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A review by killerwhalie
There Is A Light by Ban Gilmartin
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
“You can’t say you’re living for others and simultaneously hide from life and hope it won’t find you. Other people can be your push, but you have to do it yourself. You have to face your life and take control of it. You have to try."
You can tell that Gilmartin loves crafting a story around a setting. You're right in Edinburgh with Jamie and Jude--from the fictional Embra Books to the iconic Salisbury Crags, Gilmartin has a knack for pulling the reader into the world of the story. Weak Heart was the same, but where I felt that debut lacked in delivering satisfying character arcs, There is a Light excelled. Jamie and Jude are so tangible. From jump, Gilmartin uses their narrative voices to show how different they think and the different backgrounds they come from. Even with spare details of their histories, you can tell how differently they grew up from how they express themselves in their own heads. I think some readers may be turned away by how small of a story this is--I think that's both its biggest strength and weakness. If you aren't invested in the characters, you probably won't enjoy this story. It reads a little like a bookshop AU fanfiction, honestly, but that isn't a bad thing! You just have to know the kind of story you're getting into. There is no grand plot or singular, terrible trauma that crafts the world. Jamie and Jude have both suffered in mundane ways, they have normal issues, and they don't find perfectly wrapped solutions to their issues by the end of the story. Love doesn't save the day and there isn't a happily ever after. But this book allows its characters to do what so much new contemporary fiction doesn't--maybe for fear of coming across as too trite or artless, I don't know--it lets Jamie and Jude try to be happy. It isn't easy, and they don't just decide to go for it and find that all their problems are solved. It's realistic. The characters experience pain and anguish, but they're also allowed to just enjoy simple joys. Finding community with people who understand you. Discussing shitty vampire romance. Climbing high enough to a view that lets you see how far you've come. And even if it's a little cheesy: discovering that even in a dreary, dark winter in Edinburgh, there is a light.
You can tell that Gilmartin loves crafting a story around a setting. You're right in Edinburgh with Jamie and Jude--from the fictional Embra Books to the iconic Salisbury Crags, Gilmartin has a knack for pulling the reader into the world of the story. Weak Heart was the same, but where I felt that debut lacked in delivering satisfying character arcs, There is a Light excelled. Jamie and Jude are so tangible. From jump, Gilmartin uses their narrative voices to show how different they think and the different backgrounds they come from. Even with spare details of their histories, you can tell how differently they grew up from how they express themselves in their own heads. I think some readers may be turned away by how small of a story this is--I think that's both its biggest strength and weakness. If you aren't invested in the characters, you probably won't enjoy this story. It reads a little like a bookshop AU fanfiction, honestly, but that isn't a bad thing! You just have to know the kind of story you're getting into. There is no grand plot or singular, terrible trauma that crafts the world. Jamie and Jude have both suffered in mundane ways, they have normal issues, and they don't find perfectly wrapped solutions to their issues by the end of the story. Love doesn't save the day and there isn't a happily ever after. But this book allows its characters to do what so much new contemporary fiction doesn't--maybe for fear of coming across as too trite or artless, I don't know--it lets Jamie and Jude try to be happy. It isn't easy, and they don't just decide to go for it and find that all their problems are solved. It's realistic. The characters experience pain and anguish, but they're also allowed to just enjoy simple joys. Finding community with people who understand you. Discussing shitty vampire romance. Climbing high enough to a view that lets you see how far you've come. And even if it's a little cheesy: discovering that even in a dreary, dark winter in Edinburgh, there is a light.