Reviews

Blue Light Hours by Bruna Dantas Lobato

letterstoayoungmel's review

sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

2.0

catherinevallek's review

4.0

Blue Light Hours is a novel about a young girl who moves from Brazil to the United States to attend university. Back home, her mother experiences a feeling of abandonment and loneliness, simultaneously feeling proud of her daughter's accomplishments. They connect through Skype calls and texts and update each other on their daily lives and new experiences or feelings. The novel explores their mother-daughter relationship, loneliness, and the guilt of leaving someone behind while trying to adapt to a new place. 

This debut novel by Bruna Dantas Lobato uses meditative prose to reflect on the characters through glimpses of their lives.

Thanks to NetGalley, Grove Atlantic, and the author for this ARC.

readalongwithyasmin's review

emotional hopeful reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

pauroxas's review

emotional inspiring lighthearted reflective relaxing sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

BLUE LIGHT HOURS by Bruna Dantas Lobato explores the relationship between a young woman who came to the U.S. to study in a university and her mother who was left behind in Brazil. It is a short book in three parts: the first part is from the daughter's perspective, the second part is from the mother's, and the third part is about their reunion. It was told in a series of vignettes - of daily routines (in two separate countries); of Skype calls and text messages that are usually about the weather and the changing of seasons; about sleeping in and not sleeping enough; about dorm room furniture and what was eaten for breakfast, and what current mess a distant aunt had gotten herself in now - indicating the increasing distance and the constant changes that two people would have to learn how to navigate in, on their own and together.

I'm a huge sucker for books like this; I will never find them boring. There were no big family secrets revealed. No sudden outbursts of emotions, no dramatic fights. Instead, the focus was on the distance between a mother and her daughter, and their attempts to bridge (and sometimes, to respect) that gap that really tugged at my heartstrings. This book was instantly propelled to one of my favorites in 2024.

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book. Published by Grove Press.
 
#NetGalley #BlueLightHours #BrunaDantasLobato #GrovePress #GroveAtlantic

alexa_frost's review

4.0

I received this book through net galley in exchange for a review and I am so glad I did. 
This book perfectly captured the challenges of moving away and the intertwined feelings of relief and guilt. 
It was a little slow at times but overall I really enjoyed it 

geekyearthmama's review

emotional reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.75

petra_cscosta's review

emotional lighthearted reflective sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? N/A
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

kristina_reads23's review

emotional reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.25

i_own_a_book's review

emotional hopeful reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

01jessi01's review

emotional hopeful inspiring fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.0

Heartwarming. Insightful. Relatable. Informative. Wholesome.💗

That is (in short) what I felt while reading Blue Light Hours. This story is about a mother living in Brazil and a daughter living in the USA. They communicate over Skype, share life updates, and comfort each other. While separated in space, they are united in loneliness and struggle to start their individual new life chapters.
I loved to read about their stories, the writing style, and share a little bit of their life story with my own.

I could relate to a few parts of the story, even though I am quite privileged. But I lived abroad for half a year on my own, and I felt lonley and lost at times. I, too, was only able to communicate via Skype, and shared the weird feeling of missing out on their life stories. Nevertheless, my family was not alone; they had each other, which gave me comfort, but also made me feel even more alone on the other side of the globe all on my own.

And there is much more between the lines. Everything that was not said, but felt, that was not done, but thought of.

As it is such a quick read, written like poetry, I would recommend this to anyone looking for something slow, yet deep. Something meaningful, yet not heartbreaking.

Thank you NetGalley, Grove Atlantic, and Bruna Dantas Lobato for the advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review - Blue Light Hours will be out on October, 15.