The publisher gave me a copy of this book to read and review from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This has, in no way, altered my opinion of the book.
A Sudden Light revolves around a
14 year old boy named Trevor Riddell, who sluggishly trails along
with his father, Jones, to Seattle whilst his mother returns to England. What awaits them in Seattle is a terribly decrepit mansion.
Riddell House. Former home of the wealthy Elijah Riddell, head of the
Riddell Timber company, which now serves as the dwelling place of his
descendants. Early on, Trevor faintly detests living where his father spent his childhood.
What he would like more than anything
is the reunion of his currently separated parents, but what we want
is not always what we get. Trevor becomes entangled with every
complication that could be thrown his way, all while in the company
of his demented Grandpa Samuel and perfect Aunt Serena. Jones and
Serena see Riddell House as an opportunity. To them, there is only
one option: sell the house and property for developmental
“McMansions” and send Grandpa Samuel to an elderly living
facility. Trevor soon discovers that developing the land is not what
his forefathers had in mind.
On his path to do the “right thing”
– Trevor uncovers more than he bargained for. Secrets. Lies.
Scandal. Ghosts. In a world where everything is connected, Trevor
must determine whether the present will corrupt the past, and what
can be done to ensure his family's future.
I'm going to try to explain my feelings
for this novel in a calm, spoiler free manner. I thought A Sudden
Light was engaging, touching, and crafted beautifully. Books that evoke raw emotions are hard to come by for me,
so once I neared the end, I was surprised that tears were welling up
in my eyes. What I love the most is that Garth Stein included every
relationship there is. Familial relationships. Romantic
relationships. Friendships. All around “-ships.”
The family dynamic and dichotomy was on
point. I'm glad that I've been reading more family oriented stories
as opposed to romantically driven ones. Let me tell you, four hundred
something pages is not a lot of time to develop as many characters as
Stein did, but he managed. Everyone was so formed. Trevor grew in his
relationship with his father. His father even grew with his own dad,
Grandpa Samuel. We saw the bond form between Ben and Harry as well as
Ben and Elijah. Then there was Serena, who I thought was sketch from
day one. I'll leave it at that.
Trevor was a strong narrator. I'm
pleased that Stein made his character on the younger side but kept
him well spoken and up to pace with the older family members. While
it is mostly viewed as regular literary fiction, there were
paranormal aspects. I personally think the ghostly elements added to
the narrative, specifically the first half of the book. Continuing
through A Sudden Light, I can confidently say that the second
half is better than the first. Suddenly (watch out, it's getting
punny), a new light shone down, and the speed increased drastically.
I hate diary entries. Sometimes,
rarely, they make the plot more interesting. In this case, they
killed me. I don't mind one or two, but when there are more than
five, it's a problem. Actually, let me rephrase that. It's only a
problem when they're boring. But it definitely had everything to do
with the wording of the entries. On the other hand, the language was
meant to reflect that of the early 1900s in the diary sections, so I
hereby cut Garth Stein some slack.
I can't say much more without revealing
spoilers, so I'll conclude with the following 1) This book is breathtakingly beautiful 2) Garth Stein is the homie
because we both live in Washington 3) Another reason Garth Stein is
the homie is because this story takes place in Seattle and I love
Seattle.
Furthermore, I need to read the rest of
his books.
5 out of 5 stars
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