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A review by ashyyy
The Lamplighters by Emma Stonex
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
The mystery of it all was what pulled me through to the end, but overall it was just...fine.
The way it was written made me feel so disconnected from the characters, especially the supposed reporter who was investigating it in the 90s. I almost wish one of the wives had begun looking into it again or something to make it more impactful. Plus, there were so many vague thread points that were never tied up (e.g.the briefcase, the childlike ghost on The Maiden, the Silver Man etc. ). I'm all for open-ended mysteries, but this felt like the author was being purposefully coy and it frustrated me. If more time was spent actually revealing and exploring the characters secrets/pasts (like Vince's past and why he was afraid certain people were after him. This was only told in a short chapter towards the end and didn't add much to his character. ), instead of only hinting at them, I might have gotten more out of it.
The way it was written made me feel so disconnected from the characters, especially the supposed reporter who was investigating it in the 90s. I almost wish one of the wives had begun looking into it again or something to make it more impactful. Plus, there were so many vague thread points that were never tied up (e.g.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal cruelty and Child abuse
Animal Cruelty: Brief description of a dog being burned alive and a child having to watch .
Child Abuse: Several brief descriptions of child being abused by a parent, but often faded to black or moved on another topic.