Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore Review

 ***spoiler warning*** When Clay loses his job and stumbles upon a help-wanted sign at Mr. Penumbra's mysterious 24-hour bookstore, he takes on the night shift job and enters a world far more complex than he initially imagined. The store itself seems ordinary enough, but the real intrigue lies in the dusty, dimly lit shelves at the back, filled with ancient and cryptic volumes. Clay soon realizes that these books aren't meant for regular reading; they contain strange symbols and codes, and the only customers who borrow them are enigmatic figures who come and go at odd hours. Curiosity piqued, Clay delves into the mystery surrounding Mr. Penumbra's bookstore, aided by his friend Kat Potente, a data analyst at Google. Together, they embark on a quest to uncover the secrets hidden within the bookstore's pages and the enigmatic society that frequents it. Armed with their technological skills and a determination to unravel the puzzle, they start digitizing the books and using computer algorithms to decipher their meaning. Their journey leads them to a secret society of scholars and codebreakers who are on a quest for immortality. These individuals are devoted to solving ancient mysteries and believe that the coded texts hold the key to eternal life. Clay and Kat's investigation takes them on a thrilling adventure filled with quirky characters, from eccentric bibliophiles to tech-savvy friends, all contributing to the unraveling mystery.

I'm drawn to several aspects of Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore especially how real everything felt. The concept of the Singularity captivated me with its exploration of technological advancement and its potential consequences. The portrayal of the secret society within the story feels really believable, weaving historical figures like Aldus Manutius into the narrative, adds a cool layer of realism. I also really like Sloan’s diction in some parts like on page 179 he says: “Walking the stacks in a library, dragging your fingers across the spines -- it's hard not to feel the presence of sleeping spirits.” The settings within the book, ranging from the enigmatic bookstore and its hidden reading room to the bustling tech hub of Google and the cities of San Francisco and New York, provide an interesting backdrop. The ending, though kind of disappointing, I enjoyed and it kept in that theme of staying believable. I felt really immersed throughout most of the book, until the very end. 
While I found much to appreciate in Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore, certain aspects didn't quite resonate with me. One of my problems with the novel is the constant idealization of capitalism. Firstly, Sloan often defines success in terms of having a good career or running a company. Like in the ending, there is the trend where the "good characters" ultimately find their fulfillment in either starting a business or securing employment, and the “bad guy” gets fired from his main title. Clay's character arc is literally just no job, to being employed, to owning a business and his emotional journey is nonexistent. The novel's repeated references to corporate giants like Amazon and Google drove me insane. The lack of class consciousness in the narrative, despite Clay's initial problem stemming from an economic recession, also remained unresolved throughout the story. On page 5 it says: “People were living in motels and tent cities, the whole economy felt like a game of musical chairs, and I was convinced I needed to grab a seat, any seat, as fast as I could.” There’s nothing said about the recession for the rest of the story. The resolution to Clay’s arc is that he gets some job security by starting his own business, but the original problem that brought him to the bookstore in the first place is never acknowledged.  I’m not saying that every book needs to have an in-depth exploration of political theory, but you have to at least acknowledge it when you write a book that talks about things like the “Singularity,” a utopian future run on technology. It needs this kind of nuance, especially with its ending where it tries to be realistic.
I actually would recommend this book to most readers. The blend of mystery and technology was really entertaining. As long as they don’t think about it for too long it’s really enjoyable. It was a pleasant read that had some dramatic cliffhangers and I liked it. If you are looking for a fun entertaining mystery this is the book for you, but if you are looking for a book to think about in the small hours of the night, you're in the wrong place.