The Last Library - Freya Sampson

 

You can tell a lot about a person from the library books they borrow

Library assistant June knows a lot about the regulars at Chalcot Library, yet they know very little about her. When her mum - the beloved local librarian - passed away eight years ago, June stepped into her shoes. But despite their shared love of books, shy June has never felt she can live up to the village's memory of her mum. Instead, she's retreated into herself and her memories, surviving on Chinese takeaways-for-one and rereading their favourite books at home.

When the library is threatened with closure, a ragtag band of eccentric locals establish the Friends of Chalcot Library campaign. There's gentlemanly pensioner Stanley, who visits the library for the computers and the crosswords, cantankerous Mrs B, who is yet to find a book she approves of, and teenager Chantal, who just wants a quiet place to study away from home. But can they compel reclusive June to join their cause?

If June wants to save the library, she finally has to make some changes to her life: opening up her heart to friendship, opportunities and maybe even more . . .

What did I think?

As a booklover, I just couldn't resist a book about books!  The gorgeous hardback edition of Freya Sampson's wonderful debut even has a print of a library ticket inside which lists all main characters as if they had checked out the book.  It's such a lovely little touch that makes a book feel extra special when held in the hands of a booklover.

The library is June's happy place; it's where she has fond memories of her mum who also worked there and where she interacts with the colourful characters of the local community.  So, when the council threaten to close the library, June and the library patrons decide to make some noise to show their opposition.  For introvert June, this is way beyond her comfort zone and she is at risk of losing her job if she opposes the council.  The library is clearly important to June so she needs to break free of her shell and stand up for what she believes in.

Oh what a delightful book.  It's a vibrant, fun story with a huge message: libraries are SO important.  There's much more to a library than books; it's the hub of the community and a place where you can send an email if you don't have a computer, read the newspaper or study for school.  This beautiful novel shows us that libraries are a place where you can be alone without being lonely; you can have some peace and quiet (unless it's time for children's storytime) but there's always somebody else there and for some people this could be the only interaction they have with another human being all day.  

Beautifully written with warmth and humour, The Last Library is a truly heartwarming book bursting with community spirit.  Libraries are lifesavers for many people and The Last Library reminds us how important they are. 

My rating:

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BLOG TOUR: Revenge Runs Deep - Pat Young

Your boss is a bully. How far would you go to get revenge?

Thomas Smeaton is a powerful man who makes life a living hell for his employees. 

When his bullying drives a woman to suicide, three of her colleagues decide it is time to take action before Smeaton destroys any more good people. 

Six months later, a car is found submerged in a reservoir, with a single body inside. Suicide? Or murder? 

Two people were there the night that car rolled into the depths of Loch Etrin. And one is still missing.

What did I think?

I do enjoy Pat Young books; they are all so varied that I am constantly surprised as to where she gets her ideas from.  I haven't missed one of her books yet and I don't intend to do so in the future.  I do feel that she took a trip to the dark side in Revenge Runs Deep but in doing so touched on some very important topics, mainly bullying in the workplace.  Bullying at work is a whole different beast to bullying at school and can take many forms, many of which aren't physical.  Mental bullying is THE absolute worst in my opinion and I applaud Pat Young for choosing to include this subject in her book.

Thomas Smeaton is a vile man; he seems to take great pleasure in making people feel small and inadequate.  To make it worse, he works for the council and as one of his targets is cost savings, he's not afraid to make cuts to necessary services; services that the community rely on and services that really make a difference to some people's lives.

It was heartwarming to see how much the trips to the bothy meant to the underprivileged young men who were taken there.  It really was changing their lives and keeping them out of trouble.  Its closure would put them back on the streets and turning to drink and drugs out of boredom, but all Smeaton sees is a cost he can cut.  Smeaton doesn't care about the priceless non-monetary value his service gives to the community and it should make him proud to make such a difference, but this is a man who doesn't give a jot about his own mother.

When Smeaton's victims decide to take matters into their own hands and get their own back on him, some of them are willing to go further than others...but just how far will they go?  It made me wonder whether the punishment ever fits the crime when some pain is so deep that forgiving and forgetting is not an option.

Revenge Runs Deep is dark and disturbing but emotionally gripping when the effects of bullying are laid bare and the repercussions can be deadly.  I highly recommend all of Pat Young's books, and Revenge Runs Deep is no exception.

I chose to read an ARC and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

My rating:

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About the author:

Pat Young writes psychological thrillers. Her debut Till the Dust Settles won the Constable Stag Trophy and an Amazon number 1 best-seller award. Her recent release, One Perfect Witness, sat for a while at number 2 in the Scottish Crime charts, nestled between Rankin and Cleeves and ahead of the mighty Val McDermid!

But Pat never intended to be a writer. Then a story got inside her head, demanding to be told. She is fascinated by what happens when someone suddenly disappears and all her books have that theme.

Pat loves meeting readers and has been on the programme at Bloody Scotland and Tidelines. She is really excited about appearing at this year’s Boswell Book Festival at Dumfries House in May where she plans to launch her fourth psychological thriller Revenge Runs Deep.

Links:

Twitter – @py321_young  

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