5 Rated Books Book Reviews Kirkus

Over at Kirkus: Mr Penumbra 24-Hour Bookstore by Robin Sloan

It’s Friday, which means we are over at Kirkus! Today, Ana tackles Mr Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore, a book that seems to be universally loved….

Mr. Penumbra's 24-hour Bookstore

…except she didn’t like it. Go here to read why.

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2 Comments

  • de Pizan
    February 7, 2014 at 3:11 pm

    I found it disappointing also. The mystery, while interesting in the beginning, got too Da Vinci Code-lite and felt like doing too much, so ended up too shallow and unsubstantial, and ultimately the resolutions felt rather anticlimactic. The Google bits went on way too long, after a while it felt like the entire book was an extended product placement for the company.

  • anonymous
    May 3, 2014 at 6:12 pm

    This is a young-adult-fiction take on Dan Brown’s standard plot line with a LOT of Google product placement. I made it about half way through before reaching the conclusion that it was an extended brand-impression knit together from common tropes found in young-adult fantasy and books you find in the airport-bookstore mystery section (Koontz / Ludlum / Brown)

    Paint by numbers writing with a backend revenue stream. How quaint. It’s time to start tracking product placement in the printed word so that it can be avoided.

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