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Book Review

Publisher's Note:

A missing God. A library with the secrets to the universe. A woman too busy to notice her heart slipping away. Carolyn's not so different from the other people around her. She likes guacamole and cigarettes and steak. She knows how to use a phone. Clothes are a bit tricky, but everyone says nice things about her outfit with the Christmas sweater over the gold bicycle shorts. After all, she was a normal American herself once. That was a long time ago, of course. Before her parents died. Before she and the others were taken in by the man they called Father. In the years since then, Carolyn hasn't had a chance to get out much. Instead, she and her adopted siblings have been raised according to Father's ancient customs. They've studied the books in his Library and learned some of the secrets of his power. And sometimes, they've wondered if their cruel tutor might secretly be God. Now, Father is missing—perhaps even dead—and the Library that holds his secrets stands unguarded. And with it, control over all of creation. As Carolyn gathers the tools she needs for the battle to come, fierce competitors for this prize align against her, all of them with powers that far exceed her own. But Carolyn has accounted for this. And Carolyn has a plan. The only trouble is that in the war to make a new God, she's forgotten to protect the things that make her human. Populated by an unforgettable cast of characters and propelled by a plot that will shock you again and again, The Library at Mount Char is at on…

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The Library at Mount Char

by Scott Hawkins

Reviewer: Lydia
Genre: Fantasy
Recommended Age: 21+

Overall Book Review:

I am a huge fan of libraries. If I were not a librarian, I think I would still spend as much time in a library as I do right now. So obviously, books about libraries appeal to me. This book has a title that is a little deceiving because the word “library” is in it, leading me to believe that I was in for a literary treat. Well, maybe not so much. This book will be well-suited for readers who enjoyed books such as City of Bones and A Discovery of Witches.  I thought those books were good, if not a bit wordy, which led me to lose interest a little toward the end.

The Library at Mount Char is violent, well-thought out, and just all-around crazy. I am not sure what to make of the time period it is set in. At times it seems as if it is present day, but then some of the abilities the characters have made me wonder if perhaps it was meant to be in the near future. Whatever the case, the author left the reader hanging on what exactly the beings were that played the main roles in the book. Were they human? Alien? A mixture of both? I did not ever really get all of that figured out, and instead I decided to just focus on the book itself and try to keep the story straight.

If you are looking for a supernatural thriller, but haven’t found anything yet that is realistic enough to suit you, then this book is probably for you.  I hope you like it and that you are able to decipher all of the oddities that I was unable to!

This book was sent to Compass Book Ratings for review by Crown Publishers

Content Analysis:

Profanity/Language:  11 religious exclamations; 6 mild obscenities; 3 religious profanities; 7 derogatory names; 41 scatological words; 16 anatomical terms; 153 F-Word derivatives.

Violence/Gore:  A character is described as being “blood drenched” a character is holding a knife that they apparently used to murder someone; a character is said to be wearing a bloody dress; a girl is so scared she urinates; a girl observes that she is crying bloody tears in one brief mention; a character mentions their mother is dead; a character uses blood to try to create a sort of armor for himself; a man slaps a woman; a dead woman is described to be unburied; a man is beheaded and the head is briefly described with little detail; a character shoots an innocent character at point blank; a character is shot and some blood is mentioned; a violent TV show is depicted briefly; a character is said to be burned to death in a ritual; a character reports bullying in school by peers;  a war is mentioned as are war horrors and death (some brief descriptions); gunshots are heard; an attack occurs out of nowhere and blood guts and death are mentioned to occur with some brief description of the scene; animals attack innocent people and are shot at; an animal attacks and beheads a human in a brief scene; blood is mentioned in a brief scene; a group of characters attempt to rob a house; a pack of animals attacks a man and bite him, the man shoots several of the animals and kills or injures them in a violent scene; a car crash occurs, killing two adults and leaving a child in a coma; a character hangs themself and is mentioned to have been found; a house is attacked by a group of violent characters and machines; a man is violent with a woman and tries to strangle her to kill her in a brief scene; suicide is mentioned.

Sex/Nudity:  Adults kiss; adults are interested in each other sexually; a couple is mentioned to be heard having sex (2 times); a woman implies she had consensual sex with a man.

Mature Subject Matter:

Violence, war, paranormal, death, attempted suicide.

Alcohol / Drug Use:

Adults drink beer; adults smoke; drug use is mentioned; a drug deal is suspected to take place; a character is described as stoned and smoking a pipe; a character has a tobacco smell on them; marijuana is mentioned to be used a couple of times.

Overall Book Rating
Profanity/Language
Rating:
10
10
Violence/Gore
Rating:
9
10
Sex/Nudity
Rating:
3
10

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About the Reviewer

Lydia
Books and reading have always been an important part of my life. When I was very young, my grandma was the library director at our local public library. Years later, after she had retired, I became a librarian at the same library and worked there for several years before taking a part-time job at a local coffee shop, which gives me more time to do what I love, to read and to review books! A few of my favorite authors are Aimee Bender, Diane Chamberlain, and Curtis Sittenfeld however, I will read almost any book I come across! In my spare time you can find me reading (of course), volunteering at a wildlife animal rehab, or hanging out with my three house rabbits.

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