A review by jonwesleyhuff
The Light Between Oceans by M.L. Stedman
3.0
I really admired the writing in this book in a lot of ways. The lighthouse has so many romanticized connotations, and the author wonderfully plays to that and subverts that. The lighthouse on the desolate Janus Rock feels like such a fully-realized place. Not just a place, but a pocket universe that her characters are able to inhabit for a while, safely. The sense of place, and the allure and danger of isolation are as well-defined as the characters. The first part of the book, where we come to know the characters, and explore the lighthouse and their world is probably the strongest. It all goes a little pear-shaped when the main drama starts to unfold.
I thought the author did a wonderful job of making the characters feel like real people that you understand even when they are making terrible choices. Overall, it's a beautifully written and transporting book. But, even in the early sections there are times when you start to see cheesier elements drift in. Some passages veer from beautifully written to slightly overwrought. By the time the main dramatics kick in, you realize nearly everyone in the book has been weeping or gaunt or haggard or missing a loved one lost to nature or the war. Now, this is tricky because I think the author is trying to paint the picture of a town scarred by war, and I think that's admirable. But a little goes a long way, and you do start to feel like you've turned the corner and are now in a weepy Lifetime movie after the third or fourth person remembers their child that died too early.
The ending isn't unsatisfying, but again it felt like it teetered on melodrama. I actually would have been fine with Tom and Isabel heading out into their future with the possibility of Lucy-Grace contacting them, but never knowing. I didn't need such a bow wrapped around everything.
All that being said, I enjoyed a lot of elements of this book, and it kept me turning the page. I think it's best just to go in with your expectations properly calibrated, and I wonder if the hype the book is getting is going to play against that for some people.
I thought the author did a wonderful job of making the characters feel like real people that you understand even when they are making terrible choices. Overall, it's a beautifully written and transporting book. But, even in the early sections there are times when you start to see cheesier elements drift in. Some passages veer from beautifully written to slightly overwrought. By the time the main dramatics kick in, you realize nearly everyone in the book has been weeping or gaunt or haggard or missing a loved one lost to nature or the war. Now, this is tricky because I think the author is trying to paint the picture of a town scarred by war, and I think that's admirable. But a little goes a long way, and you do start to feel like you've turned the corner and are now in a weepy Lifetime movie after the third or fourth person remembers their child that died too early.
Spoiler
There are also some plot points that seem a bit ill-defined. For instance, I never quite got the concept of the man and baby ending up in the boat. This would be a slow-moving getaway at best. And they seem to imply he had a heart attack shortly after making the getaway. Janus is far enough away, that it just seems odd the boat didn't go back to shore instead of being carried off to Janus. It's a fairly minor point, but a niggling one.The ending isn't unsatisfying, but again it felt like it teetered on melodrama. I actually would have been fine with Tom and Isabel heading out into their future with the possibility of Lucy-Grace contacting them, but never knowing. I didn't need such a bow wrapped around everything.
All that being said, I enjoyed a lot of elements of this book, and it kept me turning the page. I think it's best just to go in with your expectations properly calibrated, and I wonder if the hype the book is getting is going to play against that for some people.