A review by orionmerlin
Light by Michael Grant

dark emotional tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

Characters: 7/10
Michael Grant can write a damn good character, but not everyone gets to stay in the spotlight. Sam and Astrid are still compelling, but Astrid’s sudden transformation into a ruthless strategist felt like it came out of nowhere—was there a deleted training montage where she became morally ambiguous? Diana spends most of the book helplessly watching Gaia’s reign of terror, which is frustrating when we know she’s capable of so much more. And speaking of Gaia… look, I get it, she’s the ultimate nightmare child, but she’s more of a plot device than a character. She exists to destroy things and be creepy, which works at first but gets old fast. Meanwhile, side characters like Quinn are given the "good luck in your future endeavors" treatment and fade into irrelevance​.
Atmosphere/Setting: 8/10
The FAYZ is as grim and horrifying as ever, and the whole “we can see out, but they can’t hear us” situation is a cool, eerie touch. However, the sheer relentlessness of the darkness means the horror loses some of its punch. When everyone is starving, dying, or mutating into a nightmare, the moments that are supposed to be extra horrifying don’t always land. I wish Grant had spent more time on the psychological toll of being trapped under the world’s creepiest snow globe rather than throwing another bucket of blood on us every five pages​.
Writing Style: 7/10
Grant’s writing is sharp, fast, and unpretentious, which is great for keeping up the energy. Unfortunately, it also means that some key moments flash by so quickly that they barely register. When characters die or make big sacrifices, it’s like “Welp, that happened. NEXT.” The dialogue is solid, though some characters start to blur together in larger scenes. Also, the book leans really hard on shock value—at some point, graphic body horror just stops being shocking and starts feeling like a gross-out contest​.
Plot: 7/10
The story moves at breakneck speed, which is both its strength and its biggest flaw. Sure, you’re never bored, but sometimes the pacing is so rapid that it skips over emotional impact. Gaia’s rampage, while terrifying, feels repetitive after a while. Did I expect anything but carnage? No. But the constant escalation starts to feel predictable—how many more ways can people be horrifically murdered before it loses its edge? The climax is solid, but it doesn’t quite stick the emotional landing as well as I wanted​.
Intrigue: 8/10
Grant knows how to keep you turning pages. Even when I was rolling my eyes at yet another over-the-top death scene, I still needed to know what happened next. However, the book relies so much on constant action that it’s exhausting. The most intriguing parts weren’t even the giant fights—they were the subtle tensions, like Sam’s existential dread and the outside world staring in judgment. But since this is Light, we don’t get much time for subtlety before someone is getting their arm ripped off and served as a snack​.
Logic/Relationships: 6/10
Gaia’s powers are all over the place. She’s basically an omnipotent murder machine except when the plot needs her not to be. The way she pulls a random dude into the FAYZ? Cool moment. Makes no sense. The world’s rules around abilities seem flexible at best, which is frustrating after five books of mostly consistent world-building. As for relationships, some were great (Sam and Astrid’s desperate devotion was compelling), but others were either rushed (Caine’s redemption arc) or neglected (Brianna and Dekka deserved more time). In short: the emotional beats weren’t bad, but they weren’t given enough room to breathe​.
Enjoyment: 7/10
I had fun with Light, but I didn’t love it. It’s like a rollercoaster that’s just nonstop loops—you stop appreciating the thrill because your brain is spinning too fast. There are standout moments, and the sheer madness of it is undeniably entertaining, but some of the choices felt more like shock for the sake of shock than meaningful storytelling. It’s a decent finale, but it doesn’t quite live up to the emotional highs of earlier books​.
Final Score: 7.1/10
Light is an action-packed, bloody conclusion that delivers on spectacle but stumbles when it comes to emotional depth. If you’ve been here since Gone, you’ll appreciate the madness, but don’t expect every thread to be tied up neatly. It’s thrilling, messy, and occasionally exhausting—much like the series itself.
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