Status
Available
Call number
Collection
Publication
Orion (2022), 400 pages
Description
From the critically acclaimed author of The Book of M, a highly imaginative thriller about a young woman who discovers that a strange map in her deceased father's belongings holds an incredible, deadly secret--one that will lead her on an extraordinary adventure and to the truth about her family's dark history. What is the purpose of a map? Nell Young's whole life and greatest passion is cartography. Her father, Dr. Daniel Young, is a legend in the field and Nell's personal hero. But she hasn't seen or spoken to him ever since he cruelly fired her and destroyed her reputation after an argument over an old, cheap gas station highway map. But when Dr. Young is found dead in his office at the New York Public Library, with the very same seemingly worthless map hidden in his desk, Nell can't resist investigating. To her surprise, she soon discovers that the map is incredibly valuable and exceedingly rare. In fact, she may now have the only copy left in existence... because a mysterious collector has been hunting down and destroying every last one--along with anyone who gets in the way. But why? To answer that question, Nell embarks on a dangerous journey to reveal a dark family secret and discovers the true power that lies in maps... Perfect for fans of Joe Hill and V. E. Schwab, The Cartographers is an ode to art and science, history and magic--a spectacularly imaginative, modern story about an ancient craft and places still undiscovered.… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member lycomayflower
This literary thriller deals with mysterious deaths and lost maps, and on paper it should have been an absolute slam dunk for me. I loved the premise (which I'm not going to go into detail about because it's spoilery, but let's say if you love books and wonder and maps, you'll probably love it
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too), but the book has no red herrings at all? There are a ton of reveals and know that I am not exaggerating (nor am I overly prone to figuring out plots in mysteries and thrillers) when I say that I had every. one. of them sorted beforehand. This made the read rather pedestrian, and it was all the more annoying since I *was* so fascinated by the premise. You know that story about how, as a boy, Tolkien read Macbeth and was so disappointed when Birnam Woods coming to Dunsinane turned out to be just dudes camouflaging themselves with branches and whatnot? That. That's how I felt reading this book. All that magic and it wasn't really Ents at all, just some guy with a stick. Show Less
LibraryThing member wdwilson3
From the outset I had difficulty believing in what was going on here. Why was a NYPD lieutenant present at what was, on the surface, a natural death? Why were two people fired, and their careers forever tainted, for arguing with an unreasonable man? Why was the central item in this plot left
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unguarded in the "junk box?" I never got plausible answers to any of these questions, and more. The fantasy aspect of this book would be so much more impactful if the reality aspect was plausible. A competent editor would have pointed out these missteps to a young author. As a map lover and collector I was truly disappointed. Show Less
LibraryThing member invisiblelizard
Interesting premise, although sharing too much about it here would constitute a spoiler, because Shepherd slowly revealed plot details as if she were holding onto treasure that she only wanted to release a bit at a time, and to summarize I'd spoil things that aren't revealed until at least half way
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through the novel. And the writing (the prose) itself wasn't bad. But my God, I haven't read a book so full of love triangle drama in quite some time. Honestly I got so tired of who was in love with whom and who was cheating and who's love was unrequited and the will-they-or-won't-they intrigue (forced intrigue) of two of the main characters. If you took all of that away, you'd have a decent story, but it would have been a hundred pages shorter. And the plot depended on some really bad/stupid decisions made by the primary characters. Who all were supposed to be really smart, like brilliant. There are few things I hate more than characters doing uncharacteristically dumb things just to move the plot along in a certain direction. I forced myself to finish this book, because apparently I can't abandon a book that I've started, but it was rather painful. This would have been a one star review, but I'll add a second star just for the clever premise, which again, sadly, I can't write about here. Show Less
LibraryThing member bookworm12
I was expecting to love this one. It has all those great elements: a murder mystery, libraries, maps, etc. But for some reason the story was lacking for me. I found myself avoiding it. I think it was the character of Nell, I thought the backstories of the other characters was fascinating. It
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wasn’t awful, I just wanted to love it more. Also, I think I saw every twist coming, which is not normal for me. It might just be a case of high expectations. Show Less
LibraryThing member Judiex
Printed maps have a long, important history. Originally, they were both rare and expensive. They covered smallish areas because most people didn’t travel long distances or know or care about faraway locations so they weren’t necessary. They were also hand drawn.
It wasn’t until the early
Some smaller manufactures realized that the maps they developed were being copied and sold by larger companies. To stop being cheated, some began inserting false information, a so-called “phantom settlement” or a fake road or a fake room on their maps. If they found that location on someone else’s map, they knew it had been plagiarized and had grounds to sue.
THE CARTOGRAPHERS is the story of seven friends, all students of cartography, who met in college and stayed together all throughout their under and post graduate years and the daughter of two of them. They studied the purposes and meanings of maps. When they received their PhDs., they traveled to a small town in New York state to work on a special project utilizing their knowledge. Her mother, who had been a member of the group, had died in a fire while they lived there. Their daughter, Nell Young, the main character of the book, was three years old at the time.
All their lives were totally changed by the experience.
Nell had also become a cartographer but was fired from her job at The New York Public Library because of an incident with a map. Her father, who was the major cartographer, was responsible for her being fired. She had not been in contact with him for seven years between then and a call she received that he had died at work. Among the few items of his that she found was a folded New York map from 1930, one she had seen before.
That opened to door to her learning the group’s stories as well as hearing that her life was now in danger.
Peng Shepherd mixes cartography, murder, relationships, and a bit of Harry Potter and Brigadoon into THE CARTOGRAPHERS. It is a somewhat unusual concept. There is a small bit of unnecessary repetition and relationships that don’t seem realistic. It’s interesting to learn how much map making has changed because of computers.
It wasn’t until the early
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1900s when automobiles became more common and mass printing had been available for only a relatively short period of time that folded paper masks became popular. They soon were handed out at gas stations.Some smaller manufactures realized that the maps they developed were being copied and sold by larger companies. To stop being cheated, some began inserting false information, a so-called “phantom settlement” or a fake road or a fake room on their maps. If they found that location on someone else’s map, they knew it had been plagiarized and had grounds to sue.
THE CARTOGRAPHERS is the story of seven friends, all students of cartography, who met in college and stayed together all throughout their under and post graduate years and the daughter of two of them. They studied the purposes and meanings of maps. When they received their PhDs., they traveled to a small town in New York state to work on a special project utilizing their knowledge. Her mother, who had been a member of the group, had died in a fire while they lived there. Their daughter, Nell Young, the main character of the book, was three years old at the time.
All their lives were totally changed by the experience.
Nell had also become a cartographer but was fired from her job at The New York Public Library because of an incident with a map. Her father, who was the major cartographer, was responsible for her being fired. She had not been in contact with him for seven years between then and a call she received that he had died at work. Among the few items of his that she found was a folded New York map from 1930, one she had seen before.
That opened to door to her learning the group’s stories as well as hearing that her life was now in danger.
Peng Shepherd mixes cartography, murder, relationships, and a bit of Harry Potter and Brigadoon into THE CARTOGRAPHERS. It is a somewhat unusual concept. There is a small bit of unnecessary repetition and relationships that don’t seem realistic. It’s interesting to learn how much map making has changed because of computers.
Show Less
LibraryThing member Twink
I think I was about eight or nine years old when I discovered the road atlas at the library. As we often drove a distance to see relatives, I was excited to see a hard copy of our route through the many towns on the way there. That led to finding and marking off the places I'd been. And I have to
Peng Shepherd's new book, The Cartographers called to me...
"What is the purpose of a map? "The answer to that question is much more complicated than just 'directions'. Nell Young discovers that a vintage road map is much more than it seems to be at first glance. And there are many people who want to get their hands on it. Oh, the premise is wonderful, opening up so many roads this plot could take! (And it most certainly had me thinking about maps in a different way)
Nell is a wonderful lead - strong, driven and determined. But she's also experienced great loss in many ways. The supporting characters are just as well drawn. There are quite a few, but each has a role to play. (I really liked Felix)
The book unfolds through a past and present timeline. The listener is alongside Nell as she put the pieces together. There's lots of action and much food for thought in regards to a map's purpose.
Family, love, loss, grief, friendship, betrayal and sacrifice all come into play alongside the murders, mystery - and magic of The Cartographers.
The Cartographers is read with a cast of narrators which I always appreciate. It makes it very easy to know what character is speaking. It also makes listening more 'real', more immersive, if you will, bringing the listener into the story. The narrators featured Emily Woo Zeller, Nancy Wu, Karen Chilton, Ron Butler, Neil Hellegers, Jason Culp and Brittany Pressley. Some of these readers were familiar to me, others were new. But they all did a wonderful job bringing Shepherd's work to life. Their voices absolutely suited the characters they were reading, creating clear mental picture of everyone. The speaking was clear, easy to understand and pleasant to listen to. The tenor of the story is illustrated with their voices.
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admit, I am still fascinated by paper maps and all the small places on the way to somewhere.Peng Shepherd's new book, The Cartographers called to me...
"What is the purpose of a map? "The answer to that question is much more complicated than just 'directions'. Nell Young discovers that a vintage road map is much more than it seems to be at first glance. And there are many people who want to get their hands on it. Oh, the premise is wonderful, opening up so many roads this plot could take! (And it most certainly had me thinking about maps in a different way)
Nell is a wonderful lead - strong, driven and determined. But she's also experienced great loss in many ways. The supporting characters are just as well drawn. There are quite a few, but each has a role to play. (I really liked Felix)
The book unfolds through a past and present timeline. The listener is alongside Nell as she put the pieces together. There's lots of action and much food for thought in regards to a map's purpose.
Family, love, loss, grief, friendship, betrayal and sacrifice all come into play alongside the murders, mystery - and magic of The Cartographers.
The Cartographers is read with a cast of narrators which I always appreciate. It makes it very easy to know what character is speaking. It also makes listening more 'real', more immersive, if you will, bringing the listener into the story. The narrators featured Emily Woo Zeller, Nancy Wu, Karen Chilton, Ron Butler, Neil Hellegers, Jason Culp and Brittany Pressley. Some of these readers were familiar to me, others were new. But they all did a wonderful job bringing Shepherd's work to life. Their voices absolutely suited the characters they were reading, creating clear mental picture of everyone. The speaking was clear, easy to understand and pleasant to listen to. The tenor of the story is illustrated with their voices.
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LibraryThing member rivkat
Wow did I not like this. Saw it described as “magical realism” whereas I might’ve said a kind of urban fantasy. Nell is a cartographer whose cartographer father ruined her career and destroyed her relationship with a fellow cartographer over an argument about valuable maps found in a box
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labeled junk, which he insisted were fake. When her father dies, she finds he’s held on to one of the very maps at issue—and might have been murdered over it. Eventually she finds that some special maps can give people access to places that don’t otherwise exist, and that’s a secret someone is willing to kill for. Every person in this book makes terrible decisions, reasoning that they have to to avoid Reaction X from alternate decisions, where Reaction X is a reaction that essentially no one would ever have to the situation. I will accept that in this world, ordinary people care a lot about maps, cartography, etc. and/or that the cartographer characters are in an obsessed world of their own and literally do not notice that others don’t share their views, but that doesn’t change the other ordinary rules of human behavior (what makes people angry, scared, jealous, etc.). Because of this, the book’s central problems would almost all have been fixed by people actually talking and expecting other people to behave like people. The magic system crumbles immediately under its own weight (does the map have to depict details for them to exist? What does it mean to have a “complete” map in terms of what magic lets you do with it?), after only entering a full third of the way into the book. There was more but I should already have stopped! Show Less
LibraryThing member bibliovermis
A very exciting read that's hard to put down—but that, in my opinion, doesn't make a single lick of sense. No character motivation in the whole bunch is explicable and there are plot holes ranging from tiny to big enough to drive a truck through.
LibraryThing member Anniik
TW/CW: Family death, character death, violence, adultery
RATING: 2/5
REVIEW: This book could have been so much more! I really loved the concept of it – maps that create places rather than the other way around – but it was not well executed.
First, it was way too long. Even though it’s under 400
Secondly, there was pretty much nothing that was a surprise. I am not the person who can guess the bad guy way in advance in mysteries by any means, but I felt it had been beaten into my head a thousand times before the “reveal” (which was nothing of the sort).
Thirdly, I really didn’t like the flashbacks. They were verbose and seemed more intent on being emotional and telling us how people felt rather than what happened. Again, a good place to cut unnecessary fluff. telling us way too much and showing us way too little.
Altogether, I am not a big fan of this book. I really liked the concept, but found the book itself poorly executed.
RATING: 2/5
REVIEW: This book could have been so much more! I really loved the concept of it – maps that create places rather than the other way around – but it was not well executed.
First, it was way too long. Even though it’s under 400
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pages, I’ll bet 50-100 pages could have been cut without hurting the story. There were way too many times I felt myself sitting there thinking “just get on with it” while reading this book.Secondly, there was pretty much nothing that was a surprise. I am not the person who can guess the bad guy way in advance in mysteries by any means, but I felt it had been beaten into my head a thousand times before the “reveal” (which was nothing of the sort).
Thirdly, I really didn’t like the flashbacks. They were verbose and seemed more intent on being emotional and telling us how people felt rather than what happened. Again, a good place to cut unnecessary fluff. telling us way too much and showing us way too little.
Altogether, I am not a big fan of this book. I really liked the concept, but found the book itself poorly executed.
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LibraryThing member murderbydeath
I need to get this part out of the way first: this is a great story, well written, with great characters. It started slow for me, but once the momentum kicked in, it didn't let up. I love how the author did multiple POVs without actually doing multiple POVs (well, there are two legitimate POVs, but
But beyond all of that, and I know this makes me a massive nerd, what I loved most was what was in the author's note at the beginning, coupled with what was in the acknowledgments at the end. The story that emerges in these two is, to me, even better than the fictional story between, and no, I'm not sharing it; it would put a dent in the plot of the story, and might sap the joy of discovery from some other nerd out there that might find it as delightful as I do.
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the other's were tucked seamlessly into the narrative). The story is what I'd call a variation on the scavenger hunt theme, centering on a seemingly cheap, pedestrian road map that's really one-of-a-kind, and how it tore a group of friends that were as close as family apart, with a side helping of how obsessive love can corrupt. My biggest gripe is that, while the ending is hopefully and happy, it wasn't really an ending to my mind; I wanted at least a little bit more explanation.But beyond all of that, and I know this makes me a massive nerd, what I loved most was what was in the author's note at the beginning, coupled with what was in the acknowledgments at the end. The story that emerges in these two is, to me, even better than the fictional story between, and no, I'm not sharing it; it would put a dent in the plot of the story, and might sap the joy of discovery from some other nerd out there that might find it as delightful as I do.
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LibraryThing member ethel55
Nell is a cartographer, working at a commercial map company since a rather public falling out with her father, years earlier. Dr. Daniel Young was head of the map division at the New York Public Library, working on a special project that the board was hoping would lead to more notoriety and money
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for the division. Both her parents were cartographers, but Nell's mother died in a fire when she was about three in upstate New York. Dr. Young is found deceased in his office, and when Nell is called to the scene, she finds the gas station map that caused all the trouble in a secret spot in his desk. It turns out people are after this map, Nell and her old boyfriend Felix hope to discover why. A group called the Cartographers is especially interested. I liked the stories from the past that helped explain the events in the present, but this is where you have to suspend disbelief and ride out the story. It was good. Show Less
LibraryThing member ecataldi
Shepherd, Peng. The Cartographers. digital. 2022.
A fast paced thriller about the secrets maps can hold. When Nell's father is found murdered in his New York Public Library Office, there is no initial cause of alarm; it must have just been a heart attack. When Nell is going through her father's
A fast paced thriller about the secrets maps can hold. When Nell's father is found murdered in his New York Public Library Office, there is no initial cause of alarm; it must have just been a heart attack. When Nell is going through her father's
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belongings she discovers an odd gas station map, the very one that caused their estrangement, hidden in her father's portfolio. What is the meaning of it and why has he saved it after all this time? After a string of connected murders in the New York Public Library, Nell is convinced that someone is after this seemingly worthless map, but why? She seeks the help of a mentor and an old flame and discovers that the map she discovered may be worth millions and may be the very last copy in existence. According to online records someone has stolen or destroyed every single copy of the map. What is it hiding and what dark family secrets will it lead her on? Narrated by a full cast, this wild adventure will keep listeners engaged and invested. From one rabbit hole to another, this mysterious map will lead Nell to a place she never knew she needed to discover. This action packed thriller is too unique to forget anytime soon! - Erin Cataldi, Johnson Co. Public Library, Franklin, IN Show Less
LibraryThing member bookappeal
A cozy mystery centered around maps that requires a whole lot of suspension of disbelief to enjoy. Employs unrealistically detailed memories from numerous characters to tell the backstory, making the novel much longer than it needs to be. The narration was overly dramatic.
LibraryThing member hcnewton
This originally appeared at The Irresponsible Reader.
---
“What do you know about that?” she asked.
"Not much,” Nell lied. “Ramona told me it was destroyed a long time ago.”
Eve grimaced. “It was dangerous, that thing. Cursed. Everyone who touched it got hurt.” Her eyes drifted back to
WHAT'S THE CARTOGRAPHERS ABOUT?
This is hard—I tried to describe this to some friends earlier, and I tripped over myself so many times while trying to make this sound enticing while not giving anything away. I'd call that conversation a rough draft of this section, but it was so bad that Anne Lamott's going to have to revise the section in Bird by Bird about sh***y first drafts.
Nell Young has had a life-long obsession with maps—her parents have doctorates in cartography and it might as well have been encoded in her DNA. She and her boyfriend had internships in the New York Public Library where her father works, too. Then one day, she finds a couple of maps in a forgotten corner of the Library, one of which is an old gas station map. Her father flips out over what she found, for reasons she can't really understand—a major argument ensues and she's fired. So is Felix, her boyfriend. Not just that, but her father goes on to wage a war on their reputations—they're finished in academia.
Felix leaves the field and Nell goes to work for an Internet company making faux historical maps. Years pass without Nell speaking to her father, then he dies suddenly. While looking through his office, Nell finds that gas station map and is flabbergasted. Why would he keep that thing?
Nell starts asking questions and learning things about her family, and a whole lot more.
VISUAL AIDS
As is fitting for a book about maps, the novel has some. Not many, most of the ones in the book are described, not seen. But there are just enough—the important ones—to ensure the reader can visualize what's going on—we see what Nell and the rest see.
It's a great touch—I love that Shepherd included those—I'm one of those fantasy readers who rarely glances at the maps in those books—but I spent time on these.
I COULDN'T STOP THINKING ABOUT...
Last week, I quipped that this book was "very Mr. Penumbra-esque." This was too blithe and flippant. And yet...I couldn't get it out of my mind.
Shepherd doesn't write anything like Sloan, the worlds are completely different, and the way they approach character and narrative don't really overlap. Really I think the only thing I can point to that is a demonstrable similarity is the way that they approach Big Tech companies—but this novel's Haberson Global is more like the company in Sourdough, anyway, so I'm not sure it counts.
Again, I couldn't stop thinking about Mr. Penumbra’s 24‑Hour Bookstore. It's about some dedicated and brilliant people whose passion for and pursuit of something that everyone else in the world pretty much takes for granted. There's a little more to it, but I'd have to spoil stuff about both books, so I'm not going to get into it.
SO, WHAT DID I THINK ABOUT THE CARTOGRAPHERS?
I never, not for one minute, thought that a book about maps and mapmakers would be this riveting. And I was wrong. Not that I've spent that much time thinking about books about mapmakers, but you get the idea.
I've read some pretty strong thrillers that weren't as gripping as this. Shepherd paced this perfectly and kept building the tension in just the right manner. Even when I got to the point where I'd figured everything out—even the mind-bendy bits—and was just waiting for Nell and the rest to catch up, I was on the edge of my seat. That tension extends to things that happened before the novel's present time—we'd get chapters of first-person narration from some of Nell's father's friends from when she was a toddler. I knew where certain characters would end up because you'd met them already—but that didn't make the uncertainty about what was going to happen to them in the memory much easier to take.
But this isn't just a thriller—it's a story about a family. One of the sweetest, strangest, and saddest found families you're going to run into. A mantra that runs throughout this book the way Uncle Ben's "With great power..." runs through certain movies* is that the purpose of a map is to connect people. The way that these people are connected would be difficult to map out—the routes certainly are intricate and varied—but the connections are strong and lasting.
* Yes, I know it's from the comics first—but the comics rarely, if ever, beat that drum the way some of the movies do.
I was less than satisfied with the ending—because I thought it was headed somewhere else, and then it seemed to aim in a different direction, and it ended up in a third. I think the expectation problems are all mine, they're not from the text. I'm also sure that the ending we get is stronger than what I expected. Still, it's hard to for me accept what we got since I'd spent 100 or so pages sure we were getting something else.
None of that changes the bottom line of this post—you're going to want to read this book. I strongly recommend it. There are few books like it in the world, and that's a shame. But it means that there's every reason to read this.
---
“What do you know about that?” she asked.
"Not much,” Nell lied. “Ramona told me it was destroyed a long time ago.”
Eve grimaced. “It was dangerous, that thing. Cursed. Everyone who touched it got hurt.” Her eyes drifted back to
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the compass rose symbol. “And it’s still not over.”WHAT'S THE CARTOGRAPHERS ABOUT?
This is hard—I tried to describe this to some friends earlier, and I tripped over myself so many times while trying to make this sound enticing while not giving anything away. I'd call that conversation a rough draft of this section, but it was so bad that Anne Lamott's going to have to revise the section in Bird by Bird about sh***y first drafts.
Nell Young has had a life-long obsession with maps—her parents have doctorates in cartography and it might as well have been encoded in her DNA. She and her boyfriend had internships in the New York Public Library where her father works, too. Then one day, she finds a couple of maps in a forgotten corner of the Library, one of which is an old gas station map. Her father flips out over what she found, for reasons she can't really understand—a major argument ensues and she's fired. So is Felix, her boyfriend. Not just that, but her father goes on to wage a war on their reputations—they're finished in academia.
Felix leaves the field and Nell goes to work for an Internet company making faux historical maps. Years pass without Nell speaking to her father, then he dies suddenly. While looking through his office, Nell finds that gas station map and is flabbergasted. Why would he keep that thing?
Nell starts asking questions and learning things about her family, and a whole lot more.
VISUAL AIDS
As is fitting for a book about maps, the novel has some. Not many, most of the ones in the book are described, not seen. But there are just enough—the important ones—to ensure the reader can visualize what's going on—we see what Nell and the rest see.
It's a great touch—I love that Shepherd included those—I'm one of those fantasy readers who rarely glances at the maps in those books—but I spent time on these.
I COULDN'T STOP THINKING ABOUT...
Last week, I quipped that this book was "very Mr. Penumbra-esque." This was too blithe and flippant. And yet...I couldn't get it out of my mind.
Shepherd doesn't write anything like Sloan, the worlds are completely different, and the way they approach character and narrative don't really overlap. Really I think the only thing I can point to that is a demonstrable similarity is the way that they approach Big Tech companies—but this novel's Haberson Global is more like the company in Sourdough, anyway, so I'm not sure it counts.
Again, I couldn't stop thinking about Mr. Penumbra’s 24‑Hour Bookstore. It's about some dedicated and brilliant people whose passion for and pursuit of something that everyone else in the world pretty much takes for granted. There's a little more to it, but I'd have to spoil stuff about both books, so I'm not going to get into it.
SO, WHAT DID I THINK ABOUT THE CARTOGRAPHERS?
I never, not for one minute, thought that a book about maps and mapmakers would be this riveting. And I was wrong. Not that I've spent that much time thinking about books about mapmakers, but you get the idea.
I've read some pretty strong thrillers that weren't as gripping as this. Shepherd paced this perfectly and kept building the tension in just the right manner. Even when I got to the point where I'd figured everything out—even the mind-bendy bits—and was just waiting for Nell and the rest to catch up, I was on the edge of my seat. That tension extends to things that happened before the novel's present time—we'd get chapters of first-person narration from some of Nell's father's friends from when she was a toddler. I knew where certain characters would end up because you'd met them already—but that didn't make the uncertainty about what was going to happen to them in the memory much easier to take.
But this isn't just a thriller—it's a story about a family. One of the sweetest, strangest, and saddest found families you're going to run into. A mantra that runs throughout this book the way Uncle Ben's "With great power..." runs through certain movies* is that the purpose of a map is to connect people. The way that these people are connected would be difficult to map out—the routes certainly are intricate and varied—but the connections are strong and lasting.
* Yes, I know it's from the comics first—but the comics rarely, if ever, beat that drum the way some of the movies do.
I was less than satisfied with the ending—because I thought it was headed somewhere else, and then it seemed to aim in a different direction, and it ended up in a third. I think the expectation problems are all mine, they're not from the text. I'm also sure that the ending we get is stronger than what I expected. Still, it's hard to for me accept what we got since I'd spent 100 or so pages sure we were getting something else.
None of that changes the bottom line of this post—you're going to want to read this book. I strongly recommend it. There are few books like it in the world, and that's a shame. But it means that there's every reason to read this.
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LibraryThing member rmarcin
Nell Young has a PhD in cartography, but when her father, head of maps at NYPL argues with her over the significance of a box of maps and other memorabilia, she is fired and disgraced. Years later, she is called to notify her of her father's death. When it is revealed to be murder, Nell is thrust
Nell and her father had been close, that is, until her mother died in a fire trying to save Nell. Then everything changed.
There is a bit of fantasy in this novel, along with a murder mystery.
Interesting concept, but a bit out there.
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into a mystery as to why a gas station map is being sought by collectors. Nell and her father had been close, that is, until her mother died in a fire trying to save Nell. Then everything changed.
There is a bit of fantasy in this novel, along with a murder mystery.
Interesting concept, but a bit out there.
Show Less
LibraryThing member terran
I thought there would be more information about cartography, but the fantasy overrode that, in my opinion.
LibraryThing member Hccpsk
We all know that the ending can make or break a book —and never more so than with a mystery. Author Peng Shepherd falls victim to this problem as The Cartographers completely unravels over the last 70 or so pages. Nell Young spent her entire life wanting nothing more than to follow in her mother
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and father’s footsteps as a renowned cartographer, and she was well on her way to success when a strange incident costs her everything. The story picks up seven years later as a series of events leads Nell back to the mysterious map that caused her problems, and to even deeper issues than she imagined. For most of this book, Shepherd manages to hold together the mystery through some well-imagined magical realism and nonstop action before it falls apart. Readers need the ability to suspend disbelief, and then deal with a few illogical plot points to get through it, but the solid writing and strong first half could be enough for some. Show Less
LibraryThing member ladycato
I received an advance copy via NetGalley.
The Cartographers depicts a world where maps have unusual powers over physical reality. The concept is fascinating, though frustratingly slow to develop in a narrative that alternates between the present and recent past.
Nell in a young woman with a life
The ending left me profoundly unsatisfied. I was left with a lot of questions and was annoyed that the big matter of HOW these things came to be was never addressed at all. The identity of the antagonist was also apparent was pretty early on.
The Cartographers depicts a world where maps have unusual powers over physical reality. The concept is fascinating, though frustratingly slow to develop in a narrative that alternates between the present and recent past.
Nell in a young woman with a life
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shaped by maps. She was fired from a coveted job at the New York Public Library map collection by her own father after a spat. When she’s notified of his death, she finds the map that caused her firing hidden in his office, and realizes the cheap gas station map leads to a town that isn’t real but is worth killing over.The ending left me profoundly unsatisfied. I was left with a lot of questions and was annoyed that the big matter of HOW these things came to be was never addressed at all. The identity of the antagonist was also apparent was pretty early on.
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LibraryThing member sarahemmm
Rather too heavily over-egged, though the basic premise is quite fun. A lot of repetition: cutting that would reduce the verbiage by 40%.
LibraryThing member cfk
Nell Young's life is framed by maps from beginning to end. Her parents, both cartographers, spent their college and grad school years with others of like mind, gathering a team with contributing skills. Her Mother dies when Nell is just three while the group is together working on one last project.
Like her parents, Nell majors in cartography and interns at the New York Public Library where her father heads the map collection. Suddenly at odds with her father over a discovery she makes, she finds herself out of a job and unemployable in her field. His sudden death seven years later brings her back into his world, following a trail of murder and mystery and ultimately, magic.
I know that this is a very popular novel, but I wasn't entirely pleased with Nell's personality, nor with the ending.
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Her Dad raises her alone, cutting himself off from the close knit group abruptly.Like her parents, Nell majors in cartography and interns at the New York Public Library where her father heads the map collection. Suddenly at odds with her father over a discovery she makes, she finds herself out of a job and unemployable in her field. His sudden death seven years later brings her back into his world, following a trail of murder and mystery and ultimately, magic.
I know that this is a very popular novel, but I wasn't entirely pleased with Nell's personality, nor with the ending.
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LibraryThing member kmartin802
This book asks the question: what is a map? and explores the answers. It is a mystery. It is a romance. It is a story of friendship and love spanning years. It is a story about obsession. It is magical realism.
Nell Young is a cartographer like her parents were and are. Her mother died when she was
When she receives a phone call from the NYPL telling her that her father was found dead at his desk, she goes there are discovers a portfolio in a hidden compartment of his desk containing that same worthless roadmap.
However, Nell soon learns that the map is not worthless. In fact, it may be the only copy still in existence since a secretive collector has been buying copies at outrageous prices for many years. As she explores her father's life to discover why this map is so very important, she learns many secrets about maps and about her own past.
She is aided in her search by a former boyfriend who shared in her fall from grace but who has found a new job working for a tech company determined to map the world.
This was an engaging story that kept me turning the pages to find out what would happen next.
Nell Young is a cartographer like her parents were and are. Her mother died when she was
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young and she has been raised by her father Dr. Daniel Young, who works in the Maps Division of the New York Public Library. She interned their until she had a terrible fight with her father over a useless roadmap she discovered while searching the uncatalogued section of the storage areas of the NYPL. She hasn't spoken to her father since he had her fired and ruined her reputation.When she receives a phone call from the NYPL telling her that her father was found dead at his desk, she goes there are discovers a portfolio in a hidden compartment of his desk containing that same worthless roadmap.
However, Nell soon learns that the map is not worthless. In fact, it may be the only copy still in existence since a secretive collector has been buying copies at outrageous prices for many years. As she explores her father's life to discover why this map is so very important, she learns many secrets about maps and about her own past.
She is aided in her search by a former boyfriend who shared in her fall from grace but who has found a new job working for a tech company determined to map the world.
This was an engaging story that kept me turning the pages to find out what would happen next.
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LibraryThing member CasSprout
Daddy didn’t love her so she sits in the corner crying until her old boyfriend rescues her. DNF.
LibraryThing member SandyAMcPherson
This is an urban fantasy, with intrigue and adventure, cunningly told with many twists and reveals. Even though I anticipated a couple of the ‘reveals’, the story was unwound in a fascinating plot. Lost half a star because the aspect of how maps with phantom settlements operated was very poorly
I am still trying to decide how I feel about the dénouement. You can be sure this narrative will stick in my mind for weeks to come. Highly recommended for those who enjoy this genre.
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established. No more detail, or else there would be spoilers. I am still trying to decide how I feel about the dénouement. You can be sure this narrative will stick in my mind for weeks to come. Highly recommended for those who enjoy this genre.
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LibraryThing member GeauxGetLit
4.5 Stars
This was my first book I read by this author and I must say it left me spellbound. I typically don’t seek books that have the fantasy genre, however, mystery/thrillers are my go to and I figured I should give it a chance and wow I am so thankful I did!
Rest assured a book about maps might
I will never look at a city map again without thinking about this book and smiling.
I highly recommend this to all!
Thank you NetGalley, William Morrow for the gifted book in exchange for my honest opinion.
This was my first book I read by this author and I must say it left me spellbound. I typically don’t seek books that have the fantasy genre, however, mystery/thrillers are my go to and I figured I should give it a chance and wow I am so thankful I did!
Rest assured a book about maps might
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seem dull, but not when it includes murder, manipulation, hidden secrets, mystery, magic, scholars, hidden lives, family and friends drama and a tad bit of romance. I will never look at a city map again without thinking about this book and smiling.
I highly recommend this to all!
Thank you NetGalley, William Morrow for the gifted book in exchange for my honest opinion.
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LibraryThing member hardlyhardy
There are some places you can't find without a map. That is literally true in the Peng Shepherd novel “The Cartographers” (2022).
Everyone in this story loves maps, and you probably will too by the time you're done reading it. Nell Young still can't understand why her father, head of the map
Then she learns that someone is willing to pay a large sum of money for this very map. She suspects her father may have been murdered for it after other deaths follow at the library.
The pieces start falling together when Nell tracks down some of her father's college friends, who once called themselves The Cartographers. It was they who found this mysterious map and learned its secret, leading somehow to her mother's death in a fire. Now one member of the group will do anything to get his hands on the lasting remaining copy, the one Nell now possesses.
Shepherd's story soon turns from a realistic thriller into a fantasy thriller, which fortunately relieves her of the responsibility of being logical. Accept the premise, however, and you will likely find the novel great fun.
Everyone in this story loves maps, and you probably will too by the time you're done reading it. Nell Young still can't understand why her father, head of the map
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division at the New York Public Library, fired her a few years earlier simply for finding a box full of junk maps. Now she learns that her father has died in his office, and there she finds one of those maps. Why was this ordinary 1930s road map not just worth severing his connection with his daughter but also important enough to keep close to him all these years?Then she learns that someone is willing to pay a large sum of money for this very map. She suspects her father may have been murdered for it after other deaths follow at the library.
The pieces start falling together when Nell tracks down some of her father's college friends, who once called themselves The Cartographers. It was they who found this mysterious map and learned its secret, leading somehow to her mother's death in a fire. Now one member of the group will do anything to get his hands on the lasting remaining copy, the one Nell now possesses.
Shepherd's story soon turns from a realistic thriller into a fantasy thriller, which fortunately relieves her of the responsibility of being logical. Accept the premise, however, and you will likely find the novel great fun.
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Awards
LA Times Book Prize (Finalist — Mystery/Thriller — 2022)
Mythopoeic Awards (Finalist — Adult Literature — 2023)
Los Angeles Public Library Best of the Year (Fiction — 2022)
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
2022-03
Physical description
400 p.; 9.29 inches
ISBN
139870542X / 9781398705425
Local notes
Nell Young has lived her life in and around maps. Her father, Dr David Young, was one of the most respected cartographers in the world. He's also just been found dead - in his office at the New York Public Library. Nell hadn't spoken to him in years - ever since he fired her after an argument over a seemingly worthless highway roadside map. Answering the questions that plague her will take Nell on a dangerous journey into the heart of a conspiracy beyond belief, a secret about her family, and the true power that lies in maps.
Signed & numbered, with decorative sprayed page edges. #632 of 1500 copies.
Signed & numbered, with decorative sprayed page edges. #632 of 1500 copies.