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adancewithbooks's review against another edition
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.5
The Library of the Dead is a very different kind of book than I was expecting. I conciously did not look up reviews for this book so I really had no idea the actual library wasn't quite as big of a part of the story as I thought it would. The Library of the Dead is not a bad book but expectations and a few other things stopped me from loving this story.
We follow Ropa, a ghosttalker who is just trying to make some money to keep paying the rent the place she lives with her grandmother and her sister. She sends messages between ghosts and their living relatives. Its a hard but simple life. But when ghost mother contacts her to find out what happened to her son she gets thrown in all kind of holes of Edinburgh she had no idea about yet.
Ropa has a very distinct voice which I think is a great thing. But I have to be honest and say that it took me very long to really get into it. Everytime I picked it back up I needed to get back into it again and that took some of the flow out of the story for me. I also had a bit of a bone to pick with how some of the magic was explained through Ropa reading passages of books. That was pretty dry.
When it comes to the world building the actual idea of the setting and the magic is really interesting. I think we got a good idea of what was important to the story but there is still a lot left to be discovered in other books. I loved that Ropa had to work a bit for the magic by figuring out what would work for her.
I did find it annoying that there was a reference to an incident in the past which is what shaped Edinburgh to what it is today. Yet there is never a good explanation of that.
With a title like The Library of the Dead I really thought we would be having more time with the library. Instead it is just something that is used in the background. I guess I was dissapointed by that. It doesn't seem like such an awesome place with those grumpy people in there.
I did like the addition of Priya and the Zimbabwean roots we see shining through.
We follow Ropa, a ghosttalker who is just trying to make some money to keep paying the rent the place she lives with her grandmother and her sister. She sends messages between ghosts and their living relatives. Its a hard but simple life. But when ghost mother contacts her to find out what happened to her son she gets thrown in all kind of holes of Edinburgh she had no idea about yet.
Ropa has a very distinct voice which I think is a great thing. But I have to be honest and say that it took me very long to really get into it. Everytime I picked it back up I needed to get back into it again and that took some of the flow out of the story for me. I also had a bit of a bone to pick with how some of the magic was explained through Ropa reading passages of books. That was pretty dry.
When it comes to the world building the actual idea of the setting and the magic is really interesting. I think we got a good idea of what was important to the story but there is still a lot left to be discovered in other books. I loved that Ropa had to work a bit for the magic by figuring out what would work for her.
I did find it annoying that there was a reference to an incident in the past which is what shaped Edinburgh to what it is today. Yet there is never a good explanation of that.
With a title like The Library of the Dead I really thought we would be having more time with the library. Instead it is just something that is used in the background. I guess I was dissapointed by that. It doesn't seem like such an awesome place with those grumpy people in there.
I did like the addition of Priya and the Zimbabwean roots we see shining through.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Slavery and Kidnapping
Moderate: Child abuse, Child death, Racism, and Death of parent
ashleycmms's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Addiction, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Drug use, Gore, Torture, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Car accident, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
allisonwonderlandreads's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
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? No
4.0
The Library of the Dead is a fantasy with dystopian and mystery elements, fast-paced enough to pull it all off without getting stuck. There's a paranormal focus that includes carrying messages for ghosts and astral projection onto different planes. The eponymous library is located under a graveyard (entrance through a mausoleum, naturally) and serves the needs of magical scholars and now one autodidactic teenager on a pro bono mission from a recently departed ghost to figure out why children in Edinburgh are going missing.
Ropa is a no-nonsense protagonist who could take a starring role in the argument for why you should take 14-year-olds very seriously indeed. She's self-assured, the main breadwinner for her family, and has a tough exterior protecting a heart of gold. She loves to learn, and her unmastered magical abilities are just out of reach. One of my favorite aspects of the book is how strongly her voice comes through in terms of the language and tone chosen by the author. Ropa has a quick, dry sense of observational humor, and she doesn't waste energy skirting around the truth as she sees it. I also loved her friendships and her relationships with her grandmother and younger sister. They provide a positive and supportive foundation as Ropa's detective work gets increasingly dangerous and complicated.
The plot wasn't particularly surprising on the mystery front, but Ropa's detective work led her through so many strange magical situations and action-packed scenes that I didn't mind. I'm delighted that this is just the beginning of a series because I can't wait to see how Ropa grows, how the deepening intrigue is resolved, and how her relationships evolve. The dystopian world-building is also still incomplete, so I am curious to know more about this near future world and the series of atrocities and bad decisions that got us there. This book has so much heart, and I definitely recommend it.
Ropa is a no-nonsense protagonist who could take a starring role in the argument for why you should take 14-year-olds very seriously indeed. She's self-assured, the main breadwinner for her family, and has a tough exterior protecting a heart of gold. She loves to learn, and her unmastered magical abilities are just out of reach. One of my favorite aspects of the book is how strongly her voice comes through in terms of the language and tone chosen by the author. Ropa has a quick, dry sense of observational humor, and she doesn't waste energy skirting around the truth as she sees it. I also loved her friendships and her relationships with her grandmother and younger sister. They provide a positive and supportive foundation as Ropa's detective work gets increasingly dangerous and complicated.
The plot wasn't particularly surprising on the mystery front, but Ropa's detective work led her through so many strange magical situations and action-packed scenes that I didn't mind. I'm delighted that this is just the beginning of a series because I can't wait to see how Ropa grows, how the deepening intrigue is resolved, and how her relationships evolve. The dystopian world-building is also still incomplete, so I am curious to know more about this near future world and the series of atrocities and bad decisions that got us there. This book has so much heart, and I definitely recommend it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Death, Physical abuse, Torture, Kidnapping, and Murder
Moderate: Child abuse, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Minor: Ableism, Addiction, Animal death, Chronic illness, Drug abuse, Drug use, Slavery, Suicide, Blood, Excrement, Police brutality, Grief, and Gaslighting
emily_journals's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
I always love a good ghost story. Throw in a secret society with an underground library AND a whole magic system? SOLD!
The ghost system (is that a thing?) in this book was pretty cool, I loved the way all of the ghosts and the ways of communicating with the ghosts was conveyed and constructed, I found it to be fun and unique. Also, the magic system was interesting, I really like the combination between the old/traditional magic methods and the newer magic methods throughout the book. Additionally, I really loved the characters in this book. They felt so multi-dimensional and realistic. None of the characters was 100% good, but none was 100% bad either, they all had differing motivations and characterization.
Onto the negative points, there is a random storyline in the middle that doesn't really seem to fit into the rest of the book (if you've read the book, you know what I'm talking about).
The Brownie Storyline.
I think the point of it was to add to the magic system and assist with some of the world building, but it felt pretty out of place. Other point, the ending was pretty abrupt. When I first read (or listened, rather) to this book, I was like "did my audiobook pause? did my headphones stop working?" and then I checked my phone and was like "oh wow, it's over??". It can be explained by the fact that this book is part of a series, but I still think there could have been a little more of a conclusion/winddown.
Overall, this book was really enjoyable and I REALLY loved the magic system and world that was built, so I will definitely be continuing on with this series.
The ghost system (is that a thing?) in this book was pretty cool, I loved the way all of the ghosts and the ways of communicating with the ghosts was conveyed and constructed, I found it to be fun and unique. Also, the magic system was interesting, I really like the combination between the old/traditional magic methods and the newer magic methods throughout the book. Additionally, I really loved the characters in this book. They felt so multi-dimensional and realistic. None of the characters was 100% good, but none was 100% bad either, they all had differing motivations and characterization.
Onto the negative points, there is a random storyline in the middle that doesn't really seem to fit into the rest of the book (if you've read the book, you know what I'm talking about).
I think the point of it was to add to the magic system and assist with some of the world building, but it felt pretty out of place. Other point, the ending was pretty abrupt. When I first read (or listened, rather) to this book, I was like "did my audiobook pause? did my headphones stop working?" and then I checked my phone and was like "oh wow, it's over??". It can be explained by the fact that this book is part of a series, but I still think there could have been a little more of a conclusion/winddown.
Overall, this book was really enjoyable and I REALLY loved the magic system and world that was built, so I will definitely be continuing on with this series.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, and Kidnapping
Moderate: Death of parent and Classism
Minor: Violence and Grief
ruuntvoces's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Body horror and Child abuse
Minor: Death of parent
jamesreads's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
The Library of the Dead is about a girl trying to survive in a world that’s broken down. Ropa’s life is centered pretty much entirely on taking care of her sister and grandmother. When Ropa finds out someone is stealing children she decides to do what she can to stop it. They don’t have much, but Ropa is determined the home they’ve managed to metaphorically carve out for themselves. So she’s reluctant to get involved until her grandmother gives her a nudge in the right direction.
Ropa’s world is not quite our own. I think it’s some sort of dystopian future after magic is revealed somehow. I think a better explanation is coming in the future books. At least I hope it does because I have a lot of questions. The places Ropa finds herself are all pretty well explained. I think the wider world just needs more explanation. The dark atmosphere of this story was absolutely perfect, though. I feel like the best way to explain it is a rainy/cold/snowy day where you just want to stay inside, but have to head out anyway.
I think this is a good moment to talk about the main character of the story. Her name is Ropa and she talks to ghosts for a living. She’s the real deal, though. I thought it was so interesting how she used magic to be able to understand the ghosts. She’s also very strict and practical when it comes to her abilities. She’s always laying down the terms and conditions before anything else. She’s almost too pragmatic, but it’s her way of dealing with the pressure of her life. She’s pretty much the sole provider for her family and she’s a teenager. I think there’s some romantic potential for her in future books. Although if it does’t go that route I won’t be mad. Sometimes friends are just that and it’s good to see in books too.
Ropa’s grandmother and sister were both great additions. I want to find out more about the grandmother. I’d love to see more of her magic. There’s just these small moments of it in this book. Her grandmother’s magic has an entirely different foundation and I’m curious about how that works. I really did not appreciate the horrible way a certain character treated Ropa’s family magic like it was less than. It seems more like two paths to get to the same result.
I really liked the way the plot was handled in this. It’s primarily a mystery. A lot of the big pieces are all tied up at the end. However there were several things hinting at things to come. Ropa and her friends shrug them off, and I just know that’s going to be mistake. Still it’s got me ready for the next book in a couple months.
So i don’t think I can talk about the theme much without spoilers. Ropa’s life has been all about her family. She’s technically a teenager, but she’s also the provider for her family. Her youth is seemingly over and she’s not even old enough to really be an adult.I think this is being paralleled by things going on in this story. Particularly the way life and youth are literally being stolen from the children for the wealthy to relive their own youth. It may not be done magically, but it’s something that happens to kids all the time in situations like Ropa’s.
So i don’t think I can talk about the theme much without spoilers. Ropa’s life has been all about her family. She’s technically a teenager, but she’s also the provider for her family. Her youth is seemingly over and she’s not even old enough to really be an adult.
I’m also not entirely sure where this fits in young adult versus adult. I think either age group could read and enjoy it, though.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Body horror, Torture, and Death of parent
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