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foreverbookwandering's review
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
This book isn’t what I expected at all. The writing is very descriptive and atmospheric and that’s not really my thing but ultimately, this book is extremely slow paced. If you are looking for a page turning mystery, this ain’t it. I wanted something spooky for Halloween season and this didn’t really deliver.
The story is told from the lamplighters point of view and then their wives/girlfriend but then the last 15% or so is in third person, which is just confusing because I don’t understand why? Also speech marks are used but when it’s the women’s POV, they just talk a one sided conversation as if you are overhearing a phone call and there are no speech marks. This is clearly a narrative choice and again I didn’t understand why. The ‘clues’ in this book are few and far between so whether you are at the start of the book or halfway through, you’re not really any better off, plus at least one is an irrelevant red herring. The ending is really anticlimactic and I feel there was a huge build up for not much, like when you anticipate a massive firework and it gives a tiny spark and it’s done. If you are looking for an extremely in depth character exploration with tonnes of description, this may be for you but it fell flat for me and was a disappointing read.
Also, trigger warning for animal cruelty.
The story is told from the lamplighters point of view and then their wives/girlfriend but then the last 15% or so is in third person, which is just confusing because I don’t understand why? Also speech marks are used but when it’s the women’s POV, they just talk a one sided conversation as if you are overhearing a phone call and there are no speech marks. This is clearly a narrative choice and again I didn’t understand why. The ‘clues’ in this book are few and far between so whether you are at the start of the book or halfway through, you’re not really any better off, plus at least one is an irrelevant red herring. The ending is really anticlimactic and I feel there was a huge build up for not much, like when you anticipate a massive firework and it gives a tiny spark and it’s done. If you are looking for an extremely in depth character exploration with tonnes of description, this may be for you but it fell flat for me and was a disappointing read.
Also, trigger warning for animal cruelty.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty and Animal death
Moderate: Child death and Grief
Minor: Alcoholism, Drug use, Mental illness, and Rape
aliceonpaper's review
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
3.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child death and Grief
Minor: Rape
abbie_'s review
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
If you’re looking for a haunting, atmospheric read set at sea then look no further than The Lamplighters! It’s not haunting in the 👻 sense, but there’s a definite haunted atmosphere, the haunting of a cryptic mystery gone unsolved for too long.
.
This book draws inspiration from the disappearance of three lighthouse-keepers in the Hebrides in 1900, but this is set in Cornwall in 1972. Three keepers vanish into thin air, leaving their wives and girlfriends wondering over their fate. Those left behind have been paid well in compensation by Trident House, the lighthouse-keepers’ employers, to make sure they don’t go digging. But when a thriller writer starts writing a new book trying to solve the mystery, old ghosts are resurrected.
.
It flits back and forth between the keepers’ POVs in 1972 and the women left behind in 1992, and while I enjoyed both narratives, it was that of the present-day(ish) women that had me truly gripped. How do you move on with your life with the question of your partner’s fate constantly looming over you? How could you go on living a normal life without knowing what happened to your loved one, without any closure? Emma Stonex explores this, and the answer is - not easily!
.
I’m not sure how satisfied I was by the ending. It wasn’t bad by any means, I just didn’t have that feeling of a story wrapped up - maybe I’d even have preferred it if it weren’t wrapped up!! I do like an ambiguous ending.
.
But the writing, atmosphere and characters - I can’t fault those!
.
This book draws inspiration from the disappearance of three lighthouse-keepers in the Hebrides in 1900, but this is set in Cornwall in 1972. Three keepers vanish into thin air, leaving their wives and girlfriends wondering over their fate. Those left behind have been paid well in compensation by Trident House, the lighthouse-keepers’ employers, to make sure they don’t go digging. But when a thriller writer starts writing a new book trying to solve the mystery, old ghosts are resurrected.
.
It flits back and forth between the keepers’ POVs in 1972 and the women left behind in 1992, and while I enjoyed both narratives, it was that of the present-day(ish) women that had me truly gripped. How do you move on with your life with the question of your partner’s fate constantly looming over you? How could you go on living a normal life without knowing what happened to your loved one, without any closure? Emma Stonex explores this, and the answer is - not easily!
.
I’m not sure how satisfied I was by the ending. It wasn’t bad by any means, I just didn’t have that feeling of a story wrapped up - maybe I’d even have preferred it if it weren’t wrapped up!! I do like an ambiguous ending.
.
But the writing, atmosphere and characters - I can’t fault those!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death
Moderate: Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Death, Infidelity, Grief, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Rape
hcblake's review
dark
lighthearted
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
I was really disappointed reading this book unfortunately! The only thing that kept me reading was the fact that it was a very easy read and the hope that it would get better. The writing is cliched at times and I wasn’t interested in any of the various reveals throughout the book. The ending was the biggest disappointment for me, it felt unrealistic and the last few pages were so cliche and tacky. On a positive note there was some nice description at times but generally not the book for me.
Content Warnings
Minor: Rape
j_squaredd's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, and Child death
Moderate: Child abuse and Rape
rosh's review
dark
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Child death, and Murder
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Rape, Grief, and Fire/Fire injury
stacys_book_nook's review
adventurous
mysterious
sad
tense
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
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infidelity
Minor: Animal cruelty, Cancer, Drug abuse, and Rape