography. Working at the New York Public Library, she's positioned to become a leader in the field until an argument with her already famous cartographer father about the provenance of a cheap gas station map gets her booted from the library, and then the industry. Years later, her father dies under mysterious circumstances, and it seems like the same cheap map might be the reason. But why? And how is it related to the death of her mother all those years ago?
What I Liked:
I tend to be less interested in books where the plot does most of the driving, but this book was an exception. It's absolutely the kind of book I'd describe as "page turner." I was worried that the map's big secret would be some sort of treasure trove or other equally disappointing payoff, but the truth was actually much more satisfying. The mystery comes in strong, with enough hints planted along the way that the magical reveal is surprising, but easy to accept once it's out in the open. There's a very real love of cartography here that's infectious. Not only did I believe that all the characters involved care about mapmaking, I felt just as excited as them. Settings are described in immersive detail, making each of the places feel very real and present. The description of the time spent inAgloe was especially haunting, and I was moved by the powerful sense of unease I felt every time they visited. I also really like the historical notes and the real history that this story is based on. The novel Paper Towns also leans on this history, but this book goes in an entirely different, more fantastical, direction that I really liked.
What Wasn't for Me:
Despite the plot being completely riveting, it did suffer from one of my least favorite plot extenders: People keeping secrets for much longer than is responsible. MC's been in danger her entire life, and you thought not telling her was protecting her? And when the bodies start dropping, proving that the danger was getting closer, you thought telling her not to look into it would somehow keep the danger from reaching her? Sigh.
The antagonist's motives and methods were very fuzzy.I figured out it was William pretty much at the start, which I assume is the author's intent. I really would have liked to see that pressed to an advantage - either giving us hidden knowledge so he became a sympathetic villain, or pushing his evil side so we could have some deliciously tense reader moments every time he interacted with one of the characters.
Perspectives outside of MC Nell and her ex Felix didn't really have enough space to develop distinct characters.
Strong mystery hook based on true events that spark the imagination, with a very honest love of maps and cartography. Well placed magical realism. Too many characters to track easily, and an antagonist with unclear motives.
Summary:
Nell Young loves everything related to cartography. Working at the New York Public Library, she's positioned to become a leader in the field until an argument with her already famous cartographer father about the provenance of a cheap gas station map gets her booted from the library, and then the industry. Years later, her father dies under mysterious circumstances, and it seems like the same cheap map might be the reason. But why? And how is it related to the death of her mother all those years ago?
What I Liked:
I tend to be less interested in books where the plot does most of the driving, but this book was an exception. It's absolutely the kind of book I'd describe as "page turner." I was worried that the map's big secret would be some sort of treasure trove or other equally disappointing payoff, but the truth was actually much more satisfying. The mystery comes in strong, with enough hints planted along the way that the magical reveal is surprising, but easy to accept once it's out in the open. There's a very real love of cartography here that's infectious. Not only did I believe that all the characters involved care about mapmaking, I felt just as excited as them. Settings are described in immersive detail, making each of the places feel very real and present. The description of the time spent in
What Wasn't for Me:
Despite the plot being completely riveting, it did suffer from one of my least favorite plot extenders: People keeping secrets for much longer than is responsible. MC's been in danger her entire life, and you thought not telling her was protecting her? And when the bodies start dropping, proving that the danger was getting closer, you thought telling her not to look into it would somehow keep the danger from reaching her? Sigh.
The antagonist's motives and methods were very fuzzy.
Perspectives outside of MC Nell and her ex Felix didn't really have enough space to develop distinct characters.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Fire/Fire injury, Murder, Death, Death of parent, and Gun violence