The Lightkeeper’s Daughters
Jean E. Pendziwol
Morgan is going to spend some time repainting the wall she put graffiti on at a Retirement home. Instead, she also finds herself reading old journals to Elizabeth, a Lightkeeper’s daughter. Those journals may hold the secrets to Elizabeth’s past – and maybe help Morgan work towards her future.
I’ll admit, it took me a bit of reading to really get into this novel. I’d picked it up before, but just hadn’t been in the mood for reading alternative character perspectives interspersed with journal entries. I got into it though, and it was seamless transitions after that. They all had a distinct voice and it kept me reading constantly until the end.
Morgan tries to be a hardened foster kid, but really struggles. It just takes a few little pokes for her attitude to change. Honestly, I expected more drama from Morgan’s boyfriend. He didn’t seem like the type to let go easily. But I was so proud of her!
Well, I’m not sure about whether the ending should be considered a twist or not. I didn’t find myself surprised by the way things worked out – this is a novel after all, and things just usually happen to fall that way! Maybe if you pay really close attention, the details will click early for you as well.
I’m giving this 4 stars. Fantastic writing that made for fantastic reading. This novel reminds me of the novel that took an alternative perspective on the Titanic’s sinking – The Midnight Watch. If you enjoy boats, water and an intriguing story line, this novel is for you.
Hachette Australia | 1st July 2017 | AU$29.99 | paperback
Hmm, where to start with this novel. Maya had a unique viewpoint, but one that anyone could relate with. We all have friends that our parents hate, or hobbies that they don’t approve of, and of course bullying to contend with. I started empathizing with Maya so much that at one point of the novel I was really worried for her safety!
Generally I don’t read graphic novels. But because this one was based on a novel, it seemed like there would be a decent storyline to follow. Everyone knows I’m all about the words, not the art. Not to say the art in this was bad – it was actually nice and clear. I felt like I wanted to know more after reading/viewing this. It left me with more questions than answers. For example, why was Parvana’s friend so willing to give away his father? Why did Parvana’s mother not do anything more? How can she be so calm?
I can’t believe I read a novel all about one man’s inability to raise his dong. At the beginning I almost stopped reading, in fact I moved the novel into the ‘will not finish’ pile. But for some reason I then came back and finished it off. Maybe my curiosity about how Ajo Kawir was possibly going to get his pecker working again did me in.
Flicking back and forth between Sparrow’s present and past, this novel had the potential to endlessly entertain a reader. Not me though. I couldn’t finish reading it. Sparrow’s constant internal monologue that was supposed to take the place of a spoken voice set me on edge.
Most people will know Anne Cassidy from 
This novel has a nice range of character situations, but ultimately all of the characters end up blurring into one. Leo is gay, has relationship problems & isn’t sure about college. Alice is straight, can’t get the relationship she wants & ends up being unsure about college. Teddy is just off the rails and an idiot. Can’t you listen to the adults around you? Your friends? He just made me angry, and I only kept reading for Alice (who ended up being useless anyway).
This novel just wasn’t breathtaking. It’s a typical love story where the girl moves cities to near her online boyfriend… without telling him. Then she wants to stalk him to find him in real life. Instead, she happens to meet the most annoying boy in the world. Then of course, it all turns out exactly as you would expect with no cliffhangers or doubt.
From the intermittent parts of this novel that I have read, Libby is a nice enough 8th grader who is just really pliable when it comes to helping her big sister out. After I read the first chapter out loud, I then missed a bunch of chapters up to chapter 8. However, it seemed like nothing had even happened in the novel! This is not a fast-paced enough novel for me.
So many lies! So many betrayals! So many twists! So much still unsaid! This novel was filled with excited Ollie chatter, and it filled me with his infectious glee as well. And of course, Moritz’s mainly calming influence. Two boys who grow up (at least a little bit), by facing the world. And just because they are different doesn’t mean that they don’t face the usual teenage problems like falling in love or learning how to deal with school