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A Mysterious Dark Fantasy: Neil Gaiman’s The Ocean at the End of the Lane

8 Jul

Calling all fantasy book fans… If you enjoy reading magical realism and dark fantasy, then you will most definitely enjoy reading this book. The Ocean at the End of the Lane is about a man who returns to his home in England to go to a funeral. The narrator talks about how his childhood friend Lettie who would take him to view the “ocean” down by the end of the lane. You follow along with the narrator, as he remembers his childhood memories.  This a good book to read for all Neil Gaiman fans. I enjoyed reading this book because it seemed mysterious. Why is the ocean at the end of the lane? You will have to read this book to find out. I’d give The Ocean at the End of the Lane four out of five stars! You can also read some of our previous posts about Neil Gaiman’s work including Coraline, Sandman, and American Gods.

If you enjoy Science Fiction and Fantasy you should check out our monthly Sci-Fi/Fantasy book discussion group. We also have a book discussion for mystery fans. There is even a book club just for teens which is discussing the Book Thief! All are currently meeting in Zoom. Plus make sure to sign up for our Summer Reading Programs for Kids/Teens and Adults!

Written by:
Michelle Valle
Circulation Assistant

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The Conclusion to the Folk of the Air Trilogy: Queen of Nothing

1 Jun

The Queen of Nothing
The third book in the Folk of the Air trilogy by Holly Black, Queen of Nothing picks up where Wicked King left off. Returning to the world of Elfhame, we see the tying up of multiple plot threads and the finale for Jude and Cardan’s tale. While filled with it’s share of interesting fights and story twists, one of the big sub plots built up in the previous two books falls flat due to main plot convenience. A lead character also gets relegated to the background due to plot reasons that, while interesting, deny him the spotlight and character growth he so desperately deserved.

It is the ending of the novel by far that is the most conflicting. While satisfying in some ways, it also suffers from having too clean of an ending. Only one character seems to face the consequences for their actions while others, despite their many crimes committed throughout the trilogy, get the equivalent of a slap on the wrist and a shake of the finger.

There seems to be hints that there will be a continuation to the series outside the main trilogy, so perhaps this issues maybe addressed in the future. It is a good, but flawed read.  You can borrow the series as ebooks and digital audiobooks from eLibraryNJ and eBCCLS.  You can see all of the Hoboken Public Library’s ebook and streaming resources on our website.

Written by:
Lauren Lapinksi
Circulation Assistant

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