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FindingJane
Mar 07, 2016FindingJane rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
“Evil Librarian” is rather one note when it comes to the presence of demons in the human world (here’s a hint: they’re evil and want us dead). There is an added soupçon of adolescent yearning thrown into the mix and a sly commentary on wild, hormonal lust/love, however. When, exactly, does the pathetic desire for companionship tip over into the loss of self and self esteem, i.e., making us other than human? Cynthia craves a boyfriend, especially when she notices other girls with their swains, almost the way someone might crave the wonderful sneakers she sees everybody else wearing. She doesn’t want to be one of those girls who only live or breathe to have a boy on their arm. But she wishes for one so desperately you feel both simultaneously sympathetic and a little impatient (depending on your age, I suppose). So the book throws a curveball when it’s the supposedly level-headed Annie who tumbles head over heels for the hot new librarian. This book could have explored the borderline wrongness of having a romance between an older faculty member and an alumnus or have Cynthia worried about how Annie is drifting away from her because she’s mooning over her new human beau. But the inclusion of demonic presence renders these questions irrelevant and makes this a battle for human existence, not only for Annie but the world at large. Cynthia survives because of her special protection (she’s some kind of creature that demons can’t mesmerize), her willingness to make unpleasant but necessary alliances and her own inner strength. All this shines through as the novel progresses, even as it pits her own new would-be romance against the incredible affection she has for Annie. I’ve seen female friendships in other novels but hardly any that portray the extraordinary depth of feeling that Cynthia has for Annie. She fiercely loves her friend, an enduring philia such as the Greeks spoke about and that nearly eclipses the warm, fizzy feelings Cynthia gets whenever she is around Ryan, the smoking popular boy that makes all the girls swoon when he smiles at them. Lest you think this is all gloom and doom, there are surprising moments of humor as well. But it is Cynthia’s love for Annie that truly sells this novel for me (although the final battle royale among demons is a corking good read, too). For a BFF book with the supernatural thrown in, this book surpasses your average YA romance.