Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.41 AVERAGE
3.41 AVERAGE
dark
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide, Mass/school shootings
challenging
dark
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This book was extremely well written. I loved how the author used stream of consciousness writing and was able to have a distinct voice for all of the narrators. Which is especially impressive because there are a bunch of narrators. The content of the book is very intense and disturbing. This is a young adult book, but I don't think I could have read it as a teenager. It deals with very heavy subjects (TW: school shootings, suicide) and I was not expecting it to be as intense as it was. 5 stars for the amazing writing, but I would be hesitant to recommend it to many people because of the huge amount of triggering content.
An unusual but relevant read.
We start with April who is celebrating her 18th birthday, and she is aware of being able to link all manner of seemingly unrelated events/recall key dates. Unfortunately, this is a novel where we can see how seemingly unrelated events link together all too well.
I felt this was a novel that told a very interesting story that, sadly, is all too familiar - that of a group of disaffected teenagers and their attempts to make a difference to their lives. I can see how the fragmented story structure works to link characters, but I did find it hard to maintain focus on so many characters.
While it was obvious fairly early on that we'd be dealing with a high-school shooting, I did not see the twist coming.
We start with April who is celebrating her 18th birthday, and she is aware of being able to link all manner of seemingly unrelated events/recall key dates. Unfortunately, this is a novel where we can see how seemingly unrelated events link together all too well.
I felt this was a novel that told a very interesting story that, sadly, is all too familiar - that of a group of disaffected teenagers and their attempts to make a difference to their lives. I can see how the fragmented story structure works to link characters, but I did find it hard to maintain focus on so many characters.
While it was obvious fairly early on that we'd be dealing with a high-school shooting, I did not see the twist coming.
I am sitting here trying to understand what I read and how the story flows. For me this was the second time reading it. The first time I read it, it didnt hold my interest. I did finish the book though but I didnt understand how the characters were all part of the story and who was who.
Beautiful book about a horrible fact of our world. The characters were wonderful and I loved how the story followed how each of them got to that specific place in their lives and how they dealt with it. I loved how all the stories intertwined as well. The writing was gorgeous. This is definitely an author I'll read more of.
“Because this is the world right now, ladies and gentlemen. Every day of high school is a game of #russianroulette.”
An important story (stories) for our current climate. The connections between the different narratives were often tenuous. I think the author may have done better work if she only stuck to Lincoln and April, and those immediately surrounding them.
An important story (stories) for our current climate. The connections between the different narratives were often tenuous. I think the author may have done better work if she only stuck to Lincoln and April, and those immediately surrounding them.
DNF at 15%
I’ve been trying to read The Light Fantastic for about six weeks. I’ve started it from the beginning twice during that time and I still can’t capture my interest enough for me to keep reading. I don’t like it when I don’t finish a book, but I try to give novels at least fifty pages before I call it quits. You have fifty pages to impress me and to keep me reading.
A summary of The Light Fantastic can be found here. A group of students and teachers meet online to plan a shooting rampage. What attracted me to this novel was the storyline because it has a personal meaning to me. I work in a community college and we regularly have emergency drills to practice what we would do if there were an active shooter on campus. Our Public Safety team tells us in advance, whether we need to evacuate or shelter-in-place. We have designated rooms where we can barricade ourselves until the threat is over. I thought having this connection to this storyline would add a wonderful layer to the experience.
Here are my main issues with this novel. One, I didn’t like the execution. I’m fine with a couple of changes in points of view, but not seven. If there are more than three changes in points of view, the story feels disorganized. It’s hard for the story to get off the ground with all of these shifts. Two, I really didn’t like the writing style. It has a stream-of-consciousness tone, which isn’t necessary a problem, but I don’t think it works in this story. It takes too long to see any movement in the story and too many sentences were unnecessary.
It takes courage to write a story on this subject with our devastating history such as Columbine and Virginia Tech. It was interesting to read the history of shootings at the beginning and to learn that they all took place in the month of April. I hadn’t realized that before. I just wish this novel had a more traditional structure. I realize that my opinion isn’t popular. Some readers may be fine with seven points of view. If that doesn’t bother you, then go ahead and give this a try. It just wasn’t my cup of tea.
A special thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I’ve been trying to read The Light Fantastic for about six weeks. I’ve started it from the beginning twice during that time and I still can’t capture my interest enough for me to keep reading. I don’t like it when I don’t finish a book, but I try to give novels at least fifty pages before I call it quits. You have fifty pages to impress me and to keep me reading.
A summary of The Light Fantastic can be found here. A group of students and teachers meet online to plan a shooting rampage. What attracted me to this novel was the storyline because it has a personal meaning to me. I work in a community college and we regularly have emergency drills to practice what we would do if there were an active shooter on campus. Our Public Safety team tells us in advance, whether we need to evacuate or shelter-in-place. We have designated rooms where we can barricade ourselves until the threat is over. I thought having this connection to this storyline would add a wonderful layer to the experience.
Here are my main issues with this novel. One, I didn’t like the execution. I’m fine with a couple of changes in points of view, but not seven. If there are more than three changes in points of view, the story feels disorganized. It’s hard for the story to get off the ground with all of these shifts. Two, I really didn’t like the writing style. It has a stream-of-consciousness tone, which isn’t necessary a problem, but I don’t think it works in this story. It takes too long to see any movement in the story and too many sentences were unnecessary.
It takes courage to write a story on this subject with our devastating history such as Columbine and Virginia Tech. It was interesting to read the history of shootings at the beginning and to learn that they all took place in the month of April. I hadn’t realized that before. I just wish this novel had a more traditional structure. I realize that my opinion isn’t popular. Some readers may be fine with seven points of view. If that doesn’t bother you, then go ahead and give this a try. It just wasn’t my cup of tea.
A special thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I have a million thoughts about this book swirling in my head right now, namely how fantastic it was. Wow...just Wow.