Book Review: Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore 

I just finished reading Mr. Penumbra's for the first time. I read it for the same reason you did: everyone seemed to love it! I was so disappointed for the same reasons your mentioned! So, I came on RU-vid to see if anyway else agreed with me and thank goodness it's not just me.

When I first came across this book at Barnes and Noble, I was very intrigued by the idea of a 24-Hour Bookstore, since I have always wanted to have a bookstore that I could visit at absolutely any time of the day. But then I started reading, it just turned out to be more boring than anything else. The idea of a 24-Hour Bookstore was what intrigued me, but it's really not about the bookstore. It's not even about books, really. It's more about a secret society and codes and technology than anything else.

I am loving your review. Making me want to read it even more. I have it here with me and will be starting today.

I had very similar thoughts. It also took me quite a while to get through for such a relatively short book.

I'm sad that you didn't feel it because I really liked this book. Everything about it. Maybe because the little bit of the illogical part that you've talked about doesn't really bothered me at all. Anyways, I liked your video as always. (Excuse my poor grammar, English is not my first language)

Your earrings are so cool! Oddly enough this review made me want to read Mr. Penumbra even more! Now that I know it has some fantastical elements to it it makes me want to see how the author implemented those things within the story.

Coming across this video almost 10 years in the future and just having read the book for the first time, I will say that the tech mentioned didn't phase me too much! I did still have some issues with this book with convenience (like you said) and some writing style things, but overall I thought it was a fun read. Obviously a regular person like me wouldn't be nearly as comfortable or familiar with all of the coding and modeling etc that the book deals with, but it isn't really anything that seems impossible. (anymore)

I felt the exact same way! I went into the book thinking that it was going to be so entirely different than what it was. The continuous name-dropping of Google, obsession with these crazy technologies, and the general lack of respect the younger main characters had for the traditions of this historical group frustrated me to no end. It felt like the book kept trying to push technology as the only way to understand or do anything and it felt very forced, at that. I'm really glad I stumbled upon your review-- it's refreshing to hear someone have the similar feelings. However, it is awesome that it glows in the dark!

I also gave it 3 stars for the same reasons you did! There is a lot more tech than I thought there would be given the title and premise. All the mentions of Google, social media, apps, coding, 3D modeling, etc. aren't very interesting (to me) and probably won't stand the test of time. Almost all plot points gain advancement with the help of modern technology, but the ending is definitely a surprise. It's not challenging, but the story comes together nicely. If you do think about it, it does have some deep currents of thought while using our vernacular for a lighthearted read.

I agree with you I didn't really like it because of the direction that the story went.

This book was on my TBR-list, but I'm scrapping it. I had the same idea as you, but hearing it has a big fantasy element sort of puts me off of it. Thanks for the honesty!

I was waiting on your review before I decided for sure to read this. If I hadn't know about the fantastical elements then no I wouldn't like it either, but since I know about it ahead of time I am going to try it :)

I was sold on this book until you got to the negative aspects of it and I really appreciate you for your honesty because I do not do well with books being too fantastical XD So yes, I will give this one a miss for now

Awesome video! I agree with you.

I don’t think I’m going to finish it for the same reasons. I wanted to read about a book store not tech.

i started reading this book a couple of months ago and just couldnt get through it. i thought the character development was terrible and it was just a bit too unrealistic for me. great review!

I was attracted to this book by the cover and intriguing title when you first introduced in your video and though I was finding it interesting in the beginning, I never finished it. I immediately lost interest when we entered the world of Google and definitely had to push myself to keep going. Well I'm not really in tune with tech talk and it felt like I was putting in more effort than it was worth so I just put it down. I do like fantasy but this wasn't doing it for me. I don't like not finishing books and probably kept at it so long because it is a pretty short book but have learned from past cases to just abandon ship when I'm not feeling the book. Soooo, I'm right there with you and was happy to see you felt the same.

Ew, I was just about to get my hands on this one. Luckily this was the first (and only) review I found. It's a pity the story doesn't revolve around books and the bookstore :(

Sometimes a writer will discover a story while they're writing it, and sometimes a writer will have a story run way ahead of them and instead of having a natural progression... I mean, the cover and title is kind of weird and the 24 hour bookstore thing sets you up to expect weird things to come from it, so perhaps you're giving it too much credit? If it felt jarring despite these hints perhaps it's less about unfulfilled expectations and more about meh execution. I AM going to read it anyway, as it's on my pile, but I'm not going to lie. I will side-eye. - Tony

I was hearing the cover glows in the dark

I enjoyed it until the chase was over…..

I loved the first half, and I couldn't put it down, but then when they *SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER* find Penumbra again, I was kind of like "Oh. I thought his disappearance was going to be more of a big deal. But they found him. And there's like 200 pages left. Oh." And that's when I lost steam really.

we watched your video in english class xD

Where are your earrings from? Love them and your review! :)