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chaptersofmads 's review for:
The Lamplighter
by Crystal J. Bell
dark
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
“There's an evil in Warbler, and I am the only one who knows about it.”
ARC provided via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.
Incredibly sad to say that I truly, wholeheartedly disliked everything about this book.
I keep writing and rewriting this review because I feel I am coming off too harsh and that's never my intention. However, I also don't know how to express any of my feelings on this book without sounding incredibly harsh.
The characters were dull, insufferable, and incapable of making a single good decision. The pacing was an absolute mess. The suspense was non-existent. The conversations on feminism and misogyny were so incredibly poorly handled that it would be impressive, if I wasn't so disheartened by it. The suicide plotline is used as a jump-scare throughout the novel.
There's also a weird element that makes it feel like age doesn't exist in this world. Whenever there are flashbacks to when Temperance was 16, she was seen as a child (which is correct) but then her 16 year old sister is in a rush to get married to the same man that took advantage of her sister, and none of the adults have a problem with it, simply because they want to get married first?
On that topic, assault is mentioned so often that it almost loses any poignancy. This, connected with Temperance lying (/telling partial truths) to her little sister about her experiences* making the assault seem like it was really just a case of her getting her feelings hurt, was just... painful in every way.
*I don't believe survivors are ever required to share their stories with anyone. However, in what world would you try to warn your sister away from your abuser by making it sound like he simply rebuffed your attentions? And then she had the audacity to be upset that no one listened to her or took her seriously. (Not that her sister would have, even if she had told her the truth. Her sister was a trash character with zero redeemable qualities, that probably would have lit other women on fire to keep a known abuser warm but! I still think everything should have been handled differently.)
Overall, I'm clearly in the minority when it comes to this book and I truly wish I had something positive to say about it, other than 'that's a lovely cover'. Unfortunately, I don't and I genuinely cannot think of a person that I would ever suggest this to.
I'm grateful for the chance to read it, but I'm even more grateful to be done.
ARC provided via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.
Incredibly sad to say that I truly, wholeheartedly disliked everything about this book.
I keep writing and rewriting this review because I feel I am coming off too harsh and that's never my intention. However, I also don't know how to express any of my feelings on this book without sounding incredibly harsh.
The characters were dull, insufferable, and incapable of making a single good decision. The pacing was an absolute mess. The suspense was non-existent. The conversations on feminism and misogyny were so incredibly poorly handled that it would be impressive, if I wasn't so disheartened by it. The suicide plotline is used as a jump-scare throughout the novel.
There's also a weird element that makes it feel like age doesn't exist in this world. Whenever there are flashbacks to when Temperance was 16, she was seen as a child (which is correct) but then her 16 year old sister is in a rush to get married to the same man that took advantage of her sister, and none of the adults have a problem with it, simply because they want to get married first?
On that topic, assault is mentioned so often that it almost loses any poignancy. This, connected with Temperance lying (/telling partial truths) to her little sister about her experiences* making the assault seem like it was really just a case of her getting her feelings hurt, was just... painful in every way.
*I don't believe survivors are ever required to share their stories with anyone. However, in what world would you try to warn your sister away from your abuser by making it sound like he simply rebuffed your attentions? And then she had the audacity to be upset that no one listened to her or took her seriously. (Not that her sister would have, even if she had told her the truth. Her sister was a trash character with zero redeemable qualities, that probably would have lit other women on fire to keep a known abuser warm but! I still think everything should have been handled differently.)
Overall, I'm clearly in the minority when it comes to this book and I truly wish I had something positive to say about it, other than 'that's a lovely cover'. Unfortunately, I don't and I genuinely cannot think of a person that I would ever suggest this to.
I'm grateful for the chance to read it, but I'm even more grateful to be done.