I found this something of a mixed read. The blurb appealed to me, but I was not really expecting a novel which was not set in the present but has a fantasy/slightly dystopian feel to it. Twins Ana and Nan are the twin daughters of their famous author mother, Elena. Elena committed suicide and a literary critic, Eben, was accused of driving her to her death by his vicious reviews. We are in an unnamed country and an unnamed time. Nan and Ana work in the National Library and it is gradually revealed that we are in a time and place where people are afraid of germs, where paper is becoming prohibited for domestic use, where the sea is hot and fish supplies dwindling. However, these revelations happen in a rather bitty way and so it is hard to get a sense of where the characters are living.

The literary critic, Eben, has been allowed to access the papers of the twin’s mother in order to write her biography, but Ana and Nan blame him for her death, and they have a plan. Part of that plan involves a security guard called Dan, who is an ex-prisoner, and the story mainly evolves around these four characters. Although I do not necessarily need to like the characters in a book, I do need to care what happens to them and in this case, I simply did not feel concerned about the outcome. Perhaps it was me, as I was expecting something different and could not quite get to grips with where the story went, but I am afraid that it did not really appeal to me. I received a copy of this book from the publisher, via NetGalley, for review.

Thank you to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for this review copy.
I usually really enjoy fantasy and dystopian books, I loved the title, front cover design and that it features twins being one myself so was very excited to give this one a go. However, when I read the book, I found it very confusing, there are 4 different points of view. The plot is very slow to unravel, and I didn't connect with any of the characters which is very unusual for me. They weren't very nice at all.

Unexpected Suspense..
Suicide prompts dark thoughts of revenge and a plan of action from which there may be no return in this unexpected snd unpredictable suspense. The cast of characters is deftly drawn, the plot intriguing and the narrative swiftly moving with the maze of the library an ideal and often unexpectedly dark setting. A look into the depths of human nature where bleak thoughts often hide. What happens when they escape?

This book started to feel very familiar nto me so I'm not sure if this is a re-release or a follow on. The style of writing felt jarring to me. I never could fully emerse myself in the book. This isn't a who submit in the real sense. It's more fantasy based. The twins relationship felt almost unhealthy and strange. This idea they are the same person conflicting. Men in the story were the lesser sex. You feel sorry for them in certain ways, they are unnaturally weak.
The revenge plot was a bit of a damp squib and the book felt like it was lacking something.
Thank you to the author and the publisher for the chance to read this book

Beautifully written, this is a thriller with a difference.
Twisty with an excellent plot, I can't say much more for fear of giving away the plot.

This book followed Eben, a writer; Dan, a security guard; and Nan and Ana, the twins, all of whom work in the library. This book was full of plot twists but still easy enough to follow along once you got into it. You kind of forget that most of the events in the book happen during one day as you’re reading due to the amount that happens. The book had a sort of dystopian feel with the redundancy of books and the roles of family. Definitely different to everything I’ve read before, and not sure it’s my kind of book, but would say it’s worth the read if you like the idea of it.

This is a tale about Matriachy and Patriarchy, and about how one voice needs to be silenced for another voice to be heard. This is a story about standing out, and fitting in, and being left in the shadows, This is a book about secrets, and lies, and what truths we choose to tell. This tale is about second chances, and doing the right thing., and retribution, and forgiveness. This is a story about legacy, literature, and Love.

Wow! What a book! I really enjoyed it and the characters make it so unpredictable, I had no idea how it would unfold. It’s well written with a great plot and I definitely recommend it. Thank you #netgalley

This story was certainly different and not quite like anything I have read before! Definitely wasn’t enamoured to begin with but the more I read the more intrigued I became! Eben Prytherch is a journalist who has written bad reviews on books written by famous author Elena Oodig the mother of identical twins Nan and Ana. The twins are intent upon bringing Eben down as these negative reviews allegedly caused their mother’s suicide. Eben, however, is determined to redeem himself by writing her biography but in order to do so needs permission from the twins to access archives which are held in the National Library. In granting this request the twins then proceed to hatch a plan to bring about his downfall with the help of ex con Dan, a porter who works there. For some strange reason the story takes place in an unknown small country where paper has been confiscated due to the Great Plague which has recently taken place! Curioser and curioser! The middle of the story kept me motivated but unfortunately the conclusion was, for me, disappointing!

I am really surprised how much I enjoyed this book! The book wasn't what I was expecting at all but I am totally fine with that. It was an easy 5 stars for me
This book has multiple POVs, love love LOVE! I really thought that Dan's POV was particularly heartbreaking, and he ended up being one of my favourite characters after despising him at the start. I also thought the side characters were strongly developed, particularly Pale and Colleen for instance.
I really enjoyed the two plots running side-by-side with the twins, their mother and the uncertainty of paternity, along with the other plot of the government's agenda in the library and the books. It was only slightly convoluted at the ending which got me a bit confused. Usually dystopian style books aren't my kind of books, but this was such an interesting proposal that the transmission of germs and disease is through books and paper. This isn't my typical genre but it was very suspenseful and kept me hooked.
Also worth mentioning: after some more research I realised that this story had already been adapted into a Welsh film by the author, so I think I will have to give that a watch to see how they compare.
5/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you to NetGalley, Fflur Dafydd and Hodder & Stoughton for sending me this digital review copy.
This review has been published on Goodreads.

Ana and Nan are twins, born 12 minutes apart. They are lost after the death of their mother Elena, who was all they had in life, apart from one another. Elena was a highly renowned author, and everyone knows that she was driven to suicide by her long running, incredibly harsh critic Eben. The twins are heartbroken, but also want vengeance.

Eben is desperate to clear his name. He requests access to Elena’s diaries at the National Library, knowing the twins work there. He hopes he can write a new piece, and seek the twins forgiveness through it, and in the process, write his way to society's forgiveness. The twins have other ideas. They hatch a plan to lock down the library, intent on making Eben suffer, and ultimately, wanting to make him pay the ultimate price. No one else is to get harmed. But the plan quickly starts to unravel, and with it their bond. How far can sibling love, twin love, go before the bond breaks?

This book was absolutely not what I expected when I started reading it. It took off in a completely different direction, and along with the main story, wove in teasing glimpses of a newly forming dystopian world. What exactly is happening? What is this world? When is this world? How much of it has an impact on the story playing out in front of us? It is hard to explain more of this story without giving away too much. I went into it expecting one thing, and came out with something completely different. I came out with questions about life, society, the conservation of knowledge and more. A very engaging and thought provoking read.

*I received this book from NetGalley for review but all opinions are my own.

Well written but I'm afraid not for me. I was a little confused, especially at the start and hadn't really appreciated it was a fantasy novel set in another time/era. I felt the relationship between the twin sisters was quite strange and to be honest I didn't like either of them.
I liked the concept of the book being set in a library but I didn't really engage with the characters, I felt everything was a bit over complicated - probably just me as I've already said.
Thanks to NetGalley, the author and publisher for the chance to preview.

This book is well written and atmospheric. I really struggled to get into it which I suspect is my issue as I have been very unwell.

Reading the blurb of this book had me intrigued, and I had to give it a try despite not knowing the author. Who can resist a book about books? The Library Suicides was not what I was expecting. You need to know that this book is set in a fantasy world – not the present. That is not really my thing, I was left just a little disappointed.
The author creates brilliant characters and I enjoyed the way she fits all the lives together. She gives a lot of detail about the people in the story. The timeline and the setting had me a little confused. Alicia always talks about world-building – something I am not familiar with since I do not read fantasy books. After reading this one I am left understanding the need to clear world-building – this book could have focussed on this just a little more.
When Elena, a well-known novelist commits suicide, the media blames Eben – a critic who has been extremely harsh in his reviews of Elena’s writing. Her twin daughters, Ana and Nan are determined to avenge their mother's death. When Eben requests access to Elena’s diaries which are held at the library where the twins work, they are given the perfect opportunity. Detailed planning and some manipulation of a security guard and they are ready.
This story left me confused – but that was most likely just me.
Ana and Nan have a rather unusual relationship – they appeared to be completely co-dependent, which I think was caused by a mother convincing these girls that they are each half of the same person. Their bond was way beyond normal twins – if anything I felt it was a little freaky.
Men were not an important part of this world and I often felt sorry for the male characters in this book – the dislike of men was a little exaggerated. However, Eben was a rather pathetic man – when this man wets his pants while doing research, the unrealistic nature of this book was confirmed.
I have no idea if I liked this book or not. The double plot held great potential, yet I was left feeling that some details were missing. There is a good chance that I was just a tad too far out of my comfort zone with this one.

This was everything you need for a thriller and crime story. It is not as black and white as you first think and like most typical thrillers, is full of twists. This is a first for me by the author and one I enjoyed and would read more of their work. The book cover is eye-catching and appealing and would spark my interest if in a bookshop. Thank you very much to the author, publisher and Netgalley for this ARC.

3.5/5.

Thank you for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Weird in a good way but a bit long and I’d have loved more context and background!

I found this book quite hard going as I couldn’t identify with the time period or place. I also didn’t feel any empathy with the characters. I did read it to the end but found myself brushing quickly through the words, not to find out what happened but to get to the end. It is an unusual storyline describing a world I could never imagine being real. The author shows imagination but I felt there was something missing. Maybe a bit more suspense? A small twist towards the end but not enough for me to give this a high rating.

This had a good premise and many interesting aspects to the tense and mysterious plot, but it was unforgivably long. I grew impatient because everything was moving way too slowly and with far too much extraneous detail. I did like the idea of the anonymous country and the chilling near future political setting, but the characters were all unlikeable and I found it hard to care about them.

This book is hands down one of the best books I've read this year!.... It started off a bit slow in the first few chapters, but then picked up momentum and swung it off the park.
I will definitely recommend this book to anyone, you won't regret the time spent on it!.

Thank you for letting me have an early copy of this book in return for an honest review. I found it to be a thought provoking read.
It is set in a somewhat dystopian period in the aftermath of a pandemic called "The Great Sickness" Almost all of the storyboard place over a period of one day, in real time, and it is good through the various chapters by the four main protagonists.
It is well written, though I did find some paragraphs very lengthy.
At its simplest level it's a story of a simply plan that becomes very complicated by events beyond foreseeable control. To put more detail here I would run the risk of potentially spoiling the unfolding tale for a reader.