Title: This Raging Light
Author: Estelle Laure
Genre: YA Contemporary
Publisher: HMH Books for Young Readers
Publisher: HMH Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: December 22nd, 2015
Page Count: 288 pages
Format: eARC
Source: Netgalley
Summary:
Can the best thing happen at the worst time?Her dad went crazy. Her mom left town. She has bills to pay and a little sister to look after. Now is not the time for level-headed seventeen-year-old Lucille to fall in love. But love—messy, inconvenient love—is what she’s about to experience when she falls for Digby Jones, her best friend’s brother. With blazing longing that builds to a fever pitch, Estelle Laure’s soulful debut will keep readers hooked and hoping until the very last page.
*The Reader’s Review*
My rating: 4/5 stars
I read This Raging Light back in the summer, when I was feeling slightly uninspired and in the mood for something that would rattle me to the core or make me feel. I wanted a thoughtful story. I wanted something that would stay with me. This Raging Light gave that to me beautifully.
This book shined (to me) because it’s not really about the romance, but about family relationships and how far you’d go to take care of your loved ones. I loved Lucille’s character and all her effort to keep things under control after her mom disappears and her dad goes berserk. It tugged my heartstrings how much she and her little sister, Wren, struggle to survive on their own for the first few days and then, to accept that life may never be the way it used to be.
Lucille may not be the best person in the world, but she’s a fighter. I don’t think I will ever be half as strong as she is. Every time she would break I wanted to jump inside the book and hug her with all my might. I learned to care for her in such a short time, like if she were my best friend. Like Eden (her BFF), I may not have always agreed with her choices, but I always wanted what’s best for her.
I also wanted to make little Wren laugh and give her all the stars. She’s one awesome kid and I loved her personality. Wish she were my little sister!
The romance in This Raging Light is messy and complicated. It’s sort of unfair to certain parties and not the kind of love story you’d want for yourself. I felt bad about wanting Lucille and Digby (the love interest) together. They’re good together, but the circumstances made it all look bad. However, I can’t deny I always looked forward to their scenes together. If only things could have been better.
This Raging Light is a book that will leave it’s mark on you. It certainly left it on me. It gives you great characters in a horrible circumstance that will make your heart ache for a while but will slowly heal once you realize good things CAN happen on the worst times. I certainly recommend it!
“Be bold and mighty forces will come to your aid.” – This Raging Light
I was really excited for this one but then read some not so good reviews and that sort of put me off…. I'm glad you loved this one!
Aww, it just depends on what you want to focus on with this book. If you are looking for romance, then yeah, it will be a sort of disappointment because it's not all fireworks, but if you want to focus on relationships and sibling love, then you'll enjoy it. 🙂
I like the sound of the sibling relationship being highlighted – would love to see this happen more in YA!
Tanya @ Girl Plus Books