Reviews with content warning for Emotional abuse - We Are the Light

I have to admit that the writing style threw me for a loop and I didn't know how I was going to feel about it. The more I read though, the more I wanted to read.

This book deals with some deep concepts including loss, grief, healing, and family trauma just to name a few. It will take you on an emotional roller coaster but it is worth the read.

There are some big triggers including murder and gun violence.

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laura_berger's review

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emotional hopeful reflective sad slow-paced

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

2.5

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katergirl12's review

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challenging emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

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

5.0

Despite difficult circumstances described in the book, the real heart of the story is about recovery and hope. That art, kindness, connection with others can heal us from even the deepest wounds.

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cc_shelflove's review

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emotional sad slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

I feel so bad giving this book three stars because the subject matter is so important and heartbreaking, but i just don’t think this author is for me. After Lucas and his Jungian analyst’s wives were killed in the tragic Majestic Theater shooting, he receives a letter that Karl is no longer practicing. How can he continue healing without his analyst? Enter Eli, the younger brother of the Majestic Theater shooter. Lucas and Eli have both lost their way. Can they lean on each other in an attempt to move forward?

This book seemed to ramble on and on and on. The chapters were way too long. Hell, the last one was 47 pages! The religious and spiritual aspects of Lucas’s letters bored me a bit, but this may partially be my own fault for choosing to go into most of my reads completely blind. 😇 While the story was thought-provoking at times, the language was not. It honestly took me way too long to get through these 240 pages, because I simply was not engaged. Reviews for this one will probably be all over the board.

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oceanwriter's review

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dark emotional hopeful reflective sad medium-paced

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

3.5

I wasn't sure what to expect going into this. I loved the notion of a book that included the presence of guardian angels, so I took the chance.

After a tragic incident in town, Lucas is grieving the death of his wife and battling the survivor's guilt that goes along with it. The way he copes is by writing a series of letters to his former analyst. These letters go unreplied, but he persists. In the meantime, he befriends Eli, a young man Lucas finds camping in his yard. They forge a friendship and begin a project together that further helps the healing process.

I enjoyed the structure of the book as well as the psychology involved. It was also an interesting interpretation of angels and how so often when we lose someone close to us there's a part of them that we hang on to. It manifests itself in different ways for each of us. As for the story itself, something was lacking for me. I didn't remain invested all the way through. Still, I enjoyed it perhaps more than I thought I would.

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readingwithtrey's review

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challenging dark emotional hopeful sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

After an act of gun violence upends his small town and takes the life of his wife, Lucas Goodgame is struggling to put the pieces back together. Those in the town of Majestic, PA tell Lucas that he’s a hero, though he’s unable to see it. It takes the development of an unlikely relationship that puts in motion something that will change the grief and healing process not only for Lucas, but also for everyone in the town.

Written as an epistolary novel, we get an in depth view of Lucas’s mental state through letters he is writing to his former psychoanalyst following the tragedy. Although it’s not actually said, the reader can get the sense from very early on that, understandably, Lucas is not okay. The letters take the reader through so many emotions. They are utterly heartbreaking, but they also hold a sense of hope and challenge the reader to think deeply about their understanding of grief, healing, love, and resilience.

It’s difficult to put my feelings regarding this book into words that I know would do this book justice. This is not one to go into lightly but is one that is very, very important. I am going to be completely honest with you, it took me a few hours to read the last 25% of the book because it is incredibly devastating (might want to have tissues close by). You will certainly want to be mentally prepared going into this one, but I do highly recommend it.

5/5 Stars

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elook's review

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emotional hopeful reflective sad slow-paced

4.0

I love Matthew Quick's writing style. Simultaneously dreamy and cutting, I thought the epistolary format worked particularly well to give us insight into Lucas' mental state. It hid enough from the reader to make some of the revelations towards the end surprising. In a time where communities feel more separated then ever, it was wonderful to read the story of one that managed to come together after a tragic event. I did dock a star because I felt that the female characters in the book fell a little flat, particularly Lucas' friend Jill. Overall, a very emotional and inspiring read. Thank you to Netgalley for the advance ARC.

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