canadiyank's review against another edition
5.0
Great story about a 19th-c. midwestern girl who, ignoring warning signs, marries against her parents' wishes, only to find out that her new marriage isn't at all what she expected. Used to an upper class life, she ends up helping her husband (who is prone to fits of "genius" where he is consumed by his latest obsession) manage a coastal lighthouse in California. Part mystery, part historical fiction, part social commentary...I liked it all.
compass_rose's review against another edition
2.0
just found it a bit slow. I thought all along it was building up to something, but it took too long to get to it, and by then, I'd lost interest.
emp1234's review against another edition
2.0
2.5 stars. The strange thing is that I was interested enough to keep reading but my thought after finishing was 'well, it wasn't a BAD book, but there was nothing about it that I really loved'. Sorry - this is a terrible review but I don't know how else to describe that feeling.
sus7's review against another edition
4.0
This is a great story about a strong woman who isn't afraid to live her life. It's a well-written and fascinating book.
libkatem's review against another edition
3.0
When I was a kid, I wanted to be a lighthousekeeper when I grew up. Even though I knew most lighthouses are automated and don't actually need a keeper anymore, and anyway, with radar and sonar and gps, there isn't the need that there once was.
But there is something so romantic about keeping a light.
(Romantic: 2: having no basis in fact, imaginary
3: impractical in conception or plan, visionary
4a: marked by the imaginative or emotional appeal of what is heroic, adventurous, remote, mysterious, or idealized, Merriam Webster)
This book has that appeal for me.
Trudy and her new husband are assistant keepers Point Lucia, California, along with a family that's guarding more than a few secrets. It's creepy, imaginative, and so so compelling. I liked Trudy's character; and the person who I grew to hate was not whom you would have expected.
But there is something so romantic about keeping a light.
(Romantic: 2: having no basis in fact, imaginary
3: impractical in conception or plan, visionary
4a: marked by the imaginative or emotional appeal of what is heroic, adventurous, remote, mysterious, or idealized, Merriam Webster)
This book has that appeal for me.
Trudy and her new husband are assistant keepers Point Lucia, California, along with a family that's guarding more than a few secrets. It's creepy, imaginative, and so so compelling. I liked Trudy's character; and the person who I grew to hate was not whom you would have expected.
sjchaima's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
erikas_bookshelf's review against another edition
5.0
This book was an unexpected surprise. The cover called to me at the store and, when I read the synopsis, I thought it might be an entertaining book... after all I've always been always fond of love stories. But this is NOT a love story. It's a story about a young woman and her journey of self discovery.
Trudy is a young privileged girl when we first meet her. She is just 19, and all her life has been planned for her, but she seems okay with it on the surface. Deep down she needs more so, when Oskar steps into her life, she lets him take her away from all that is familiar into the unknown where - in the end - she finds herself. Just a beautiful story!
Every character is described with impeccable care as well as their surroundings. The author did a wonderful job and I will definitely read more of her work.
Trudy is a young privileged girl when we first meet her. She is just 19, and all her life has been planned for her, but she seems okay with it on the surface. Deep down she needs more so, when Oskar steps into her life, she lets him take her away from all that is familiar into the unknown where - in the end - she finds herself. Just a beautiful story!
Every character is described with impeccable care as well as their surroundings. The author did a wonderful job and I will definitely read more of her work.
wordnerdy's review against another edition
3.0
http://wordnerdy.blogspot.com/2013/03/2013-book-88.html
joxertd's review against another edition
I had a hard time with this... I actually turned it in to the library because I am moving in a couple weeks. I think I will pick it back up and try again another time. It was slow going and I found it dull. Maybe my timing was off.
chelz286's review against another edition
4.0
Really good read about life on an isolated point, at a lighthouse in California. Trudy and Oskar head to the lighthouse to help run it, meanwhile not knowing it is a whole new world from what they are used to back in Wisconsin. Oskar is not turning out to be quite the person Trudy thought and gets himself wound up over a “science project” he’s decided to take on, literally. Bad things happen during this scuffle and some are never heard from again. The story is told from the eyes on Trudy and her life there, however Jane one of the original families running the lighthouse has inherited her story and truths come out.