Reviews with content warning for Dementia - The Light Pirate

It's a rarity, at least in the range of speculative fiction that I usually read, to encounter a book that so thoroughly looks at the "in-between times". So often, we're plopped into a near-future where things have mostly transitioned to a "new" way of being post-climate disaster/pandemic/whatever. The Light Pirate doesn't do this: It takes the reader through the before, mid, and after in heart-wrenching detail, and is a much better story for it.

That said, this book is definitely a slower burn. Very, very dramatic things happen but they almost feel muted because of how they're described. I didn't hate this, it's just something to note. We're taken through the entire life of the main character (who is "The Light Pirate") from multiple perspectives.

There are maybe supernatural elements to this story, but I thought the author did a great job of keeping that mostly vague, as though they could also be explained through science.

I've tagged the book as hopeful because it is - despite experiencing incredible loss throughout her life, the main character persists.

I've started and not finished one of the author's other novels multiple times, and my enjoyment of this one may just be the push I need to actually push through it this year

Loved the little romance at the end.

Content Warnings

cyndi1966's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional hopeful mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

4.5

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cassroberts89's review

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adventurous challenging emotional hopeful reflective sad fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

Heartbreaking and remarkable. I don’t recommend reading this in Florida during Hurricane season though, glad I waited until December.

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polkadotkat's review

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adventurous challenging emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

It was a very well-written book. The first part was absolutely gripping, but the tone shifted significantly after that, which I hadn't expected. An excellent read.

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nutmegandpumpkin's review

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challenging emotional inspiring sad slow-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

4.0

It made me anxious about the future of Florida but was beautifully written and sad but not without hope. The way the decline of society / structure is shown in the book feels very realistic.

Some quick info:
• spans over an entire lifetime
• set in a fictional town in SE Florida
• a little sapphic
• post apocalyptic? The fall of society? Nature taking back?
• SAD :(
• but brings up important points and ideas

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oceanwriter's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging emotional reflective sad medium-paced

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

3.0

Choosing to read this book while vacationing in Florida was perhaps not the wisest decision, but I guess it did give me a certain level of appreciation that I might not have had otherwise...

Set sometime in a not-so-distant future in an ever-shrinking Florida, Wanda is born in the midst of a terrible storm. The story sees this extraordinary child through to adulthood. In her lifetime she's privy to constant changes in her family and climate. Even when things reach total disaster, she's reluctant to leave her home.

I loved the writing. It was atmospheric and created vivid imagery. What lacked for me was the characterization. I didn't connect to anyone which kept me from getting fully immersed into the story. A 'me' issue, I'm sure. I did like it, I just didn't latch onto it.

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kanderson246's review

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adventurous emotional hopeful fast-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? No

5.0

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theverycraftyvegan's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional sad fast-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

I can’t praise this book enough.

The stories of Frida, Kirby, Lucas, Flip, Wanda, Phylis, and Bird Dog will fill you with love and hope then rip your heart apart; both beautifully and tragically.

I openly wept while listening to this audiobook not only because of the story and the characters, but also because of its not-so-fictional plot and not-so-distant-future setting. This book is about how a select few struggled to survive its rapid changes while so many others couldn’t.

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