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dia_arca_mina's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
thelilbookwitch's review against another edition
4.0
Full review and read-alikes on my blog!
An atmospheric magical realism novel that blurs the lines of memory, grief, and magic this is a book perfectly suited for the cold and dark nights of midwinter. Split into folktale lyricism and compelling semi surrealist prose, Eli’s story will curl around your imagination as Lesperance takes you on a expertly written story. This is a book ideal for readers who don’t need concrete answers, and it is ripe for discussion groups of any age, though it will most appeal to teens.
Split into 2 parts, and split further between alternating homespun fairytale vignettes, which play an important role to the book, and more concrete plot Lesperance’s tone shifts subtly between the two styles. Even the more “concrete” portions of the plot tend to echo dreamy qualities. There were definitely times I doubted Eli’s ability to be a reliable narrator, particularly in Part 1, but the emotional pay off and closure in Part 2 are worth the wait.
There are more than a few instances where Lesperance’s magical realism takes shape as perhaps mental illness– likely schizophrenia, and there is plenty of room for interpretation that a discussion group will have a field day with. I’m firmly in the realm of “everything happened.”
Despite my reservations, and a distaste for books that don’t have narrators grounded in reality, it still works incredibly well. As I mentioned before, if you’re like me, stick through to Part 2 for more of the grounding.
As someone unfamiliar with the specific stories referenced in The Wide Starlight, I couldn’t help but feel a pang in my heart as I read them. Despite these familiar stories, character types, and creatures, I was delighted at the way in which Lesperance revealed the story. Perhaps a more seasoned folktale reader might guess the twists, but I think they will still enjoy the ride.
Eli is a prickly narrator, to be sure. Both in her perception of reality, but also in her ability to maintain relationships with others. Her friendship with Iris is incredibly strained, and there is accountability to be faced there which added a thread of grounding throughout. Iris was almost flat as a character, but given enough bite to feel authentic. Other characters, while not getting as much fleshing out time as Eli, all have a moment to shine with her or on their own.
Despite being a story spawned by grief and memories, it wasn’t overwhelmed by them. It wasn’t until the very last two or three chapters I felt a hard emotional pull; during which I was (of course) a little weepy on desk. This reading experience is a credit to Lesperance, not a hindrance in any way and you’ll have to read it too in order to understand.
Overall, I think this is a good title to keep in your back pocket for teenagers looking to explore grief, different takes on magical realism, or connection to the winter’s dark/light. I probably wouldn’t hand it to anyone under grade 8, though there’s no content that is inappropriate by any means. I’ve been delighted with the amount of books crafted well to their audience, The Wide Starlight is no exception. Adult book clubs, or adult readers, looking to shake things up with a YA novel will do well to consider adding this title to their consideration piles as well. There’s a little something for everyone in it, especially people looking to avoid the melodrama of teen romance.
An atmospheric magical realism novel that blurs the lines of memory, grief, and magic this is a book perfectly suited for the cold and dark nights of midwinter. Split into folktale lyricism and compelling semi surrealist prose, Eli’s story will curl around your imagination as Lesperance takes you on a expertly written story. This is a book ideal for readers who don’t need concrete answers, and it is ripe for discussion groups of any age, though it will most appeal to teens.
Split into 2 parts, and split further between alternating homespun fairytale vignettes, which play an important role to the book, and more concrete plot Lesperance’s tone shifts subtly between the two styles. Even the more “concrete” portions of the plot tend to echo dreamy qualities. There were definitely times I doubted Eli’s ability to be a reliable narrator, particularly in Part 1, but the emotional pay off and closure in Part 2 are worth the wait.
There are more than a few instances where Lesperance’s magical realism takes shape as perhaps mental illness– likely schizophrenia, and there is plenty of room for interpretation that a discussion group will have a field day with. I’m firmly in the realm of “everything happened.”
Despite my reservations, and a distaste for books that don’t have narrators grounded in reality, it still works incredibly well. As I mentioned before, if you’re like me, stick through to Part 2 for more of the grounding.
As someone unfamiliar with the specific stories referenced in The Wide Starlight, I couldn’t help but feel a pang in my heart as I read them. Despite these familiar stories, character types, and creatures, I was delighted at the way in which Lesperance revealed the story. Perhaps a more seasoned folktale reader might guess the twists, but I think they will still enjoy the ride.
Eli is a prickly narrator, to be sure. Both in her perception of reality, but also in her ability to maintain relationships with others. Her friendship with Iris is incredibly strained, and there is accountability to be faced there which added a thread of grounding throughout. Iris was almost flat as a character, but given enough bite to feel authentic. Other characters, while not getting as much fleshing out time as Eli, all have a moment to shine with her or on their own.
Despite being a story spawned by grief and memories, it wasn’t overwhelmed by them. It wasn’t until the very last two or three chapters I felt a hard emotional pull; during which I was (of course) a little weepy on desk. This reading experience is a credit to Lesperance, not a hindrance in any way and you’ll have to read it too in order to understand.
Overall, I think this is a good title to keep in your back pocket for teenagers looking to explore grief, different takes on magical realism, or connection to the winter’s dark/light. I probably wouldn’t hand it to anyone under grade 8, though there’s no content that is inappropriate by any means. I’ve been delighted with the amount of books crafted well to their audience, The Wide Starlight is no exception. Adult book clubs, or adult readers, looking to shake things up with a YA novel will do well to consider adding this title to their consideration piles as well. There’s a little something for everyone in it, especially people looking to avoid the melodrama of teen romance.
faye_v's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
bookishly_laura9813's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
books_n_boogie's review against another edition
3.0
A YA journey into the magical realisim genre, this book had elements of A Wrinkle in Time while exposing the reader to Norwegian mythology/folklore which is probably a first for most. This book was filled with a lot of descriptive storytelling and beautiful imagery. I do feel it lacked in sufficient details regarding some of the myths and how they tied into the dissappearance of Eli's mom. I think by the end I was able to piece it together, but it took a while for everything to add up, so it made for some lulls throughout the book. Overall I think this would be a fun read for the younger demographic that it is intended for, because I think they will be able to better look past some of the gaps that I was hung up on as an adult reader.
emilyb_chicago's review against another edition
4.0
Lyrically written story of mother-daughter love and loss. I needed to pause often to absorb, relistening to whole chapters because they were just so beautiful.
karrama's review against another edition
5.0
Eli misses her mother, a strong woman who disappeared on a fjord in Svalbard, Norway when she was young. Eli lives in Cape Cod now, avoiding the fairies and mysteries at the edges of her vision until one day she gives into her desire to see her grandmother and search for her mother again. Amazingly told.
lila1921's review against another edition
5.0
This book hit home in a way nothing else will ever be able to for me. It was beautiful and absolutely devastating.
murderpigeonsgobump's review against another edition
4.0
3.5 ⭐️ I wasn’t super invested until the end, but I really liked the atmosphere of folk tales. I feel like the setting of Norway is not a common one for YA books.
izzys_internet_bookshelf's review against another edition
2.0
1/5
I have not had any luck with books lately. Don't get my wrong I was excited to read this book but I've been practically drained from studying that I can't keep the story straight ( Or my eyes open ). I found the story interesting of course, but it was hard for me to follow what was happening.
REREAD 8/13/22
2/5
Decided to come back to this book because I didn’t remember much about it but I do remember being excited to read it. I wanted to like the story, don’t get me wrong but the way it was written just couldn’t get me enthralled into the story.
I have not had any luck with books lately. Don't get my wrong I was excited to read this book but I've been practically drained from studying that I can't keep the story straight ( Or my eyes open ). I found the story interesting of course, but it was hard for me to follow what was happening.
REREAD 8/13/22
2/5
Decided to come back to this book because I didn’t remember much about it but I do remember being excited to read it. I wanted to like the story, don’t get me wrong but the way it was written just couldn’t get me enthralled into the story.