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A review by justjoel
Lights All Night Long by Lydia Fitzpatrick
3.0
This is the story of a teen Russian boy who comes to the United States as part of a student exchange program. It is told through dual timelines, past and present, though the past doesn't consistently move forward in chronological order, seeming to skip around somewhat randomly at times.
The story begins with Ilya walking past his waiting foster family in the airport, and we soon learn he is troubled that he had to leave his brother, Vladimir, behind. The reasons for this unfold slowly over the course of the novel, revealing how Ilya and Vladimir had to share a single bed, and their single mother and grandmother struggle to raise them.
I think saying too much more would be venturing into spoiler territory, but basically Ilya struggles with assimilating into America he's worked so hard to get to for most of his life, and is burdened by the guilt of leaving Vladimir behind, and how it seems unfair that only he should be given this opportunity.
The novel's resolution wrapped up most of the details that came to light over its course. This was far from a perfect novel, but it was a good one, especially for a debut, and I'd definitely read more from the author.
3 out of 5 stars.
The story begins with Ilya walking past his waiting foster family in the airport, and we soon learn he is troubled that he had to leave his brother, Vladimir, behind. The reasons for this unfold slowly over the course of the novel, revealing how Ilya and Vladimir had to share a single bed, and their single mother and grandmother struggle to raise them.
I think saying too much more would be venturing into spoiler territory, but basically Ilya struggles with assimilating into America he's worked so hard to get to for most of his life, and is burdened by the guilt of leaving Vladimir behind, and how it seems unfair that only he should be given this opportunity.
The novel's resolution wrapped up most of the details that came to light over its course. This was far from a perfect novel, but it was a good one, especially for a debut, and I'd definitely read more from the author.
3 out of 5 stars.