Hmm...how to review. This is a rare novel where I could detail half of the book's information and it wouldn't seem spoilery, making little sense on the surface. I'm still not quite sure I understood everything. This is classified as Fantasy, and also contains Horror/Mystery/Comedy elements. We follow an odd cast of characters assembled by "Father" to study different courses in a supernatural-type library. Each Librarian has a strict regimen of study in their own catalogue, and must not deviate from their specialty or face pretty severe punishments. When "Father" goes missing, the Librarians band together to search for him and find out why certain occurrences are happening. Beyond this, we have parallel universes, resurrections, lots of bloodshed, a pile of dark comedy, strange outfits, and a perfectly bizarre story. Trigger warning for anyone who has a hard time with blood and gory descriptions. There is also some animal death...boo (but mostly in a feral sense).
In spite of these weird aspects (or maybe because of), it kind of worked for me. The writing was quite good even though the plot and scenarios were all over the place. It was fast-paced and that was nice since I desperately wanted to know what the heck was going on. Keith Donohue (author of The Stolen Child) has a blurb on the back cover which captures the essence of this Fantasy novel quite succinctly "This book is batshit crazy." True. Very true. I noticed a couple similarities to this story and Lexicon by Max Berry. This was mostly due to the linguistic element of Carolyn's studies and how that gave her power in certain situations, like the powerful language utilized in the academy in Lexicon. I preferred this story.
While I wasn't blown away enough to consider for a reread, it was a unique experience. Go in expecting to be confused and scratching your head continuously. Hawkins has a neat style that pulls you through the book, if you don't mind feeling a little grossed out occasionally. Points for originality, and making me feel like I was in a fever dream. I recommend for anyone looking for a spooky read that is unusual indeed.
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