Jax's Book Nook: The Library at Mount Char by Scott Hawkins

Title: The Library at Mount Char
Author: Scott Hawkins
Genre: Fantasy/Horror/Sci-Fi

I purchased this book and chose to do an honest and unbiased review. Scott Hawkins and Crown Publishers neither requested nor are associated with this review.

Goodreads Description:
A missing God.
A library with the secrets to the universe.
A woman too busy to notice her heart slipping away.

Carolyn's not so different from the other people around her. She likes guacamole and cigarettes and steak. She knows how to use a phone. Clothes are a bit tricky, but everyone says nice things about her outfit with the Christmas sweater over the gold bicycle shorts.

After all, she was a normal American herself once.

That was a long time ago, of course. Before her parents died. Before she and the others were taken in by the man they called Father.

In the years since then, Carolyn hasn't had a chance to get out much. Instead, she and her adopted siblings have been raised according to Father's ancient customs. They've studied the books in his Library and learned some of the secrets of his power. And sometimes, they've wondered if their cruel tutor might secretly be God.

Now, Father is missing—perhaps even dead—and the Library that holds his secrets stands unguarded. And with it, control over all of creation.

As Carolyn gathers the tools she needs for the battle to come, fierce competitors for this prize align against her, all of them with powers that far exceed her own.

But Carolyn has accounted for this.

And Carolyn has a plan.

The only trouble is that in the war to make a new God, she's forgotten to protect the things that make her human.

Here's What I Thought:
To start off with, I thought that this book was confusing and hard to follow. It jumped right into the action, which I loved, but characters were introduced in a rapid fire succession that made it difficult to identify with the characters in the beginning. Within the first couple chapters, over a dozen characters are introduced with a very small explanation of each person's role. This makes it difficult to identify these characters later on.

The other thing that made the storyline hard to follow is that the POV kept shifting to new and, (at the time) seemingly random characters as well as between the past and present. It begins with Carolyn going to meet her brothers and sisters and then shifts to Steve, a burglar-turned-plumber, and then shifts to Erwin, a soldier-turned-teacher-turned-agent, and then shifts to a rapper with two pet lions. Other then Carolyn at one point either showing up or vaguely being mentioned, there is no connection between the characters.

You are left with, what seems to be, an impossible puzzle centering around Carolyn. About midway through the book however, the pieces slowing start to fit together, starting with a dog attack and ending with a new sun. The interludes provide the reader with the key events that brought the characters to where they stand now. The characters are complex and, at times, larger than life. Yet, they remain relatable throughout their journey.

Hawkins raises some interesting thoughts. Not that this is a religious book, but, if God is real, where did he get his start? Did the universe exist before him? If he were to raise children, what kind of father would he be? Is he truly cold and cruel, or is he doing what is necessary? And finally, if you were to gain the power of God, what impact would that have on you as a person, a human.

This book contains many graphic scenes and I would not recommend it for someone looking for something light. Hawkins does a fantastic job of putting the reader in the heat of the battle, sparing nothing of the gore and the carnage left in the wake of David's destruction. There are many moral issues that are approached as well, including rape, torture, and revenge.

There were a few points that I wish had a little more explanation, just like any good book. However, Father's explanation of regression completeness is fitting for my wishing for more, and hopefully a second book:

"It's the idea that however deeply you understand the universe, however many mysteries you solve, there will always be another, deeper mystery behind it."

I recommend this book to anyone looking for a rollercoaster of an adventure and have something to think about after its finished.

Any Thoughts?
I could talk about this book all day long! If you have any additional thoughts or want to talk more about the book, be sure to leave a comment or send me an email!

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