Skip to main content

The Midnight Bookshop by Amanda James

"Like "Mary Poppins" only with books, Fay Revil and her magical Bookshop appear when you need it most. Luckily for Jo, Kye and Adelaide, they'll discover the Midnight Bookshop together and it will change their lives for the better. It was silly and cliche but sometimes a book that doesn't require too much thought is a nice change of pace." 

⭐️ ⭐️⭐️

Pros: It was quaint and fun at times. Predictable but sometimes that's nice. 

Cons: The solution to Adelaide’s problem was very convenient/The book coulld very easily have ended 50 pages sooner.  

Full Review: 

Jo, is in her early twenties, with well off parents and so, she's never really wanted for anything. Her Mother is obsessed with appearances and is always disappointed in her daughter, who's never amounted to much. She dropped out of University and spends most of her days reading, when not getting a cheap thrill from shop-lifting. 

Kye is living with his sick mother and his drug-dealer brother., Leon After the death of their Father, Kye knew he had to take care of his mother and that his brother wouldn't do it. So he's agreed to "work" for Leon, though he hates that he's making peoples lives worse by aiding in their addictions. He wants to get out but he doesn't know how and he knows he can't leave his mother behind. 

Adelaide is trapped in an abusive and loveless marriage. She met Mark shortly after her mother passed and perhaps she was looking for stability but what she found was a bettliling, condescending, abusive jerk who she's terrified of. She too knows she has to get out but she just doesn't know how. 

As luck would have it, they all happen upon a pamphlet for The Midnight Bookshop. Once they find it, which proves more difficult than they at first thought, they find a truly magical place. It's an escape, a dream, a place where books become reality and the only thing holding them back is their own imagination. The propiertoress, Fay Revil, is just as magical as the bookshop. She helps them in ways they didn't even realize they needed and the discovery of The Midnight Bookshop, Fay Revil and of course, the life-long, ever-lasting friendship that they've formed, is what makes all of it so special, 

It was laughably cliche at points but at the same time, sometimes a book with not much mystery and not too many threads to keep trakc of, is a nice, change of pace. I enjoyed this for what it was, a quaint, quirky, "Mary Poppins" for books adventure.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Animal Farm by George Orwell

"A blithe and scathing commentary on equality, power, corruption and how everyone is created equal, but...some are more equal than others. Orwell hit the nail right on the head with this novel and it's no wonder it's a staple for most high school curriculums. " 3 Stars.  Pros:  Benjamin the Donkey is the smartest animal on the farm and it would have done all the others a world of good if they had listened to him in the first place.  Cons:  The fact that societies like this actually do exist is nauseating and terrible. It's not a con, per se, it's just a gut wrenching fact.  Full Review:  When the overworked and mistreated Animals on Manor Farm decide to rise up and overthrow their cruel master, they're successful. They rebel and now find themselves with an entire Farm to run. They rename it Animal Farm and are intent on creating a paradise, where work and play are equal, where productivity is key but relaxation is a must and all the lives of all the animal...

Fantastic Voyage by Isaac Asimov

"When a scientist, Benes, who has integral and world changing information attempts to defect and join our Side, he's injured. A blood  clot forms in his brain and the only way to save his life is to miniaturize the crew of the Proteus and inject them into Benes' body, so they can break up the blood clot from the inside. Of course, one thing after another goes wrong and every chapter is a new catastrophe but it was definitely a fantastic voyage.   2 Stars Pros:  Grant is one dry character but he's a welcome bit of amusement in an otherwise serious and scientific novel.  Cons:  Grant is also SUCH a man that he spends most of the mission staring at saving the one woman board, Cora./Definitely ripe with anatomical lessons and what part of the body they were in. Since I've never been great at anatomy, a lot of it was lost on me and became burdensome near the end.  Full Review: As in all things, there is a good side and a bad side. This book is very vague as...

Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep by Philip K. Dick

“Rick Deckard is a Bounty Hunter who's on the trail of six "Andys" (Androids) who have come to Earth illegally. His job is to track them down and "retire" them. Something he found easy to do until he met her, Rachael Rosen. The Android that does the impossible, passes the "Voight-Kampff" test. The story quickly devolves into a slow, drawn out and frankly boring mystery that was putting me to sleep by the end."    ⭐⭐ Pros: I was more interested in comparing it to the film, "Bladerunner."/At first I kind of liked the drab, dreary atmostphere but it soon became soporific.  Cons: I had no real idea what was going on with Mercerism/The end there had me blinking in bewilderment, like with Herbert's 29th Dune Book/There was a lot of idle chit-chat while they were in murderous/intense situations, it just seemed odd.  Full Review:  Rick Deckard, a Bounty Hunter, contracted with the San Francisco Police Department hunts down and retires rogue ...