The Lost Library
by  Rebecca Stead, Wendy Mass (Goodreads Author)

4.5 out of 5 stars

Evan is intrigued when someone starts a Free Little Library and the books all appear to be old books from the library that burned down years ago. Evan begins to investigate who could have started the library fire and why these particular books were the only ones that survived the fire. He soon learns that many people in the town are unwilling to talk about the old library fire, and he wonders what they could be hiding.

An orange cat has declared himself the guardian of the Free Little Library, just as he used to be the guardian of his old library before the fire destroyed it. He is the only one who knows the secret of how the library burned down, but he can’t tell anyone because… well, he’s a cat.

The ghosts of the librarians who died in the fire are haunting the historic museum house nearby. They reminisce about the old days and try to help Evan find out the truth about the fire, but the full extent of the truth might surprise even the ghosts.

I loved this book so much! I really enjoyed the multiple POVs from the cat, Evan, and the ghost librarian. Each perspective is separated into it’s own chapter, so it works very well as a storytelling medium, since we get snippets of clues and information from all these different sources. Very well written!

I was crying through several emotional scenes as the characters connect in meaningful ways. This book is so uplifting! I was laughing at the cute antics of the cat, and I was inspired by Evan’s emotional courage as he follows the clues along this journey. Each character has these vulnerable moments when they reach out to each other and find healing and support. It’s so beautiful!

The best part of this book is the way each character talks about books and poetry. The whole community comes together to celebrate the Free Little Library. Their lives are changed as they learn and explore together through books. Every chapter is a complete delight!

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a free and honest review.