Book Review: The Library of Lost Things by Laura Taylor Namey
Media Type: Print Book
Title: The Library of Lost Things
Author: Laura Taylor Namey
Publisher: Inkyard Press
Pages: Hardcover; 384
Release Date: October 8, 2019
Source: FFBC Tours / Publisher
Content Screening: Nothing of note.
HDB Rating: 4*
Recommended to: Readers who love characters with depth, and a story that hits hard.
Add it on: Goodreads | Amazon | B&N
From the moment she first learned to read, literary genius Darcy Wells has spent most of her time living in the worlds of her books. There, she can avoid the crushing reality of her mother’s hoarding and pretend her life is simply ordinary. But when a new property manager becomes more active in the upkeep of their apartment complex, the only home Darcy has ever known outside of her books suddenly hangs in the balance.
While Darcy is struggling to survive beneath the weight of her mother’s compulsive shopping, Asher Fleet, a former teen pilot with an unexpectedly shattered future, walks into the bookstore where she works…and straight into her heart. For the first time in her life, Darcy can’t seem to find the right words. Fairy tales are one thing, but real love makes her want to hide inside her carefully constructed ink-and-paper bomb shelter.
Still, after spending her whole life keeping people out, something about Asher makes Darcy want to open up. But securing her own happily-ever-after will mean she’ll need to stop hiding and start living her own truth—even if it’s messy.
Oh wow, this book hit me hard. For those of you who don’t know, I’ve started my Master’s Program and reading hasn’t come easily lately. It’s been a struggle to do the very thing that defines who I am. So it’s no surprise at all to me that I instantly fell in love with Darcy. She’s a girl who is built of stories. Words are her fuel, and she builds herself a life within the pages of books. I’m Darcy. Darcy is me. This book and I already were meant to be before I even picked it up.
Can I please thank Laura Taylor Namey for really nailing down what it’s like to live inside your own head? Darcy’s growth from page one, right on to the end, felt realistic to me. Battling her mother’s hoarding, trying to stay afloat in a world that wanted to knock her down, and just trying to be a person who had a place in the world, all of that was pure Darcy. I was so glad to see that there was no sugar coating around her world. Darcy’s brain was a a place that I could take shelter in, because it made sense. Namey hit the introvert gene, the anxiety driven thoughts, the books used as walls, all right on the head. If you’ve ever felt the least bit like Darcy, you’ll know as soon as you start reading this story.
Oh, and the other characters were so well fleshed out as well! Not one person in this book is overlooked. Marisol’s family was vibrant, and full of wild love. Asher was sweet, but not overly perfect. Even Jase, Bryn, and Landon, who didn’t get as much page time, were all just perfect puzzle pieces in the overall story. I felt like I was living this right alongside Darcy. I felt like I was part of their small world of plays, bonfires, and magical memories. This is the first time in a while that I’ve really felt nostalgic for high school, and it was a feeling that I’ll cherish.
I could gush on and on, if you’d let me. I could share with you the page of quotes that I jotted down while reading this, smiling the entire time. I’ll let you experience it for yourself though, because this book is well worth your time. Pick up The Library of Lost Things. Get lost in the pages. Grow with Darcy. You won’t regret a minute of it.
FTC Disclosure: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.
