222 reviews for:

Northern lights

Nora Roberts

3.78 AVERAGE


You can read more of my reviews at my blog The Book Chick.

First time I read this one I was shy of 18 years old and I totally loved it. I only remembered warm things about it so when I had to read a bestseller from 2004 I landed on this one. Yeah I could have selected The Da Vinci code instead but then I had to read Angels and Demons first (Yes my OCD says so) and I didn't want to read it. Seen the movie to many times. So I settled on a reread.

It was fun a read. First time I gave it a full five star rating. I will stand by that rating but if I would have read it now in my age and experience I would have probably given it a four. Mostly because I can't stand Meg. I did not remember her as that and it surprised me how much I dislike her now. I do however really like that the book is for Nate's point of view. There is not that often a whole book in this genre is only from the guys view and I liked it. Perhaps because I'm an avid reader in the genre and it is mostly the female you follow I found it refreshing. And I did really like Nate and the struggles he had to come to terms with life and himself. I'm happy with my choice. :)

Beautiful descriptions of Alaska. THe 'romantic' scenes were too graphic for my tastes, but the plot kept my attention.

A broken former detective takes a job as chief of police of a tiny town in Alaska, thinking it's a job he can just stumble through while he tries to cope with depression and anxiety over his partner's death, only to find that Lunacy has plenty of secrets, and one of them is a murderer.

I had read this book when it first came out, but managed to forget 100% of it except that there was a side character named Carrie, which meant that I basically came into this as though it was new, which is pretty neat.

This book showcases one of Nora Roberts's strengths, which is painting an incredibly vivid picture of a specific place, and incorporating the rhythms of small town life. She does a great job of illustrating both the beauty and the harshness of Alaska, and the things that make it a unique state and a unique place. All of the various characters in this small town read as unique people, not caricatures, and they're informed by their location while not being stereotypes of it.

One thing I particularly love is that Megan, the female lead, is allowed to be a solitary, angry, fierce, outdoorsy type without apologizing for it or changing herself to better suit Nate. I mean, there's compromise, as any relationship must have, but there's no "and then the librarian takes down her hair to reveal the femme fatale within!"

I also really like the way the mystery is constructed; there's plenty of information there to put the pieces together, but also a well-designed red herring, which cleverly led me astray until the rest of the pieces fell into place.

I wouldn't say this is one of my top ten Nora Roberts books, but I found it suitably entertaining (and it kept me distracted on a turbulent flight, so extra points in its favor.)
adventurous medium-paced
Strong character development: Yes

For some reason, this book really grabbed me. Didn't want to stop reading it. Nice one, Nora!
challenging emotional funny mysterious tense medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Plot
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: No

Expand filter menu Content Warnings
adventurous medium-paced
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Plot
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

This was a fantastic book. I loved the setting and the characters. Its a definite must read!

It was pretty darn good

This one was more than just a thriller and love story. It was about depression too and I think that was why it took me so long to finish it. Because it did hit some spots.

“I realized I wasn’t going to sink again. I don’t know when I got out of the pit, exactly, and sometimes the ground’s still a little soft and unstable under my feet. But I’m not going back down.”

As did this. This was exactly how I felt and still feel sometimes when I made it through my postpartum depression.

But sheesh, Nate and Meg and all the wonderful, crazy, and colorful people of Lunacy, Alaska. I felt like I was there, and it made me want to visit and also kind of made me want to stay away because it seemed so real, and that was kind of scary. That’s some great story telling!