Review: A Bibliophile's Paradise
Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore, a humorous YA novel by Robin Sloan, is one of the most fascinating books I’ve ever read. Last week I was snuggled in my bed until the early hours of the morning, completely mesmerized by the charming narrative and exciting action. The characters go everywhere from a secret library to Google’s headquarters; it’s the perfect combination of geekiness and adventure that’s perfect for bibliophiles everywhere.
The story follows the twenty-something Clay Johnson as he goes from aspiring web designer to nighttime clerk at the peculiar Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore. After only a few days on the job, he begins to notice that there is something even weirder going on at his work place, and it doesn’t just have to do with the fact it is open 24/7 and nestled into a small San Francisco street beside a sketchy strip club. The customers are few and far between, but even stranger are the ever reappearing “members” who frequently borrow ancient looking books from the back of the store. Clay’s curiosity leads him to open one of the forbidden books, and what he finds will only continue to lead him farther astray from the dusty bookstore. With his successful entrepreneur/ex-gamer friend and a cute programmer from Google, Clay dives into a journey that tips the balance of the digital age and traditional ways. The mystery is much more than meets the eye, and the trio will soon find themselves knee deep in a more than five hundred year old puzzle. The catch? They think they can decode it.
This book is a complete page turner. If you’re looking for something to make you reevaluate the way you live your life, this is it. Robin Sloan perfectly mixes humour, real world references, and an ancient secret society to make this a completely unique read. I would give Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore a 4.8 out of 5 stars. The only negative is that the complex plot can get quite confusing, and if you’re not focussed on the details, it’s easy to get mixed-up. However, with the interesting narrative and well-developed characters, it’s hard not to give this book your complete, undivided attention.