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4.13 AVERAGE
4.13 AVERAGE
dark
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
I thoroughly enjoyed and gave 4.5 stars to Lily Brooks-Dalton's first novel, Good Morning, Midnight which was a well written, melancholy account of an astronaut in space and an Arctic researcher coming to grips with their past lives in a post-apocalyptic future in which most and maybe all of the rest of humanity was wiped out. When I saw her second novel The Light Pirate was coming out I added it to by TBR and bought the trade paperback as soon as it appeared on the shelves. It is the November 2024 read for the Apocalypse Whenever Goodreads Group Book Club so it was time to crack it open.
I was captivated by The Light Pirate from the first page to the last. For a relatively short book at 324 pages it felt so much longer as the story telling was so rich. This is another beautifully written book in a genre I can't get enough of if done right. The novel has the same melancholic tone as Good Morning, Midnight and is also set in a dystopian near future, entirely in Florida. The narrative follows the entire life of the main character Wanda who at the book's outset is in the womb. Wanda is born in a future Florida which is battered by hurricanes and and rising sea levels which have combined to ruin infrastructure and cause flooding which becomes increasing worse and ultimately results in uninhabitable living conditions and the start of migration out of the state.
The novel is broken out in to four long chapters, "Power", "Water", "Light", and "Time"; the title of which gives a clue as to what struggles Wanda and those around her are up against. The author is not afraid to kill off main characters and this just added to the increasingly hopelessness and sadness that overwhelmed the plot. As it went on The Light Pirate became a struggle for survival and friendship, and maintaining ones humanity in seemingly desperate times. Also, there is a neat little mystery surrounding Wanda which relates to the novel's title and is never really explained.
I've seen blubs comparing The Light Pirate to Emily St. John Mandel's incredible Station Eleven and I would agree with that assessment. It also reminded me of Into the Forest by Jean Hegland. I'm giving The Light Pirate five stars. This was hard to put down and the ending will be hard to forget. I can't wait to read what Lilly Brooks-Dalton comes up with next.
I was captivated by The Light Pirate from the first page to the last. For a relatively short book at 324 pages it felt so much longer as the story telling was so rich. This is another beautifully written book in a genre I can't get enough of if done right. The novel has the same melancholic tone as Good Morning, Midnight and is also set in a dystopian near future, entirely in Florida. The narrative follows the entire life of the main character Wanda who at the book's outset is in the womb. Wanda is born in a future Florida which is battered by hurricanes and and rising sea levels which have combined to ruin infrastructure and cause flooding which becomes increasing worse and ultimately results in uninhabitable living conditions and the start of migration out of the state.
The novel is broken out in to four long chapters, "Power", "Water", "Light", and "Time"; the title of which gives a clue as to what struggles Wanda and those around her are up against. The author is not afraid to kill off main characters and this just added to the increasingly hopelessness and sadness that overwhelmed the plot. As it went on The Light Pirate became a struggle for survival and friendship, and maintaining ones humanity in seemingly desperate times. Also, there is a neat little mystery surrounding Wanda which relates to the novel's title and is never really explained.
I've seen blubs comparing The Light Pirate to Emily St. John Mandel's incredible Station Eleven and I would agree with that assessment. It also reminded me of Into the Forest by Jean Hegland. I'm giving The Light Pirate five stars. This was hard to put down and the ending will be hard to forget. I can't wait to read what Lilly Brooks-Dalton comes up with next.
"What if survival and risk belong to one another?"
Almost 3 stars for me, but I might read it again, so I kept it at 4. I started to enjoy it more about half way through.
As a SE Florida Native (40++ years) and having travelled the state extensively, I know many of the few remaining wild places. It was very clear to me the author made some glaring mistakes with locations within the state and locations of ecosystems and habitats. For example, the closest fresh water springs to South Florida are North of Orlando (not a few hour paddle in a canoe...). Lake Okeechobee is in South Florida, not Central Florida. SE FL is largely a concrete jungle all the way to the edge of the Everglades, no small towns remain.
I have also been through many hurricanes, including the eye walls, and it was hard reading the author's interpretation of these storms. But, I understand the premise of the book was to re-wild things and know her interpretation of things were more monstrous due to climate change.
((note: climate change is definitely a threat to FL in the near future, but more pressing matters include the lack of conservation, the influx of people, and current politics))
Almost 3 stars for me, but I might read it again, so I kept it at 4. I started to enjoy it more about half way through.
As a SE Florida Native (40++ years) and having travelled the state extensively, I know many of the few remaining wild places. It was very clear to me the author made some glaring mistakes with locations within the state and locations of ecosystems and habitats. For example, the closest fresh water springs to South Florida are North of Orlando (not a few hour paddle in a canoe...). Lake Okeechobee is in South Florida, not Central Florida. SE FL is largely a concrete jungle all the way to the edge of the Everglades, no small towns remain.
I have also been through many hurricanes, including the eye walls, and it was hard reading the author's interpretation of these storms. But, I understand the premise of the book was to re-wild things and know her interpretation of things were more monstrous due to climate change.
((note: climate change is definitely a threat to FL in the near future, but more pressing matters include the lack of conservation, the influx of people, and current politics))
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
This story was done very well. I loved/drove me insane when she switched POVs. There was so much happening I couldn't put it away until the entire store unfolded! This book stuck with me for a month after I read it!
Good writing, just couldn't really get into the story overall. Nice piece of contemporary fiction..
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Beautifully written, it filled me with wonder as I read.
If you're looking for a cheery, romanc-y read for an after-holiday vacation, this isn't it. But, if you like "climate" fiction and dystopian novels that have a strong and gorgeously written human element, then this the book for you. I absolutely loved it.
In a not-too-distant future, a disappearing Florida is in the midst of another horrific hurricane. Frida is on the cusp of giving birth to a daughter that she shares with Kirby, her husband and an electric lineman who has two children from his previous marriage. After the storm decimates their small town and other parts of Florida, two of the family are dead, while a new life has risen from the destruction--their daughter Wanda, named after the hurricane.
A time jump finds Wanda as a young girl, navigating bullies at school and the treacherous weather nature continues to pummel Florida and the Earth with, due to, as Brooks-Dalton reminds readers often, the negligence and miscare of humans. Wanda, who has some magical light powers of her own, befriends her neighbor, Phyllis, who is both a science teacher and survivalist. Phyllis teaches Wanda how to handle the elements, and the novel blossoms into a riveting tale of Wanda's life of staying in Florida and learning to adapt to the "new" environment environmental devastation has wrought.
I loved this book. Yes, it's bleak and tragedies occur but there is still hope. Not the "hope" of fixing the damage that's been done or the damage to come that we've enabled, but learning how to adapt (and possible evolve?!) to what is left--a new environment forged from climate change enabled by human/government neglect.
I both read and listened to this book. Rosemary Benson does an amazing job adding emotion and fear to this fraught yet fascinating tale. Thanks to @hachetteaudio for the gifted copy in exchange for a review! I'm so glad I chose it as my BOTM Dec. pick, too. This is a keeper.
In a not-too-distant future, a disappearing Florida is in the midst of another horrific hurricane. Frida is on the cusp of giving birth to a daughter that she shares with Kirby, her husband and an electric lineman who has two children from his previous marriage. After the storm decimates their small town and other parts of Florida, two of the family are dead, while a new life has risen from the destruction--their daughter Wanda, named after the hurricane.
A time jump finds Wanda as a young girl, navigating bullies at school and the treacherous weather nature continues to pummel Florida and the Earth with, due to, as Brooks-Dalton reminds readers often, the negligence and miscare of humans. Wanda, who has some magical light powers of her own, befriends her neighbor, Phyllis, who is both a science teacher and survivalist. Phyllis teaches Wanda how to handle the elements, and the novel blossoms into a riveting tale of Wanda's life of staying in Florida and learning to adapt to the "new" environment environmental devastation has wrought.
I loved this book. Yes, it's bleak and tragedies occur but there is still hope. Not the "hope" of fixing the damage that's been done or the damage to come that we've enabled, but learning how to adapt (and possible evolve?!) to what is left--a new environment forged from climate change enabled by human/government neglect.
I both read and listened to this book. Rosemary Benson does an amazing job adding emotion and fear to this fraught yet fascinating tale. Thanks to @hachetteaudio for the gifted copy in exchange for a review! I'm so glad I chose it as my BOTM Dec. pick, too. This is a keeper.
Wanda lives in a time where the names of hurricanes exceeds the standard alphabetic sequence.
Think about that. More than 26 hurricanes each year. Once every 2 weeks, if nicely distributed throughout the year, or pretty much constant throughout the ever-lengthening hurricane season.
Throughout her life, Wanda watches as hurricane power increases, sea levels rise, towns and cities are abandoned, resources and social services disappear and life becomes constant survival.
Adopted by a prepper, Wanda learns survival skills and is well-equipped when her world shrinks to her treehouse. She also learns to observe nature's intricate dance and to appreciate the signals it gives to those who listen.
But what is the point of survival without community? Ultimately this is the question Wanda must answer.
Overall this is a beautifully written book - lyrical, descriptive and exciting, with the ocean, storms and wind all having a voice. I love dystopian fiction and this was a scary playbook for how dire our situation is and how quickly civilization will crumble.
The first half was thrilling. Frida and Kirby were exquisite in their dysfunction and I was drawn first to one and then the other, as Brooks-Dalton painted their motivations and frustrations.
But the second half disappointed with its shifting timeline and lack of purpose. I'd even go so far as to say the 2nd half could have been written by a different writer. It felt like the Game of Thrones 'Red Wedding',. And Wanda's superpower was strange and oddly purposeless.
Good - but not great.
Think about that. More than 26 hurricanes each year. Once every 2 weeks, if nicely distributed throughout the year, or pretty much constant throughout the ever-lengthening hurricane season.
Throughout her life, Wanda watches as hurricane power increases, sea levels rise, towns and cities are abandoned, resources and social services disappear and life becomes constant survival.
Adopted by a prepper, Wanda learns survival skills and is well-equipped when her world shrinks to her treehouse. She also learns to observe nature's intricate dance and to appreciate the signals it gives to those who listen.
But what is the point of survival without community? Ultimately this is the question Wanda must answer.
Overall this is a beautifully written book - lyrical, descriptive and exciting, with the ocean, storms and wind all having a voice. I love dystopian fiction and this was a scary playbook for how dire our situation is and how quickly civilization will crumble.
The first half was thrilling. Frida and Kirby were exquisite in their dysfunction and I was drawn first to one and then the other, as Brooks-Dalton painted their motivations and frustrations.
But the second half disappointed with its shifting timeline and lack of purpose. I'd even go so far as to say the 2nd half could have been written by a different writer. It felt like the Game of Thrones 'Red Wedding',
Spoiler
as each character I loved was killed off. Soon - no one from the first half was alive and I had no one to latch my hopes onGood - but not great.
In my opinion, this was a little bit of a slow starter, but well worth sticking to it. A truly beautiful book.