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3.41 AVERAGE
3.41 AVERAGE
Where to begin? There's a lot to say about The Light Fantastic, not the least of which is the fact that Sarah Combs has fairly perfectly captured the voice of a generation in this book. It's important that there are books like this out there. It's tragic that school shootings, and mass bombings, are becoming a more normalized part of our society. What's even more tragic though, are the kids who are caught up in that. The ones who are absorbing it throughout their formative years. We're taught to believe that these tragedies are caused by the "bad people" out there. What happens when they're not though? What happens when the person you least expect, is the one that has the biggest secrets?
First off, much love to Sarah Combs for so excellently outlining many different teenage personalities. One of my biggest issues with stories told from multiple points of view, is that it's normally hard to tell who is speaking at any given time. This isn't a problem at all in The Light Fantastic. Each character has their own brilliant personality. Combs even goes so far as to have one character who, to the dismay of many readers I'm sure, speaks using hashtags. I admit, I found it completely amusing. Since I know people in my life who do the same thing, I couldn't fault him for it. The bright side was that you always knew when it was a Gavin chapter!
What's even more impressive though, is how quickly Combs builds up these characters into whole, and realistic human beings. April's consistent inner tension, Phoebe's need for something to cling to, even Gavin's coping mechanism of making light of things, were all given their own chance to shine. Which meant, of course, that I was entirely too invested in these characters. I knew that this book was going somewhere dark, and that I probably shouldn't get too attached, but it was difficult not to care. These are teens. They are living, breathing people with secrets that they are afraid to share. It's both beautiful, and absolutely tragic to see so deeply into their lives. It makes this book all the more poignant.
Truth be told, this book was actually much less violent than I expected it to be. When you're dealing with school violence on a mass level, it's hard not to anticipate cringing a bit. What Sarah Combs chooses to focus on though, isn't the violence. It's the people behind it. The faces of the lost, blending into the background but are secretly begging for someone to notice them. The faces of those who actually notice the lost ones, and try to reach out them. Even when they don't understand exactly why. By the time this story reached its climax, I was breathless. The tension here isn't built by the violence, but by the events leading up to it and the people who wish to create it. It's such an effective way to tackle this subject.
At the end of the day, this was a near perfect book. Despite any small issues that I had, I was so amazed at how deftly this story was woven together. I'd highly recommend this to all the teenagers out there, but also to their parents. The Light Fantastic is the type of book that merits sharing, to discussion, and hopefully learning as well.
First off, much love to Sarah Combs for so excellently outlining many different teenage personalities. One of my biggest issues with stories told from multiple points of view, is that it's normally hard to tell who is speaking at any given time. This isn't a problem at all in The Light Fantastic. Each character has their own brilliant personality. Combs even goes so far as to have one character who, to the dismay of many readers I'm sure, speaks using hashtags. I admit, I found it completely amusing. Since I know people in my life who do the same thing, I couldn't fault him for it. The bright side was that you always knew when it was a Gavin chapter!
What's even more impressive though, is how quickly Combs builds up these characters into whole, and realistic human beings. April's consistent inner tension, Phoebe's need for something to cling to, even Gavin's coping mechanism of making light of things, were all given their own chance to shine. Which meant, of course, that I was entirely too invested in these characters. I knew that this book was going somewhere dark, and that I probably shouldn't get too attached, but it was difficult not to care. These are teens. They are living, breathing people with secrets that they are afraid to share. It's both beautiful, and absolutely tragic to see so deeply into their lives. It makes this book all the more poignant.
Truth be told, this book was actually much less violent than I expected it to be. When you're dealing with school violence on a mass level, it's hard not to anticipate cringing a bit. What Sarah Combs chooses to focus on though, isn't the violence. It's the people behind it. The faces of the lost, blending into the background but are secretly begging for someone to notice them. The faces of those who actually notice the lost ones, and try to reach out them. Even when they don't understand exactly why. By the time this story reached its climax, I was breathless. The tension here isn't built by the violence, but by the events leading up to it and the people who wish to create it. It's such an effective way to tackle this subject.
At the end of the day, this was a near perfect book. Despite any small issues that I had, I was so amazed at how deftly this story was woven together. I'd highly recommend this to all the teenagers out there, but also to their parents. The Light Fantastic is the type of book that merits sharing, to discussion, and hopefully learning as well.
This has a 5 star review in my mind, until the last 50 or so pages. Then it just jumped the shark and got so weird, I have a feeling teens won't embrace it too much.
It's a tale of bullying, both old school and cyber, loss, grief, and expectations that don't match the person - and how that can tear a teen apart to the point of wanting suicide and perhaps vengeance in the form of a school massacre. You've got an online forum where a nationwide suicide pact is hatched, a Mastermind who you have to identify, and all kinds of pathos.
It was coming together nicely - the slow reveal of each character, the clues, the drawing in that one needs to start to care about the kids, then it just goes incoherent. I felt like I was reading an author on drugs for those last 50 pages, and it just made me so mad, when it could have been done better. The swimming pool scene was the only redeemable part of that section.
I felt that teens might see this as a kind of pandering to their need to be "outside the box", and it was just too, too much outside the box.
It's a tale of bullying, both old school and cyber, loss, grief, and expectations that don't match the person - and how that can tear a teen apart to the point of wanting suicide and perhaps vengeance in the form of a school massacre. You've got an online forum where a nationwide suicide pact is hatched, a Mastermind who you have to identify, and all kinds of pathos.
It was coming together nicely - the slow reveal of each character, the clues, the drawing in that one needs to start to care about the kids, then it just goes incoherent. I felt like I was reading an author on drugs for those last 50 pages, and it just made me so mad, when it could have been done better. The swimming pool scene was the only redeemable part of that section.
I felt that teens might see this as a kind of pandering to their need to be "outside the box", and it was just too, too much outside the box.
I just finished The Light Fantastic by Sarah Combs as part of the Parents Book Club at my son's school. The school librarian picks out YA books for us to read and discuss. She is amazing at pushing us all and this time she really pushed me personally by choosing a book I NEVER would have read without her prompting.
It is well written, with a light, fast paced style, vivid imagery but realistic voices. To say it is about school shootings simplifies the book in a way that I wouldn't have understood before I read it. The backdrop of 9/11 and the Boston Marathon is just part of the only life they know, tragically it is the normal. The book is a beautiful, almost tangible look into the psyche of teenagers that I'm sure many teenagers (and the teenager that still lives in me) will identify with. Some more than others, but all of these kids reflected parts of people I know/knew and myself. In this world, that is so much the same and so different than the world I grew up in, I had not fully considered the impact on normal life.
The librarian chose the book to push us, as parents - are we ready to think about school shootings, are we ready to talk to our kids about them? What if our kids need to talk, but we aren't ready? It forced me to think about a topic that I have avoided and if you have kids (even young ones like mine!) and have also avoided the topic, I highly recommend this book. And if you want to talk to me about it afterward I'd love to talk too!
It is well written, with a light, fast paced style, vivid imagery but realistic voices. To say it is about school shootings simplifies the book in a way that I wouldn't have understood before I read it. The backdrop of 9/11 and the Boston Marathon is just part of the only life they know, tragically it is the normal. The book is a beautiful, almost tangible look into the psyche of teenagers that I'm sure many teenagers (and the teenager that still lives in me) will identify with. Some more than others, but all of these kids reflected parts of people I know/knew and myself. In this world, that is so much the same and so different than the world I grew up in, I had not fully considered the impact on normal life.
The librarian chose the book to push us, as parents - are we ready to think about school shootings, are we ready to talk to our kids about them? What if our kids need to talk, but we aren't ready? It forced me to think about a topic that I have avoided and if you have kids (even young ones like mine!) and have also avoided the topic, I highly recommend this book. And if you want to talk to me about it afterward I'd love to talk too!
“The truth is that I couldn't not be in love with the world if I tried.”
Taking place in the wake of the 2013 Boston Marathon tragedy, this book follows seven characters that are about to enter an even more personal tragedy in this already tumultuous atmosphere. With a focus on emotion, Sarah Combs explores the individual behind mass tragedy, and the layers of feeling created by a single moment.
I’ve had an advanced copy of this novel waiting for me on my kindle for a while now, and I have to admit I really regret having put it off that long. The Light Fantastic was both everything I expected from a novel in this setting, but also everything I didn’t expect. It is emotional and dramatic, dark and harrowing, but at the same time it carried the light of human experience as well, the hope and optimism that most of us carry, and a love of life alongside the fear of death.
It constructs this whirlwind of emotion and experience through seven characters, all different in their background, personality, and way of thinking, and these differences come through clearly in each perspective. No two seem to run together, as all speakers focus on different external and internal parts of the tale to tell, but at the same time they create a unified front of human experience, create a whole for the reader to see the story in. Additionally, the characters are not truly divided, as there are always connections between them. It removes any strict distinctions attached to the character by their backgrounds or actions, and rather than there being some who are good and some who are bad, it is more of a web of action and inaction and what led to events transpiring. Additionally, even though the seven characters are spread all over the country, they are still strongly connected. There are whispers of past acquaintances as well as common themes and lines that play into each of the seven narratives. It adds further to that “web,” and shows how truly connected everything is.
My favorite part of this book had to be the writing. It’s written as a stream of consciousness rather than ordered into structured and planned sentences. While this has its downsides and makes it an informal sort of writing, it pairs really well with the events in The Light Fantastic. Since the focus of this novel is emotional, rather than the events actually taking place, this style fits perfectly and helps the reader feel what is going on, rather than just see it.
My only issue with the book is the ending itself. While what happened and the way it happened all worked well with the story, and the reveals of the “who” behind certain events also worked, the way it was presented somehow didn’t fully impact me. The entire book is an entire pathway up, of increasing intensity, but the ending didn’t seem to be a final explosion of this build up. I won’t say that the ending fizzled, but rather that the final climax did not fully match the amount of build up it was given. It left me wanting more still from the story, some greater revelation or understanding, but regardless this didn’t impact my enjoyment of the overall novel too much.
In the end, I do still highly recommend this novel. It’s a quick yet intense read and tackles issues still relevant to today. Even though the novel is a few years old at this point, it feels as if it could have been written in today’s America, which is part of why this book affected me as much as it did.
Taking place in the wake of the 2013 Boston Marathon tragedy, this book follows seven characters that are about to enter an even more personal tragedy in this already tumultuous atmosphere. With a focus on emotion, Sarah Combs explores the individual behind mass tragedy, and the layers of feeling created by a single moment.
I’ve had an advanced copy of this novel waiting for me on my kindle for a while now, and I have to admit I really regret having put it off that long. The Light Fantastic was both everything I expected from a novel in this setting, but also everything I didn’t expect. It is emotional and dramatic, dark and harrowing, but at the same time it carried the light of human experience as well, the hope and optimism that most of us carry, and a love of life alongside the fear of death.
It constructs this whirlwind of emotion and experience through seven characters, all different in their background, personality, and way of thinking, and these differences come through clearly in each perspective. No two seem to run together, as all speakers focus on different external and internal parts of the tale to tell, but at the same time they create a unified front of human experience, create a whole for the reader to see the story in. Additionally, the characters are not truly divided, as there are always connections between them. It removes any strict distinctions attached to the character by their backgrounds or actions, and rather than there being some who are good and some who are bad, it is more of a web of action and inaction and what led to events transpiring. Additionally, even though the seven characters are spread all over the country, they are still strongly connected. There are whispers of past acquaintances as well as common themes and lines that play into each of the seven narratives. It adds further to that “web,” and shows how truly connected everything is.
My favorite part of this book had to be the writing. It’s written as a stream of consciousness rather than ordered into structured and planned sentences. While this has its downsides and makes it an informal sort of writing, it pairs really well with the events in The Light Fantastic. Since the focus of this novel is emotional, rather than the events actually taking place, this style fits perfectly and helps the reader feel what is going on, rather than just see it.
My only issue with the book is the ending itself. While what happened and the way it happened all worked well with the story, and the reveals of the “who” behind certain events also worked, the way it was presented somehow didn’t fully impact me. The entire book is an entire pathway up, of increasing intensity, but the ending didn’t seem to be a final explosion of this build up. I won’t say that the ending fizzled, but rather that the final climax did not fully match the amount of build up it was given. It left me wanting more still from the story, some greater revelation or understanding, but regardless this didn’t impact my enjoyment of the overall novel too much.
In the end, I do still highly recommend this novel. It’s a quick yet intense read and tackles issues still relevant to today. Even though the novel is a few years old at this point, it feels as if it could have been written in today’s America, which is part of why this book affected me as much as it did.
"Real isn't how you are made. It's a thing that happens to you."
This review was originally posted on my blog.
Oh Lord, help me explain how I felt about this book. It made me so emotional I had to take a break a cool down a bit a few times. It does not matter where you are from, you must read The Light Fantastic!
The book digs into the brains of people, ordinary and extra-ordinary. And you really get it. You get the feeling of this unimaginable sadness seizing your insides, ruined dreams and despair as if everything is lost and there is nowhere to go, and the only possible way to solve this mess is oblivion. I am being honest here, I have a one-on-one experience with mental issues and Combs' words got under my skin. It felt so real, like my worst episodes were happening to me again. That's how close to truth Sarah Combs was. I would definitely say it can be a mild trigger when it comes to your emotional stability. So, be careful when picking this book up.
I pretty much loved everything about the novel but my favorite character of all is Gavin. His witty and funny comments about his future, what he has to give to the world and people in general are the definition of determination and hope. Like,"the world, with its shit-tone of ignorance, has got too much gorgeousness to offer. I've got too much to offer, bitches."
The thing is, this should be everyone's motto, don't give up no matter what happens. Gavin will make you want to live, he is not getting any of your sad bullshit.
There are many more some sort of mottos or even life philosophies I personally picked up from the Combs' characters. As an example, what an Honors English teacher Sandy said,"We think we want and need so many things in this life, but this, I realize, is the key: just, every once in a while, to feel new again."
You see, this is the book for everyone. I believe it can touch everyone's hearts because it not a made-up words of vampires, werewolves or fairies. This is the reality.
Review coming soon.
I received this eBook from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I received this eBook from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Received advanced reader copy from publisher via Baker & Taylor book supplier
I adore multiple viewpoint novels so I wanted to like this. But the novel was just not long enough; it was hard to develop seven viewpoints well in such a short number of pages. Instead of flowing nicely from one view to the next, I felt jerked here and there. I really enjoyed April’s narration as well as Phoebe’s. I felt like we should have got more from Gavin. I mean And the Mastermind? For such a large role in what was the central event of this novel, his chapters were minimal and definitely not in depth enough.
The writing though? Eloquent and beautiful. There were some quotable moments. My favorite clip being “What matters is the love, and love is always good. It’s a start, a tether. It’s enough.” (p. 174 in an advance reading copy).
Yup. Wanted to like it much more … didn’t.
I adore multiple viewpoint novels so I wanted to like this. But the novel was just not long enough; it was hard to develop seven viewpoints well in such a short number of pages. Instead of flowing nicely from one view to the next, I felt jerked here and there. I really enjoyed April’s narration as well as Phoebe’s. I felt like we should have got more from Gavin. I mean
Spoiler
given that the event under the bleachers was in the blurb shouldn’t it have had a bigger ah-ha moment in the plot? Like Pal was buying the gun under there? Or it was the reason Pal went off the deep-end? Instead we get a drug purchase by a minor character? Let the air out of that buildup.The writing though? Eloquent and beautiful. There were some quotable moments. My favorite clip being “What matters is the love, and love is always good. It’s a start, a tether. It’s enough.” (p. 174 in an advance reading copy).
Yup. Wanted to like it much more … didn’t.
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Moderate: Suicide attempt
Minor: Gun violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide
Read this one in a day!!
THE LIGHT FANTASTIC had a darker feel than that of BREAKFAST SERVED ANYTIME. It wasn't so light-hearted in content; in fact, it had some pretty heavy hitting topics with which it grappled. In the space that it had, I thought Combs did a splendid job in using her artistic paintbrush to illustrate the complexities of being a teen. Specifically, the novel examines the dark-side of modern youth. I felt like the multiple perspectives, the almost disjointed nature of conversations between characters, the bouncing back and forth between past/present and place/place is a nod towards the tumultuous-ness of youth.
In a lot of ways, one's teenage years are chalk-full of feelings. The feelings are felt. Sometimes they are felt too deeply. And sometimes you can't shake those feelings no matter how hard you try. They fester inside out you, sabotaging all the good around us.
I think this is a novel about the need to remind ourselves that even when it seems like all is darkness, desolation, and depression that there exists a light that can guide our way back to happiness. One needs only to find the light, believe in it, and follow it out to make it to the other side of those tumultuous times. The novel also speaks to the idea that we don't have to be defined by our pasts. Our feelings aren't make us who we are because we can also change the way we feel. It's a novel about friendship. And about life and how we chose to live it.
THE LIGHT FANTASTIC had a darker feel than that of BREAKFAST SERVED ANYTIME. It wasn't so light-hearted in content; in fact, it had some pretty heavy hitting topics with which it grappled. In the space that it had, I thought Combs did a splendid job in using her artistic paintbrush to illustrate the complexities of being a teen. Specifically, the novel examines the dark-side of modern youth. I felt like the multiple perspectives, the almost disjointed nature of conversations between characters, the bouncing back and forth between past/present and place/place is a nod towards the tumultuous-ness of youth.
In a lot of ways, one's teenage years are chalk-full of feelings. The feelings are felt. Sometimes they are felt too deeply. And sometimes you can't shake those feelings no matter how hard you try. They fester inside out you, sabotaging all the good around us.
I think this is a novel about the need to remind ourselves that even when it seems like all is darkness, desolation, and depression that there exists a light that can guide our way back to happiness. One needs only to find the light, believe in it, and follow it out to make it to the other side of those tumultuous times. The novel also speaks to the idea that we don't have to be defined by our pasts. Our feelings aren't make us who we are because we can also change the way we feel. It's a novel about friendship. And about life and how we chose to live it.
I wouldn't say it was perfect, but it was so thought-provoking. I love books that ask the tough questions!
This is going to be a tough one to review. It's like trying to describe the way something delicious tastes-- there are only so many words to do it and none of them are as good as the actual eating of the food. I had the best time reading this book. It's so smart and emotional that I basically never wanted it to end.
This book was one of those "not a lot happens" books, but it makes up for it in FEELING. I'll always love a book that makes me think about the whys in life. And this one made me do a lot of thinking.
I loved so many of these characters. Good and bad. Not everyone is a good guy in this book, but mostly, even the ones who were the bad ones made me feel compassion towards them in some way.
April is in Delaware and she has that weird condition where she can remember details about every day of her life, and she's always felt like she was tied to the bad things that seem to happen in April every year. After all, she was born on the day of the Oklahoma City bombing. Lincoln's dad was killed on September 11th, and now he's seeing a girl way out of his league.... except nobody knows the secrets she carries. The Mastermind has been waiting for this day for a long, long time. Nothing is going to stop him from carrying out his ultimate plan. Gavin is crammed in a janitorial closet with an entire classroom of kids scared he'll never be able to run again. And a bunch of other kids hate themselves more than anyone else could ever hate them.
It's a really hard book to explain because it's not what happens in the book that is impactful, it's what the book makes you think about.
Sometimes the philosophizing got old, but it was so insightful and meaningful that I didn't mind. This book made me think about all the crazy things that happen in the world we live in and it made me feel like I did when I read [b:Forgive Me, Leonard Peacock|13477676|Forgive Me, Leonard Peacock|Matthew Quick|https://d2arxad8u2l0g7.cloudfront.net/books/1370282544s/13477676.jpg|19008613]. Like how there are so many people in pain & how many of those people are people that I know?? How many people are hiding their pain and how many do I interact with, and am I too self-involved to ever notice it? How many people do I miss out on helping? It also made me realize that I'll never understand certain things (like why people are so intent on hurting other people) and that people are really hard to understand in general.
So it ended rather abruptly, but I think I am okay with not knowing what happens to every last character. I kind of like imagining it on my own.
Quote: "I think about it all the time, how many people there are, how there can't possibly be room on this earth for all that love and confusion and longing and fury. Where are you supposed to put it all? Where's it going to fit?"
OVERALL: Another one of those books that hit me right in the gut. I love books like this that make me think outside of myself and look around at life that's going on that has nothing to do with me. I'd recommend this to so many people, so I'm just going to say-- if you like books that make you feel, read this!
My Blog:
This is going to be a tough one to review. It's like trying to describe the way something delicious tastes-- there are only so many words to do it and none of them are as good as the actual eating of the food. I had the best time reading this book. It's so smart and emotional that I basically never wanted it to end.
This book was one of those "not a lot happens" books, but it makes up for it in FEELING. I'll always love a book that makes me think about the whys in life. And this one made me do a lot of thinking.
I loved so many of these characters. Good and bad. Not everyone is a good guy in this book, but mostly, even the ones who were the bad ones made me feel compassion towards them in some way.
April is in Delaware and she has that weird condition where she can remember details about every day of her life, and she's always felt like she was tied to the bad things that seem to happen in April every year. After all, she was born on the day of the Oklahoma City bombing. Lincoln's dad was killed on September 11th, and now he's seeing a girl way out of his league.... except nobody knows the secrets she carries. The Mastermind has been waiting for this day for a long, long time. Nothing is going to stop him from carrying out his ultimate plan. Gavin is crammed in a janitorial closet with an entire classroom of kids scared he'll never be able to run again. And a bunch of other kids hate themselves more than anyone else could ever hate them.
It's a really hard book to explain because it's not what happens in the book that is impactful, it's what the book makes you think about.
Sometimes the philosophizing got old, but it was so insightful and meaningful that I didn't mind. This book made me think about all the crazy things that happen in the world we live in and it made me feel like I did when I read [b:Forgive Me, Leonard Peacock|13477676|Forgive Me, Leonard Peacock|Matthew Quick|https://d2arxad8u2l0g7.cloudfront.net/books/1370282544s/13477676.jpg|19008613]. Like how there are so many people in pain & how many of those people are people that I know?? How many people are hiding their pain and how many do I interact with, and am I too self-involved to ever notice it? How many people do I miss out on helping? It also made me realize that I'll never understand certain things (like why people are so intent on hurting other people) and that people are really hard to understand in general.
So it ended rather abruptly, but I think I am okay with not knowing what happens to every last character. I kind of like imagining it on my own.
Quote: "I think about it all the time, how many people there are, how there can't possibly be room on this earth for all that love and confusion and longing and fury. Where are you supposed to put it all? Where's it going to fit?"
OVERALL: Another one of those books that hit me right in the gut. I love books like this that make me think outside of myself and look around at life that's going on that has nothing to do with me. I'd recommend this to so many people, so I'm just going to say-- if you like books that make you feel, read this!
My Blog: