Reviews tagging 'Sexism'

The Lost Bookshop by Evie Woods

7 reviews

saskiajva's review against another edition

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dark mysterious sad tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

2.5

Before you start this book, definitely read the trigger warnings. Based on the summary and the tagline “the most charming and uplifting novel of 2023”, i was expecting a cozy story about a magic bookshop that filled you with warmth, hope, and childlike wonder. This book was nothing like that. Instead, it is 431 pages of three different people experiencing and processing horrific and very real-world traumas. The actual bookshop is much more the background setting of their lives, and not at all integral to the plot in my opinion, which i thought was a bummer. this book could’ve easily been set in a realistic world without the bookshop and it would change very little. 

Ultimately the book was fairly captivating and i did read it to the end, but i don’t think i would’ve chosen this had i known what it was actually about. Or at  the very least i definitely would have been more mindful about reading this while in a good headspace. The history was pretty cool, it’s clear the author did a ton of research and there are so many historical Easter eggs interwoven 

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katievallin's review against another edition

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dark emotional mysterious sad slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75


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ash_bees's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional mysterious reflective sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

A single story told from two points in time about 100 years apart.  Very well written, I could feel the heart ache.


Not to distract from the rest of the story line, but so much of this is about the actions of a psychopath, the fall out from those actions, and the victims who are trying to heal.

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laurenvoice's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional hopeful mysterious medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

The Lost Bookshop was a perfect mix of magic and real life.

The three stories of Opaline, Martha, and Henry intertwined beautifully, and the stories left you feeling hopeful. There was no question left unanswered; the last paragraph of The Lost Bookshop answered that most important question. Oh, I do not know how I will get over this book - it was just so wonderful! 

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hannahcstocks's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0


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sea_tea_books's review against another edition

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dark emotional funny hopeful mysterious sad tense

4.0

"A good story always begins with tea."

This story was more complicated than I had been expecting. There were cozy, hygge moments mingled with a darker, more emotionally heavy undercurrent throughout the story. The consequences of generational trauma are far-reaching.

Henry was funny in an unintentional yet realistic way, which made him charming. His humor helped to lighten some of the darkness in this book. 

Side note: Why did Madame Bowden say a curious incident occurred "in the eighties" but Martha says "in the sixties" when she retells the story?


4 ⭐

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brandilovesbooks's review against another edition

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challenging emotional inspiring mysterious medium-paced
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

Opaline runs away from her home to avoid an undesirable marriage.  After some time in France learning about the business of dealing rare books, she finds herself the caretaker of a very unique store.

Years later, Martha escapes her abusive husband and finds herself the housekeeper living in a flat that isn't what it seems.

Henry is a scholar looking for a lost bookstore and a lost manuscript.  Together, he and Martha unravel clue after clue about the bookshop's owner.

Told in parallel timelines, The Lost Bookshop is a story about the power a person holds to control their future.

It is a story of trust, love, and magic.  I recommend it to anyone who likes reading about bookstores and/or magic.

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