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In addition to too many characters trying to dance on the head of a pin, there were more double- and triple-crosses than a double helix. Just trying to keep up was dizzying, but that might have been the point; the main character was just as in the dark for most of the book, and you had to follow along with him as he tried to navigate the world that he'd been pulled into. That made him a somewhat unreliable narrator, but it wasn't his fault, since he could only act on the information that he had, and he often didn't have all of the facts, or interpreted them wrong. The story is about a young woman named June who is the local library assistant. June thinks that you can tell a lot about a person from the library books they borrow, but June herself is very much a closed book.
What a charming book! I absolutely enjoyed every minute of reading it. Debut author Freya Sampson does a phenomenal job of bringing together a group of characters that are so vastly different from each other, but all lovable in their own way. I really cared about June and the rest of the gang, and wanted nothing more than for her to be happy. Hot Desk by Zara Stoneley– Alice’s desk might look a mess, but she knows exactly where everything is. Or she did. Until she found out she’s going to share it with the most annoying guy in the office. Only two things bothered me was instant romance between charming Alex Chang and June and abrupt ending of the book. The romance parts could be developed a little bit and I think the book could be a little longer.A gentle, heart-warming story and a love letter to libraries everywhere. When the world is grim, The Last Library is just the book to soothe your soul * Jenny Bayliss *
This was going to be a solid 4 or 5 stars book until about 50% into the story. The setup was wonderful. Old manor that used to be an abbey, the moors and the fog, the cold and unwelcoming servants, and a mysterious library... What is there not to like about this?Is there a revolution about to begin--who are the good guys and who the bad--it will get all tangled up and unfortunately I will have to keep reading this 3 book series--because the cliff hanger at the end grabbed me--just as this book did. Another book that I read in one sitting!! This is a conspiracy novel that will stay with me for all eternity! This is a lovely debut novel from Freya Sampson that zeroes in on the central and critical place a local library has within a community, a timely piece of fiction that reflects contemporary British realities where so many libraries have been closed and so many are under threat. The timid and shy 30 year old June Jones lives on the 1960s Willowmead Estate with her hostile anti-social cat, Alan Bennett. She has lived an entirely predictable and routine life since her mother died 8 years ago, she has withdrawn from the world entirely, reading her books, getting the same takeaway from The Golden Dragon, working as a library assistant under her boss, Marjorie Spencer. She shuns all efforts to get her live, socialise and move on by the likes of her mother's friend and neighbour, Linda. With the help of his friend, troubled author Nelson Wright; revolutionary Chelles Andreas; his son Grandyn; and the several “TreeRunners”, Runit weeds books from the library’s vast collection to send to safety while learning hard truths about himself and his past as well as the government, PAWN (People Against World Nation) and a rising rebellion. Initially, June is more concerned for her job, but when Stanley proposes the group occupy the library, June joins in and their action goes viral. They're joined by Alex Chen, an old school friend of June's who takes an interest in her and further brightens her spirits. Wonderful characters, gentle humour and a sweet romance make this an endearing read * Good Housekeeping *
My main problem, really, was that I felt like there could have been more. It wasn't rushed, exactly, but I think the idea itself could have lent to a bigger story than a novella, and that could just be the fact I don't take to novellas well in general talking for me. I don't know. I wanted more, especially detail-wise when it came to the... uh, spoiler-free... let's say surprise. (Is it really a spoiler? It's kind of right there in the synopsis... sorta.) I'd love to see an after, because I'm really curious about one of the characters we only saw a little bit of. Though not extraordinary in itself, this book sets a new - as yet unparalleled - standard. Its brilliant execution is equal parts fast-paced, heartfelt, purpose-centred and never overdone. Its characters are not only endearing (and perhaps idiosyncratic) but as much protagonists of the story - with a history and a beating heart; a soulful existence - as the Library itself. The literary references are from contemporary fiction and Classics across all genres, and beautifully complement the story. Adding an extra dose of texture and enjoyment is also the Occupation initiated by Stanley - the chapters I read most avidly.
challenging myself to read as many review copies as possible this month because i'm addicted to projects! it may be defined as a romance only on a very secondary level - even in terms of June's specific story progression, it is more of an adapted coming-of-age of sorts.
June Jones is a library assistant who has never left her hometown. After her mom passed away, June never stopped grieving for her, and still lives in her childhood home (that has “fecal-colored carpet for a bathroom floor”) with her cat, Alan Bennett. The story is heartwarming and endearing, and just what I needed. It’s humorous, has depth, and even has a bit of romance. I was touched by this sweet book. I laughed, I smiled, and I cried (some of these at the same time). My heart was in my throat -- no more libraries -- no more print books. Now we all know how I love to read--and even the thought of this sends shivers down my spine!! Oh I now read E-Books-but that is actually pretty recent--and I may not go to libraries anymore--but if you asked my Mom she would tell you that whenever she happened to ask what I wanted to do--I answered "let's go the the library!" Whether it was the NYC Library or the little one in our town--that's where I wanted to go!!A] winsome debut...Sampson convincingly brings her characters to life, as well as the importance of their collective crusade to save the library. Readers will be touched by June's transformation * Publisher's Weekly * Around 40% in, it lost me. It's about 75 years into the future and the world has gone to hell. I like a good dystopian book, unfortunately, this one wasn't that good. The protagonist and last librarian is Runit, who is described as "brave and true". However, I don't find much brave and true about someone who not only lied to his co-workers and a group called the Treerunners (think boy scouts) to procure their assistance, but also endangered their lives. Seriously, it bothered me more than a bit that Runit and Nelson, knowing the penalty for being caught could be imprisonment or death, would allow the library volunteers and Grandyn’s TreeRunner friends to aid in sneaking the library books out while lying to them about what they were doing. Fortunately, none of the volunteers or TreeRunners were deep thinkers since they never questioned what they were doing or what they were being told. I learned a valuable lesson in reading this book: never read two similarly themed books in close proximity to each other, because like it or not, you’ll compare them. Having just read The Library by Bella Osborne, there were some prominent similarities: They both deal with the imminent threat of closure to the village library and the scrappy villagers’ plans to fight it, they both had younger and older characters bridging the age gap to find common ground and friendship in their united cause, they both had characters with broken family relationships due to a secret past, and they both had mousy, socially-awkward main characters finding their voice to help others and grow individually, to name a few of the bigger ones.
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