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fatimareadsbooks's review against another edition
1.0
DNF at 45%
I'm sorry. I just can't. I tried so hard to like this book. There were so many positive reviews, the blurb & cover were attractive, and it generally looked like such an appealing book. I felt like I found my perfect read. However, I couldn't have been more wrong.
Most of the people said they flew through this book. I, however, felt like I was swimming through mud. This book ruined my reading pace by being so sluggish and slow. I'd keep checking how many pages were left every 20 minutes. And let me tell you, that definitely was no fun. What was even more baffling was the amount of 3-5 star reviews this book received. The praise was rolling in like waves in a thunderstorm and I have no idea why.
First of all, the writing style of this book is either going to make it or break it for you. I consider myself part of the latter group. I was so put off by the writing style; it was just too disconcerting. Were the run-on sentences supposed to be lyrical? Poetic? Frankly, I'd rather read my English textbook. This book is inundated with overtly descriptive paragraphs that'll bore you to death, and (see above) nonsensical run-on sentences that are more confusing than informative. I'll admit though, sometimes these sentences take a turn into the 'beautiful and lyrical' territory, but more often than not, that isn't the case. They just left me scratching my head in puzzlement. Here's an example from the prologue:
"Mum was flat out on the floor. She'd spilt something and was caught in a half-thought going under the bed [...] the sticky was growing and it branched out like creeping fingers under the rug and the boy shouted for her but it was too late, the bed had her."
It was supposed to resemble some kind of poetic imagery, but all it did was make me think "What the hell did I just read?"
Also, I'm not sure if this was because of the writing style or something else, but I felt absolutely nothing for the characters. I kept waiting for something to happen but... Nope, nothing. Nada, zero, zilch. I never connected with any of the characters and I just felt like I was watching them from afar. I thought that they'd maybe gain more depth as the book progresses, but unfortunately that didn't happen. The main character made me uncomfortable. He was weird. Not quirky. Just plain old weird - synonymous to creepy. There was nothing that made me relate to any of the characters or even like them; they really grated on my nerves.
Maybe I could've forgiven the above points if the book even had a purpose or anything remotely resembling a plot, but that aspect also disappointed. This is the kind of book that'd have you thinking Oh maybe it'll get better in a few pages. And Maybe the next chapter? And Something's going to happen now, I feel it. But you're already at the end and you feel nothing. For all you know, you could've just read through a bibliography without knowing the difference.
One of the things that my English teacher continuously emphasized was that a plot always had to have rising action that led to a climax and, in turn, a resolution. That wasn't present in this book. When we discover who killed the MC's parents, I was just like "You don't say?!" There was no buildup and it was so clearly obvious from the start that I wasn't sure if he was being seriously surprised or not. It was so boring and nothing like what the blurb promised. Where was the revenge-quest? All we got was some type of “Lord of the Flies” fanfiction.
Another thing that bothered me was the world-building & setting. We have a group of teenagers in a remote camp somewhere in England. They have no outside contact. However, there are hints about the outside. I think it was some kind of dystopian society or weird future in which the army has control of everything. To be honest, this information didn’t really play an essential role in the plot. Furthermore, it was riddled with more holes than a rotting piece of wood. Maybe it was part of the ‘charm’ of this whole book, but the fact that we know practically nothing about the world was just irritating and leaves the reader feeling very displaced.
Overall, I think this book was a very confusing jumble of inarticulate writing, one-dimensional characters, and hole-riddled plot with no sense of purpose or direction. Some people may think that it’s a masterpiece of lyrical writing and perfect plot, but I’d be inclined to disagree. Unfortunately, this just isn’t for me.
Thank you to the publisher, Bloomsbury, for providing me with a review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I'm sorry. I just can't. I tried so hard to like this book. There were so many positive reviews, the blurb & cover were attractive, and it generally looked like such an appealing book. I felt like I found my perfect read. However, I couldn't have been more wrong.
Most of the people said they flew through this book. I, however, felt like I was swimming through mud. This book ruined my reading pace by being so sluggish and slow. I'd keep checking how many pages were left every 20 minutes. And let me tell you, that definitely was no fun. What was even more baffling was the amount of 3-5 star reviews this book received. The praise was rolling in like waves in a thunderstorm and I have no idea why.
First of all, the writing style of this book is either going to make it or break it for you. I consider myself part of the latter group. I was so put off by the writing style; it was just too disconcerting. Were the run-on sentences supposed to be lyrical? Poetic? Frankly, I'd rather read my English textbook. This book is inundated with overtly descriptive paragraphs that'll bore you to death, and (see above) nonsensical run-on sentences that are more confusing than informative. I'll admit though, sometimes these sentences take a turn into the 'beautiful and lyrical' territory, but more often than not, that isn't the case. They just left me scratching my head in puzzlement. Here's an example from the prologue:
"Mum was flat out on the floor. She'd spilt something and was caught in a half-thought going under the bed [...] the sticky was growing and it branched out like creeping fingers under the rug and the boy shouted for her but it was too late, the bed had her."
It was supposed to resemble some kind of poetic imagery, but all it did was make me think "What the hell did I just read?"
Also, I'm not sure if this was because of the writing style or something else, but I felt absolutely nothing for the characters. I kept waiting for something to happen but... Nope, nothing. Nada, zero, zilch. I never connected with any of the characters and I just felt like I was watching them from afar. I thought that they'd maybe gain more depth as the book progresses, but unfortunately that didn't happen. The main character made me uncomfortable. He was weird. Not quirky. Just plain old weird - synonymous to creepy. There was nothing that made me relate to any of the characters or even like them; they really grated on my nerves.
Maybe I could've forgiven the above points if the book even had a purpose or anything remotely resembling a plot, but that aspect also disappointed. This is the kind of book that'd have you thinking Oh maybe it'll get better in a few pages. And Maybe the next chapter? And Something's going to happen now, I feel it. But you're already at the end and you feel nothing. For all you know, you could've just read through a bibliography without knowing the difference.
One of the things that my English teacher continuously emphasized was that a plot always had to have rising action that led to a climax and, in turn, a resolution. That wasn't present in this book. When we discover who killed the MC's parents, I was just like "You don't say?!" There was no buildup and it was so clearly obvious from the start that I wasn't sure if he was being seriously surprised or not. It was so boring and nothing like what the blurb promised. Where was the revenge-quest? All we got was some type of “Lord of the Flies” fanfiction.
Another thing that bothered me was the world-building & setting. We have a group of teenagers in a remote camp somewhere in England. They have no outside contact. However, there are hints about the outside. I think it was some kind of dystopian society or weird future in which the army has control of everything. To be honest, this information didn’t really play an essential role in the plot. Furthermore, it was riddled with more holes than a rotting piece of wood. Maybe it was part of the ‘charm’ of this whole book, but the fact that we know practically nothing about the world was just irritating and leaves the reader feeling very displaced.
Overall, I think this book was a very confusing jumble of inarticulate writing, one-dimensional characters, and hole-riddled plot with no sense of purpose or direction. Some people may think that it’s a masterpiece of lyrical writing and perfect plot, but I’d be inclined to disagree. Unfortunately, this just isn’t for me.
Thank you to the publisher, Bloomsbury, for providing me with a review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
carolyn0613's review against another edition
2.0
The book did not grab me and I didn't finish it. What I read was well written but I didn't engage with the character.
powisamy's review against another edition
Review to come...
When I first started this, I was interested in it because obviously the rating is not the best and I was wanted to know why. I was even intrigued as the beginning was quite promising and I found that I was actually enjoying the book. But I think this kind of goes downhill.
The plot goes to places that I would have never have guessed and yeah it is pretty weird. While it goes this, I did find it enjoyable, but I think what is more it gives you information about the farm that they are on and does very little with this. I think if this was developed it may have been quite different and I would feel a different way about it.
Although the characters are not developed wholly, I did enjoy what we did get of them and I liked the kind of found family elements that are weaved into the story. Trey is a somewhat a unique character but again he is kind of a product of the writing, in the sense that it is poetic and lyrical and no teenage boy would actually speak like that. I also did like Lamby and the whole ending was quite gripping and hopeful.
As I briefly mentioned before one of the highlights of this book was the writing. The opening of the book was really beautiful and although this led to a slight disconnect at the end, I do think that the writing was one of the strong points throughout.
The Verdict:
The Light that Get's Lost is an interesting story that explores what happens when you find your tribe in the oddest of places.
When I first started this, I was interested in it because obviously the rating is not the best and I was wanted to know why. I was even intrigued as the beginning was quite promising and I found that I was actually enjoying the book. But I think this kind of goes downhill.
The plot goes to places that I would have never have guessed and yeah it is pretty weird. While it goes this, I did find it enjoyable, but I think what is more it gives you information about the farm that they are on and does very little with this. I think if this was developed it may have been quite different and I would feel a different way about it.
Although the characters are not developed wholly, I did enjoy what we did get of them and I liked the kind of found family elements that are weaved into the story. Trey is a somewhat a unique character but again he is kind of a product of the writing, in the sense that it is poetic and lyrical and no teenage boy would actually speak like that. I also did like Lamby and the whole ending was quite gripping and hopeful.
As I briefly mentioned before one of the highlights of this book was the writing. The opening of the book was really beautiful and although this led to a slight disconnect at the end, I do think that the writing was one of the strong points throughout.
The Verdict:
The Light that Get's Lost is an interesting story that explores what happens when you find your tribe in the oddest of places.
borrowers_bookshelf's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 stars
It took me a little while to get into this book, mostly due to the writing style. I struggled a bit with the accent of the dialogue and all the run-on sentences. I understand that both of these were deliberate, but they did make it a bit harder to read.
It was around the 30% mark that I started getting interested in the story and the characters. I particularly liked the character of Lamby, as he had a certain childish innocence and playfulness about him, even though he'd been through a lot. The main character, Trey, was a little harder to like. His obsession with revenge and all his talk about this inner demon got rather tedious after awhile. After that settled down, I really enjoyed the ending, where he came to realise the futility of holding on to the awful things in his past, and instead focused on the future; I think there is a great lesson in that.
It was hard for me to decide on a rating for this book. I enjoyed how the story developed in the second half, and if it was just up to that, I would have rated it 4 stars. However, I can't ignore the fact that the writing style was a little challenging to read through. It took me quite a while to get used to it, so I didn't really enjoy the beginning; it nearly made me not want to continue reading. Thankfully, I did push on.
If I were to read this book again, I would no doubt enjoy it more, as I would already be accustomed to Carthew's particular style of storytelling.
Overall, I think this is quite a good novel and has a nice non-traditional coming-of-age feel about it.
*I received a copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*
It took me a little while to get into this book, mostly due to the writing style. I struggled a bit with the accent of the dialogue and all the run-on sentences. I understand that both of these were deliberate, but they did make it a bit harder to read.
It was around the 30% mark that I started getting interested in the story and the characters. I particularly liked the character of Lamby, as he had a certain childish innocence and playfulness about him, even though he'd been through a lot. The main character, Trey, was a little harder to like. His obsession with revenge and all his talk about this inner demon got rather tedious after awhile. After that settled down, I really enjoyed the ending, where he came to realise the futility of holding on to the awful things in his past, and instead focused on the future; I think there is a great lesson in that.
It was hard for me to decide on a rating for this book. I enjoyed how the story developed in the second half, and if it was just up to that, I would have rated it 4 stars. However, I can't ignore the fact that the writing style was a little challenging to read through. It took me quite a while to get used to it, so I didn't really enjoy the beginning; it nearly made me not want to continue reading. Thankfully, I did push on.
If I were to read this book again, I would no doubt enjoy it more, as I would already be accustomed to Carthew's particular style of storytelling.
Overall, I think this is quite a good novel and has a nice non-traditional coming-of-age feel about it.
*I received a copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*
olegeorgine's review against another edition
1.0
Read 33 pages and I was already sick of the writing style, so I gave in. This has to be the record for the least amount of pages I've read before dropping a book by far.
So apparently this is set in England?? Well, apart from "innit" I have never heard any English person talk like the characters in this book in my 18 years of living here. I've heard Americans talking like that, but no Brits.
Also, if this is set down south like everyone I know is saying, I've never heard a southerner say "innit" since it's a very Northern word.
But anyway, I couldn't stand this books writing style at all. It's a shame because I was really looking forward to reading it. The cover is amazing and the blurb really pulled me in, the concept is good as well but it's just so poorly executed.
Never been so glad a book was free in my life.
So apparently this is set in England?? Well, apart from "innit" I have never heard any English person talk like the characters in this book in my 18 years of living here. I've heard Americans talking like that, but no Brits.
Also, if this is set down south like everyone I know is saying, I've never heard a southerner say "innit" since it's a very Northern word.
But anyway, I couldn't stand this books writing style at all. It's a shame because I was really looking forward to reading it. The cover is amazing and the blurb really pulled me in, the concept is good as well but it's just so poorly executed.
Never been so glad a book was free in my life.
chluless's review against another edition
3.0
First of all I want to thank Goodreads first reads and the publisher Bloomsbury for sending me this book in exchange for an honest review.
This book is very difficult for me to review, I usually fly through books of any length in a matter of hours to a day or two. However it took around a month for me to finish The Light That Gets Lost.
Let me explain why, the first half of the book was slow, hard to get lost in and truthfully I felt bored and disconnected from the story. I simply did not care about the characters. Frankly the writing itself was a little confusing at times. Yes, it was a little lyrical but at other times it was just lost to me.
For example:
"Mum was flat out on the floor. She'd spilt something and was caught in a half-thought going under the bed ... the sticky was growing and it branched out like creeping fingers under the rug and the boy shouted for her but it was too late, the bed had her."
Sorry, what?
Trey, the main character was so focused on revenge and the demon inside metaphor that he was just tedious to read about after a while. I understand it is a massive component of the plot but it was so intense and repetitive that it was just annoying.
And the backstory, nada, it was completely non-existent. The camp felt dystopian but there was no context. Only facts thrown into the storyline that made little sense, all of the relevant information was rushed and crammed into a sentence or two. No explanations. I feel like this would make a lot more sense if paired with a sequel.
But the second half felt like I was reading a completely different novel. The plot picked up gradually in this half and the last couple of chapters were great. Action-packed , suspenseful and interesting.
WHY WAS THE REST OF THE BOOK NOT LIKE THIS?
It seemed that the novel had no rising action, no build up. It was just a rambling description with the odd good page until the final few chapters where the climax came out of nowhere.
Without the second half my rating would have been a solid 1 star, no hesitations. However because I pushed on and found the second half was to good to ignore. Yet the first half was to bad to ignore.
2.5 stars from me.
This book is very difficult for me to review, I usually fly through books of any length in a matter of hours to a day or two. However it took around a month for me to finish The Light That Gets Lost.
Let me explain why, the first half of the book was slow, hard to get lost in and truthfully I felt bored and disconnected from the story. I simply did not care about the characters. Frankly the writing itself was a little confusing at times. Yes, it was a little lyrical but at other times it was just lost to me.
For example:
"Mum was flat out on the floor. She'd spilt something and was caught in a half-thought going under the bed ... the sticky was growing and it branched out like creeping fingers under the rug and the boy shouted for her but it was too late, the bed had her."
Sorry, what?
Trey, the main character was so focused on revenge and the demon inside metaphor that he was just tedious to read about after a while. I understand it is a massive component of the plot but it was so intense and repetitive that it was just annoying.
And the backstory, nada, it was completely non-existent. The camp felt dystopian but there was no context. Only facts thrown into the storyline that made little sense, all of the relevant information was rushed and crammed into a sentence or two. No explanations. I feel like this would make a lot more sense if paired with a sequel.
But the second half felt like I was reading a completely different novel. The plot picked up gradually in this half and the last couple of chapters were great. Action-packed , suspenseful and interesting.
WHY WAS THE REST OF THE BOOK NOT LIKE THIS?
It seemed that the novel had no rising action, no build up. It was just a rambling description with the odd good page until the final few chapters where the climax came out of nowhere.
Without the second half my rating would have been a solid 1 star, no hesitations. However because I pushed on and found the second half was to good to ignore. Yet the first half was to bad to ignore.
2.5 stars from me.
rachelhaylee's review against another edition
3.0
I gave this book as many chances as I could possible give it, but it just wasn't the book for me.
That's not to say there is anything wrong with the story, it was quite interesting and the writing style was very unique, but it just wasn't my type of story.
I gave up at about half way, and I feel guilty for doing so, but I just didn't connect with the characters and became bored of the story.
That's not to say there is anything wrong with the story, it was quite interesting and the writing style was very unique, but it just wasn't my type of story.
I gave up at about half way, and I feel guilty for doing so, but I just didn't connect with the characters and became bored of the story.
yvo_about_books's review against another edition
1.0
Finished reading: February 16th 2017
“His life had been set upon by circumstances beyond his control. He wasn't ad for the kick of things; he'd grown bad like bacteria on foul meat.”
Spoiler
As part of the Beat The Backlist challenge I've joined this year, I've been browsing my kindle a lot lately. I stumbled upon The Light That Gets Lost just as I was looking for my next read, and I was intrigued by the the title and the cover. Confession: I didn't check what the book was exactly about nor did I realize it had a very low goodreads rating, or I might have doubted my rash decision. Because I ended up being just as lost as the light in the title. Basically it's a miracle I even made it to the end, because I had a REALLY hard time reading this story. First of all, I had a really strong dislike for the writing style. The dialogue overflows with 'slang' and bad grammar and instead of creating a 'youthful' vibe the only thing I felt was extremely annoyed. It's also quite confusing what's really going on with the main character, what on earth he is doing at the camp and how such camp even exists in the first place. Is The Light That Gets Lost actually set in an dystopian world? Is Trey just messed up or has he really a demon inside him? If I have to be honest, in the end I think I just really don't care... Because instead of losing me halfway through, I think The Light That Gets Lost has never had me in the first place.
When Trey is only a little boy, he witnesses something no child should ever see. Because as he is hidden in a cupboard, he hears his mother and father being killed brutally at home. And even though he is small, he makes a promise to himself he will get revenge one day. Years later, he might be able to come closer to that goal. Trey enters a strange camp meant for troubled teenagers. He has been in and out of trouble ever since he witnessed the murders, but he isn't at the camp to be saved. Instead, he is sure he will find the man who killed his parents at the camp. Will he be able to do just so?
The title and cover draw you right in and the blurb still sounds pretty good, but I can't say I actually enjoyed reading this novel. The Light That Gets Lost has a writing style that either works for you, or will curl your toes as the 'slang' and bad grammar dialogues pile up. The story doesn't really make a lot of sense and I'm still not exactly sure if this is supposed to be dystopian or just a really messed up 'realistic' fiction story... I'm sure the right person will probably enjoy this a lot better, but The Light That Gets Lost definitely wasn't my cup of tea.
P.S. Find more of my reviews here.
kba76's review against another edition
2.0
Wanted to like this book, but it didn't quite work for me.
Trey was an interesting character and I thought the section towards the end of the story was well-written. Unfortunately the basic idea seemed too far-fetched and I felt the story never got started.
Trey was an interesting character and I thought the section towards the end of the story was well-written. Unfortunately the basic idea seemed too far-fetched and I felt the story never got started.
meegzreads's review against another edition
1.0
ARC kindly provided via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review
I started reading this and immediately didn't like the writing style. I tried going on for a few pages, but I can't get into books with this kind of writing. Trey's memory at the beginning was explained in what I think was supposed to be a child's point of view, but in my opinion wasn't written well enough to come across in a way that hooks you and makes you hold on.
Trey as an adolescent seems to come across in third person, and although less jumpy, is still written in a writing style I can't get into, or find myself being hooked on.
I like to get hooked into a story right from the start, and this one just doesn't have that feeling, so I'm putting it down. A great theory for a book, and for those who enjoy this writing style, its probably a great story. Just not for me.
I started reading this and immediately didn't like the writing style. I tried going on for a few pages, but I can't get into books with this kind of writing. Trey's memory at the beginning was explained in what I think was supposed to be a child's point of view, but in my opinion wasn't written well enough to come across in a way that hooks you and makes you hold on.
Trey as an adolescent seems to come across in third person, and although less jumpy, is still written in a writing style I can't get into, or find myself being hooked on.
I like to get hooked into a story right from the start, and this one just doesn't have that feeling, so I'm putting it down. A great theory for a book, and for those who enjoy this writing style, its probably a great story. Just not for me.