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The Book of Love
The Book of Love: A Novel | Kelly Link
In the long-awaited debut novel from bestselling author and Pulitzer Prize finalist Kelly Link, three teenagers become pawns in a supernatural power struggle. A dizzying dream ride you will never forget.Leigh Bardugo An astonishing, gorgeous novel.Holly Black An incredible achievement.Cassandra Clare The Book of Love showcases Kelly Link at the height of her powers, channeling potent magic and attuned to all varieties of lovefrom friendship to romance to abiding family tieswith her trademark compassion, wit, and literary derring-do. Readers will find joy (and a little terror) and an affirmation that love goes on, even when we cannot. Late one night, Laura, Daniel, and Mo find themselves beneath the fluorescent lights of a high school classroom, almost a year after disappearing from their hometown, the small seaside community of Lovesend, Massachusetts, having long been presumed dead. Which, in fact, they are. With them in the room is their previously unremarkable high school music teacher, who seems to know something about their disappearanceand what has brought them back again. Desperate to reclaim their lives, the three agree to the terms of the bargain their music teacher proposes. They will be given a series of magical tasks; while they undertake them, they may return to their families and friends, but they can tell no one where theyve been. In the end, there will be winners and there will be losers. But their resurrection has attracted the notice of other supernatural figures, all with their own agendas. As Laura, Daniel, and Mo grapple with the pieces of the lives they left behind, and Lauras sister, Susannah, attempts to reconcile what she remembers with what she fears, these mysterious others begin to arrive, engulfing their community in danger and chaos, and it becomes imperative that the teens solve the mystery of their deaths to avert a looming disaster. Welcome to Kelly Links incomparable Lovesend, where youll encounter love and loss, laughter and dread, magic and karaoke, and some really good pizza.
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sarahbarnes
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Mehso-so

This book was a little too long and frankly I was glad to get to the end. I enjoyed a lot of it but I definitely prefer Link‘s short stories. Overall a good story and well written, but it did not need to be this long! 😆 #TOB2025

squirrelbrain Oh oh, still to start this one! 😬 7h
sarahbarnes @squirrelbrain I often enjoyed reading it, it just felt too long. I wanted to finish it; again, just wanted it to happen a little sooner. 😆 It felt like it dragged in places. 6h
24 likes2 comments
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sarahbarnes
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I haven‘t had nearly the reading time I want these days, but I‘m slowly making my way through this very long book. Although I really like Link‘s writing so I‘m enjoying it. #TOB2025

BarbaraBB That is good to know. So many mixed reviews! 1w
squirrelbrain I borrowed this from the library as I‘m not sure if I‘m going to like it, so it‘s good to hear that you‘re enjoying it. 1w
sarahbarnes @BarbaraBB @squirrelbrain I‘ll be interested to hear what you both think if you read it. I like that her stories involve elements of magic and fantasy but just casually as if it‘s normal. I don‘t like fantasy as a genre but I do really like her. 1w
34 likes3 comments
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BkClubCare
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I am looking forward to this the more I hear that people didn‘t like it. Not sure why 🤷🏻‍♀️ Hope this approach works in my favor: Tempered Affinity? #ToBShortList

dabbe 🖤🐾🖤 1w
36 likes1 stack add1 comment
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rmaclean4
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Panpan

This was a very long, complicated story about coming of age. It is a fantasy that did not work for me. This was my first Kelly Link, and I will not be rushing out to read more of her sadly. 2 🌟

BarbaraBB Hmm not very encouraging. I have my doubts about it now. 5mo
dabbe #fanofthepan! 🤩🤩🤩 5mo
20 likes2 comments
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Paris_Reads
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The happy couple 💕

dabbe 🖤🐾🐾🖤 5mo
4 likes1 comment
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Paris_Reads
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Summertime with my baby Coco Bean 😍

dabbe #cutiecocobean 🖤🐾🖤 5mo
Darklunarose Beautiful pupper 5mo
4 likes2 comments
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sakeriver
Pickpick

There's a dream-like quality to this book and its prose that was just breathtaking, and also quite unsettling at many points. I think Link is really good, too, at writing young people in a way that feels alive and real. Would love to talk in depth about this book with someone smarter than me.

9 likes2 stack adds
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sakeriver
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Next

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annamatopoetry
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Pickpick

I took off the dust jacket and now it's in storage ?
Anyway
Overall a really nice long form debut from Link; I wanted to love it a little more than I actually did though, mainly because it was Too Long. I can justify length if you're doing worldbuilding in scifi or fantasy, but this wasn't a 650 page story.
Still overall positive to it, @donut_jefa called it "casually dark", which is very accurate and very typical of Link.

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donut_jefa
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Pickpick

Another lovely book club pick for a quadrennial event with @annamatopoetry .

Kelly Link continues to be a provocative writer, and there are many things to like in this book. I enjoyed the way intimacy of different configurations is presented. I especially loved the distinctive interiority of the characters.

It is not a perfect book, and definitely not my recommended entry to her work. But all in all, a unique and fantastic novel debut.

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Michael_Gee
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@Howardsimmons reading with the newest member of our household, Gracie!

She‘s about ten, ended up at the shelter when her person died. She‘s about as sweet as can be! Not the temperament we expected from a chihuahua. Just wants to cuddle and nap. 💤

LeahBergen Ohhh, she‘s so sweet!! 🥰 10mo
quietjenn She's adorable. 😍 10mo
Bookzombie Aww, so sweet! 10mo
See All 7 Comments
LiteraryinPA Congrats on the new family member! 💗 10mo
Reggie Awww, 🥰 10mo
batsy Adorable 🥰 10mo
Chelsea.Poole She‘s adorable! And looks like she‘s enjoying the book ☺️ 10mo
20 likes1 stack add7 comments
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Branwen
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First shamrock shake of the season! 😋💚💚💚

Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks Looks good 💚 10mo
Branwen @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks It was incredible! 😋 10mo
47 likes1 stack add2 comments
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Branwen
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Happy Valentine's Day, littens! ❤️?❤️?

I wanted to feature this book today not only because it's red and has the word 'love' in the title ? but because my copy just arrived yesterday and I am SO PSYCHED TO READ IT! Listen to this blurb about it by Zen Cho: "pure enchantment - A tale of love, death, magic, and teenagers being teenagers, rich with fairy strangeness and told in sentences like jewels strung on a chain."

WOW! ?? I'M SO EXCITED!

monalyisha Looking forward to your review! I love her short stories. 10mo
Branwen @monalyisha Thanks so much! What's your favorite short story by her? I'd love to try some of her shorter works! 💙 10mo
monalyisha @Branwen Omg I wish I could tell you. 😅 It‘s been forever since I‘ve picked anything up…but this collection was so integral to ensuring my love of reading continued post-graduation, becoming such a central part of my everyday life. 10mo
vivastory I listened to a wonderful interview with her on the B&N podcast last night & am def curious to pick this up. I have only read a couple of her stories, but I loved them. 10mo
Branwen @monalyisha Okay, you've sold me on it! 🥰 I'm going to check out that collection! ❤️ @vivastory Oh wow, that sounds really intriguing! I definitely need to check out some of her shorter fiction too! 10mo
49 likes1 stack add5 comments
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monalyisha
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#Two4Tuesday

1. We try to avoid Valentine‘s Day proper. Everything gets so busy & chaotic when everyone tries to do the same thing all at once. But I love to be gifted a dining experience. Flowers are always welcome (Valentine‘s Day or not)! And books, of course. If I‘m feeling bold, I might buy myself Kelly Link‘s debut novel, “The Book of Love” (tagged), which comes out on February 13th.

monalyisha 2. Maggie Stiefvater‘s The Raven Boys captures the all-consuming (and particularly teenage) feeling of finding your first, real, solid friend group so well! The exact passage reads, “In that moment, Blue was a little in love with all of them. Their magic. Their quest. Their awfulness and strangeness. Her raven boys.” 🖤 (edited) 10mo
TheSpineView Thanks for playing!❤️📖 10mo
31 likes2 comments
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Lissa00
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I feel like this book will be worth it once I get into it but right now it is SLOW going. I had to turn off the percentage count at the bottom of my kindle because it was going up so slowly. #netgalley

CallMeIshmael Hear me out, it does get bogged down, but so worth it. I absolutely loved it and I also almost quit it 11mo
Lissa00 @CallMeIshmael That‘s good to know! 11mo
61 likes1 stack add2 comments
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suvata
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Pickpick

Expected publication Feb 13, 2024 • 640 pages • magical-realism • 3.5 Stars

Three teenagers, Laura, Daniel, and Mo, disappear from their hometown, the small seaside community of Lovesend, Massachusetts, and are presumed dead. Almost a year later, they find themselves beneath the fluorescent lights of a high school classroom. In this “afterlife” the teens find themselves being used as pawns in a supernatural power struggle. ⬇️

suvata
Speaking of struggling, I found this book rather challenging, which is disappointing because Kelly Link is one of my go-to authors. After having read and enjoyed all of her short stories, I expected more from this the long-awaited debut novel.
12mo
44 likes1 comment
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CallMeIshmael
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Pickpick

In crafting a modern-day mythology akin to 'American Gods,' Ms. Link achieves the challenging feat of seamlessly blending a real-world setting with a magical universe. Her work is nothing short of marvelous, capturing my attention and delighting me throughout. While acknowledging that it may not cater to everyone's taste

CallMeIshmael I encourage readers to give it a chance and persevere. The characters are not only diverse but also meticulously developed, contributing to a rich and well-written narrative. 12mo
JoyBlue The Libby audio hold for this is around three years long at this point. I'm sure my library will order more copies, but I'm leaving it on my wish list for now. [Don't want to block a hold spot for nearly that long.] 10mo
25 likes2 stack adds2 comments
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CallMeIshmael
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My local bookstore got an ARC for this one and they gave it to me!!! Loving it so far