Book Review: What You Are Looking For Is In The Library

Book Name: What You Are Looking For Is In The Library
Author: Michiko Aoyama

Publisher: Doubleday

Genre: Paranormal Fantasy

Format: Paperback

Print length: 256 pages 

Rating:4.5/5

What Your Are Looking For Is In The Library by Michiko Aoyama is a cozy fantasy novel that offers a new meaning to every reader who picks it up. 

 

Blurb

What are you looking for?

So ask Tokyo's most enigmatic librarian, Sayuri Komachi.

But she is no ordinary librarian.

Sensing exactly what someone is searching for in life, she provides just the book recommendation to help them find it.

We meet five visitors to the library, each at a different crossroads:

- The restless retail assistant eager to pick up new skills

- The mother faced with a demotion at work after maternity leave

- The conscientious accountant who yearns to open an antique store

- The gifted young manga artist in search of motivation

- The recently retired salaryman on a quest for newfound purpose

Can she help them find what they are looking for?

Review

The story portrays the ordinary act of visiting a local library, and coming out with a renewed sense of living and surviving, and a redefined purpose set in Tokyo. The book follows the story of five individuals struggling with unease and uncertainty about their lives at a certain point in time. From the recommendations of the librarian, Sayuri Komachi, each individual finds a path to what they were looking for when they entered the library, which they were unaware of, that turned out, as an experience that would change their lives.

The characters in the book are relatable, and their vulnerabilities and flaws make it more resonating because they exemplify individuals in daily life who struggle to figure out their life choices, even after trying and putting up their best efforts. The library Sayuri Komachi represented as a fairy godmother as human knew exactly what each character needed in their lives. An assistant manager's inclination to learn a new skill portrays people who always try to keep themselves updated. A mother who was demoted after giving birth followed the path paved with the book choice for her by the librarian led her to a better life where she did not have to go on guilt trip of either giving precedence to her job or child because that job gave her liberty to stay more close to her child. Similar characters would grab readers' attention to know more about their stories.

The author's writing style is poetic and offers a lot of insights for readers in the form of her imagery and painting the characters and their stories with deep emotions, making them so relatable that readers would end up reading this book with a sense of renewed purpose themselves. Honestly, when I started reading this book, I felt distracted, but as I proceeded, I was hooked and could not stop reading it, only to realize I needed more of it. Readers would love to explore the emotional depth and resonance this book carries within its pages. The magic author created while crafting this book is beautifully turned out.

This book is a touching and dreamy exploration of human relationships. The profound impact that stories can have on shaping readers, putting them in the characters' shoes, is captivating.  It acts as a comforting reminder that the answers we seek are not found in great gestures, but in the subtle wisdom waiting to be realized within the pages of a book.

Buy it from Amazon - What You Are Looking For Is In The Library