It is easy, as a voracious reader, to find this book mesmerising. A woman who shuns her family and societal norms to live her life surrounded by the books she loves? What’s not to like? I found the main character, Aaiyla, incredibly constructed. I read reviews saying that she is a rather depressing woman because of the way she shuts the world away, but I disagree with them. There are people out there who have the same type of personality, even if it seems hard to believe. I loved the setting so much, with Beirut coming to life magnificently. All in all, this book was a fantastic surprise.