I finished another book about librarians - this time a YA book: Ink and Bone by Rachel Caine. When I first read the synopsis I fell in love- What happens if the Great Library of Alexandria survived? How does the world evolve with that all that knowledge that survives instead of burns - in this world, the Library rules- EVERYTHING. While you're encouraged to write everything down, you're not allowed to read anything outside of the approved list. Owning personal copies and first editions of books is a punishable offence. All knowledge is controlled and owned by the Library- the government and ruler of the world. In this world, Libraries aren't always a good thing.
There are so many wonderful things about this book! I fell in love within the first three chapters- the mystery surrounding the Library was intriguing- I wanted to love it, it is the Great Library of Alexandria after all but the controlling, power-hungry, Archivist didn't make that possible. Its a weird feeling- not liking a library but when the Library is controlling and destroying peoples lives, taking away all freedom of choice. I couldn't believe how inhumane the Library could be- locking people away for life- just because they have "powers" or because they wanted to own personal copies of books.
I didn't really like the main character (Jess) until he became a student of the Library and started to learn about the dark, seedy, choices that the library makes to "preserve" knowledge. I really liked some of Jess' fellow students- SPOILER- and right as I started to care about some of them - they started DYING! I mean come on- make me care about these teens who are living in a war-zone (which I guess should've been my first clue) and then kill them off. Geeze. Not nice.
Overall: 4/5
Since the online Summer Reading Program is over, I'll keep a tally of my yearly goal (55)
Goal: 41/55
There are so many wonderful things about this book! I fell in love within the first three chapters- the mystery surrounding the Library was intriguing- I wanted to love it, it is the Great Library of Alexandria after all but the controlling, power-hungry, Archivist didn't make that possible. Its a weird feeling- not liking a library but when the Library is controlling and destroying peoples lives, taking away all freedom of choice. I couldn't believe how inhumane the Library could be- locking people away for life- just because they have "powers" or because they wanted to own personal copies of books.
I didn't really like the main character (Jess) until he became a student of the Library and started to learn about the dark, seedy, choices that the library makes to "preserve" knowledge. I really liked some of Jess' fellow students- SPOILER- and right as I started to care about some of them - they started DYING! I mean come on- make me care about these teens who are living in a war-zone (which I guess should've been my first clue) and then kill them off. Geeze. Not nice.
Overall: 4/5
Since the online Summer Reading Program is over, I'll keep a tally of my yearly goal (55)
Goal: 41/55