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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
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
bee_on_a3's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Sexism, Misogyny, Sexual assault, 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
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
eviethebookworm's review against another edition
- 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
4.0
Tempe is a stubborn and ambitious character who has plenty on her shoulders. We join her just as Warbler starts experiencing more missing locals and other incidents that shake the community.
A highlight of this debut YA novel is the way the narrative crescendoes as we follow Tempe's efforts to untangle Warbler's strange past and present. As the truth is uncovered, I found myself unable to put the novel down – I simply had to know what was going to unfold.
I would recommend this novel if you enjoy entry level horror, something a but spooky, and a strong female lead.
Graphic: Misogyny, Suicide, Death of parent, and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Murder, Sexism, and Sexual assault
Minor: Mental illness