To preface this review, I'll just say that I'm not good with the supernatural. I don't read fantasy, sci-fi or horror novels. Generally speaking, they either bore me, annoy me, and or at worst, insult my intelligence. Also, I'm an atheist. However, the fact that I still wanted to pick up this book after reading the description, and the fact that I still gave this book 5 stars after finishing it says a lot in my book. LaValle is doing a lot of different things here, from urban realism to allegory, from philosophical novel to mystical fantasy, and I would say that LaValle is about 95% successful. And those parts he's successful at?--he's 200% successful. I've mostly broken my college habit of marking up my books, but it was very hard to resist the urge with this one. There's so much to chew on, to look back on, to ponder for a very long time to come. If I were a college English professor, I would go out of my way to build a course around this book. I particularly love the way the book looks at faith and doubt, not as opposites, but as a system of checks and balances to keep religious fanaticism at bay. ( )

A recommendation for those in weird fiction! A group of ex-criminals on the path to rehabilitation are sent to the Northeast Kingdom in Vermont and become paranormal investigators for what is termed the Washburn Library. Ricky Rice, the Dean, the Grey Lady, the Unlikely Scholars and a host of other characters share their stories and journeys, highs and lows. A truly strange book, I still am not sure what to even think. ( )