The Library After Dark by Ande Pliego
My rating: 2 of 5 stars
The Library After Dark starts with Aria, a bookseller, and Jasper, one of her bookstore regulars, going on a Valentine’s Day date. It seems they’re new in their relationship, but if the date that Jasper has planned is any indication, he knows Aria quite well already.
He’s gotten them tickets to an exclusive, after-dark tour of the Daedalus Library. For a Book Lover, a dream date!
The Daedalus is an imposing establishment known for more than its book collection. It’s also filled with immersive genre-based reading rooms and rumored hauntings.
Even though Jasper believed it was going to be a private tour, it’s not long before other guests end up arriving and they’ve all got tickets for the tour as well. Though initially disgruntled, apparently he needs privacy to be romantic, there’s not much to be done about it.
Meanwhile, we learn from Aria’s perspective, that she has a personal connection to the Daedalus that she’d rather keep secret from Jasper and everyone else.
This was the section of the book that stuck with me the most. The other group members were Wes, Piper, Michelle, Callum, Ruth and Saskia, but Saskia worked at the Daedalus and was their tour guide.
Not long into the tour, the automatic doors seemingly malfunction, trapping the group inside the library. From there, it’s a fight to find a way out, but when bodies start dropping, it turns into a fight to survive the night.
I was pretty invested in this at the start. Meeting Aria and Jasper, as well as learning about the Daedalus was fun and engaging. Then all the other characters start rolling in, and we’re getting ALL of their perspectives.
We’re hopping around amongst them, learning about their connections to the Daedalus and trying to keep track of all the action going on in the library. It quickly became a lot.
Around 60%, my interest was gone entirely. It should’ve kept my attention. Everyone had secrets and their own motivations for being there, but the way it was tossed together, it made it unpleasant to try to track.
After that point, it was as unenjoyable for me as the author’s first book, You Are Fatally Invited. So, unfortunately, even though it did initially have a lot of promise, I was entirely let down by the second half.
It was sooooo convoluted by the end. I think this is my last go with this author. I gave their first book 1.5-stars and this is getting a 2. I just don’t think they’re for me. Good concepts, poor execution.
Thank you to the publisher, Bantam, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I’m sure I’ll be in the minority opinion on this one, but I’m always honest about my experience with the books I read.
Sadly, this author isn’t for me.
