Scan barcode
A review by serendipitysbooks
The Lightkeepers by Abby Geni
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
The Lightkeepers is set on the Farallón Islands, a remote group of islands off the coast of San Francisco, a wildlife refuge closed to the public except approved researchers. It’s the story of Miranda, a photographer who has a year’s residency on the island to document the environment, its flora and fauna. Not long after her arrival she is raped by one of the resident researchers. A few days later her attacker’s body is found.
Parts of this book worked well for me, particularly its focus on marine life and bird life, the observations and research carried out on the islands. The sense of place was excellent. I thought the themes of motherhood, mother-daughter relationships, grief and the divide between wild and civilised were also fairly well done, as was the overall dark, sinister tone that developed over time. Where the novel fell short for me was its characterisation, or lack thereof. The interactions between most of the characters felt a bit off and no explanation was given to help me understand their behaviours or motivations. Why was Lucy so standoffish and rude towards Miranda? Why did nobody seem especially perturbed when one of their own was injured or died? The revelation as to how Andrew died came as no surprise at all, while the death of Nick felt gratuitous and unnecessary. There was enough about this book to keep me listening but it could just have easily been a DNF, and possibly would have been had I been reading in print.
TW - If you have a fear of birds you’ll want to give this book - or at least certain sections - a miss.
Parts of this book worked well for me, particularly its focus on marine life and bird life, the observations and research carried out on the islands. The sense of place was excellent. I thought the themes of motherhood, mother-daughter relationships, grief and the divide between wild and civilised were also fairly well done, as was the overall dark, sinister tone that developed over time. Where the novel fell short for me was its characterisation, or lack thereof. The interactions between most of the characters felt a bit off and no explanation was given to help me understand their behaviours or motivations. Why was Lucy so standoffish and rude towards Miranda? Why did nobody seem especially perturbed when one of their own was injured or died? The revelation as to how Andrew died came as no surprise at all, while the death of Nick felt gratuitous and unnecessary. There was enough about this book to keep me listening but it could just have easily been a DNF, and possibly would have been had I been reading in print.
TW - If you have a fear of birds you’ll want to give this book - or at least certain sections - a miss.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Rape, Injury/Injury detail, and Bullying