Hello, everyone! Today I’m reviewing my Camp NetGalley read, The Book of Lost Hours by Hayley Gelfuso. I hadn’t heard of this book before seeing it in the Camp NetGalley options, but the premise sounded like something I’d love. Did I end up enjoying it? Read on to find out!

For fans of The Ministry of Time and The Midnight Library , a sweeping, unforgettable novel following two remarkable women moving between postwar and Cold War-era America and the mysterious time space, a library filled with books containing the memories of those who bore witness to history.

Enter the time space, a soaring library filled with books containing the memories of those have passed and accessed only by specially made watches once passed from father to son—but mostly now in government hands. This is where eleven-year-old Lisavet Levy finds herself trapped in 1938, waiting for her watchmaker father to return for her. When he doesn’t, she grows up among the books and specters, able to see the world only by sifting through the memories of those who came before her. As she realizes that government agents are entering the time space to destroy books and maintain their preferred version of history, she sets about saving these scraps in her own volume of memories. Until the appearance of an American spy named Ernest Duquesne in 1949 offers her a glimpse of the world she left behind, setting her on a course to change history and possibly the time space itself.

In 1965, sixteen-year-old Amelia Duquesne is mourning the disappearance of her uncle Ernest when an enigmatic CIA agent approaches her to enlist her help in tracking down a book of memories her uncle had once sought. But when Amelia visits the time space for the first time, she realizes that the past—and the truth—might not be as linear as she’d like to believe.

The Book of Lost Hours explores time, memory, and what we sacrifice to protect those we love.

***Thank you to Atria Books for providing an advanced copy of the book via NetGalley. My review contains my honest thoughts about my reading experience.***

The Book of Lost Hours was such a pleasant surprise. It really lived up to its premise, and the author did a great job of weaving the story between the two different time periods. The idea of using memories to time travel was really cool, and it allowed for the exploration of some timely and important themes.

The plot of The Book of Lost Hours was my favorite thing about the book. I enjoyed the dual timeline and had a great time seeing how everything converged by the end. The combination of historical fantasy and espionage story really worked for me. I found the entire story incredibly compelling and interesting, and I rarely wanted to put it down. Unfortunately, the writing did let me down a bit. It wasn’t bad, but it felt very basic and emotionless. I’m not someone who needs flowery language to enjoy a story, but the prose was just too dry.

The world-building in The Book of Lost Hours was another aspect I really enjoyed. Exploring the time space was really cool, and I loved that it was fashioned after a library. I honestly wish there’d been even more time spent on visiting different times through the memories. Furthermore, I liked how the visage of the time space was used to illustrate the damaging impacts of censorship. In the story, agents would burn books of memories to shift how the world viewed history, which felt eerily similar to the motivations behind book bans happening today. I also appreciated how the story showed the power of an idea to change the world. It only takes one person to spark a change, which was really the basis for the entire story.

Each of the characters in The Book of Lost Hours experienced significant growth over the course of the story. I can’t talk too much about it, though, because of spoilers. This is definitely a book where it is best to go in as blind as possible. However, I will say that their journeys were compelling and even sometimes unexpected. Some of the characters progressed in ways that I didn’t want for them, but those directions always felt like a natural response to their circumstances. I loved where they all ended up in the end, though, even if I didn’t always like the turns it took to get them there. I’d also like to point out that the antagonist of this story was so damn punchable, almost cartoonishly so. However, I did enjoy hating him. lol.

Overall, The Book of Lost Hours was a cool take on time travel with compelling characters and some important things to say. I do wish I had loved the writing a bit more, but the story itself was a home run for me. Therefore, I rate the book 4 out of 5 stars.

There you have it! My thoughts on The Book of Lost Hours by Hayley Gelfuso. Have you read this book? Let me know your thoughts down in the comments! I’d also love to know if you’re participating in Camp NetGalley and what book you’ve chosen! 🙂