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skylarmarshall07's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
debrajoy87's review against another edition
4.0
This is definitely one of those books that I think parents like for their middle graders more than their middle graders like it themselves, but it was really beautiful.
katiecatbooks's review
5.0
Middle grade. Dangerous family situation. Friendship.
Story: Nate and his mum are driving long distance in a rental car packed with few things. Nate gets the feeling that this is not a holiday, but that they are running away from Gary, mom's controlling boyfriend. Nate takes comfort in his favorite book of strange facts and his magic answer ball. Once they reach their destination, a mystery opens up for Nate alone and it's up to him to solve it.
Language: This is a middle grade book with medium length chapters, large font and spacing, and an illustration at the heading of each chapter. The book is told in first person from Nate's perspective and we watch as he makes decisions that an eleven year old would. Themes of the story include survival, friendship, divorce, dangerous family situations and growing up.
Characters: The main characters are Nate and his mum. Nate is eleven going on twelve, on the border of childhood and growing up, child of divorced parents and scared of the dark. Nate's mum is divorced, has a live in boyfriend named Gary who is controlling and dangerous, and she wants the best for her son, which Gary often intervenes and prevents from happening.
Appropriate for a wide age range, mystery thrown in and great writing.
Story: Nate and his mum are driving long distance in a rental car packed with few things. Nate gets the feeling that this is not a holiday, but that they are running away from Gary, mom's controlling boyfriend. Nate takes comfort in his favorite book of strange facts and his magic answer ball. Once they reach their destination, a mystery opens up for Nate alone and it's up to him to solve it.
Language: This is a middle grade book with medium length chapters, large font and spacing, and an illustration at the heading of each chapter. The book is told in first person from Nate's perspective and we watch as he makes decisions that an eleven year old would. Themes of the story include survival, friendship, divorce, dangerous family situations and growing up.
Characters: The main characters are Nate and his mum. Nate is eleven going on twelve, on the border of childhood and growing up, child of divorced parents and scared of the dark. Nate's mum is divorced, has a live in boyfriend named Gary who is controlling and dangerous, and she wants the best for her son, which Gary often intervenes and prevents from happening.
Appropriate for a wide age range, mystery thrown in and great writing.
jazsever's review against another edition
4.0
Disfruté mucho de escuchar este libro. No tenía idea de qué iba y mejor, porque me fui sorprendiendo a medida que el protagonista me contaba su historia.
Es enternecedor pero también te rompe el corazón.
Posible SPOILER A CONTINUACIÓN
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Me parece un libro muy bueno para tratar con niñes el tema de la violencia de género y las formas que esta puede tomar.
Es enternecedor pero también te rompe el corazón.
Posible SPOILER A CONTINUACIÓN
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Me parece un libro muy bueno para tratar con niñes el tema de la violencia de género y las formas que esta puede tomar.
pkh's review
3.0
The ending ruined the book for me. Also, how dramatic he was about his step dad, if it was an abusive step dad, that gave him a real reason to run away. Also, if the imaginary girl was actually a poor maid or something who lived in the forest.
janettedv's review
5.0
First book of the year and it was a good one. The story of a young boy coping in his own after his mother mysteriously disappears. The gradual revealing of his back story really hits home. The imaginary friends theme would link beautifully with AF Harold's The Imaginary
lizdrum's review
4.0
This story was all together honest, heart-breaking and hopeful at the same time; beautifully written for tackling such tough subjects. I loved all of the little details the author used to bring you closer to Nate and understand how he’s feeling, even the imaginary friend piece. I appreciated it mostly for that, even if the side mystery was a little disjointed. I also found the ending a little unrealistic, but like I said, ultimately hopeful.
tami_provencher's review against another edition
2.0
When we first meet Nate and his mom at the beginning of The Light Jar they are in a car in the middle of the night running away. We quickly realize they are running from Gary, his mother's live-in boyfriend who is away on a business trip. They arrive at a rundown cottage his mother says once belonged to an old friend of the family. Nate is less than thrilled to be in this strange and creepy, unfamiliar place. As the two of them begin tidying they begin laughing together and Nate realizes it's been an extraordinarily long time (i.e. before Gary) since they have enjoyed simple moments like that. When Nate's mom leaves to get some food and doesn't return, Nate must figure out how to survive alone, while simultaneously fearing his mother has deserted him to return to Gary.
The parts of Nate's story in which he has flashbacks to how his and his mother's lives changed (not for the better) after Gary moved in are told exceedingly well. The reader gets a very real picture of what it is like to live in a state of constant terror in an emotionally abusive household. Nate's imaginary friend, Sam, reappears (after having been absent for quite a while) and helps Nate to make connections between his memories of terrifying moments, his and his mother's escape, his current situation and strategies for how to proceed. I found the addition of Sam as a relatable tool for Nate to use in facing his own fears and assessing his situation perfectly reasonable as both a literary device and a character.
There is an additional plotline involving another character and a treasure hunt (to give more details would be a spoiler) which does NOT seem effective or believable in the context of Nate's story. It adds nothing to the storyline or Nate's character arc. It feels intrusive and becomes annoying every time it shoulders into Nate's story.
I probably won't recommend The Light Jar to other readers. It's a shame because Nate's story is told with compassion, empathy and remarkable sensitivity. It's unfortunate that a badly contrived additional plot and character diminish what could have been a truly stunning story of hope and resilience.
The parts of Nate's story in which he has flashbacks to how his and his mother's lives changed (not for the better) after Gary moved in are told exceedingly well. The reader gets a very real picture of what it is like to live in a state of constant terror in an emotionally abusive household. Nate's imaginary friend, Sam, reappears (after having been absent for quite a while) and helps Nate to make connections between his memories of terrifying moments, his and his mother's escape, his current situation and strategies for how to proceed. I found the addition of Sam as a relatable tool for Nate to use in facing his own fears and assessing his situation perfectly reasonable as both a literary device and a character.
There is an additional plotline involving another character and a treasure hunt (to give more details would be a spoiler) which does NOT seem effective or believable in the context of Nate's story. It adds nothing to the storyline or Nate's character arc. It feels intrusive and becomes annoying every time it shoulders into Nate's story.
I probably won't recommend The Light Jar to other readers. It's a shame because Nate's story is told with compassion, empathy and remarkable sensitivity. It's unfortunate that a badly contrived additional plot and character diminish what could have been a truly stunning story of hope and resilience.