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A review by amandasbookreview
The Woman in the Library by Sulari Gentill
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
“I am a bricklayer without drawings, laying words in sentences, sentences into paragraphs, allowing my walls to twist and turn on whim…no framework…just bricks interlocked…no idea what I’m building or if it will stand…no symmetry, no plan, just the chaotic unplotted bustle of human life.”
THE WOMAN IN THE LIBRARY
Thank you, NetGalley, Sulari Gentill, and Poisoned Pen Press for the opportunity to read this book! It will release on June 7th, 2022.
The Woman in the Library by Sulari Gentill is somewhat of a unique story setup. It is actually a story within a story, almost within another story—but we will get to that later. Our story begins with four individuals who happen to be in the same area of the Boston Public Library when suddenly there is a scream. Winifred, known as Freddie, Marigold, Whit, and Cain is somewhat bonded by this event, and a friendship blossoms. However, when the news breaks that a woman was found murdered in the BPL, they begin to ponder what had happened. Then Freddie starts to get strange messages and then soon realizes they are all in danger.
I came so close to DNFing this book. The premise sounded so promising and the first two chapters had me hooked. Then the novelty wore off and the pace dragged. I could not bring myself to care about the characters, especially with those weird letters from Leo. I kept thinking how annoying his letters were and how if I were the recipient I would no longer respond…then there was the twist. And my god what a twist!! Everything changed for me in that instant.
The second half of the book is intense. I could not put it down. I had to know what happens in both stories. Everything seems to happen at once. The characters become more fleshed out. Freddie is determined to piece together this mystery, while Cain harbors so many secrets. Marigold is Marigold, I am not going to lie, she is my least favorite in the group. Whit is laid back and born into privilege. What at first seemed like a very surface-level story turned into a mystery that became unpredictable with multiple complexities–there are hints of social standing, school to prison pipeline, and guilty of self-defense. I have not felt so torn by a book before as I hated the first half but loved the second half! It was definitely worth the read in the end.
I came so close to DNFing this book. The premise sounded so promising and the first two chapters had me hooked. Then the novelty wore off and the pace dragged. I could not bring myself to care about the characters, especially with those weird letters from Leo. I kept thinking how annoying his letters were and how if I were the recipient I would no longer respond…then there was the twist. And my god what a twist!! Everything changed for me in that instant.
The second half of the book is intense. I could not put it down. I had to know what happens in both stories. Everything seems to happen at once. The characters become more fleshed out. Freddie is determined to piece together this mystery, while Cain harbors so many secrets. Marigold is Marigold, I am not going to lie, she is my least favorite in the group. Whit is laid back and born into privilege. What at first seemed like a very surface-level story turned into a mystery that became unpredictable with multiple complexities–there are hints of social standing, school to prison pipeline, and guilty of self-defense. I have not felt so torn by a book before as I hated the first half but loved the second half! It was definitely worth the read in the end.