katiecentabar's review against another edition
adventurous
informative
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Loveable characters? No
2.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gun violence, Murder, Toxic friendship, and Stalking
amandabcook's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Death of parent
Moderate: Abandonment, Toxic friendship, Murder, and Fire/Fire injury
leaflit's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
tense
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? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Gun violence, Fire/Fire injury, Death of parent, Murder, and Infidelity
Moderate: Classism, Toxic friendship, Emotional abuse, Stalking, Mental illness, Grief, and Gaslighting
lilifane's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
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
4.0
What are the odds to read a second book in a row with a family history, mystery and adventure, a treasure hunt, and a friends group? But this time with adults?
I'm always craving more books about a friends group and an adventure that is not YA, and it's really hard to find those. So I was really happy that this book turned out to be exactly what I was searching for for so long. I really love the idea behind The Cartographers. And I very much enjoyed the book, even though some of the reveals were too predictable and some decisions... didn't make any sense. But I was willing to just go with it because I liked the overall story so much.
The weakest point is definitely the characters. Although you get a lot of their backstories, I had a hard time to get emotionally attached to them. Especially the friends group, it would have made it so much more believable and emotional if we experienced more interactions between them that explained their bond and different relationships a little bit more.
I'm always craving more books about a friends group and an adventure that is not YA, and it's really hard to find those. So I was really happy that this book turned out to be exactly what I was searching for for so long. I really love the idea behind The Cartographers. And I very much enjoyed the book, even though some of the reveals were too predictable and some decisions... didn't make any sense. But I was willing to just go with it because I liked the overall story so much.
The weakest point is definitely the characters. Although you get a lot of their backstories, I had a hard time to get emotionally attached to them. Especially the friends group, it would have made it so much more believable and emotional if we experienced more interactions between them that explained their bond and different relationships a little bit more.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Gun violence, Infidelity, Murder, and Toxic friendship
theonlybaillie's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Mental illness, Death of parent, Infidelity, Violence, Grief, Toxic friendship, and Murder
Minor: Alcohol, Sexual content, Abandonment, and Gun violence
teaxmillions's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Gun violence, Stalking, Toxic friendship, Fire/Fire injury, and Violence
Minor: Murder
laguerrelewis's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
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? Yes
4.0
I always love the magic in the mundane, and apparently, so does Peng Shepherd. This is a pretty solid and enjoyable story—the characters are great, the weaving of timelines and POVs is creative and fun, and the actual narrative is very engaging. The mystery fuels this book and keeps you reading, and the twists and turns certainly hit! The biggest hurdles are that I absolutely got ahead of multiple revelations, leaving me waiting for the book to catch up with me. MINOR SPOILER: If you’re willing to stick with this book, and if the concept appeals to your senses, give it a shot!
Spoiler
There is a minor magical element to this world. However, I personally felt like the protagonists were confused/in denial of this for far too long, and time could have been saved by cutting that down.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Murder, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Blood, Death of parent, and Death
honeywine's review against another edition
adventurous
informative
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Loved this story and the use of liminal spaces. I found myself glazing over some parts but I enjoyed it overall. As a geography person, I loved all the maps.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Death of parent, Grief, Toxic friendship, Gun violence, Death, Stalking, Confinement, and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Abandonment and Kidnapping
abrich's review
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.5
Pacing issues, plot holes, and of the 10 characters Bear was the only potentially likable one.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment and Death of parent
Moderate: Confinement, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Gun violence, Murder, Toxic friendship, Bullying, Classism, Grief, Infidelity, Stalking, and Violence
rorikae's review against another edition
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
'The Cartographers' by Peng Shepherd is a novel with an engaging premise that never quite lives up to the promises set up in the beginning of the book.
Nell Young dreamed of working at the New York Public Library like her father but a falling out with him years ago resulted in her being fired from her dream job. It was all over a seemingly useless gas station map that she found in the library's collection. Years later, Nell's father dies at his desk and when she finds the same gas station map in his belongings, she starts delving into why this particular map, something that shouldn't have much worth, is still in her Dad's possessions. As she learns more about her father's past, her mother's death in a fire when she was young, and a mysterious group called the Cartographers, Nell begins to unravel why this map has had such a sway over her past.
'The Cartographers' starts out great. The premise is engaging as it sets up a mystery around the gas station map that has put a strain on Nell and her father's relationship. The first third of the book is great as the tension continues to ramp up as more incidents appear to all be triggered by this map that Nell finds in her father's belongings. Unfortunately, as the mystery continues on, it becomes less engaging and the solution to everything is rather lackluster. For the heights of the mystery and intrigue set up at the beginning, the answers don't match up and end up being kind of boring. This is capped off by explanations at the end, including why Nell's father fired her, that don't really make sense. The stakes are never as high as they are set up in the beginning and this makes the drastic nature of some of the decisions that were made in the story feel nonsensical. This book could have been so much fun but it is never allowed to fully explore the possibilities of the premise.
There is a lightly speculative element to this story that I did really enjoy but again, it wasn't used in as engaging of a way as it could of been. I had to suspend my disbelief a bit, not with the speculative element itself, but with the narrow scope of how the element was used. This ultimately left me frustrated.
I did enjoy the audiobook narration. The story is mainly told through two narrators with a few characters popping in to give backstory. Having each of these backstory moments narrated by their own narrator did help create the community feel that I think Shepherd was trying to evoke.
Ultimately, this book has a great premise that is never allowed to shine.
Nell Young dreamed of working at the New York Public Library like her father but a falling out with him years ago resulted in her being fired from her dream job. It was all over a seemingly useless gas station map that she found in the library's collection. Years later, Nell's father dies at his desk and when she finds the same gas station map in his belongings, she starts delving into why this particular map, something that shouldn't have much worth, is still in her Dad's possessions. As she learns more about her father's past, her mother's death in a fire when she was young, and a mysterious group called the Cartographers, Nell begins to unravel why this map has had such a sway over her past.
'The Cartographers' starts out great. The premise is engaging as it sets up a mystery around the gas station map that has put a strain on Nell and her father's relationship. The first third of the book is great as the tension continues to ramp up as more incidents appear to all be triggered by this map that Nell finds in her father's belongings. Unfortunately, as the mystery continues on, it becomes less engaging and the solution to everything is rather lackluster. For the heights of the mystery and intrigue set up at the beginning, the answers don't match up and end up being kind of boring. This is capped off by explanations at the end, including why Nell's father fired her, that don't really make sense. The stakes are never as high as they are set up in the beginning and this makes the drastic nature of some of the decisions that were made in the story feel nonsensical. This book could have been so much fun but it is never allowed to fully explore the possibilities of the premise.
There is a lightly speculative element to this story that I did really enjoy but again, it wasn't used in as engaging of a way as it could of been. I had to suspend my disbelief a bit, not with the speculative element itself, but with the narrow scope of how the element was used. This ultimately left me frustrated.
I did enjoy the audiobook narration. The story is mainly told through two narrators with a few characters popping in to give backstory. Having each of these backstory moments narrated by their own narrator did help create the community feel that I think Shepherd was trying to evoke.
Ultimately, this book has a great premise that is never allowed to shine.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence, Toxic friendship, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Fire/Fire injury, Infidelity, and Murder