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susanpevensie's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
2.5 rounded to 3 "atmospheric" stars
"a man can make mistakes. a man can change his mind. a woman? no. if she makes a mistake, she is unfit. if she changes her mind, she is fickle.
incompetent."
first and foremost, the writing in this book is absolutely beautiful. the author has a talented gift with her words. i saw that other reviewers said the lamplighter felt atmospheric, and i agree. the way she weaves them made me feel like i was transported to warbler myself—experiencing being enveloped by the constant fog, feeling watched and claustrophobic, as i followed temperance on her journey. the book was incredibly slow at first, but i did not particularly mind it because i felt like the pacing fit the story. it slowly draws you in, and once it picks up its pace, it moves very fast.
temperance was not an easy character to love. while i wanted to root for her, she did not always make the best decisions—in fact, most of her decisions were just poorly made, point black—so i became increasingly frustrated with her as the book progressed. it did not help that her mistakes were extremely costly because they did not just cost her; they cost literally everyone in her life. i had to constantly remind myself that she was a traumatized eighteen-year-old girl, and her actions read as such. after sleeping on it, i realized that it wasn't temperance—it wasn't her fault. not really. she was just destined to be doomed by the narrative. this is not a criticism of the way the narrative is set, but rather the world temperance was living in. she never had a chance.
there was a sense of hopelessness and complete futility as i slowly went through 80–90% of the story and then, the ending. i think that is why i couldn't give this book a higher rating because i am the kind of person who needs a huge pay-off after being put through hardship and pain—something i don't think i got out of the lamplighter. however, i know this book will definitely find an audience once it debuts. the writing is way too good to not have people falling in love with it. will i ever pick another book by this author? the answer is unequivocally yes.
ᡣ𐭩 i received an advance reader copy from netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review ᡣ𐭩
"a man can make mistakes. a man can change his mind. a woman? no. if she makes a mistake, she is unfit. if she changes her mind, she is fickle.
incompetent."
first and foremost, the writing in this book is absolutely beautiful. the author has a talented gift with her words. i saw that other reviewers said the lamplighter felt atmospheric, and i agree. the way she weaves them made me feel like i was transported to warbler myself—experiencing being enveloped by the constant fog, feeling watched and claustrophobic, as i followed temperance on her journey. the book was incredibly slow at first, but i did not particularly mind it because i felt like the pacing fit the story. it slowly draws you in, and once it picks up its pace, it moves very fast.
temperance was not an easy character to love. while i wanted to root for her, she did not always make the best decisions—in fact, most of her decisions were just poorly made, point black—so i became increasingly frustrated with her as the book progressed. it did not help that her mistakes were extremely costly because they did not just cost her; they cost literally everyone in her life. i had to constantly remind myself that she was a traumatized eighteen-year-old girl, and her actions read as such. after sleeping on it, i realized that it wasn't temperance—it wasn't her fault. not really. she was just destined to be doomed by the narrative. this is not a criticism of the way the narrative is set, but rather the world temperance was living in. she never had a chance.
there was a sense of hopelessness and complete futility as i slowly went through 80–90% of the story and then, the ending. i think that is why i couldn't give this book a higher rating because i am the kind of person who needs a huge pay-off after being put through hardship and pain—something i don't think i got out of the lamplighter. however, i know this book will definitely find an audience once it debuts. the writing is way too good to not have people falling in love with it. will i ever pick another book by this author? the answer is unequivocally yes.
ᡣ𐭩 i received an advance reader copy from netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review ᡣ𐭩
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Suicide, and Sexual assault
bookended's review
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to read this E-Arc.
I give this read a 4.5! What a terribly beautiful read. It’s been a while since I’ve been hooked on a book so much that I cannot put it down. This did just that and more ! Every chapter left me with such a eerie feeling that had me at the edge of my seat. It was as though i was right there in the fog with Temperance! I usually do not read horror of any kind but I feel like this read might’ve changed my mind !
I rated it 4.5 because the epilogue didn’t feel too *final* for me!
TW: Suicide, Physical/Sexual Abuse, Parental Death, Murder
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Sexual violence, Suicide, Death of parent, Grief, Death, and Murder
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