The Library - Bella Osborne

Two different generations. Two unusual people. Thrown together to save their local library.Tom is a teenager and blends into the background of life. After a row with his dad, and facing an unhappy future at the dog food factory, he escapes to the library. Tom unwittingly ends up with a bagful of romance novels and comes under the suspicion of Maggie.

Maggie is a pensioner and has been happily alone for ten years, at least that's what she tells herself. When Tom comes to her rescue a friendship develops that could change her life. As Maggie helps Tom to stand up for himself, Tom helps Maggie realise the mistakes of her past don't have to define her future.

They each set out to prove that the library isn't just about books – it's the heart of their community.

Together they discover some things are worth fighting for.

Blurb taken from Goodreads.

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I was provided with an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I thought this sounded right up my street - quirky, funny, and with lots of potential for mischief. Add in the setting of the library and I was sure I was guaranteed a hit.

Unfortunately, although I did enjoy this one, I didn't love it. I found the writing to be very simplistic, and it didn't engage me as much as I would have liked. However, the story was interesting and hopeful, and it's a nice, easy read.

Rating: ✫✫✫

My Thoughts

The one thing I really liked about this book was the characters. Tom and Maggie are not your typical heroes, but their relationship exudes a warmth that made me really want to see them succeed. There isn't an enormous amount of other characters, but they certainly served Tom and Maggie, making them really shine from the page. Maggie in particular was very endearing. 

I had hoped that the library would play more of a part in the book. After all, that was what the title suggested, and it was what had caught my attention in the first place. We spend more time on Maggie's farm than in the library, although I see the point of it to drive the plot forward.

Ultimately, what let this book down for me was the writing. It felt very simplistic and didn't have the sophistication I was hoping for. I would have liked to have seen it develop a little better, as that would have taken the story (and my engagement with it) to the next level.

The Verdict

Overall, I did enjoy this book. It was original, it was fun, and the characters were very warm and engaging. 

However, it was never going to be one that I really loved because I didn't find it to have the depth I had hoped for. Enjoyable, but not a standout.