Under the Light

[Some Spoilers]

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A ghost story that you won't forget anytime soon!

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 Laura Whitcomb finished the story in a truly elegant sequel to A Certain Slant of Light. I am dying for a film adaptation! The character development was flawless and believable and tied in so nicely with book one. The first book was such a well-balanced ghost story with just the right amount of detail, that I worried a sequel would push the limits and be too far-fetched. But Under the Light was the perfect mix of romance and darkness and so many complex relationships. I didn’t want it to end, but it did so perfectly that I couldn’t be too upset. 

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It made so much sense that Helen would return to help Jenny. It wouldn't have been true to her character if she stayed away and lived happily ever after. James wasn’t really in the story, but that just worked too. It let Helen’s character develop further and he still had a presence that was believable. I LOVED Billy and Jenny and I was not expecting that. I expected to compare them to Helen and James and to want to rush through their storyline, but I was so invested! Their chemistry was similar to James and Helen’s but they had their own unique connection that made sense for their backgrounds and their ages. So well-developed!

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The true monster in this ghost story? Not the ghosts… Jenny’s father. What a chilling villain! He made me root for Jenny so much harder. This could be considered just a romance or just a ghost story, and the book would still be great, but there are a lot of complicated, dark undertones that Whitcomb navigates effortlessly. It’s ultimately a coming-of-age story that I definitely recommend.

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One of my favorite quotes from the book: "Time is a ribbon, a delicate organdy, so thin that you can see through it to the layer of time below and the layer above. Moments overlapping, lying on top of each other.”