Libyrinth

by Pearl North

I received this book at the World Fantasy Convention in 2010 and had a chance to meet Pearl North. I hadn’t heard of her before but the very name of the book intrigued me. A library-labyrinth. As a self-proclaimed connoisseur of books I had to read it. The main character, Haly, can hear the voices of the books. I love the fact that each book has a distinctive voice and since she has listened to them for as long as she can remember, it isn’t too difficult to tune them out when she needs to. There are two distinct groups in this book, those who treasure the books and the knowledge they hold and those who destroy books and pass on their own knowledge through singing. I enjoyed all of the characters though some of them did have more depth. Other times I wanted to shake a few of them because of the choices they were making but nothing that was against character.

I love the fact that there are well-known book references tossed throughout this novel and there is even a handy appendix in the back which lists all of them. While for the most part I would say this book is suitable for YA audiences, there are a couple of scenes that made me squirm. Overall, I really enjoy the premise of this book and the idea of different forms of power and equality. It really made me think about the art of reading, writing, and singing.