A review by sofieinthestacks
The Spellshop by Sarah Beth Durst

adventurous hopeful lighthearted medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

I did not expect to read this as quickly as I did. That being said, I have no regrets. I thoroughly enjoyed following Kiela as she learnt to embrace something more than books. Also, there's Caz (a sentient spider plant). The setting was well-developed, and I'd love to learn more about their world, maybe read Kiela's research papers, if she writes anything, on Caltrey. I love how magic also had an impact (and was even necessary to) the setting, such as how the misuse of magic caused an imbalance to the entire world's scale.
Additionally, the characters' connections to each other were beautiful, and every character so well-developed. There was one relationship that felt both rushed and unnecessary, but other than that, the characters were gorgeous.
All in all, I loved this book and would recommend it for someone 1) who loves books and 2) is looking for a heart-felt story about a bibliophile finding a world outside of books (while still appreciating the beauty of books, of course).

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