taylorrolyat's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
pusheeen6's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
tense
fast-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
mabersold's review against another edition
3.0
This book is weird. I liked it, but it's weird. It's a modern fantasy with a dash of cosmic horror in there for spice. It was a bit confusing at first but it hit its stride maybe a third of the way through and I was pretty engaged for the last half of it. I think the gore was over-the-top: there's only so many descriptions of viscera during action sequences that I can handle and I had to dock it a star because of that. Otherwise I would have given it 4/5. Probably the biggest issue I had early in the book was it was hard to empathize with the Pelapi characters, but I'm glad that toward the end the author managed to "humanize" them a bit more.
onlyincursive's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-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
4.5
A wild ride from start to finish. This book is for the readers who grew up on stories about kids with powers (e.g. Animorphs, Percy Jackson) and who want the adult version. The type of book that I would recommend to everyone - if only the content warning list wasn’t so long!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcohol, Fire/Fire injury, Drug use, Animal cruelty, Toxic relationship, Suicide, Injury/Injury detail, Animal death, Murder, Gaslighting, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Gore, Blood, Body horror, Child death, Death, Violence, Kidnapping, Child abuse, Death of parent, Suicide attempt, Medical content, Mass/school shootings, Torture, and Physical abuse
Moderate: Addiction, Confinement, Cursing, Rape, Drug abuse, Xenophobia, Car accident, War, Toxic friendship, and Suicidal thoughts
Minor: Misogyny, Bullying, Classism, Mental illness, Xenophobia, Police brutality, Islamophobia, and Pregnancy
This book is hard to warn for. Be especially aware that there is torture and murder of childrensuvata's review against another edition
3.0
• TBR since December 8, 2020
Combining fantasy, horror, and humor this novel tells the story of Carolyn, one of twelve librarians who have been raised by a mysterious and powerful being called Father, who has gone missing. Each librarian has a different catalog of knowledge and abilities, such as languages, war, death, animals, and healing. • A bit tedious and long = 3-Stars
Combining fantasy, horror, and humor this novel tells the story of Carolyn, one of twelve librarians who have been raised by a mysterious and powerful being called Father, who has gone missing. Each librarian has a different catalog of knowledge and abilities, such as languages, war, death, animals, and healing. • A bit tedious and long = 3-Stars
jquellin's review against another edition
dark
tense
medium-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? No
4.5
hilaryjsc's review against another edition
4.0
HorrorfantasyGaimanyBarkery delightfulness. One of those times I wish there were half stars so I could go to 4.5.
ponderandwonder's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
mrlzbth's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
chalkletters's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
It's pure coincidence that both my book clubs picked books with 'library' in the title in the same month, and that neither of them actually spend all that much time in a library or doing any reading. Of the two (The Library at Mount Char and The Library of the Dead), this book is far more action-orientated, which is even more surprising for a book supposedly about librarians. (At least in book form; film and TV librarians are quite often action heroes!)
Scott Hawkins plunges readers straight into Caroline's life after Father (not her biological parent) goes missing, with only brief flashbacks to provide backstory. There's a lot of darkness in both the past and present, and it's interesting to see how it has affected all of Father's adopted children. By midway through the novel, it's obvious that there is a plan being enacted, even if the details of that plan aren't given. The introduction of other perspective characters complicates things. Erwin is even more of an action star than Caroline: a literal war hero who would feel at home in Modern Warfare or could be played by Dwayne Johnson. It makes The Library at Mount Char feel like two very different books smashed together, which certainly keeps things interesting!
While it's never exactly clear what the 'win condition' of the novel is going to be, Scott Hawkins definitely throws in a late curveball once the titular library is actually reached. Up until that point, the character arcs feel like they're moving in a particular direction. After it, everything is up in the air and the final ending is far more bleak for everyone involved than might have been anticipated. The bleakness in itself isn't necessarily bad — Steve’s ending is beautiful, in a very bittersweet kind of way — but it does feel as though the novel swerved dramatically from the track it previously seemed to be following.
Despite the lack of what I'll call 'library aesthetic', I was never bored with The Library at Mount Char.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Animal death, Fire/Fire injury, Child abuse, Suicide, and Death
Moderate: Blood, Bullying, Sexual violence, Animal cruelty, Drug use, Violence, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Death of parent, Gun violence, and Rape
Minor: Car accident and Addiction