The Library at Mount Char

*Starred Review* Carolyn is a librarian whose father has gone missing; could he be dead? Well, maybe, but that would be strange, since he is nearly omniscient and, by all evidence, almost omnipotent. And Carolyn herself is no ordinary librarian: for one thing, she is the self-taught master of all languages, even that of storms And she has the power to replace the sun (don't ask). Clearly, there is something weird going on here, but something wonderfully weird. Hawkins' first novel is an extravagant, beautifully imagined fantasy about a universe that is both familiar and unfamiliar. And it contains a library that may remind some readers of Borges' Library of Babel. It seems to contain all knowledge, and Carolyn and her 11 siblings were trained there, each developing a powerful specialty. Carolyn's is obviously languages; her brother David has more power than the Incredible Hulk can muster. Her sister Jennifer can resurrect the dead. In the father's absence, which of the siblings will inherit the library and the power that goes with it? Hawkins makes nary a misstep in this award-worthy effort of imagination. His language is entirely apposite; his characters are fascinating; his sometimes apocalyptic but always sly tone right on the money. And his novel is compulsively readable. Don't start it if you have something else to do because you won't be able to put it down. Consider yourself warned.--Cart, Michael Copyright 2010 Booklist

In Hawkins's terror-driven debut, set in a twisted version of our world, the library at Garrison Oaks serves as both heaven and hell, a place where mastery of the library's 12 sections can bring untold power or unending misery. Twelve children orphaned in a mysterious disaster are taken in by Father, the stern librarian at Garrison Oaks. The library's millions of books cover topics ranging from the mundane to the downright spooky, and the orphans become Father's students, each assigned to a specific area of the library for study. Young Carolyn's section is languages, both human and other-but first and foremost she is learning fear, obedience, and deep, quiet hatred of Father. Readers may struggle with the opening sections, where much happens and little is explained, but they will be relieved by the belated inclusion of flashbacks that answer many questions. Hawkins's cunning plotting is backed up by crisp dialogue, a sensation of constant dread, and a solid, subtly weird setting. Agent: Caitlin Blasdell, Liza Dawson Associates. (June) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

Carolyn was one of a group of children adopted by a godlike father figure, brought to a library outside of normal time and space, and taught various disciplines. When Father disappears from the library, Carolyn and her siblings must go out into the world, our world, to find out what happened to him. If they fail to recover Father, there will be other forces trying to fill the power vacuum. The off-kilter cast of characters who are the librarians seem even more alien when juxtaposed with the normal humans who get caught in their schemes, with -Carolyn as the most relatable and her sibling David, librarian of war, a truly monstrous construction. -Carolyn seems the most in touch with her abandoned humanity, but it becomes clear that she is plotting and her plan could destroy not only herself but the universe. VERDICT This bizarre yet utterly compelling debut might remind readers of Robert Jackson Bennett's or Neil Gaiman's horror/fantasies. © Copyright 2015. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

A spellbinding story of world-altering power and revenge from debut novelist Hawkins. Carolyn's life changed forever when she was 8. That was the year her ordinary suburban subdivision was destroyed and the man she now calls Father took her and 11 other children to study in his very unusual Library. Carolyn studied languagesand not only human ones. The other children studied the ways of beasts, learned healing and resurrection, and wandered in the lands of the dead or in possible futures. Now they're all in their 30s, and Father is missing. Carolyn and the others are trying to find himbut Carolyn has her own agenda and her own feelings about the most dangerous of her adopted siblings, David, who has spent years perfecting the arts of murder and war. Carolyn is an engaging heroine with a wry sense of humor, and Steve, the ordinary American ally she recruits, helps keep the book grounded in reality despite the ever growing strangeness that swirls around them. Like the Library itself, the book is bigger, darker, and more dangerous than it seems. The plot never flags, and it's never predictable. Hawkins has created a fascinating, unusual world in which ordinary people can learn to wield breathtaking powerand he's also written a compelling story about love and revenge that never loses sight of the human emotions at its heart. A wholly original, engrossing, disturbing, and beautiful book. You've never read anything quite like this, and you won't soon forget it. Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

*Starred Review* Carolyn is a librarian whose father has gone missing; could he be dead? Well, maybe, but that would be strange, since he is nearly omniscient and, by all evidence, almost omnipotent. And Carolyn herself is no ordinary librarian: for one thing, she is the self-taught master of all languages, even that of storms! And she has the power to replace the sun (don't ask). Clearly, there is something weird going on here, but something wonderfully weird. Hawkins' first novel is an extravagant, beautifully imagined fantasy about a universe that is both familiar and unfamiliar. And it contains a library that may remind some readers of Borges' Library of Babel. It seems to contain all knowledge, and Carolyn and her 11 siblings were trained there, each developing a powerful specialty. Carolyn's is obviously languages; her brother David has more power than the Incredible Hulk can muster. Her sister Jennifer can resurrect the dead. In the father's absence, which of the siblings will inherit the library and the power that goes with it? Hawkins makes nary a misstep in this award-worthy effort of imagination. His language is entirely apposite; his characters are fascinating; his sometimes apocalyptic but always sly tone right on the money. And his novel is compulsively readable. Don't start it if you have something else to do because you won't be able to put it down. Consider yourself warned. Copyright 2014 Booklist Reviews.

Carolyn was one of a group of children adopted by a godlike father figure, brought to a library outside of normal time and space, and taught various disciplines. When Father disappears from the library, Carolyn and her siblings must go out into the world, our world, to find out what happened to him. If they fail to recover Father, there will be other forces trying to fill the power vacuum. The off-kilter cast of characters who are the librarians seem even more alien when juxtaposed with the normal humans who get caught in their schemes, with Carolyn as the most relatable and her sibling David, librarian of war, a truly monstrous construction. Carolyn seems the most in touch with her abandoned humanity, but it becomes clear that she is plotting and her plan could destroy not only herself but the universe. VERDICT This bizarre yet utterly compelling debut might remind readers of Robert Jackson Bennett's or Neil Gaiman's horror/fantasies.

In Hawkins's terror-driven debut, set in a twisted version of our world, the library at Garrison Oaks serves as both heaven and hell, a place where mastery of the library's 12 sections can bring untold power or unending misery. Twelve children orphaned in a mysterious disaster are taken in by Father, the stern librarian at Garrison Oaks. The library's millions of books cover topics ranging from the mundane to the downright spooky, and the orphans become Father's students, each assigned to a specific area of the library for study. Young Carolyn's section is languages, both human and other—but first and foremost she is learning fear, obedience, and deep, quiet hatred of Father. Readers may struggle with the opening sections, where much happens and little is explained, but they will be relieved by the belated inclusion of flashbacks that answer many questions. Hawkins's cunning plotting is backed up by crisp dialogue, a sensation of constant dread, and a solid, subtly weird setting. Agent: Caitlin Blasdell, Liza Dawson Associates. (June)