The Library of the Dead by TL Huchu

 Part of a new series called Ediburgh Nights, I just finished The Library of the Dead by T L Huchu (Audio book version from Harper Audio) - a refreshingly different YA-urban fantasy featuring a precocious sassy fourteen-year old up against malicious spirits, and evil ghosts. 

I enjoyed this one, a breezy fast ghost-story, mystery set in the titular city of Edinburgh, focused on 14-year old Ropa Moya. A gifted teenager who is a "ghostalker" and who uses this talent to actually make some money on the sides - by being that clairvoyant, a messenger between the living and their beloved dead ones. But one of these sessions, Ropa gets contacted by a persistent mother Nichola who claims her son has been missing for a few days now and wants Ropa's help to find him. Ropa unwittingly gets drawn into something far more sinister plot that involves children missing off the streets, and ones who survive and come back from whatever ordeal they are plunged into, are too far "gone", traumatised beyond measure. 

Living with her old grandmother and her annoying little sister addicted to playing games on the phone, Ropa is very much like other teenagers. Sassy beyond measure, confident in her own infallibility, sensitive but practical, having to fend for her whole family by herself, Ropa is bit too wise beyond her years. A bit too much for her own good. It still doesn't stop her from impulsively jumping into dangerous affairs though. Like when she realises that someone's been kidnapping kids in Edinburgh. Along with her "boy"friend Jomo and new bestie Praya, she decides to investigate to get to the root of this. This is the major vein of the story that is explored till the end. However, Ropa in her bids to meet both ends and pay rent and other expenses, takes a lot many interesting assignments of carrying messages from beyond the grave. These colourful little sidetracks helped round off the world building but some were just annoying distractions at best, detracting us from the main mystery. 

There is the usual cloying dark atmosphere to the story that forms an important element. The supernatural parts were funny in the beginning, adding a bit of levity to the otherwise dark premise. But gradually, Huchu gets into the groove of the story and Ropa shrugs off her side-assignments to focus on finding the missing boy "Ollie" - leading her deeper into something a lot more sinister than she bargained for. The pacing is nice and easy as we gradually understand that this is a world sometime in the future, a bit dystopian and the city of Edinburgh is explored a bit. Not as much as I would have liked though. Another big grouch of course is about the Titular Library of the Dead - which doesn't feature as much as it should. It's the secret place where Ropa gets access to, to actually delve into the arcane concepts of magic and study it so to exploit her prowess. Apart from rumination on certain thermodynamic equations that help her focus on the right elements to exploit magic, the Library remains just another place in this Edinburgh district. 

A good solid read, The Library of the Dead has given us a sassy brave heroine, whom I am ready to follow into the depths of Hell. Because I know, despite being an annoying self-entitled pain in the royal ass, Ropa was a great character worth the read. A clever and smart ghost/urban-fantasy novel, recommended for a first read for sure.