What Light by Jay AsherPublication Date: October 18, 2016
Page Count: 256
Published by: Razorbill
Source: borrowed from library
Synopsis from Goodreads:
Sierra's family runs a Christmas tree farm in Oregon—it's a bucolic setting for a girl to grow up in, except that every year, they pack up and move to California to set up their Christmas tree lot for the season. So Sierra lives two lives: her life in Oregon and her life at Christmas. And leaving one always means missing the other.
Until this particular Christmas, when Sierra meets Caleb, and one life eclipses the other.
By reputation, Caleb is not your perfect guy: years ago, he made an enormous mistake and has been paying for it ever since. But Sierra sees beyond Caleb's past and becomes determined to help him find forgiveness and, maybe, redemption. As disapproval, misconceptions, and suspicions swirl around them, Caleb and Sierra discover the one thing that transcends all else: true love.
What Light is a love story that's moving and life-affirming and completely unforgettable.
I had a hard time getting into What Light at first because it started feeling like an 'issues' book. I was looking for something lighter for the holidays, so I put it down for about 10 days. When I started reading it again, something just clicked and I was able to finish the book in one sitting. It turned out to be better than I originally thought it would, but that's not saying much.
I enjoyed the idea of this story, the interesting setting, and the overall Christmas-y feel. However, most of the story didn't ring true, which really bothered me. I also didn't feel anything for any of the characters. They didn't annoy me, which was great, but I failed to connect with anyone. It's hard to muster excitement for a book when you don't care about the characters or what happens to them.
Despite the slow start, I liked this book well enough. Maybe my expectations were too high for my first holiday book of the season.
My rating: 3 stars
The feeling when we didn't manage to connect with any of the characters... but glad you still like the book. Thanks for sharing your review! :)
ReplyDeleteAt first I thought it was just me failing at connecting. But when I started reading again, I realized the author never really got past the surface of most of the characters. There wasn't really anything to like about anyone. This is my first book by this author, so I wasn't sure what to expect.
Deleteit is really hard when there is no connection. I still want to read this for the holidays but not sure I will have time. glad you enjoyed it enough.
ReplyDeleteIt's really short! And easy to read. It really didn't take me long to read at all. And, like you, I wanted to read this for the holidays. I liked the Christmas tree lot aspect because it was different and interesting.
Delete