chloelouise_xiv's review against another edition
4.0
I kept putting this book off because although the blurb sounded interesting I had a feeling I wasn’t going to like it much, but I was wrong - I actually ended up really enjoying it and was hooked right up until the very last page.
ambuckley's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
nickyalex23's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
raj_page's review against another edition
5.0
I stumbled upon this because I had a sudden urge to read about the Library of Alexandria
This book is based on a simple enough premise. The Library survived the fires. What would such a world be like to live in?
At first, I thought it'd be similar to [b:The Name of the Wind|186074|The Name of the Wind (The Kingkiller Chronicle, #1)|Patrick Rothfuss|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1515589515l/186074._SX50_.jpg|2502879]. A boy goes to study to a great place which is equally awed and hated at the same time. But that's the end of the similarity. Jess is not a great hero or saviour. He's as human as it gets. He is scared and vulnerable and just the right amount of broken. In short, he's relatable. When we walk in his shoes, we know that we'd probably be a similar person. And that's what I loved about the book.
The world is cleverly built and even though it is set in our world, the world is nothing like ours. Here knowledge is power and books are more important than people and the word of Library is absolute. In our world, the Library was destroyed which caused such a large amount of knowledge to be lost. Assume that it wasn't lost. Assume that 2000 years ago they already knew the basics of Automata Theory. Assume that such a world has had 2000 years to grow. The technology is similar but at the same time is vastly different as it has different roots than ours. Enough Said.
This book is based on a simple enough premise. The Library survived the fires. What would such a world be like to live in?
At first, I thought it'd be similar to [b:The Name of the Wind|186074|The Name of the Wind (The Kingkiller Chronicle, #1)|Patrick Rothfuss|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1515589515l/186074._SX50_.jpg|2502879]. A boy goes to study to a great place which is equally awed and hated at the same time. But that's the end of the similarity. Jess is not a great hero or saviour. He's as human as it gets. He is scared and vulnerable and just the right amount of broken. In short, he's relatable. When we walk in his shoes, we know that we'd probably be a similar person. And that's what I loved about the book.
The world is cleverly built and even though it is set in our world, the world is nothing like ours. Here knowledge is power and books are more important than people and the word of Library is absolute. In our world, the Library was destroyed which caused such a large amount of knowledge to be lost. Assume that it wasn't lost. Assume that 2000 years ago they already knew the basics of Automata Theory. Assume that such a world has had 2000 years to grow. The technology is similar but at the same time is vastly different as it has different roots than ours. Enough Said.
doctabird's review against another edition
4.0
I've been trying to avoid YA for a while, because I got tired of used and reused tropes and cliches. For the most part, this book stayed away from too many of them, especially, my all time least favorite, the love triangle.
The book hooked me from the start. Without really giving anything away, it starts with a chase scene, and the suspense from that scene and others throughout the book kept me reading and made me not want to put the book down. Unfortunately, there were definitely some slower moments, some plot holes, and some parts where the characters' actions made no sense except to move the plot forward. Despite those parts of the book, I still enjoyed it overall.
I will say, it was weird to read about a book that juxtaposes the original print copies of books with digital versions, and idolizes the print version, while I was reading it on my Kindle. It was a book about books, and regardless if it was an original or a "blank" (or digital version) it did emphasize the power of books in any form.
The book hooked me from the start. Without really giving anything away, it starts with a chase scene, and the suspense from that scene and others throughout the book kept me reading and made me not want to put the book down. Unfortunately, there were definitely some slower moments, some plot holes, and some parts where the characters' actions made no sense except to move the plot forward. Despite those parts of the book, I still enjoyed it overall.
I will say, it was weird to read about a book that juxtaposes the original print copies of books with digital versions, and idolizes the print version, while I was reading it on my Kindle. It was a book about books, and regardless if it was an original or a "blank" (or digital version) it did emphasize the power of books in any form.
sarahp85's review against another edition
4.0
My sister has been telling me that I HAD to read this series and I finally started. Took me longer than I thought but that's because life got very busy.
Can not wait to read the rest. Did warn my sister that I will be mad at her if these do not have a happy ending
Can not wait to read the rest. Did warn my sister that I will be mad at her if these do not have a happy ending
smcwhorter's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
angelizamo's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
tense
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? No
4.0