A review by prosepander
The Lamplighter by Crystal J. Bell

adventurous dark mysterious sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

Thank you to NetGalley for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

After her father’s untimely suicide, Temperance has taken up the mantle as Warbler’s sole lamplighter; providing guiding light to the town of Warbler as mysterious and treacherous fog consumes the sleepy town every night. When girls start to go missing in the mist, and the proper authorities are of no use, it’s up to Temperance to shed light once again. The Lamplighter by Crystal J. Bell is a story about asking for help and trusting those you love. 

Usually, I’m not a consumer of Young Adult Fiction, but I found myself pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed The Lamplighter. Bell is very talented at building the suspenseful atmosphere of Warbler in the fog, and there were moments where I genuinely jumped. Additionally, Bell takes great care to put equal value to the different expressions of femininity Temperance and her sister (Yes, this is a dig at TV Arya and Sansa). 

I won’t spoil the ending, but I will say the way the novel wrapped up made me wonder who exactly Bell was writing The Lamplighter for. There are persistent themes of sexism that go along with the time period of the setting, which add to the dread of the story, but the end seems to be a cautionary tale- but for who? For women who keep their secrets to themselves, or is this a story for men to read so they can better make connections between the misogyny of then and now?