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https_presley's review
- 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
2.75
I wanted to love this book- I really did. The premise sounded like something I would adore. It has a strong fmc, a small seaside town, supernatural elements, and a touch of eerie horror.
Firstly I’ll start with what I did enjoy: I loved the main villain as a character. Without spoiling anything, I thought they were genuinely scary and threatening. At a couple different points I really feared for our main character and had absolutely no idea how she was going to succeed. The action scenes present in this book were definitely thrilling and well-done. I also liked the number of twists- most of which I didn’t see coming. They kept me interested in the story and motivated me to finish it.
Now for what I didn’t like as much: Basically, I found the first 60% of this book to be incredibly slow. So slow I almost dnfed this book. I found it very hard to connect with any of the characters and be interested in their survival/success/goals. I think this book would have worked much better for me if those scenes were shortened and replaced by more action scenes. Additionally, while the ending was very unexpected, it felt vague and unsatisfying. It almost feels like the author is setting up the plot for a sequel book but without really concluding anything from this one.
Overall, I didn’t think this book was particularly bad, it just struggled to keep my attention and be something I’m interested in. I would still suggest other readers give it a shot if they’re interested- especially if they’re ok with a slower start. I do think there are readers who would love this story, I’m just not one of them.
Graphic: Gaslighting, Misogyny, and Suicide
Moderate: Death, Death of parent, Murder, and Sexual assault
cortanasreadingnook's review
Graphic: Sexism, Adult/minor relationship, Misogyny, Sexual assault, Suicide, Pedophilia, Mental illness, Grief, and Sexual harassment
readingonthehorizon's review
- 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
3.0
Crystal Bell's "The Lamplighter" was an absolute joy to read. It was my first dip into the gothic genre and I couldn't have asked for a better introduction. The world building gave way to thrilling twists and betrayals that left me saying "just one more chapter".
Despite its beauty in storytelling and the world it built, I would have loved to see more of the relationship between Josiah and Temperance as well as Tempe's mother and her character. For me, the fleshing out of these relationships and characters would have allowed me to connect more with them and produce a bigger reaction to the novel's climax.
Thank you so much to North Star Editions and NetGalley for the advanced reading copy!
Graphic: Sexual assault, Suicide, Death of parent, and Violence
susanpevensie's review
- 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
"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
Graphic: Death of parent, Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Suicide, and Sexual assault
pagesofkenzie's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Violence, Suicide, and Death of parent
Moderate: Misogyny and Sexual assault
bookended's review
- 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
Graphic: Gore, Sexual violence, Suicide, Death of parent, Grief, Death, and Murder
camiclarkbooks's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I received a digital ARC of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Moderate: Death, Grief, Suicide, Body horror, Confinement, Death of parent, Murder, Child death, Adult/minor relationship, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Alcohol, Kidnapping, Blood, and Alcoholism
dayisdemigod's review against another edition
5.0
Moderate: Suicide, Sexual assault, and Misogyny
not_another_ana's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Set in a whaling town in the 19th century the story follows Temperance, a young woman who's been forced to take up her late father's job as a lamplighter in order to provide for her mother and younger sister. It's a very important job, the fog in this village is dangerous and it's common for people to disappear in the dark. The responsability is heavy on her shoulders, not helped by the distrust of the men in power who consider her less competent for being a woman. When a girl goes missing the same night two lights go out not only is Tempe's job on the line but also her safety, as something is haunting the streets and endangering everyone.
The concept is quite solid, I picked this up because I was intrigued by the choice of a lamplighter as a protagonist. The writing is good and I generally liked the characters. My issue with this book was how much the middle dragged. The first chapters do a great job of setting the scene and the plot, and then the book just meanders until the middle or so when a very obvious reveal happens. After that it starts picking up again but the previous slog had lost my attention.
There was something else that took me out of the immersion and it was how heavy handed the author handled certain messages. I get it, it's a YA but the constant (very obvious!) references to how bad the misogyny was and how men were ruining everything felt like getting hit in the face by a shovel. I think a lot of my complaints can be traced to me not being the target audience for this book and that's fine, perhaps a young teenaged girl will appreciate the message way more. I will say I did enjoy the ending, it felt like a perfect way to wrap up the book. I'm glad the author decided to go there, this is (after all) a horror book. I also want to mention the cover, the illustrator did a fantastic job.
Graphic: Violence, Fire/Fire injury, Death of parent, Death, Grief, Misogyny, Murder, Sexism, Suicide, Body horror, and Sexual harassment
the_reading_seal's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Moderate: Suicide
Minor: Sexual assault