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emilyrainsford 's review for:
The Lights of Sugarberry Cove
by Heather Webber
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I read this book in a feverish haze - literally, I had a horrible flu/sore throat thing - which worked out kind of well for me because it gave me an excuse for all the crying. It was also pretty much the perfect book to read while feeling miserable, as this book is like a big old bowl of chicken soup for the soul.
Eight years ago, Sadie died in the lake in her home town, but was gifted a second chance at life. Everyone says it was the Lady of the Lake who saved her - and the fact her hair turned sparkly silver seems to support that. Ever since, Sadie has avoided her home town and her family, travelling around making cooking videos for her YouTube channel, and trying to figure out why she was saved - there has to have been a purpose?? But when she gets a message that her mother has had a heart attack, she races home to her mum and sister, and the BnB by the lake that her mother owns. All three of them are harbouring resentments - their family is fractured. Can a little lake magic give them the healing they need?
This book was just beautiful. It really was like the most comforting comfort food you can imagine. I rarely enjoy contemporary fiction and rarely award 5 stars, so for me to be giving this the full five really says something. The two sisters, Sadie and Leala, were both really relatable for me, and the fractured relationship with their mother also struck a personal chord. Sadie's search for the meaning and purpose of her life after surviving the impossible also resonated - I survived a fatal car accident at 20 and I've always had this feeling like I haven't earned my life yet. A lot of Leala's relationship with motherhood was also familiar for me.
I absolutely loved all the characters at the BnB and I loved that even though this was a story with magical realism, the relationships and healing between the characters felt realistic. Long held resentments aren't let go of easily, and people may change their perspective on life, but they're not going to change their personality completely. I was a bit worried it was just going to be all BOOM happy families, but it played out in a way that felt real and I appreciated that.
The magical realism aspect in this novel was just perfect. One of the best examples of it I've read. It's magical enough to be unmistakeably magic, but real enough that it almost feels like it could be true. Love love loved it.
This is a magical read in every sense, a read with heart and soul, and I honestly wish I could read it for the first time again.
Eight years ago, Sadie died in the lake in her home town, but was gifted a second chance at life. Everyone says it was the Lady of the Lake who saved her - and the fact her hair turned sparkly silver seems to support that. Ever since, Sadie has avoided her home town and her family, travelling around making cooking videos for her YouTube channel, and trying to figure out why she was saved - there has to have been a purpose?? But when she gets a message that her mother has had a heart attack, she races home to her mum and sister, and the BnB by the lake that her mother owns. All three of them are harbouring resentments - their family is fractured. Can a little lake magic give them the healing they need?
This book was just beautiful. It really was like the most comforting comfort food you can imagine. I rarely enjoy contemporary fiction and rarely award 5 stars, so for me to be giving this the full five really says something. The two sisters, Sadie and Leala, were both really relatable for me, and the fractured relationship with their mother also struck a personal chord. Sadie's search for the meaning and purpose of her life after surviving the impossible also resonated - I survived a fatal car accident at 20 and I've always had this feeling like I haven't earned my life yet. A lot of Leala's relationship with motherhood was also familiar for me.
I absolutely loved all the characters at the BnB and I loved that even though this was a story with magical realism, the relationships and healing between the characters felt realistic. Long held resentments aren't let go of easily, and people may change their perspective on life, but they're not going to change their personality completely. I was a bit worried it was just going to be all BOOM happy families, but it played out in a way that felt real and I appreciated that.
The magical realism aspect in this novel was just perfect. One of the best examples of it I've read. It's magical enough to be unmistakeably magic, but real enough that it almost feels like it could be true. Love love loved it.
This is a magical read in every sense, a read with heart and soul, and I honestly wish I could read it for the first time again.