Take a photo of a barcode or cover
A review by nikey_view
The Lamplighter by Crystal J. Bell
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
First of all, I would like to thank NetGalley, Flux, and Crystal J. Bell for the eARC in exchange for my honest review!
The Lamplighter tells the story of a girl named Temperance. She lives in a small whaling village that is known for its ship figureheads, and every night it is crept upon by fog. After her father dies, she takes over his role as a lamplighter. One day, while she is on duty, a young girl disappears, and it puts her life and position as a lamplighter at risk.
Once again, I think I have finally found my favorite book. Here is why:
The very first sentence really hooked me, and I knew that I would like this book. It gives you an eerie and haunting feeling. And if we talk about the writing style of this book, it is definitely my cup of tea.
The world-building is pretty good. I like that the author portrays the village in the 19th century, and the fog makes it mysterious and haunting.
The main character, Tempe, is a 19yo girl. After her father dies, her mother becomes very quiet, and it forces her to become the head of the family. Besides her mother, she has a 16yo sister, Pru. If you read a lot of YA books, you might know how YA characters can be.
As the first daughter, she is kind of stubborn, doesn't trust people easily, doesn't express her feelings well to her family but truly loves and is protective of them. She is determined to fix every problem herself but sometimes when she makes a mistake, she always falls into the same pattern again. It sounds really frustrating and gets on your nerves a lot, right? I know many people hate YA books because of this kind of character.
There is character development for Tempe, but it's rather thin. You can see that her mindset from when we first meet her and as the story progresses is quite different. I can sense that she is trying hard to overcome her immaturity.
This story certainly emotionally draining, as there are always problems that arise, making the character seem miserable. But strangely, it also gives me a beautiful pain(??? God, it sounds psycho, lol) experience, and it's good for the story because it builds up the emotion until it reaches a peak and then, at one moment, it explodes, and it truly breaks my heart.
For me, I do like the ending. I won't say much about it because I hope you have reading experience what I did. So, let me know your thoughts after you read the book.
The Lamplighter tells the story of a girl named Temperance. She lives in a small whaling village that is known for its ship figureheads, and every night it is crept upon by fog. After her father dies, she takes over his role as a lamplighter. One day, while she is on duty, a young girl disappears, and it puts her life and position as a lamplighter at risk.
Once again, I think I have finally found my favorite book. Here is why:
The very first sentence really hooked me, and I knew that I would like this book. It gives you an eerie and haunting feeling. And if we talk about the writing style of this book, it is definitely my cup of tea.
The world-building is pretty good. I like that the author portrays the village in the 19th century, and the fog makes it mysterious and haunting.
The main character, Tempe, is a 19yo girl. After her father dies, her mother becomes very quiet, and it forces her to become the head of the family. Besides her mother, she has a 16yo sister, Pru. If you read a lot of YA books, you might know how YA characters can be.
As the first daughter, she is kind of stubborn, doesn't trust people easily, doesn't express her feelings well to her family but truly loves and is protective of them. She is determined to fix every problem herself but sometimes when she makes a mistake, she always falls into the same pattern again. It sounds really frustrating and gets on your nerves a lot, right? I know many people hate YA books because of this kind of character.
There is character development for Tempe, but it's rather thin. You can see that her mindset from when we first meet her and as the story progresses is quite different. I can sense that she is trying hard to overcome her immaturity.
This story certainly emotionally draining, as there are always problems that arise, making the character seem miserable. But strangely, it also gives me a beautiful pain
For me, I do like the ending. I won't say much about it because I hope you have reading experience what I did. So, let me know your thoughts after you read the book.