Book Review: The Librarian's Daughter by M.M. Gavillet

The Librarian's Daughter by M.M. Gavillet
Book Summary: Not All Books Were Meant To Be Checked Out…

Magic scepters, enchanted wands, and poisoned darts aren’t usual implements used by librarians—unless you’re in charge of imprisoning bad wizards, renegade sorceresses and evil magicians into books that aren’t ordinary books. Keeping order among the enchanted community isn’t what nineteen-year-old Abi VanHaven had in mind of a career.
Finding out your mother was a librarian isn’t earth shattering. At least that’s what Abi thought. Everything changed when Abi received a letter from her mother that died before she had any memory of her. What was to end with her mother has now spilled into Abi’s life.
Now hunted by Victoria-a once librarian turned evil sorceress, Abi must find and secure a powerful scepter her mother took from Victoria. Abi isn’t alone on her quest. With the help of two eccentric witches, a drop-dead-gorgeous siren, a misunderstood gnome and the guardians—an organization devoted to protecting libraries that hold incarcerated criminals, Abi finds herself between good and evil and also the blurred edges between friendship and love.

Liana's Summary: Abi VanHaven, after the death of her mother, is sent to live with her Aunt. But after her aunt dies, she is sent to her cousin Jenna, but heartlessly kicked out. She lives with her cousin Meg and her suspicious and controlling husband, Nate, until she finds somewhere else to live and a job. And that's when she finds out her mother was a librarian, and is immersed into the world of sirens, treelords, guardians, and the such.

Rate(1-10): 5.5


review contains spoilers

Let's just start this review out by thanking the author for generously sending me a copy and waiting so patiently for this review (which, I admit, took FOREVER). sorrysorrysorry

So. Abigail VanHaven is a librarian's daughter. A common stereotype would be an old lady sitting behind the counter and telling everyone to shut up when they made even a slight whisper.. but no.

In this world that M.M. Gavillet has created, there are guardians, gnomes, sprites, sirens, fairies, treelords.. All making books seem that much more magical. Abi, our main character, is supposed to stop Victoria, the evil used-to-be librarian that lost control of her power (who doesn't seem all that evil when you meet her, which bothered me).

I confess that there were too many grammatical errors-- misspellings, punctuation errors, and the such, for me to actually enjoy this. Sometimes it got so bad I didn't know what was going on.

I know there was supposed to be a growing relationship between Abi and Kelan, hot grocery store boy, but I just didn't see it as a believable one. Near the end, Kelan died, but Abi just used her magical scepter to bring him back to life? I mean, I know it's supposed to be fantasy and everything, but life isn't supposed to be that easy. It didn't really help the story. I would've been more comfortable if Kelan just died. Or if Grace stayed stone.

Victoria. I get that she's a villain and everything, but to be honest I needed to see more of her to fully understand that she was dangerous. We really only got a glimpse of her, and that truly wasn't enough to tell how dangerous she actually was. To me, she seemed like a child's story villain-- you know, the kind that falls into traps easily. There was this one part where she just stupidly handed over the scepter, when it was supposed to be obvious that they were up to something. I get that Good is supposed to win, but Bad is supposed to actually put up a fight. Victoria's fight was weak, even if she was feared. So much for integrity.

Nate. I don't really like how Nate's character was done, though I do appreciate that Gavillet portrayed him as someone who we should keep an eye on. I was scared of him. BUT. At the end, where he said he didn't really cheat on Meg with Danielle.. and Abi BELIEVED him, just with those few words.. I know it's true, I guess.. but I wanted Abi to question him further, and maybe find some evidence.

I absolutely hated how Abi could always sense that "something was wrong." (Maybe I missed the part where it said she was supposed to know when everything was wrong because she's a librarian's daughter..? But even if that were true, that would suck because there really would be no story. Because she would be able to stop everything before it happened.) I feel like every time Abi expressed that she felt something was wrong, she spoiled what was going to happen next, and took out all the surprise that was supposed to come with an event that was meant to come as a shock.

But damn, the Wynters "I am your father" thing really shocked me, although a bit overused in fiction.. I kind of wanted Wynters's character to have more meaning BEFORE he told her he was her father.. If he'd kept his identity more... secret, then there could've been more emotion when he finally revealed it.

Overall, I enjoyed this story, but I won't be eagerly looking forward to the sequel, if there is one.

Quotes

"Maybe he was a rapist or something."

Oh my god is it because he's cute


"What the hell are you doing? Following me?"


WHAT THE HECK IS IT BECAUSE HE'S CUTE
honestly I bet she'd be more scared if he were ugly


"I hoped he didn't say anything to her because the whole thing was embarrassing."


Um whose fault is that


"I thought he was tall enough and with the dark hair and lanky frame he could pass for an Abe Lincoln... a hot one that is."


Oh so now she thinks he's hot
wait, who said Abe wasn't hot? lol jk


"Abigail VanHaven, I'm your father."


Oh


"Jack glanced over at me and winked.."

WHAT THE FUCK YOU DON'T JUST DO THAT
you don't just wink when your enemy is right there
wow Victoria is really stupid then


"Use this."

NO HE ALREADY DIED SO HE'S DEAD WHAT IS THIS A CHILDREN'S BOOK
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