A review by sophiesmallhands
The Grandest Bookshop in the World by Amelia Mellor

adventurous emotional lighthearted reflective
  • 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

 This was a total cover buy with its beautiful rainbow border and hard cover, but I was astonished to find out in the afterword that Cole’s Book Arcade and the family that lived there really did exist in Melbourne in the 19th century! Amelia has given this story a magical realism twist and introduced a very Count Olaf-seeming villain in the form of the Obscurosmith. 
 
What I didn’t expect was the surprisingly poignant, and sometimes dark, exploration of grief and how a grieving parent can appear to their children. The stakes of the story also felt very real and there were very real consequences of failing a trial as the story progressed. 
 
The interactions between all the Cole siblings were so genuine and authentic (and I love any book where I get to read any Aussie colloquialisms!) which only added to the emotional conclusion of the story. That said, despite being junior fiction, I probably would recommend ages 10-12+ given some of the themes. 
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