Reviews

When the Lights Go Out by Carys Bray

sarajg's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

jaynecm's review against another edition

4.0

This is not the post-apocalyptic book you may expect from the title, but more a portrait of marriage and other family relationships. How do we weather change when the viewpoints, values, goals and dreams of each person are heading off on different tangents? How far is too far? How different can each person become to make the relationship untenable? 
The author explores marriage and parent/child relationships in a story that builds slowly with, to be honest, not much happening. But in this way it is completely reminiscent of real life. How much actually happens in our daily lives that is worth reporting or exciting? I feel this made the book instantly accessible and recognisable, whether you are concerned about climate change or not. This was simply the catalyst for the developments in Chris and Emma's marriage. 

armadillogirl's review against another edition

dark reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

lou88's review against another edition

emotional sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

abikale's review against another edition

5.0

Christmas from the different perspectives of every member of the family including mother in law, children and siblings. I learnt a few thing:

All men suck
Women put up with too much
Older women put up with way too much and expect everyone else to as well
Children are weighed down by their parents and never show it

Our family isn't even like that but I could see so many similarities it's very well written.

mslaura's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

andintothetrees's review against another edition

3.0

3.5 stars. I enjoyed this book in the end, but at about 20% I almost gave up on it. I loved Carys Bray's other books & still consider her a favourite author but this didn't quite hit the spot for me. It's set in the near future when the UK is being plagued with a very wet winter, and the speculative fiction elements were interesting. Mostly though it's a portrait of a family, with a failing marriage at its centre. Although the characters are varied and well-drawn it was ultimately a bit depressing and the plot didn't always hold my attention.

margaret21's review against another edition

3.0

Though very readable, this didn't equal Bray's 'The Museum of You' for me. The subjects: eco-aware Emma versus eco-warrior husband Chris feel rather overdone now. Chris learnt to be a warrior during his now-rejected fundamentalist Christian childhood, and his warriorship consists in being a prophet of doom, rather than in action. We're meant to find him tedious, and we do. We're meant to like busy, community-minded Emma, and we do. We're meant to feel wry sympathy with the Emma and Chris as they parent their teenage children, and deal with Chris's interfering-in-a-humble-way mother. So it's an engaging enough read, but one in which I didn't fully involve myself.

scrunchkins's review

reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

2.5

The book started off really slowly.  Unfortunately I didn't find the characters very engaging but struggled through and eventually finished it.  It's a book about marriage, life, climate change and a few other things besides.  Wouldn't recommend. 

_i_b_'s review against another edition

emotional reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0