A review by gowlstick
The Lighthouse Witches by C.J. Cooke

dark emotional mysterious fast-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? No

2.75

Overall I felt mostly disappointed with this book. I have not read anything else by C.J. Cooke, but I do still feel open to reading something else written by her. I was particularly drawn to the blurb and gorgeous cover art, and based off the brief description I thought it'd be something that would suit both my tastes and my Mums. 

The mystery of the lighthouse, witches and wildlings was decent at first but I found the last third of the book to be pretty dissatisfying.
I did enjoy that the 'wildlings' were only children who travelled by mistake and had no malicious motive was refreshing, though I do love an evil little kid. Or someone who is supposed to be another but just isn't quite right.


The POVs were managed well enough imo, but I felt that clarification that it was a Grimoire section would've been nice (despite the italics). I did find that particularly with chapters written in Luna's POV, the segments dedicated to her memory or flashbacks were unclear and I did find myself confused a few times in those instances.

I generally did not like any of the characters and found some of their building to be a bit weak, and throwaway. 

Somehow this entire book felt like a man trying to write 'strong women' or a 14yo girl writing fanfiction. As mentioned previously I have not read anything from Cooke before, and won't be against it. But I will be more careful to read a chapter or two before investing. And I'd be hesitant to recommend this to people who have similar tastes to mine. 
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