The Library of Lost Things

by Laura Taylor Namey

[Sam@WLABB]

Darcy’s real life was sometimes difficult to face, and she therefore, she chose to live in her fictional worlds. During her senior year, not only did Darcy meet someone, who could be a real life romantic interest, but her financial and living situation were both threatened. The real world had begun seeping in, and Darcy had to decide if she was willing to take the risk, and open herself up, or remain hidden behind the wall she erected to protect herself and her mother.

How could I resist a book-loving character? I found it so easy to connect with Darcy as a book lover, and adored all the quotes and word games Namey incorporated into the story. I also found her really simple to empathize with, as she was a child being forced to assume the adult role in her home due to her mother’s struggle with mental illness. But, what I enjoyed most, was seeing Darcy slowly remove her protective barrier and begin to let more people into her life. She expanded her social circle, spread her wings via theatre, and even made an effort to make peace with her father’s absence. All of these were HUGE steps for this rather introverted bookworm, and I was so proud of her.

Luckily, Darcy had a fantastic group of supporting characters to help her with this process. Best friends, Marisol, and her family, seemed to be a steady source of comfort and encouragement for Darcy. They had been giving her love and support for many years, and simply just oozed love and acceptance. Her boss and his ex-wife were also very pro-Darcy, and I couldn’t imagine how much harder things would have been for her had they not been part of her life.

One of the biggest catalysts for her life changes was Asher. This lovely boy was trying to rebuilt his life after a car accident left him bodily broken with his future hanging in limbo. He was sort of lost and adrift, when he stumbled into Darcy’s life, but he was able to offer her friendship and a different perspective, as he gently encouraged and supported her throughout her latest setback.

I enjoyed all the personal development Darcy experienced over the course of this book, but I was here for the romance. I am happy to report, it did not disappoint. It was obvious from their first meeting, that Asher and Darcy were a fabulous pairing, but there were quite a few obstacle they had to overcome, before they could head off hand-in-hand to romance land. Because of that, it was a rather slow burn, but I enjoyed every delicious second of it.

I would be remiss, if I did not mention how well I thought Namey approached Darcy’s Mother’s illness. It’s not that I have not read other YA books featuring hoarding, but I think this was the first to not just describe the physical side of it, but also, talk a bit about the mental side of hoarding. I like that therapeutic approaches were discussed, as well as, the different types of hoarders that exist. The author also clearly depicted how the hoarder, as well as their loved ones, were affected by this disorder. My heart ached for Darcy as she battled with her love for her mother and her hatred of the hoarding. Needless to say, this was a rather complicated mother-daughter relationship, which I believe was done quite well.

Overall: This was a lovely and touching story, which incorporated romance, friendship, forgiveness, mental health, and books in a captivating way. A stellar debut, which has me looking forward to more from this author.

*ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.

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