A review by emlawley
The Keeper of Lost Things by Ruth Hogan

emotional hopeful mysterious slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

This book surprised me a bit as its plot was more complex than I’d anticipated, with the story jumping between a present tense timeline and one in the past along with an unexpected supernatural element to the book. I think the premise of the book was interesting (after first hearing about it it was on my To Be Read list for months after reading the blurb) but the writing didn’t live up to expectations. I preferred the storyline that was looking back in time to the present day story, and I was disappointed with how that concluded as a result. I was also disappointed in the patriarchal tinge on the book (the way the main character judges herself and her perceived attractiveness harshly based on her age and appearance and by comparing herself to other women; the way she is judged by other characters). I found it distracting as it didn’t feel like it was written deliberately as an observation about how that is problematic. So that was jarring and surprising in a negative way and really detracted from my enjoyment of the book. I also thought the quality of the writing make the addition of the object stories-within-the-story a little jarring and confusing. One thing that I really did enjoy, however, was how Sunny was written. 
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