As a pre service teacher, I think this is a very sweet graphic novel that I may introduce into my classroom in later years. It's easily digestible and has some cute extra scenes and designs at the end.
In the gloomy whaling village of Warbler, an eerie fog haunts the night and is blamed for the disappearances of townspeople and visiting whalers. Temperance Byrne, the town's lamplighter, gets caught in the middle of accusations and daring acts following the disappearance of a local girl, sending her life into a spiral as she strives to uncover the mysterious disappearances.
Crystal Bell's "The Lamplighter" was an absolute joy to read. It was my first dip into the gothic genre and I couldn't have asked for a better introduction. The world building gave way to thrilling twists and betrayals that left me saying "just one more chapter".
Despite its beauty in storytelling and the world it built, I would have loved to see more of the relationship between Josiah and Temperance as well as Tempe's mother and her character. For me, the fleshing out of these relationships and characters would have allowed me to connect more with them and produce a bigger reaction to the novel's climax.
Thank you so much to North Star Editions and NetGalley for the advanced reading copy!
Conversations with Friends was a challenge for me to read. I took a 2 week break from reading it around halfway through and even then, I had to put the book down at the end of each chapter.
I'm not sure what about it made me do this. The language itself is not challenging but it's possibly the themes. I felt so far detached from the characters but at the same time related in a way I never have before. It made me feel such odd emotions that I know I'll never be able to identify.
But I would like to say that I loved how Sally Rooney didn't use quotation marks.
Lily Sparks' The Merciless King of Moore High is an adventurous and emotional delve into the post apocalyptic world where all adults have turned into mounds of flesh that ooze with death. Stuck with just their peers, the students of Jefferson High and Moore High take on differing political systems that both delve into chaos as their worlds collide. Forbidden romances bloom and hearts are broken as Kay fights to bring justice and peace to both schools, the twists and turns sure to bring you to the edge of your seat and rip your heart out.
The amount of love I feel for this novel is overwhelming. It was full of action from start to finish, tugging at my heartstrings and crushing my soul with wild forms of betrayal. I can confidently say that the epilogue has me pulling at my hair, desperate for more.
Thank you so much to North Star Editions and Netgalley for the advanced reading copy!
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Molten Death by Leslie Karst is an incredibly detailed and carefully thought through novel based on the volcanic activity that occurred on the Big Island in 2018. It follows Valerie and Kristen, a married couple on a holiday to Hawai'i in order to rebuild their relationship, that soon turns into an exciting yet cosy mystery with lots of lava and a few stolen avocados.
This novel is unique and surprisingly educational, with a few fun recipes and a list of glossary terms in the back.
Thank you so much to Severn House and Netgalley for the advanced reading copy!