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julbel's review
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
A fun, unique story of the battle between heaven and hell. The character dynamics are compelling, their individual qualms of what is right insightful, and their realizing their potential gratifying.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Grief, and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Drug use, Emotional abuse, Suicide, and Suicide attempt
iris_lrf's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
This is probably at least the fifth time I've read this book, and every time has been a delight from start to finish. Hackwith's beautiful style and well-rounded characters create an emotional roller coaster of love, heartbreak, redemption and family. Even with only two actual humans, all of the protagonists feel uniquely human in their own distinct ways, and it's impossible not to fall in love with the cranky old librarian or her anxious upstart assistants.
Like any good story about stories, The Library of the Unwritten plays with the concept of the roles we play, both by choice and by force, and what happens when those roles no longer suit us. Villains become heroes, sidekicks become leaders, guardians become caretakers. The stories we tell change, and those we lock away are brought back into the light.
It's not without its flaws, but what book isn't? Sure, there's some plot armour moments, but surely they're counteracted by Leto literally being unmade or Hero getting frequently beaten within an inch of his life . Sure, the ending is a little lacking, but with two more books to go, it isn't really the ending, is it?
I recently got the rest of the trilogy and I'm excited to see where the story goes from here.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Gore, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Violence, Religious bigotry, Suicide attempt, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Torture, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Grief, Murder, Toxic friendship, and Alcohol
Minor: Self harm, Kidnapping, and War
angelbabe_cj's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Death and Suicide
Minor: Bullying, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Grief, Religious bigotry, Fire/Fire injury, and Toxic friendship
starofash's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
i really liked this! the story is new and refreshing and captivating, the plot twists are unexpected and the foreshadowing is immaculate.
sadly, i read a spoiler about librarian claire's past so i wasn't surprised when the grand reveal rolled along- except i was, because there was more to it than i thought. as i said, the plot twists are Amazing!!
also, i loved the play with basic book categories like heroes and villains and damsels, and how at the end, we realize that they don't matter, because villains are capaple of heroics, and damsels are people, too.
also, i loved how at the beginning of the chapters, we get an insight in the librarian's log and- yeah i just loved basically everything about it.
sadly, i read a spoiler about librarian claire's past so i wasn't surprised when the grand reveal rolled along- except i was, because there was more to it than i thought. as i said, the plot twists are Amazing!!
also, i loved the play with basic book categories like heroes and villains and damsels, and how at the end, we realize that they don't matter, because villains are capaple of heroics, and damsels are people, too.
also, i loved how at the beginning of the chapters, we get an insight in the librarian's log and- yeah i just loved basically everything about it.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Bullying, Death, and Emotional abuse
Minor: Suicide
keen's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
inspiring
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
I enjoyed the book. It didn't have me binging it, but I'm always a sucker about books about books. This one delivered greatly by showing appreciation to stories of all kinds, even if the focus is on books. Which makes sense, one of the main characters is the Librarian of a Library of unfinished stories, reasons ranging from an author losing interest or the author dying. Still, there is appreciation of other kinds of artworks, such as paintings and weaponry. Which makes me wonder how dances are incorporated.
In the beginning, I found the story intriguing but not much to ride home about. The character Hero annoyed me in particular. It was only halfway through the book that I began picking up a lot more interest, even having me grow on Hero. By the end, I was surprised to find myself fully accepting him as an enjoyable character. Similarly, I found some of the character development wonky. It became noticeable to me by one line that felt like a big jump in relationship improvement between characters.
Otherwise, I'm happy to see another book I picked up that has diverse characters, from Claire being described as being dark-skinned and has braids to Hero being bisexual. The author leaves no room to assume that you're interpretation the words wrong. Additionally, I loved how the author avoided only describing the skin tone of dark-skinned characters. Nothing frustrates me more than only character with dark skin and abnormal skin tones being described, leaving the reader to assume everyone else is the "default" of white. Different skin tones are described, from tan to olive to pale. I was also pleased to see commentary on the sexualization of women in stories as being rewards, which got incorporated into the plot.
So, in conclusion, good book, was worried I'd need to drop it or ignore the sequels, and by the end, I was hooked enough to purchase the sequel (for a discounted price, but I would've gotten it from the library otherwise).
P.S. Brevity is adorable 10/10 would hug again.
In the beginning, I found the story intriguing but not much to ride home about. The character Hero annoyed me in particular. It was only halfway through the book that I began picking up a lot more interest, even having me grow on Hero. By the end, I was surprised to find myself fully accepting him as an enjoyable character. Similarly, I found some of the character development wonky. It became noticeable to me by one line that felt like a big jump in relationship improvement between characters.
Otherwise, I'm happy to see another book I picked up that has diverse characters, from Claire being described as being dark-skinned and has braids to Hero being bisexual. The author leaves no room to assume that you're interpretation the words wrong. Additionally, I loved how the author avoided only describing the skin tone of dark-skinned characters. Nothing frustrates me more than only character with dark skin and abnormal skin tones being described, leaving the reader to assume everyone else is the "default" of white. Different skin tones are described, from tan to olive to pale. I was also pleased to see commentary on the sexualization of women in stories as being rewards, which got incorporated into the plot.
So, in conclusion, good book, was worried I'd need to drop it or ignore the sequels, and by the end, I was hooked enough to purchase the sequel (for a discounted price, but I would've gotten it from the library otherwise).
P.S. Brevity is adorable 10/10 would hug again.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Emotional abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Grief, and Murder
Moderate: Confinement, Blood, and Suicide attempt
Minor: Bullying