My book club pick got shredded by a retired librarian, and I'm grateful

Last month I brought 'The Midnight Library' to our group. I thought it was deep and moving. Then this retired librarian named Carol just tore it apart for 20 minutes. She said the whole premise was lazy and the main character never actually earned her choices. At first I was mad. But she pulled up specific passages and showed how the author used the same twist three times. She wasn't being mean, she was just paying attention. It hit different because I realized I never question books that feel emotional. I just ride the feeling. Now I'm going back through my old favorites with a sharper eye. Has anyone else had a pick get dismantled and actually thank them for it later?

1 comments

1 Comment

blair_dixon18d ago

Oh man, that librarian sounds like a gift wrapped in sandpaper! I had something similar happen with a book I loved, and the person pointed out the whole thing was just guilt wrapped in a pretty cover. The main character never faced real consequences for anything, and once I saw it I couldn’t unsee it. Sometimes we need someone to shake us loose from the feels so we can actually see the mechanics underneath. Now I keep a little notebook of plot tricks I notice, it makes rereading old favorites way more interesting.