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4.13 AVERAGE
4.13 AVERAGE
Well damn. I bawled through this whole damn book. The author is really good at last minute twists. This book scared me but also gave me a lot of hope. I had a major book hangover after this one. I loved it but also hated it.
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
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:
Yes
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
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:
Complicated
Bleak and also beautiful
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gun violence
Moderate: Animal death, Child death, Death, Death of parent
3.5. A climate novel taking place in a near future Florida devastated by hurricanes and flooding. Overall I enjoyed the writing and characters, and thought the book explored the aftermath of a climate crisis in an interesting way. The magical realism element didn’t really add anything to the story for me.
adventurous
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-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
The Light Pirate is a literary apocalyptic novel I would highly recommend to fans of Station Eleven.
Wanda is born in the middle of a hurricane. From the beginning, her life is defined by disaster—both personal disaster and the wider devastation of climate change. She grows up in a Florida ravaged by hurricanes and beginning to recede underwater, leading to a mass exodus of its residents. As Wanda copes with terrible loss, the discovery of a remarkable new ability, and the challenges of a changing landscape and an evolving society, she must learn to adapt—and to find beauty and belonging amid change and destruction.
Sometimes “literary” means the plot moves slowly, but I didn’t find that to be the case with The Light Pirate. The pacing is well done, often gripping. The entire first section takes place during a hurricane and is virtually unputdownable. Moreover, the whole thing is gorgeously written. It’s a book that is, in turn, both heartbreaking and life affirming. It’s rare to find an apocalyptic novel that makes you feel hopeful about humankind, but hope is definitely the emotion I felt upon finishing the book.
Unfortunately, I don’t think the title of this novel is a good reflection of its content; in fact, I think it’s misleading enough to put off some potential readers. (To clarify, there are no actual pirates in this novel. I’m fairly certain the word “pirate” isn’t even referenced in the text until the very end.) I hope The Light Pirate isn’t overlooked and is able to find its audience, because it’s one of the best books I’ve read all year.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for the DRC.
Wanda is born in the middle of a hurricane. From the beginning, her life is defined by disaster—both personal disaster and the wider devastation of climate change. She grows up in a Florida ravaged by hurricanes and beginning to recede underwater, leading to a mass exodus of its residents. As Wanda copes with terrible loss, the discovery of a remarkable new ability, and the challenges of a changing landscape and an evolving society, she must learn to adapt—and to find beauty and belonging amid change and destruction.
Sometimes “literary” means the plot moves slowly, but I didn’t find that to be the case with The Light Pirate. The pacing is well done, often gripping. The entire first section takes place during a hurricane and is virtually unputdownable. Moreover, the whole thing is gorgeously written. It’s a book that is, in turn, both heartbreaking and life affirming. It’s rare to find an apocalyptic novel that makes you feel hopeful about humankind, but hope is definitely the emotion I felt upon finishing the book.
Unfortunately, I don’t think the title of this novel is a good reflection of its content; in fact, I think it’s misleading enough to put off some potential readers. (To clarify, there are no actual pirates in this novel. I’m fairly certain the word “pirate” isn’t even referenced in the text until the very end.) I hope The Light Pirate isn’t overlooked and is able to find its audience, because it’s one of the best books I’ve read all year.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for the DRC.
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
N/A
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad