Review of Kelly Link's Book of Love (2024)

 

Kelly Link's _The Book of Love_ is excellent. Daniel, Susannah, Mo, and Laura found a magic object of great power, but lost it because they didn't know how to use it. Then, Daniel, Mo, and Laura disappeared. When they return, they, along with Bowie (whose origins are uncertain), Susannah (Laura's sister), Thomas (who lives to avenge his brother's death), and Mr. Anabin (their music teacher), must find the lost magical object and complete their quest, preferably before winter break is over.

Although the characters are all adults, they are very young adults and have not really assumed adult roles. Laura and Susannah still bicker with each other. Laura, Susannah, and Daniel are in a band together. Susanna and Daniel have an on-again-off-again romance. Despite the characters seeming immature, they are sexually active. And some of the sex scenes are explicit, if not especially erotic.

I really enjoyed the book. Exposition and world building can be tricky. Readers don't like being confused, but neither do we like an info dump. Link fed information as I needed it. Just when I was getting frustrated, there was another crumb of information to provide context. I don't mind doing a little work as a reader, and I enjoyed the puzzles and riddles that the characters (and readers) had to figure out to piece together what comes next.

 

I received this book for free from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review