The verdict
Before the long version
Go if
you love the hunt, if you are a teacher, or if you want a bookshop that feels like wandering through somebody's personal collection rather than shopping.
Go elsewhere if
you need a cafe, easy parking, wide aisles, or air conditioning in August.
01 / The visit
What it felt like
It used to be a car mechanic’s shop. It is now a bookstore with the best selection we have scored anywhere, arranged in artistic cases by genre and displayed among antiques, on a busy intersection in Millcreek. Marissa’s is what happens when somebody curates every square inch of a building and then keeps going.
Eighty out of a hundred. Outstanding. Four reviewers, an August Sunday, and totals from 72 to 89, so read on for where they parted company.
Selection and Curation scores 23 out of 25, the highest mark any category has earned in our record. The stock is a deep mix of used and new across every genre imaginable, and the pleasure of it is the surprise: one reviewer described the glory of a used bookstore as the rare or nostalgic find you were not looking for, and another said everything seems intentional, well thought out, and loved. Incredible collections of rare books, in cases, with antiques. You will find something you had forgotten existed.
Community Connection comes in at 20.8, and the day of our visit made the case better than any number could. The shop was running an event where teachers could take ten books free and every child could take one, and it was crowded. One of our reviewers spent her note thinking about all the children who would grow up with those books in their hands. There are standing deals for educators too. This is a business that gives books away on purpose.
Atmosphere and Design at 19.2 is where the four reviewers first disagreed, and the range in that category was the widest in the visit. Everyone loved the look: whimsical, magical little spaces, a favourite thrift store with the musty smell of the past, wonderfully photogenic. The disagreement is about staying. There is no air conditioning, which on a hot Utah afternoon settles the question of whether you will sit and read.
Practical Considerations is the weak spot at 17, and every reviewer scored it identically, which is its own kind of consensus. The parking lot is small, the aisles are narrow, there is a great deal of non-book merchandise within reach of small hands, and a stroller or wheelchair will find parts of the shop tricky. People manage it. It is worth knowing before you arrive.
Go if you love the hunt, if you are a teacher, or if you want a bookshop that feels like wandering through somebody’s personal collection rather than shopping. Go elsewhere if you need a cafe, easy parking, wide aisles, or air conditioning in August.
Eighty out of a hundred, and the highest selection score we have given. You will leave with a bag of books and a plan to come back.
02 / Photographs
Inside the bookshop
03 / The receipts
Look under the score
Nothing is cleaned or hidden. Open as much of the record as you want.
Reviewer wordsEvery comment, exactly as submitted
What the reviewers said
Every scorer gets a box to write in beside each category. This is what all 4 reviewers wrote, word for word, unedited and in the order the responses came in.
Selection & Curation
Amazing selection of new and loved books.
Incredible collections of rare books, all in artistic cases by genres and displayed with antiques. Everything seems intentional, well thought out, and loved.
Super cool antique/classic vibe
An eclectic collection of used and some new books. Every genre imaginable but each visit will surprise you with a rare or nostalgic find. That is the glory of a used book store.
Atmosphere & Design
This place is fantastic. Magical little spaces to read.
I wouldn’t sit and read unless it was a slow day in the store but I like how they used the space to make unique areas.
No AC, so it would be hard to sit and hang out or read on hotter days.
A book store that feels like your favorite thrift store. Unique and unusual decor with the musty smells of the past.
Community Connection
This place has a local vibe. They have deals for educators.
Loved the free and reduced priced books for teachers!
Free books for kids and teachers! Very community forward with friendly and helpful staff
The stores past life was a car mechanic shop. It is unique in its design. On a busy intersection but walkable from nearby neighborhoods. The day of our visit was at the end of summer and they were having an event where teachers got to pick 10 books from a selection for FREE. Kids could pick 1 book for free. It was crowded! I love thinking of all the children that will be impacted by having those books in their hands.
Practical Considerations
Parking is limited. These isn’t a café. But it feels like going to a friends home.
Some narrow areas and lots of non-book items to touch so maybe not the best place to young kids.
Smaller parking lot. Tight spaces that might make it hard for wheelchairs and strollers.
The children’s book area was small, but fun and there were so many books from my childhood that I was reminded of. This is a a very packed store that would be a little tricky to navigate a stroller or wheelchair through in some of the areas, but people were doing it.
Overall
I absolutely love this bookstore. It’s has fun, whimsy and charm.
I could wander the store for several hours, lots to see and connect with. They offer a wide-range of products and have curated every inch of display space. Overall a very positive experience, I will be a repeat customer.
Marissa’s was amazing. Huge selection of books on a variety of topics and subjects. The decor and atmosphere were fun, inviting, and intriguing. Staff was friendly and inviting. Overall, it was a very positive experience that anyone would enjoy.
I can’t wait to go back and see what treasures I will find.
Full scorecardAll twenty criteria and every reviewer total
How this score was made
4 reviewers scored twenty criteria on 2 August 2026, each from 1 to 5, under method bookscore-1.0. Their totals were 89, 72, 82 and 77 out of 100, and the published score is their average, 80.0. Nothing has been excluded, adjusted or reweighted. Every number any of them gave is below.
Reviewers are anonymous. They are labelled in the order their responses were submitted, and Reviewer 1 here is not necessarily Reviewer 1 in another visit.
| Category | R1 | R2 | R3 | R4 | Average | Of |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Selection & Curation | 24 | 23 | 21 | 24 | 23.0 | 25 |
| Atmosphere & Design | 24 | 15 | 20 | 18 | 19.25 | 25 |
| Community Connection | 24 | 17 | 24 | 18 | 20.75 | 25 |
| Practical Considerations | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17.0 | 25 |
| Total | 89 | 72 | 82 | 77 | 80.0 | 100 |
Every criterion
| Criterion | R1 | R2 | R3 | R4 | Average |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Selection & Curation | |||||
| Breadth and depth of inventory | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4.75 |
| Local author representation | 4 | 3 | 3 | 5 | 3.75 |
| Staff picks quality | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5.0 |
| Unique or rare finds | 5 | 5 | 3 | 5 | 4.5 |
| Special collections | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5.0 |
| Atmosphere & Design | |||||
| Architectural interest | 4 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 3.0 |
| Reading spaces | 5 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 3.25 |
| Photography potential | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4.75 |
| Music and ambiance | 5 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 4.0 |
| Overall comfort | 5 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4.25 |
| Community Connection | |||||
| Events calendar | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4.0 |
| Staff expertise and passion | 5 | 3 | 5 | 3 | 4.0 |
| Local partnerships | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4.75 |
| Cultural significance | 5 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 4.25 |
| Neighborhood integration | 5 | 2 | 5 | 3 | 3.75 |
| Practical Considerations | |||||
| Accessibility features | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3.5 |
| Parking and transit | 3 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 4.0 |
| Hours of operation | 4 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4.75 |
| Amenities (café, wifi) | 2 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1.75 |
| Family accommodations | 4 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 3.0 |
Where they disagreed
The reviewers’ totals ran from 72 to 89, a spread of 17 points. The widest single splits:
- Architectural interest: 4, 1, 4, 3, a gap of 3
- Reading spaces: 5, 2, 3, 3, a gap of 3
- Neighborhood integration: 5, 2, 5, 3, a gap of 3
- Local author representation: 4, 3, 3, 5, a gap of 2
- Unique or rare finds: 5, 5, 3, 5, a gap of 2
The review we postedThe short version, reproduced word for word
The review we posted
We posted this short review of the bookshop to Google Maps after our visit.
Read the review on Google Maps ↗
Marissa’s Bookstore is the kind of bookstore that reminds you why you fell in love with reading. Tucked into a former auto mechanic shop on a busy Millcreek intersection, every inch of this place has been curated with intention and care. Books are displayed alongside antiques in artistic, genre-specific cases, creating a visual experience that’s as rewarding as the literary one. The selection is staggering for an independent shop: a deep mix of used and new titles spanning every genre imaginable, with rare and nostalgic finds around every corner. Staff picks are consistently excellent, and the special collections will stop you in your tracks. What really sets Marissa’s apart is its heart for the community. During our visit, the store was hosting an event where teachers could choose ten free books and kids could grab one. That kind of generosity speaks volumes. The staff is friendly, passionate, and genuinely helpful. The atmosphere leans into a charming, whimsical energy complete with the warm, musty scent of well-loved pages. It’s wonderfully photogenic, though sitting down for a long read isn’t really what this space is built for, and the lack of air conditioning makes hot days a consideration. On the practical side, there’s no café, parking is limited, and some of the narrower aisles can be tricky with strollers or wheelchairs. But these feel like minor trade-offs for a place that radiates this much personality. Think of it less as a retail stop and more like wandering through a book lover’s personal collection. If you appreciate the thrill of an unexpected find, a store that clearly loves what it does, and a business that genuinely invests in its neighborhood, Marissa’s is a must-visit. You’ll leave with a bag full of books and a plan to come back.