Scan barcode
janeywaneyb's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Moderate: Animal death and Animal cruelty
Minor: Child death
theunfinishedbookshelf's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
Graphic: Animal death and Child death
Moderate: Abandonment, Mental illness, and Rape
nicoles_reading_corner's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Death, Murder, Animal death, Child death, Death of parent, Infidelity, and Injury/Injury detail
dzsilberstein's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Moderate: Animal cruelty and Animal death
lucylou's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
As an American, some of the chapters were hards to read, as trying to decipher some of the thick English accents were harder than I anticipated, but those parts don't last long. The style does take some time getting used to, as most of the the "present" portions read like interviews, with little emotion. It made it harder to understand and care for the women. There were moments I felt sad for them, and the things they went through, but I never connected with them. Not that I connected to the men that much more, but at least I understood their motivations, their hates/morals/desires, more. The women seemed flatter in comparison; boiled down, they were just one-dimensional, grief and guilt stricken partners. We get a glimpse into what their worlds are like after 20 years without their partners, but the author barely scratches the surface of "oh, I wish my husband/boyfriend was still alive."
Overall, it was a fine book to read over the course of 2 days. The reveal of what happened was a quick 3 page explanation, which was... fine. I think the author was trying to be subversive, by going with an explanation that no one in the book had guessed. I'm glad
I think the author ended the book in the best way she could, but it still left me unsatisfied.
Graphic: Violence
Moderate: Child death, Child abuse, and Alcoholism
Minor: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Rape, and Drug abuse
booksandmo's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Graphic: Mental illness and Schizophrenia/Psychosis
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child death, Death, Grief, Infidelity, Vomit, Violence, Murder, and Confinement
Minor: Pregnancy, Alcohol, and Cancer
voela321's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
1.0
Graphic: Animal death and Death
foreverbookwandering's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
The story is told from the lamplighters point of view and then their wives/girlfriend but then the last 15% or so is in third person, which is just confusing because I don’t understand why? Also speech marks are used but when it’s the women’s POV, they just talk a one sided conversation as if you are overhearing a phone call and there are no speech marks. This is clearly a narrative choice and again I didn’t understand why. The ‘clues’ in this book are few and far between so whether you are at the start of the book or halfway through, you’re not really any better off, plus at least one is an irrelevant red herring. The ending is really anticlimactic and I feel there was a huge build up for not much, like when you anticipate a massive firework and it gives a tiny spark and it’s done. If you are looking for an extremely in depth character exploration with tonnes of description, this may be for you but it fell flat for me and was a disappointing read.
Also, trigger warning for animal cruelty.
Graphic: Animal cruelty and Animal death
Moderate: Child death and Grief
Minor: Alcoholism, Rape, Mental illness, and Drug use
abbie_'s review against another edition
.
This book draws inspiration from the disappearance of three lighthouse-keepers in the Hebrides in 1900, but this is set in Cornwall in 1972. Three keepers vanish into thin air, leaving their wives and girlfriends wondering over their fate. Those left behind have been paid well in compensation by Trident House, the lighthouse-keepers’ employers, to make sure they don’t go digging. But when a thriller writer starts writing a new book trying to solve the mystery, old ghosts are resurrected.
.
It flits back and forth between the keepers’ POVs in 1972 and the women left behind in 1992, and while I enjoyed both narratives, it was that of the present-day(ish) women that had me truly gripped. How do you move on with your life with the question of your partner’s fate constantly looming over you? How could you go on living a normal life without knowing what happened to your loved one, without any closure? Emma Stonex explores this, and the answer is - not easily!
.
I’m not sure how satisfied I was by the ending. It wasn’t bad by any means, I just didn’t have that feeling of a story wrapped up - maybe I’d even have preferred it if it weren’t wrapped up!! I do like an ambiguous ending.
.
But the writing, atmosphere and characters - I can’t fault those!
Graphic: Child death
Moderate: Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, and Murder
Minor: Rape
nialiversuch's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Confinement
Moderate: Child death, Cursing, Death, Grief, Infidelity, Mental illness, and Murder
Minor: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Alcoholism, Death of parent, and Injury/Injury detail