A review by deecreatenola
A Sudden Light by Garth Stein

1.0

I loved "The Art of Racing in the Rain" so it pains me to give a bad review to this novel, but I thoroughly disliked it. About half-way in I realized I just was not going to get into it; yet, I continued on just to get to the end. I didn't like really any of the characters. Of course, there are several here you aren't supposed to like, but I didn't even find the narrator compelling. In fact, I felt that it was so much from his point of view that you didn't see him or really get to know him at all. His dialogue did not seem appropriate for a 14-year old boy; maybe a 50-year old man trapped in a 14-year old boy's body.

The story is meandering and confusing with ghosts both real and made up. There is a ecological backstory, and family secrets, and a great old house, any of which could have been put to good use in a better story.

I hope this is an anomaly. I think Garth Stein is a talented writer, but he struck out with this one, at least for me. (Great cover, though.)