Reviewed by Kaelin Lee, age 16
The Library of Shadows by Rachel Moore
Este Logano enrolls in Radcliffe Prep, the nation’s third most haunted school, in order to learn more about her deceased father, who attended the school. When she encounters a ghost named Mateo, he frames her for stealing a rare book before vanishing. Este will have to track him down and retrieve the book to prevent getting expelled, but she may not be prepared for the mystery and dangerous chance of disappearance that lurks in the darkness of the school’s library.
My attempts to enjoy this book were immediately, as well as throughout the story, defeated by the disturbing romance that played out between the two leads, Mateo and Este. Mateo is a ghost who is centuries older than teenage Este and moreover knew her father while he was alive since they both attended Radcliffe Prep at the same time. There were additionally no cute moments or gradual affection built towards each other, with Este falling for Mateo based solely on his looks. Thus, I found their relationship to be extremely insufferable to read about, which unfortunately clouded the entire book being largely focused on their romance. While the main plotline was the mystery, the ending discovery was disappointing and anticlimactic. Even the action scenes fell short of evoking any thrill or fear. This can be attributed to the writing and Este’s lack of emotion, despite being in a first-person point of view. The book was based on a plot that neither inspired interest nor likeability, which can unfortunately be said for the characters too. Este and Mateo had no apparent character development, and the author failed to take a deep dive into their background or their personalities at all. I took away none of their quirks or traits that made them inherently relatable, making them feel like stoic book characters, not humans. Mateo’s life before death was only explored on the surface level, and Este’s relationship with her father was not fondly explained in depth. Hence, I found myself not empathizing with either of them or rooting for their happy endings. The supporting characters added no more charm than the lackluster protagonists and instead seemed irrelevant.
I would give this book a 1 star rating, and would not recommend it to readers.
1 stars of 5 stars
Find this book in our catalog: The Library of Shadows
Catalog Number: YA FIC MOORE
357 pages