The Library of Memories is a joyous middle-grade fantasy graphic novel that gracefully explores grief through the determination of a charmingly intrepid girl to regain her lost memories.
Copenhagen, a girl with messy black hair and blue eyes, cannot remember who she is. It is as if she fell asleep in one place and woke up in a fantastical art deco steampunk world inhabited by sentient metal creatures. Those "Gyrotrons" remind her--yet again, apparently--that she is an assistant in the Library of Memories. Each eclectic item in the infinite space contains a memory, and interacting with it enables one to experience it firsthand. Every time Copenhagen touches an object in the library, however, her own memory resets, the physical library changes, and whatever she touched vanishes. Copenhagen seeks to understand this process but has nothing to guide her except her journal, filled with confusing notes, and Lawrence, an uptight mechanical bird who has taken it upon himself to protect her.
Barbara Perez Marquez (who adapted the graphic-novel edition of To All the Boys I've Loved Before) and Lissy Marlin (illustrator, the Magic Misfits series) deliver a darling tale that depicts joy in all types of memories. Marlin's dramatic digital art allows Copenhagen's endearingly spirited personality to shine; the exaggerated anime-style expressions show her many moods, and metafictional activity highlights her playfulness. Jets of cotton-candy-colored magic slip into sepia memories, all in a detailed, visually arresting steampunk setting. An abundance of humor keeps this graphic novel lively. Sophie Escabasse and K. O'Neill enthusiasts will likely enjoy this moving adventure. --Samantha Zaboski, freelance editor and reviewer