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A review by calamario
The Lamplighter by Crystal J. Bell
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Thank you to Flux and NetGalley for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
It's an honor to bring light to the dark.
In the sleepy whaling village of Warbler in New England, Temperance Byrne has taken over her late father's duty as the town's lamplighter, keeping the villagers safe at night in the near-impenetrable fog that hangs heavy over the town. Sure, sometimes foreign whalers go missing in the fog, but eh, nothing to do about that, they probably just decided to skip out from a hard life at sea, right? Until a young woman goes missing.
The dark atmosphere of The Lamplighter is so delicious, and I was intrigued from the very beginning. The sad circumstances of Tempe's family makes it clear why her job and duty as the lamplighter is important to her, so her anxiety to keep her job and independence is understandable – and when things start to go wrong, through both her own actions and the actions of a more malignant entity hidden in the fog, her increasing desperation is extremely gripping and completely hooked me.
I had a very good time with this read, and the only reason I didn't give it a full five stars is that, since it's a YA horror, I really wish Bell would've leaned more into the eldritch horrors of the woods and the fog, instead of focusing almost solely on the human monster in Warbler (even if said monster had a connection to the surrounding forest). I feel like that relationship and that potential wasn't fully realised, which is a shame – after all, the mysterious fog and strange woods surrounding Warbler are undoubtedly what fuel the dark and gloomy atmosphere of the book.
If you like YA horror that explores the unsafety of young women from monsters hidden in plain view, a nature twist, and a book without a neat and happy ending, then this book is definitely for you!
It's an honor to bring light to the dark.
In the sleepy whaling village of Warbler in New England, Temperance Byrne has taken over her late father's duty as the town's lamplighter, keeping the villagers safe at night in the near-impenetrable fog that hangs heavy over the town. Sure, sometimes foreign whalers go missing in the fog, but eh, nothing to do about that, they probably just decided to skip out from a hard life at sea, right? Until a young woman goes missing.
The dark atmosphere of The Lamplighter is so delicious, and I was intrigued from the very beginning. The sad circumstances of Tempe's family makes it clear why her job and duty as the lamplighter is important to her, so her anxiety to keep her job and independence is understandable – and when things start to go wrong, through both her own actions and the actions of a more malignant entity hidden in the fog, her increasing desperation is extremely gripping and completely hooked me.
I had a very good time with this read, and the only reason I didn't give it a full five stars is that, since it's a YA horror, I really wish Bell would've leaned more into the eldritch horrors of the woods and the fog, instead of focusing almost solely on the human monster in Warbler (even if said monster had a connection to the surrounding forest). I feel like that relationship and that potential wasn't fully realised, which is a shame – after all, the mysterious fog and strange woods surrounding Warbler are undoubtedly what fuel the dark and gloomy atmosphere of the book.
If you like YA horror that explores the unsafety of young women from monsters hidden in plain view, a nature twist, and a book without a neat and happy ending, then this book is definitely for you!