Review: The Scent Keeper

Title: The Scent Keeper

Author: Erica Bauermeister

Release Date: May 21, 2019

Rating: 4/5 Stars

Synopsis from Goodreads: Emmeline lives an enchanted childhood on a remote island with her father, who teaches her about the natural world through her senses. What he won't explain are the mysterious scents stored in the drawers that line the walls of their cabin, or the origin of the machine that creates them. As Emmeline grows, however, so too does her curiosity, until one day the unforeseen happens, and Emmeline is vaulted out into the real world--a place of love, betrayal, ambition, and revenge. To understand her past, Emmeline must unlock the clues to her identity, a quest that challenges the limits of her heart and imagination. Lyrical and immersive, The Scent Keeper explores the provocative beauty of scent, the way it can reveal hidden truths, lead us to the person we seek, and even help us find our way back home.

My Review: I immediately fell in love with the idea of this book. The ideas of how scents can evoke memories and bring back ideas and moments in time to us is fascinating. The beginning of this book felt magical and I loved Emmeline and her view of the little scent bottles though she didn’t really understand them. Then she’s forced into the real work and that magic is somewhat lost. While I loved the story and enjoyed the ideas of scents and their ability to influence us that was carried throughout the whole book, I missed that magic in the second half. It was, overall, a wonderful read and one that made me stop and think about the power of scent in my life. Highly recommend.

*I received this book from St. Martin’s Press in exchange for an honest review*