Darcy Wells, literary savant, has spent her life living vicariously through the pages of her books. By immersing herself in stories, she can avoid the chaos of her own life. Her mother’s hoarding has crippled her ability to live the life of a normal child and now their secret is in jeopardy when a new apartment manager is hired. With the help of her best friend, a remarkably adorable boy, and Peter Pan, Darcy decodes it is time to quit hiding behind her novels and write her own story.

This book was AMAZING and gave me all the feels. Laura Taylor Namey has a way to make your heart melt with her lovely prose. I can’t wait to see what she will right next!

Books have always brought Darcy Wells comfort. When Darcy’s mom’s compulsive shopping escalates Darcy imagines herself as one of her favorite heroines and only her best friend Marisol has helped her through all of her tough times. When Asher Fleet limps into the bookstore she’s working in, for the first time she wants to live and feel, but opening herself up to Asher will make her face the things she’s been hiding from her whole life.

This book made me feel so many different emotions. I was surprised by the fact that Darcy lived at home with a mother who was a hoarder. Her descriptions of what her home smelled like, cardboard and plastic, the goat tunnel her mom left as passageways for them to walk through… it was horrifyingly real. Darcy’s bedroom was the only space left untouched and her breath of relief when she entered her own room made you realize how much of a haven that room was both mentally and physically but her reality wasn’t confined to only that room.

Asher Fleet had a dream of going to Annapolis and flying until his car accident one evening left him a shattered leg, migraine’s and dizzy spells. When he starts hanging out in the bookstore where Darcy works they befriend each other and she see’s beyond his moodiness and she starts to imagine her life with him in it. Their romance was a very slow burn and I was swept into the sweetness of his courting her by mimicking one of the actions of a character from a favorite book. All book lovers will wish for their own acorn. You’ll understand after reading, I promise!

The Library of Lost Things won me over completely. It was original, had GREAT book quotes to start every chapter, and characters who were gritty, real, and had real life problems they needed to overcome. The romance may have been a slow burn but it was filled with emotion that went beyond the years of the characters falling in love. Truly, this one’s a gem. ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

I received a free copy of the book through NetGalley for my honest review and it was honest!

I received this book as an e-ARC from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. Any quotes are from the ARC.

I initially really enjoyed this book. It had some really amazing moments and quotes. The Library of Lost Things is a book about a girl struggling to deal with her a mother who has a hoarding problem, who spends her days largely hiding in books.

I want to start with what I loved. I loved Marisol, who is the character's best friend and is a half-Cuban and half-Mexican fashion savant. At times, I wanted the story to be about Marisol, because Darcy was a character that I had difficulty relating to at times.

One thing I wanted to point out is at one particular point, Marisol had a very real reason to be angry at Darcy, but it seemed like she wasn't allowed to be mad for very long, and it was mainly for plot reasons. This, in my opinion, made her seem like she fell into the person of color side-kick trope, which is obviously not a good thing. In general, she was a very developed character. But in that one instance I questioned whether that's how she really would have reacted, if it hadn't been convenient for the plot.

Darcy is obviously dealing with a lot, with her mother being a hoarder, juggling her job, school, and her MIA dad. But I just can't find myself rooting for her 100% of the time, despite how terrible that sounds.

It's hard to write this book review spoil-free. But I had a hard time rooting for a character who not only wanted someone who was dating someone else, but kept putting herself in situations where she would be alone with him. Granted, he should absolutely not have been putting himself in those situations either, and most of the blame is on him. But there were dateable boys that were single, and she fixated on this one boy who was unattainable.

I get that people aren't perfect, but I didn't feel like she felt very guilty about what she was doing--it seemed like she justified it, or the narrator did, by disparaging the other girl. If she had seemed more guilty about it, I think that would have changed how I felt about her as a character.

The middle part of the book dragged along, and I didn't like the ending, I felt like it ended too neatly and unrealistically, especially considering what else had happened in the book with her mom.

One of the characters had a disorder that caused anger and lashing out. I felt overall that was depicted well. However, I think it needed to be more spelled out that just because that's part of that character's disorder, that it is not an excuse for being emotionally abusive (I'm not saying that character is, I'm just saying it felt a bit excused and made me uncomfortable how it was written).

Now, am I being too picky? Am I expecting too much because of how much I liked the beginning, and because I felt let down by the end and middle of the book? Perhaps. But I have to judge the book as a whole. I'd give this book 3.5 stars, if I could give half stars.

I really enioyed the friendships in this book and I think every book lover enjoys reading about other book lovers with Bookish jobs. However, this fell really flat for me. There was a lot going on, yet nothing felt fully explored. At the end is just seemed like all the issues were wrapped up in a messy bow. There were a lot of messy transitions that were very confusing, though maybe in the finished copy these will be more clear. I also don't feel that the title of the book really represents the premise. Overall I give this 2.5 stars, rounded up to 3.

I had trouble with this one keeping my interest for very long amounts of time. It was interesting to read from the viewpoint of a teen who has a parent with hoarding problems. I also loved the main character’s feelings about books and how much they meant to her. I just couldn’t really get into the story and the other characters didn’t do much to intrigue me. I can see that some of my students would enjoy this title, so I didn’t feel the need to give it a negative review.

I was given an eARC from Inkyard Press via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Honestly, this was such a great book, and easily my favorite published this year. My review can be found at the link accompanying this post.

Darcy knows words. And she uses them to create stories to hide her truths. But when she meets Asher, everything starts to change.

I enjoyed this, although it was heavier than anticipated. It definitely wasn’t overly predictable (I found myself surprised by more than a few plot points), but the ending was pretty clear early on. I appreciated the tough subject matter the book dealt with. I did feel, at times, that a lot was packed into this one story. Also, it dragged in a few places and I almost put the book down in those spots.

Regardless, it was worth the read.

I liked The Library Of Lost Things!  I wanted to like it more, which seems to be happening a lot lately, but I still liked it.

I loved that Darcy worked at a bookstore.  I really wanted the Yellow Feather to be a real bookstore that I could visit, but it seems to be just a fictional place.  Still, it felt like a living, breathing place that I could actually visit, and it very much felt like a character itself.  I could totally see it sharing a space with a wig shop, which was a character in and of itself, even though we don't spend as much time there.  I definitely wanted to visit Mysterious Galaxy after reading this book.

I also liked how important books were to Darcy, and all of the books that were mentioned.  As a reader, I really liked that, and it made it fun to see what would be referenced or mentioned.

I really liked Darcy, who had to deal with a lot.  There's a lot going on with her family, and with some of the family secrets that come out, I really felt for Darcy.  I can't imagine trying to deal with a mom who hoards, or dealing with she learned about both her mom and her dad.  She had to be a lot more responsible than she needed or should have been, and I really hope she has a lot of carefree moments in her future.

I can see why she's so closed off, and how hard it is for her to let people in.  I feel like I'd act the same way if I were her, but we do see that change over the course of the book.  It seems like things start to change with her mom and her grandma, and hopefully, they're all able to work through everything.  It will take time, of course, but hopefully, they're able to get to a better place someday.

My Rating: 3 stars.  I liked The Library Of Lost Things, but I didn't love it.  I really liked the Yellow Feather and all of the book references.

Posted to Goodreads: Darcy Wells loves books. She loves stories, words, and reading. Books are where Darcy can go to hide from her mother's compulsive shopping and hoarding that has taken over their home. Darcy has spent years hiding her mother's illness from the world to create a safe place for them. However, their home is threatened when their building is sold and the new management wants to upgrade the complex. Darcy is terrified what might happen if someone reports her mother. Yet, even with that issue Darcy is getting a reprieve from her stress through her interactions with Asher, a teen pilot who may understand Darcy better than anyone else.

I always enjoy books about books and people who love to read books however this book didn't quite work for me. I thought Namey showed hoarding in a new way which I appreciated. Also, I really like Asher and thought the way Namey integrated his desire to be a pilot and what that meant to him was very well done. However, I never really loved Darcy. She was a fine main character but she didn't jump off the page. Also, I found the declaration that Darcy was a hoarder through her love of books uncomfortable especially when the intended audience of this book would be book lovers. Plus, for a romance book Darcy and Asher didn't really interact that much in a romantic way. I did enjoy this book and I would recommend it but it would not be my first recommendation.

A nicely written book about the love of words and books. This book touches on friendship, family, deception, half truths, pain and healing. An enjoyable read.

**I received an ARC from NetGalley for a fair and unbiased review of this book.

I love a book a book about books! This book also was about mental illness, loss and loneliness. This book really spoke to me and I definitely identified with parts of it. I have been feeling the conviction lately to stop isolating myself so much and reading and it was weird timing.

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.

This book had some really engaging pieces that fit together so nicely. Darcy Wells (named for Mr. Darcy in P & P) has been hiding a terrible secret -- her mother is a hoarder. Her best friend is Marisol who acts as her stylist as well as a connection to a huge extended family complete with good food and multi-faceted support. She works at a bookstore which shares its building with a wig store. Darcy has a catalog of literary quotes in her head including whole passages of Shakespeare and a college dictionary. Two things happen at work: the first has to do with a handsome, brooding alum from her high school who keeps popping up in her work life while doing handyman work in the wig store. Then he begins taking his breaks in the bookstore and discussing books with her. The second is a mysterious used copy of "Peter Pan" that is returned by a customer. Darcy is fascinated by the poetry and notes written all over the pages and it becomes her new obsession. All of the chapters begin with a literary quote -- many from the returned book. Even though I am not a huge fan of "Peter Pan," I still loved how the author used books and references to literature to frame the plot and move Darcy toward her own next chapter. Will she need to leave her mother behind to move her own story forward? The romance in this book is wholesome, the language is clean and the parties do not turn into alcohol-fueled disasters. I look forward to reading more from this author!

Thank you to Harlequin Teen (Inkyard Press) and NetGalley for a digital galley in exchange for an honest review.

TAKEN FROM MY BOOK INSTAGRAM- This was a really charming and sweet book. Darcy is a literary genius who has been metaphorically living inside the stories of her books for a long as she can remember. But her messy home life (literally) and a suddenly new and kinda complicated romantic life finally forces her to live her own story rather than just relive her days through her favourite characters. This is a must read for book lovers and the quotes and references to classic books are abundant throughout. I really connected to the characters and just really enjoyed the story! This comes out October 8th and you can preorder it now!
https://www.instagram.com/theresalwaysanemma/

This is a story of relationships; best friends, mother/daughter, girlfriends, boyfriends. Darcy is a senior in high school and feels invisible. We see her story through her eyes, and there is so much heartbreak, but hope too. Her best friend Marisol is a great example of what a best friend should be. I appreciated how Darcy finally learned what drove her mother's hoarding and how her, her mother, and her grandmother got to a better place of understanding and healing at the end. I loved Asher, how he came to care for Darcy, how Darcy learned about traumatic brain injury in order to understand his actions better; it's a sweet love story in the midst of the chaos in the rest of her life. I also loved all the literary references, how Darcy lived her life through other stories and in the end learned she needed her own story. A very affecting book.

This book had me at "literary genius heroine." I loved the secret gift she had for memorizing passages of her favorite books. Darcy Wells is exactly the type of character I have a weakness for. Shy, intelligent, not exactly nerdy but feels socially invisible. Then to find out that she's named after my ultimate book hero, the dashing Mr. Darcy??? How could I possibly dislike her after that? Spoiler alert: I couldn't. Books are the center of Darcy's world, they're her escape from the harsh reality of her mother's shopping and hoarding addiction. Inside the pages of her books was invaluable information she could stockpile in her brain to get her through a stressful time. Because her mother just isn't there for her to give advice and guidance the way she is supposed to be. She's a young girl trying to cope in the only way she knows how.

She knows her mother loves her, but through the years, their roles have become reversed and Darcy has taken on the responsibility of many things she shouldn't have to worry about at her age. Her mother has completely checked out and spiraled into an anxiety ridden maze of denial and comfort spending. If you've seen the show Hoarders, you probably have some horrific images in your head about what kind of filth they're living in. Their situation isn't quite that dire. Her mother holds down a well paying job selling make-up, and on the outside, you'd never guess that their home is stacked with so many piles of stuff that you barely have enough room to walk from room to room.

Darcy has adapted and learned how to project the perfect image and blend into the background so no one asks too many questions. Her best friend's cousin is called in for a favor when a repair needs to be made in their apartment. Her grandmother's monthly allowance is used to buy groceries or pay a bill that wasn't taken care of. And no one, absolutely no one, is allowed to step foot inside her home, because the fear of child protective services removing her is one that she lives with every day. She's one month away from turning eighteen, and she needs to keep their skeletons firmly in the closet until that day. Then suddenly her house of cards starts tumbling down around her. She's hit with one problem after another and everything is on the verge of collapsing with one wrong move. It's all she can do to take one shaky breath at a time.

Asher was such a refreshingly sweet hero. Yes, he's a little moody and unapproachable in the beginning, but his behavior wasn't just teenage angst or bad manners. When Darcy runs into him a few times and starts to get to know him better, she realizes that his mixed messages are coming from a place that he has no control over. Asher is one year ahead of her and just recently graduated, but he's been working for family while he heals from a traumatic car accident that destroyed his plans for the future. I enjoyed the fact that these two formed a friendship first and you could tangibly see their feelings grow into something deeper. To Darcy, he is the unattainable popular guy that she could never hope to capture. She's quirky, secretive, and would rather read a book at a party than socialize. He sees much more of her true self than she thinks and there isn't a part of her he doesn't like.

Darcy's best friend Marisol was amazing and every girl should have a supportive person in their life like her. The Peter Pan book that plays a big part in the book was pretty special, and I really enjoyed the relatable quotes at the head of each chapter. I guessed early on how the book tied into the plot, but it was such a creative thing to do that I didn't mind at all. Throughout the story I thought this would be a simple and sweet teen coming of age romance that's low on the angst and high on the cute factor. Then out of nowhere at the end, I was pleasantly surprised to find myself choking back emotion as Darcy navigated the broken relationship with her mother. This is definitely more than your average YA fluff, it has lots of heart and introspection in it.

I thoroughly loved Laura Taylor Namey's debut and I cannot wait to read more from her in the future.

This is a captivating teen romance with deep characters and complex relationships. The first person perspective makes the main character, Darcy, particularly intriguing and her life circumstances - unusual mental abilities, connections with literature and family intricacies - add great depth to the story.

The intricate relationships are the gold in this book. Darcy’s mother is such a complex mystery and has created a home atmosphere that is very challenging for Darcy. The love interest, Asher, is also battling demons of his own and the two seem to connect somewhat over their mutual adversity. Darcy has an almost unbelievably close, supportive relationship with her best friend Marisol, adding some much-needed normalcy and balance to her life.

I especially enjoyed the bookshop setting and the literary references throughout the book.

The psychological challenges of Darcy’s mother are especially poignant as is the effect of her mother’s hoarding on Darcy herself.

I found this book engaging, although there were a few parts that were a bit slow-paced and I’m still not entirely sure what the title is referencing. An enjoyable, entertaining read with unexpected depth.

Library of Lost Things by Laura Taylor Namey, 384 pages.
Inkyard Press, 2019. $19.
Language: R (57 swears, 0 “f”); Mature Content: PG; Violence: PG
BUYING ADVISORY: HS - OPTIONAL
AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE
Darcy hides her real life from everyone but her closest friend, choosing instead to live in the pages of fictional stories. She’s learned to package her life nicely and keep everything separated as it should be, until things start to unravel with the threat of her eighteenth birthday and a new, responsible apartment manager. Maybe things aren’t as perfectly cut as Darcy pretends they are.
Having finished the story, I love how the title encapsulates so much of what happens between the covers of this book. We’re all a little lost, as Darcy and readers discover on their journey together. Without having experienced many of the things Darcy has to deal with in her life, I feel a kinship with her as the words that helped her were able to touch me, too. I found that this book is about learning how to deal with seemingly impossible situations and trying to understand that this life is about trying, learning, and doing better today than you did yesterday -- ideas that we all need to learn to apply in our lives. And I appreciate that Namey was able to all of this and more with real, relatable, non-excessively-dramatic conflict. The only reason I have marked this book as "optional" is because of the language.
Reviewer: Carolina Herdegen

I'll bet there are a lot of people who can relate to Darcy. Maybe not all of it= that her mother is a hoarder and that she's become the adult in that relationship- but definitely to the fact that she lives inside of her books. Books are her safe place, maybe the only place where there's nothing off. She does have a good friend in Marisol, who is a hoot. Darcy's thrown off balance when she meets Asher, who has suffered a concussion, among other things. This is a sweet romance, with a hero who has more depth (and loves books) than it appears on the surface. Thanks to the publisher for the ARC. A terrific YA novel that makes a nice crossover.

The Library of Lost Things by Laura Taylor Namey is soul touching in a way that will leave you breathless and wanting more. The writing is simple yet lyrical and will have you under a spell from the start. 

"We were different--the girl who'd told her most guarded secret, and the boy who'd held every word like glass, because he'd known it was." -Namey

Even though this book is categorized as YA I believe it holds something dear for everyone. The complex relationship between the main character, Darcy, and her mom is gut wrenching and heart-warming all at once. You feel Darcy's pain, but you also feel the love she has for her mother. I connected with Darcy instantly and I just fell in love over and over with each passing chapter. She's real and understandable in a way that makes you feel as if you've known her your whole life. 

Asher is just a good soul and you don't see that a lot in today's YA books. We usually see the player or the douchebag turned good guy, but Asher Fleet is good from the start. He has his issues, but there's no hiding his goodness and I absolutely love that about him. He's perfect for Darcy and really gets her to open up and find herself among the chaos. 

"Impossible boy, invisible girl." -Namey

The storyline itself was beautifully written, perfectly executed, and leaves you with a smile on your face. If you have your own personal issues with a family member then this book will touch you in ways that you cannot imagine. Coming from a long strained history with my own mom, Darcy became my hero. I seriously want to be her when I grow up. Everything about this book was amazing and I can't wait to see more from Namey. She's definitely on my watch list!