An Unexpected Find

By Chris M.

The unveiling of protagonist Clay Jannon's tale in Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore by Robin Sloan was fast paced but remained enjoyable for the entirety of the novel. Clay's new job at Mr. Penumbra Bookstore did not go as planned. He was met with several shady characters on the job, which contributed to his suspicion towards the store.

Clay Jannon suffers the unfortunate loss of his job as a web designer for the company "New Bagel." Desperate to find a new place to work, he roams the streets of San Francisco in hopes of finding a "help wanted" sign somewhere-- anywhere. This "anywhere" ended up being an old bookstore with a mysterious vibe. Owner Mr. Penumbra granted Clay the job as soon as he displayed his skill of climbing a ladder. This would be useful in a place with bookcases as tall as the ceiling. After a short time on the job, Clay realized that there was a reason for a lack of employees and customers. There was something different about this bookstore.

Clay eventually finds out that Mr. Penumbra's bookstore was the head of a group known as the "Unbroken Spine." His curiosity allowed him to crack this code because he knew something was odd about customers borrowing books as if the store was a library. This section of books to borrow from was coined as the "Waybacklist." Clay's goal was to figure out the mystery behind these books, so with the help of his friends and girlfriend, Kat, they travel cross-country in attempt to solve it.

Sloan's ability to keep the reader guessing what is going to happen next makes the experience more enjoyable. Every event in the story seemed to be foreshadowing what was coming next. The progression of the story, although slightly quick, felt natural and flowed well. The characters were still able to develop and connect with the reader. The ending of the novel was not necessarily disappointing, but slightly anticlimactic. However, the interesting plot within the rest of the novel makes up for the lack of a bang at the end.

` As a new reader of Robin Sloan, I was impressed with Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore. Sloan does not have many other novels to offer, but as a modern author, he is surely going to release more in the future. I would recommend this novel to anyone who is interested in mysteries, and it has a nice and fast pace for any other impatient readers like myself.

Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore, by Robin Sloan, Farrar, Straus and Giroux, October 2012, 304 pages