The Scent Keeper: A Reese's Book Club Pick

In The Scent Keeper, Erica Bauermeister's Reese's Book Club pick, Emmeline has an enchanted childhood—she grows up on a remote island with only her father, the machine he uses to capture scents, and eventually she gets a pet goat. She has never been anywhere but the island--they get most of their food from scavenging and from boxes of staples, which her father tells her are dropped off by mermaids.One day Emmeline must leave their island and join the outside world, where everything is foreign to her and she has no idea how to manage the senses she’d heightened on the island, which are now overwhelmed by the stimulus of a life with others.The Scent Keeper is, in part, a discussion of socialization and the ways in which children are taught explicitly and implicitly to ignore their instincts for the sake of fitting in and the approval of others. Emmeline finds herself overwhelmed by all the odors that congregate around humans and the social rules no one explains to her. Her one friend is another misfit who can’t quite fit in, but they fit with each other.Would I teach this book? The Scent Keeper is told in first person, from Emmeline’s naive point of view. There is so much she does not understand about other people and the desires that they have. Her innocence is, at times, as cloying as the scents she describes. In terms of the narration and this outsider perspective, the book is interesting, and invites the reader to question the ways we are socialized, such as at school, where strangeness is often punished. Emmeline’s ability to recognize and eventually pair smells is one that can be used for great gain. Like so many abilities, it can be monetized, and another result of our socialization is how we view and eventually use our talents.The Scent Keeper has a charm and a wonder that is linked to the story telling, and can certainly offer a rousing conversation. The story telling, however, is not remarkable, and moments of the plot seem too farfetched. While it lent to a good discussion in book club, I would most likely not teach The Scent Keeper.

"In the end, truth seemed no easier to catch than the scent of violets."⭐⭐⭐⭐/5 I have mixed feelings about this book and am anxious to read what others thought of the @reecesbookclub pick for February!The Scent Keeper is packed with stunning imagery and sentences so rich they could each stand alone as a story of their own.That said, I had a hard time not comparing this book to two others I've read recently and that all but ruined it for me. The similarities were undeniable. And though it's tempting, I won't mention the books here just in case there's a chance you can read The Scent Keeper with fresh eyes.I also had issues with things left undone...like the ending. Not to mention, there were certain elements of the story that were never fully explained and left me wondering why they were ever mentioned in the first place.Writing this review has been next to torturous. I liked it but I didn't. I'd recommend it but I wouldn't. Make scents? 😂

Liked this book! Very interesting story and plot twist.

This is a beautifully descriptive novel with a very original story line. Characters are well defined and locations vividly conveyed. Each generation carries its own social dictates and standards which as in real life is very different than the previous generation. Enjoy a true escape!

Great till the second last page. I wanted more of the story. Very simple and great description building. I loved it and could see the places in my mind. Few characters but all people you know or would rather not knowRead it.

This book started out so well. The writing is gorgeous, the story was captivating. The way the author describes scent and the ability to identify scents is amazing.And then the story turns into a rant against a mom whose story never gets truly explored. And then the story just ends. What started out as a lush, wonderful story just ended.I wasn’t expecting a happy ending, I don’t need happy endings. But none of the characters got explored fully and the ending was just weird and abrupt. I’m so angry.

It took me a bit to get into this book but I was very happy I stuck with it til the end.

I wasn't sure what to expect as I started this book, but the story pulled me in. It certainly made me think more about the scents around us, and also how they affect us. Such an interesting story with great detail around scents! Just loved it!

It wasn’t an easy read, nor a fast one. I bought it because I thought the premise was deeply original, and the book was true to that concept. It’s a coming of age story, and I have read one too many of that genre recently. Yet I still give it four stars for creativity and flair.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this story. It kept me up late at night and I woke early in the morning. I could not put it down. One of the best books I’ve read in a long time.

Amazing intricate weave of stories and beautiful descriptions. The author blends her exceptional knowledge of scents with a great story of the humans who choose them.

I found this novel original and creative. I had a hard time putting it down. It really made me think and the story put me somewhere I had never gone.

This book has been in my top 5 this whole year. I recommend it to everyone, but especially if you're looking for a book with fantastic imagery, a unique plotline, want something reminiscent of living on islands or near the coast (especially New England for me personally), and a book that personifies Nostalgia.I couldn't stop reading, and the book sticks with you long after you finish.Highly recommend!

Interesting story line, good character development. Nice read but not engrossing, didn't stay up late to read.

I absolutely loved this book! It had such a different premise from any previously read novel, that of a child and her father living alone on an island, with the many different sights, tastes and scents that permeated their existence there. The character development was exquisite (I love a good story in which the characters are interesting, engaging people), and the story was compelling from beginning to end. I also loved that the narrative danced a fine line between fantasy and reality. I did wish there had been a smidge more story development at the end, but perhaps it was best left where the author carried us. I have recommended this book and the author to numerous people since I finished it. It was delicious enough to consider a second read!

I wasn’t sure about the book when I first started reading it. My book club chose it. The story seemed so confusing at the start, a little girl living alone on an island with her father. No one else around. Scent papers kept in bottles, a machine that produced smells that were special to the girl and her father. Subsistence lifestyle.Then things go wrong, father dies, girl leaves island. Is taken in by nice childless couple. Bullied at school, she falls in love with a boy who is equall a loner, the only one who treats her nicely. Girl ultimately loses boy to big city, goes to find him and the mother she has never known. And the story goes on, with notes of the kinds of novels that Judith Krafts used to write in the 1970s (Scruples came to mind for some reason.)There were parts of the book that I really liked because the writing was at times very good, lyrical and poetic. At the end though, I felt that it was indeed a lot like the old Judith Krantz novels of “girl moves from ordinary life to rich life and realizes ordinary is better.” I wish I could feel it rose higher than that, and maybe I missed a deeper meaning but I just don’t feel it.

Emmeline lives on island occupied by her and her father, who teaches her through natural science methods, while also focusing on the power of scent. In fact, Emmeline and her father’s lives revolve around scent, specifically mysterious glass bottles holding scent papers and a mysterious machine that makes the scents. Emmeline’s father tells her magical stories and she can’t seem to separate fact from fiction. When a tragedy occurs, Emmeline must fight for her survival and discover both her past along with who she is. Wow. This book positively blew me away. The first 100 pages or so, I found myself both bored and irritated with Emmeline’s isolation and naivety. As she was ripped from her cocoon, both the tone of the book and my reactions to the book completely changed, in a very positive way. I loved the developing relationship Emmeline had with Fisher and the other characters. I loved the lush descriptions of scents and the unique way of looking at the world that Emmeline had. This book was beautiful. It was a beautiful story, with beautiful descriptions and lovely sounding smells.

*Minor spoiler under “The Bad”Overall: A beautifully written, lyrical, unique story about love, courage, finding oneself, and scents. A very sweet and light book that was easy and fun to get lost in 4/5 or 7/10Summary:“Back before there was time, I lived with my father on an island, tucked away in an endless archipelago that reached up out of the cold salt water, hungry for air.”The story starts off on a secluded island in the Pacific Northwest where we meet Emmeline, a young girl who has always lived alone with her scientist father. Her father collects and studies scents that he preserves in small glass bottles and they both are completely isolated from the outside world (Emmeline believes that supplies are brought to them by mermaids). Emmeline finds out a bit of truth and becomes angry and makes a choice that will change her life forever. That choice forces her into the outside world where she is raised by a lovely couple in a small coastal town outside of Vancouver. The story follows Emmeline’s transition and her growth as she comes to terms with understanding and embracing who she is.The Good: The book is written so lovely it is almost lyrical in its style. I loved the premise too! I had no idea what I was getting into, but I am so glad I picked this one up and think most everyone would enjoy this read. In addition to lovely writing, unique premise, the plot is engaging and fast paced, and I really liked the two main characters. Moderate to more character depth, especially for Emmeline, and I really did like her. A nice light read with a bit of magic that is lovely to get lost in.The Bad : The major critique is the ending and also why did they have to kill off both the goat and the dog?! I really don’t think either did much to help the story and just made me very sad.Favorite Quotes:“Scents were always about what was growing and what was dying. What would last through the next season. This was just with people instead of trees or flowers or dirt. Maybe I could read them after all. The thought gave me hope.”“Scents were like rain, or birds. They left and came back.”“It's amazing how easily we can cast ourselves in the role of hero.”

FINISHED! This book was a GREAT read! Thank you @reesesbookclubThe Scent Keeper“Erica Bauermeister, the author of the February Reese's Book Club pick The Scent Keeper, presents a moving and evocative novel about childhood stories, families lost and found, and how a fragrance conjures memories capable of shaping the course of our lives.”This book follows the story of Emmeline, who was raised on a remote island with her father. At a young age she was taught to use her nose and learn everything about scents she could. She enjoyed her life on the island very much, but as she aged, she had more questions about how they ended up there. Her father uses a special machine to save scents in bottles on paper and he becomes increasingly obsessed with his work. Emmeline decides to throw the scents away one at a time to try and get her father back. She realizes this was the wrong thing to do.The rest of the story follows Emmeline through the next stages in her life. When she leaves The Island and meets Henry and Colette at The Cove. She lives with them for many years and becomes part of their family. She also starts to research about her father and her mother and what brought her to the island. On the way, she makes a friend, Fisher who becomes a staple in her life. Fisher is dealing with abuse from his father and Emmeline becomes his escape.Fisher leaves for the city and Emmeline decided to locate him. During this time, she meets her mother and spends time with her in her fancy apartment. Due to her scent knowledge, she starts to work at her mothers business creating scents. She realized she is amazing at this job and she feels at home. Things begin to add up and she learns secrets about her mom and how she treated her father.Once she has discovered her true self, Emmeline and Fisher head back to the Cove with Henry and Colette where she always felt the most at home.Emmeline was a very bright individual. She had a passion for scents of the world and scents bringing you back to specific memories. It made me realize I have been taken scents for granted. I will be looking at scents in a whole new light now thanks to this gem. At the end of the book Emmeline gives a great quote, “Base notes can come from dark places, but they can create beauty all the same. They are reminders of what we will do to live, and what we can give each other. My parents taught me that.” I highly recommend this book!!!!!

Emmeline and her father live on a small island—all alone and in the middle of nowhere. Emmeline knows next to nothing about how they got there, and whenever she works up the courage to ask her father, he only answers in riddles or short “end of conversation!” statements. She loves the island, and she loves her father, so she doesn’t push.What she does know is that they need to protect the scents. In their small cabin is a whole wall of tiny drawers filled with little corked bottles. Each bottle contains a slip of paper with a specific scent on it—maybe spruce wood or lavender. The bottles can’t be opened often, lest the scent escape, but from a young age, Emmeline understands that her father will do anything to preserve all the smells trapped inside.I don’t want to say too much more about this book, because it is a lovely mystery that reveals itself ever so slowly and subtly over time. The story is unlike anything I’ve read before, and the writing is beyond. Like beyond beyond. It’s poetry. You know when you read an amazing book and it makes you feel a little depressed, because you know you will never write something as good as what you just read? Yeah, that’s The Scent Keeper. Some of the descriptions of Emmeline’s scents left me honest-to-God breathless. I’m still in awe.My only minor complaint is that the conclusion felt abrupt—not by too much, but by just enough that I’m going to whine about it. Is the ending like one of Emmeline’s scents? Am I supposed to supply the missing note? I don’t know, but I needed a three-page epilogue, something to give me the closure I was looking for.But this is a minor gripe, and I still loved, loved the book. The Scent Keeper is going to stay with me a long time, and I will definitely be checking out author Erica Bauermeister’s other work. What a phenomenal story.