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popthebutterfly's review against another edition
3.0
Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. Thanks! All opinions are my own.
Book: This Little Light
Author: Lori Lansens
Book Series: Standalone
Rating: 3/5
Recommended For...: dystopian, feminist, cults, like The Handmaid’s Tale
Publication Date: January 1, 2019
Genre: YA Dystopian/Feminist
Recommended Age: 16+ (rape TW, sexual content, sexism, violence, gore)
Publisher: Random House Canada
Pages: 257
Synopsis: Taking place over 48 hours in the year 2023, this is the story of Rory Ann Miller, on the run with her best friend because they are accused of bombing their posh Californian high school during an American Virtue Ball. There's a bounty on their heads, and a social media storm of trolls flying around them, not to mention a posse of law enforcement, attack helicopters and drones trying to track them down. Rory's mom, a social activist and lawyer, has been arrested and implicated in her daughter's "crimes" whereas her dad (who betrayed his wife and daughter in a nasty divorce) is cooperating with the authorities. The story exists in a universe of gated communities, born-again Christians, Probationary Citizens (once known as "Dreamers"), re-criminalized abortion and birth control, teenage virginity oaths and something called the Red Market, which is either a Conservative bogey-man created to further polarize the "base" or a criminal network making money from selling unwanted babies to whomever wants them and fetal tissue to cosmetics and drug companies.
Rory is cynical and scared, furious and scathing, betrayed and looking for something or someone to trust. What she has to say about the dads and bosses and politicians lining up to keep women in their place, and about the ways women collaborate in their own undermining, is fierce, and funny, and sad, and true.
Review: For the most part this was a good book. I liked the dystopian vibes and I liked how the book took inspiration from The Handmaid’s Tale. The book did well to talk about feminism, sexism, cults, and rape culture. The book was written well for the most part and the book kept me intrigued from beginning to end.
However, the book rambles on and on so much. It suffers a little from what I dubbed Stephen King syndrome (where you get stuck on a topic for a few pages). The book is very hard to make your way through it when the “rambles” happen and while it’s a great book with an interesting story, I wish that the rambles had been edited down a bit. It distracts from the rest of the story in my opinion, BUT it is very true to the voice of the character.
Verdict: It’s a good book, just a bit rambly.
Book: This Little Light
Author: Lori Lansens
Book Series: Standalone
Rating: 3/5
Recommended For...: dystopian, feminist, cults, like The Handmaid’s Tale
Publication Date: January 1, 2019
Genre: YA Dystopian/Feminist
Recommended Age: 16+ (rape TW, sexual content, sexism, violence, gore)
Publisher: Random House Canada
Pages: 257
Synopsis: Taking place over 48 hours in the year 2023, this is the story of Rory Ann Miller, on the run with her best friend because they are accused of bombing their posh Californian high school during an American Virtue Ball. There's a bounty on their heads, and a social media storm of trolls flying around them, not to mention a posse of law enforcement, attack helicopters and drones trying to track them down. Rory's mom, a social activist and lawyer, has been arrested and implicated in her daughter's "crimes" whereas her dad (who betrayed his wife and daughter in a nasty divorce) is cooperating with the authorities. The story exists in a universe of gated communities, born-again Christians, Probationary Citizens (once known as "Dreamers"), re-criminalized abortion and birth control, teenage virginity oaths and something called the Red Market, which is either a Conservative bogey-man created to further polarize the "base" or a criminal network making money from selling unwanted babies to whomever wants them and fetal tissue to cosmetics and drug companies.
Rory is cynical and scared, furious and scathing, betrayed and looking for something or someone to trust. What she has to say about the dads and bosses and politicians lining up to keep women in their place, and about the ways women collaborate in their own undermining, is fierce, and funny, and sad, and true.
Review: For the most part this was a good book. I liked the dystopian vibes and I liked how the book took inspiration from The Handmaid’s Tale. The book did well to talk about feminism, sexism, cults, and rape culture. The book was written well for the most part and the book kept me intrigued from beginning to end.
However, the book rambles on and on so much. It suffers a little from what I dubbed Stephen King syndrome (where you get stuck on a topic for a few pages). The book is very hard to make your way through it when the “rambles” happen and while it’s a great book with an interesting story, I wish that the rambles had been edited down a bit. It distracts from the rest of the story in my opinion, BUT it is very true to the voice of the character.
Verdict: It’s a good book, just a bit rambly.
becandbooks's review against another edition
There may be a solid story in here. But I could not get past the writing style.
Told from the perspective of a teenager, the Gossip Girl/Kardashian-esque attitude of the main characters was grinding to read. The narration of this story-telling technique was just as bad, if not worse.
Thank you to Libro.FM and the publisher for providing me with a copy of the audiobook. This does not impact my opinions, whatsoever.
Told from the perspective of a teenager, the Gossip Girl/Kardashian-esque attitude of the main characters was grinding to read. The narration of this story-telling technique was just as bad, if not worse.
Thank you to Libro.FM and the publisher for providing me with a copy of the audiobook. This does not impact my opinions, whatsoever.
sabrina_mtl's review against another edition
5.0
WOW! Found this gem in a free bookshelf in the middle of nowhere, and it sounded somewhat interesting. Needed 5 days from start to finish. What a great compelling not-so-futuristic story. Very realistic and current coming of age.
Could be a real blog post, published today. Which makes it even more scary and fantastic. Love it all the way!
Without giving anything away.. it's been a very very long time since I sat up in disbelieve when I ended a book. All thumbs up!
Could be a real blog post, published today. Which makes it even more scary and fantastic. Love it all the way!
Without giving anything away.. it's been a very very long time since I sat up in disbelieve when I ended a book. All thumbs up!
jenmceditor's review against another edition
5.0
I’ve not been this gutted by a book in a very long time. Ran across it quite by accident in my favourite bookstore and am not sorry I did.
juniperbranches's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
‘We’re not the spawn of Satan you're loading your Walmart rifles to hunt.’ (A quote which applies to the queer people being criminalizes across the world as well)
This was absolutely incredible. Set in the not so distant future in the ultra wealthy, ultra conservative, and ultra Christian neighbourhood of Calabasas we are introduced to sixteen year old Rory Anne Miller, self professed atheist, and her gang of friends. The story opens are Rory and her best friend are fleeing a bombing at their purity ball, an event which they are quickly set up to take the fall for.
The story moves at a breakneck pace, and Rory might just be my favourite fictional character I’ve met recently. Her voice is strong, inclusive, and refuses to be silenced amid gossip, rumours and accusations. This was a 5 star read for me and I know for a fact that this book will be living in my head for the next few weeks. 5/5 👰🏻♀️🩸🕯️
This was absolutely incredible. Set in the not so distant future in the ultra wealthy, ultra conservative, and ultra Christian neighbourhood of Calabasas we are introduced to sixteen year old Rory Anne Miller, self professed atheist, and her gang of friends. The story opens are Rory and her best friend are fleeing a bombing at their purity ball, an event which they are quickly set up to take the fall for.
The story moves at a breakneck pace, and Rory might just be my favourite fictional character I’ve met recently. Her voice is strong, inclusive, and refuses to be silenced amid gossip, rumours and accusations. This was a 5 star read for me and I know for a fact that this book will be living in my head for the next few weeks. 5/5 👰🏻♀️🩸🕯️
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abortion and Sexual assault
Moderate: Transphobia
Minor: Trafficking
brookepelley's review against another edition
3.0
this was a tough read for me. i found myself getting bored during the flashbacks, but at the end things really kick off. i almost put it down a couple times, but i was glad to finish it as the ending gave me chills.
highly recommend if you are looking for a novel that will gut punch you in the end
highly recommend if you are looking for a novel that will gut punch you in the end
lectricefeministe's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
fast-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
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Antisemitism, Child death, Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual violence, Stalking, Toxic relationship, Death, Eating disorder, Fire/Fire injury, War, Body shaming, Cancer, Bullying, Murder, Violence, Xenophobia, Adult/minor relationship, Infidelity, Toxic friendship, Vomit, Classism, Fatphobia, Deportation, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Pedophilia, Police brutality, Pregnancy, Incest, Injury/Injury detail, Racism, and Religious bigotry
cassidee_omnilegent's review against another edition
5.0
Wow! What a powerful book. I’ll get to it right off the bat, this was a 4.5 star book to me, rounded up to Goodreads. I’ll be honest though, if you fall as a very far right conservative, especially due to religion, you probably won’t enjoy this book. There’s the challenging of a lot of ultra conservative ideals. I can say that Overlook Press and Abrams Books KILLLLLLLS it with these powerful releases. I think they might be my favorite publishers outside of fantasy, I have enjoyed every book sent my way or purchased from them. This Little Light by Lori Lansens was no exception.
Let us start with a short synopsis. Rory and Fee are on the run after their Christian school is bomber during an Abstinence Ball where they are all pledging their virginity. They perform a cringe-inducing ceremony where they pledge to their fathers to abstain til marriage. Rory is an atheist and decided to partake since all of her friends did and it was an excuse to wear a beautiful dress. The newest addition to their school, Jinny is a Crusader, and has it out for Rory for not believing. When the school gets bombed and Rory gets blamed, Fee ends up along for the ride. While on the run, Rory journals her experience in unpublished blogs (as you not give away their location) and tries to figure out if Jinny set her up.
This all too realistic near-future novel starts out in ultra rich Calabasas (think Kardashians) where fanatical religion and hypocrisy walk hand in hand. The US has become obsessed with virginity and religion, women’s rights are being stripped, birth control and abortions are banned even in the most serious if circumstances. The country is afire with bounty hunters, seeking out those running underground services for women to receive safe womanly care. The bounty on Rory and Fee climbs in the millions. Everyone is obsessed with religion and purity, though they don’t practice what they preach behind closed doors. Affairs, fake celibacy, sexual aggression towards minors, scoffing at the poor when passing by them on the streets. Fake activism, writing passages about the huddled masses and how Jesus loved the poor, but calling them free loaders, wishing death upon the homeless “dirtying” their streets, and not stopping to help but scurrying last disdainfully.
“We write essays about Jesus’s love for the poor and disenfranchised then go shop Louis and Prada. We laze around our pools snarking in those who have no, idolizing those who have a shit-Tom. We’re jumping back and forth all day long—spiritual double Dutch—-and it makes me seriously dizzy.”
There’s a large look at the way the ultra rich hide behind conservatism fiscally, and how that can outweigh morality. People that are okay with their taxes and money being used to help the downtrodden get called bleeding hearts or libtards (which is thrown around in this book). Conducive to many instances in real life, this novel highlights the way greed can overshadow the love that religion is supposed to teach. The longing to control women, preaching abstinence to them while turning a blind eye to whatever the men do. Measuring the length of their skirts or shorts because they are supposed to be your idea of pure, which in theory itself is ridiculous, because no woman’s body is the same. These guidelines, checking for fingertips against shorts, using a yardstick for “skirting” in religious schools, are objectionable not only because clothes lay different on our bodies than the next person, but because a woman’s body shouldn’t be surveyed for how appropriate we deem it. The swell of a breast is immodest? Your thigh? These are social constructs and Lori Lansens highlights what happens when we let people run away with commanding women and their bodies.
Rory talks and thinks like a teenage girl, if not an intelligent one. Though she’s an atheist and a free spirit, she’s also afraid to fully break away from the crowd. Her friends go to a Christian school, so she does. Her friends attend an abstinence ball, so she does. They follow the Kardashians and like expensive clothes, so she does. She isn’t a perfect character. She’s an utterly believable teenage girl. She has hidden biases even though she’s more accepting than the other girls. She’s Jewish and her mother is an immigration lawyer, so she is more accepting of people of different culture and religion, as she’s been exposed to a wider worldview. She also understands that she has a lot to learn about racism, feminism, and privilege.
“The thing is, I don’t want to be a dick. The racism thing? The white privilege thing? The white feminist thing? I want to understand it all, and acknowledge it beyond the obvious, and I actually wanna get this shit right.”
I loved the juxtaposition of Jinny, a devout “virgin” used to market the Crusader cause while being this very sex kittenish bombshell. It really highlights the way women are salivated over for their virginity and the unhealthy obsession with it. It reminded me of how Britney Spears was marketed as this virgin sex icon to sell records, even though it was later found out that she wasn’t (and it shouldn’t matter what she was doing with her own life anyway).
The virginity pledge was straight creeeeeepy too. They essentially pledged to keep their virginity to their dads until they are married, but the way that it was done reminded me of certain weird politicians and celebrities that fawn over their daughters’ sex appeal and ability to be chaste. This happens closer to home, too, it’s just easy to cite people that are in the public eye. The fascination from men about their daughter’s sex life is really unhealthy and concerning, when they are fine with their sons doing whatever they want.
“You are my light. You are my love. And I promise Heaven up above. That I’ll keep you pure as the driven snow, till the day I have to let you go. I’ll always be your daddy. You’ll be my baby girl. One day I will share you, but until then you’ll wear my pearl.”
Makes you feel icky, right? Lori Lansens touches on everything; gaslighting victims, women’s reproductive rights, fake activism, hidden biases, fanatical religion, fiscal vs moral responsibility. I devoured this book over the span of a few hours. It was very easy to read, intelligent, witty, and important. If you were a fan of The Handmaid’s Tale, you might enjoy this one too. I find that it is a middle ground between our current reality and the severity of that book/show. The character of Chase was a bit too neatly wrapped up and more thoroughly introduced right at the end, but I enjoyed it alla. This Little Light came out earlier this month and you can purchase it now. Thank you to Overlook and Abrams for sending me a finished copy for an honest review!
Let us start with a short synopsis. Rory and Fee are on the run after their Christian school is bomber during an Abstinence Ball where they are all pledging their virginity. They perform a cringe-inducing ceremony where they pledge to their fathers to abstain til marriage. Rory is an atheist and decided to partake since all of her friends did and it was an excuse to wear a beautiful dress. The newest addition to their school, Jinny is a Crusader, and has it out for Rory for not believing. When the school gets bombed and Rory gets blamed, Fee ends up along for the ride. While on the run, Rory journals her experience in unpublished blogs (as you not give away their location) and tries to figure out if Jinny set her up.
This all too realistic near-future novel starts out in ultra rich Calabasas (think Kardashians) where fanatical religion and hypocrisy walk hand in hand. The US has become obsessed with virginity and religion, women’s rights are being stripped, birth control and abortions are banned even in the most serious if circumstances. The country is afire with bounty hunters, seeking out those running underground services for women to receive safe womanly care. The bounty on Rory and Fee climbs in the millions. Everyone is obsessed with religion and purity, though they don’t practice what they preach behind closed doors. Affairs, fake celibacy, sexual aggression towards minors, scoffing at the poor when passing by them on the streets. Fake activism, writing passages about the huddled masses and how Jesus loved the poor, but calling them free loaders, wishing death upon the homeless “dirtying” their streets, and not stopping to help but scurrying last disdainfully.
“We write essays about Jesus’s love for the poor and disenfranchised then go shop Louis and Prada. We laze around our pools snarking in those who have no, idolizing those who have a shit-Tom. We’re jumping back and forth all day long—spiritual double Dutch—-and it makes me seriously dizzy.”
There’s a large look at the way the ultra rich hide behind conservatism fiscally, and how that can outweigh morality. People that are okay with their taxes and money being used to help the downtrodden get called bleeding hearts or libtards (which is thrown around in this book). Conducive to many instances in real life, this novel highlights the way greed can overshadow the love that religion is supposed to teach. The longing to control women, preaching abstinence to them while turning a blind eye to whatever the men do. Measuring the length of their skirts or shorts because they are supposed to be your idea of pure, which in theory itself is ridiculous, because no woman’s body is the same. These guidelines, checking for fingertips against shorts, using a yardstick for “skirting” in religious schools, are objectionable not only because clothes lay different on our bodies than the next person, but because a woman’s body shouldn’t be surveyed for how appropriate we deem it. The swell of a breast is immodest? Your thigh? These are social constructs and Lori Lansens highlights what happens when we let people run away with commanding women and their bodies.
Rory talks and thinks like a teenage girl, if not an intelligent one. Though she’s an atheist and a free spirit, she’s also afraid to fully break away from the crowd. Her friends go to a Christian school, so she does. Her friends attend an abstinence ball, so she does. They follow the Kardashians and like expensive clothes, so she does. She isn’t a perfect character. She’s an utterly believable teenage girl. She has hidden biases even though she’s more accepting than the other girls. She’s Jewish and her mother is an immigration lawyer, so she is more accepting of people of different culture and religion, as she’s been exposed to a wider worldview. She also understands that she has a lot to learn about racism, feminism, and privilege.
“The thing is, I don’t want to be a dick. The racism thing? The white privilege thing? The white feminist thing? I want to understand it all, and acknowledge it beyond the obvious, and I actually wanna get this shit right.”
I loved the juxtaposition of Jinny, a devout “virgin” used to market the Crusader cause while being this very sex kittenish bombshell. It really highlights the way women are salivated over for their virginity and the unhealthy obsession with it. It reminded me of how Britney Spears was marketed as this virgin sex icon to sell records, even though it was later found out that she wasn’t (and it shouldn’t matter what she was doing with her own life anyway).
The virginity pledge was straight creeeeeepy too. They essentially pledged to keep their virginity to their dads until they are married, but the way that it was done reminded me of certain weird politicians and celebrities that fawn over their daughters’ sex appeal and ability to be chaste. This happens closer to home, too, it’s just easy to cite people that are in the public eye. The fascination from men about their daughter’s sex life is really unhealthy and concerning, when they are fine with their sons doing whatever they want.
“You are my light. You are my love. And I promise Heaven up above. That I’ll keep you pure as the driven snow, till the day I have to let you go. I’ll always be your daddy. You’ll be my baby girl. One day I will share you, but until then you’ll wear my pearl.”
Makes you feel icky, right? Lori Lansens touches on everything; gaslighting victims, women’s reproductive rights, fake activism, hidden biases, fanatical religion, fiscal vs moral responsibility. I devoured this book over the span of a few hours. It was very easy to read, intelligent, witty, and important. If you were a fan of The Handmaid’s Tale, you might enjoy this one too. I find that it is a middle ground between our current reality and the severity of that book/show. The character of Chase was a bit too neatly wrapped up and more thoroughly introduced right at the end, but I enjoyed it alla. This Little Light came out earlier this month and you can purchase it now. Thank you to Overlook and Abrams for sending me a finished copy for an honest review!
adogmomsbookishlife's review against another edition
3.0
Thank you to the publisher for an advanced copy won in a Goodreads giveaway.
I’m not a big fan of “coming of age” novels, but this one was definitely intriguing. With handmaids tale vibes and plenty of current political and social issues at hand, this story hit all angles and viewpoints.
I found myself utterly disturbed through many scenes, partly because of the cringe-worthiness, but mostly because of how so much of it could easily be true; how so many of the situations could hit home for so many people.
I found myself annoyed with the writing at first due to the prose being the blog/journal of a 16 year old, Malibu rich girl and the dialect was on point for that narrative. Once I got used to it, it didn’t bother me as much. I also didn’t think I was as into the story as I was until about 3/4 of the way through when the story really started unfolding. I also find myself really upset with the ending. I used to think I didn’t care about happy endings, but I was wrong. This one was so close to that ... and then more betrayal.
The final blog post makes sense. I understand why Lori ended it the way she did. But I did feel that it happened abruptly. It wasn’t until I started writing this review that it truly dawned on me what happened to cause the outcome of the story. You’re left to assume that justice is served, but there are so many other pieces of the story I wish I knew the outcome of.
Overall, I did enjoy this book. It was a quick and easy read while remaining thought-provoking.
I would definitely warn those who are sensitive to the following topics to tread lightly as there are some trigger scenes: abortion, suicide, child abuse, and underage females being taken advantage of by older men.
I’m not a big fan of “coming of age” novels, but this one was definitely intriguing. With handmaids tale vibes and plenty of current political and social issues at hand, this story hit all angles and viewpoints.
I found myself utterly disturbed through many scenes, partly because of the cringe-worthiness, but mostly because of how so much of it could easily be true; how so many of the situations could hit home for so many people.
I found myself annoyed with the writing at first due to the prose being the blog/journal of a 16 year old, Malibu rich girl and the dialect was on point for that narrative. Once I got used to it, it didn’t bother me as much. I also didn’t think I was as into the story as I was until about 3/4 of the way through when the story really started unfolding. I also find myself really upset with the ending. I used to think I didn’t care about happy endings, but I was wrong. This one was so close to that ... and then more betrayal.
The final blog post makes sense. I understand why Lori ended it the way she did. But I did feel that it happened abruptly. It wasn’t until I started writing this review that it truly dawned on me what happened to cause the outcome of the story. You’re left to assume that justice is served, but there are so many other pieces of the story I wish I knew the outcome of.
Overall, I did enjoy this book. It was a quick and easy read while remaining thought-provoking.
I would definitely warn those who are sensitive to the following topics to tread lightly as there are some trigger scenes: abortion, suicide, child abuse, and underage females being taken advantage of by older men.