The aspects of The Library of the Dead which work well for me and the ones that don’t work for me, I believe are both symptoms of this book being the first in a series. In this book, Huchu does a good job of worldbuilding through the characters actions and what they would know and comment on. He also does well in creating characters who I am curious to learn more about as I meet them. That said, the pacing of the book was a bit off for me. The early chapter felt slow and it seemed to take awhile for the main action of the story to occur. Huchu uses this time well, introducing us to the characters and world and I think this worldbuilding will be helpful in future books, however it made this book feel as though it took longer then needed for the story to continue. Additionally, other than our main characters, Hucu did not go as much in depth or create character journeys for other characters. He sets up enough in this book that I do believe he will likely go deeper into other characters in future books. Overall, this book was a good set up for a series that I’m excited to read more of, but the pacing and secondary character depth could have been done better. All that said, I would recommend this book if magical Scottish mysteries sound interesting to you.

The Library of the Dead by T.L. Huchu was a delightful reading experience. Ropa can talk to ghosts, and it's how she earns a meager wage to support her aging grandmother and little sister as they try to survive in the caravan slums of a futuristic Edinburgh. When a ghost asks Ropa for help finding a missing child, she gets herself in over her head with dark forces she doesn't know she can contest. But she also gains power and a place in a secret magical library. The Library of the Dead exists in a fascinating world, both science fiction and fantasy based. The rules have changes, but the old world is still visible under the new. I loved following Ropa, a scrappy kid taking on more responsibility than she should. And I loved being immersed in this new world where magic and ghosts are real. The friendships and familial love fill every page, and Ropa's commitment to protecting the most vulnerable make reading this book a wonderfully emotional experience. I look forward to more by Huchu, and hopefully more featuring Ropa!

This is such a good book, with a great hook.

I loved the characters and the world setting. I couldn't wait to see what happened and how the mystery was solved.

I'm definitely looking forward to more books in this series and by this author!

This book was just meh for me, and I think it's because I had really high hopes about it being more ghostly. I would say this book is more fantasy than paranormal, which is perfectly fine, just not what I was expecting. The narrator's voice was a little difficult for me to get into for the first few chapters, but I also understood that she had a more authentic way of speaking, which is uncommon in narrators. Once I got used to the vernacular, I did begin to love the narrator/ main character.
This book also has a lot of action, which is truly what kept me engaged. Overall, a very unique read, but definitely unexpected.

A bit of an international spin on the ghost talker trope - some mixed superstitions and myths feed into the mystery which adds a bit more interest than the usual.

I appreciate the advanced copy of this book, but it was not available to read on my Kindle. I tried to read it on my phone, but it strains my eyes too much to look as such a small screen. Therefore, I will be unable to provide a detailed review of this title. Thank you again for the consideration.

I had a hard time logistically reading this as it wasn't available to send to kindle. That being said, it was still a magical journey through Edinburgh that I was enthralled with.

This was a fun read. A few scenes did creep me out. I also absolutely adored Ropa and Priya. I’m looking forward in continuing with the series. A very good start.

Great first book! Ropa uses her wits and a little bit of magic to navigate this new world. Can’t wait to read the other books in the series.

Wow! This one was a fun read for sure. I especially loved the backdrop of gloomy alternative Edinburgh, and the mix of eclectic characters. As the first in a series, I think it did a great job of getting us hooked and invested in Ropa’s world. I think this would appeal most to younger YA readers who enjoy horror and dark fantasy.

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC!

Book one in a post apocalyptic series in which Ropa can communicate with ghosts. She brings their messages to their loved ones- for a fee. Then her hardcore business savvy is put to the test when children are disappearing and having their life essence sucked out of them and Ropa appears to be the person who can save them.
Good start to the series, I’m looking forward to reading more.

I loved Ninth House and Truly Devious, so thought I might find similar themes in Library of the Dead. I definitely found a spunky, unique voice in the mc Ropa and an extensive world of crossover between the living in the dead. I struggled to progress throughout the story with so many changing settings, however. I never felt grounded enough in any one place (be it the caravan, the library, the fae house, the farm etc.) before it was time to move on to the next. I found the constant pop culture references and idioms kind of jarring and added to the confusion of time and place. I think this story could have easily had another 100 pages to fully flesh out all of the ideas (I would have loved at least a 100 more in the library vs the long descriptions of her reading the books themselves). I think a lot of the answers are probably found as the series continues, but as a reader I was just too confused to connect. I also think this could be Children's/Teen's as adults play a very small role.

This was so fun and interesting! I really liked the world and characters. Glad I have the second book ready to read next!

This book had a lot of potential, but it feel flat for me with all the various "dazzle" that wasn't explored enough. I will give it the benefit of the doubt that a lot of it is set up for the series and will be explore further in future books.

The futuristic poverty and crumbling of a society taken over by the elite is well done. The world built feels like a future we could be facing. The struggles to make ends meet, cops being the ones to fear, and a vast class separation in quality of life, all well written and really brought the setting to life.

The magic aspects had a lot of moving parts, many which left more questions than answers. Instead of pulling me through the story it left me wondering why we were even given that information. They mystery ended up being a bit obvious and there isn't really any character growth for those we follow throughout the story. Kind of a "back to where we started" ending.

I will probably read the next book when it hits Libby just to see if it dives more into the magic and the library. If you enjoy paranormal lite, where the average world is laced with magic, and teens saving the day you'll enjoy this story.

TW: Child abduction, child harm.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me a free advanced copy of this book to read and review.

A contemporary fantasy involving Zimbabwean magic, an occult library, and the shadowy underside of Edinburgh's streets? I'm in. While the world of The Library of the Dead has a lot going for it, ultimately the story never really fully pulled me in. Still, this was a fun book that was perhaps not quite for me.

Thanks to Macmillan-Tor/Forge and NetGalley for allowing me to read this digital review copy in exchange for an honest review.

I appreciate the publisher allowing me to read this book. I found this book incredibly interesting the author really kept me hooked until the end. very well written I highly recommend.

Unfortunately I have been able to access this book on my Kindle and haven't been able to read it properly.

This was a really fun and interesting book. At first, I wasn't sure if I was going to like it, but I'm really glad I stuck with it. The voice and narration are unique and really lend a lot to the story. The characters were fun and the plot really sucks you in.

Library of the Dead starts out strong and then slowly loses its way. It seems as if it is cozy fantasy, especially with such a young protagonist, but it got more macabre than I was expecting. The mystery element never quite takes off even though the fantasy is quite well done. Still, the moral lessons were quite good. The unfortunate aspect is that despite really liking Ropa, I don't know if I will continue this series. 3.5 stars