A good 'slice-of-life' novel about a man who's greatest fear of the world ending is coming true, his wife who has either blind optimism or transcended anxiety, and their kids who are just so sick of their shit.

Wonderfully characterized (but unlikeable) characters

The doomsday stuff was well written, if a little repetitive, but it definitely caused some anxiety in me so..

It took me forever to get into this, I felt like this could have been about 100 pages shorter and it wouldn't have affected my connection to any of the characters while increasing my enjoyment.

When The Lights Go Out follows a family in the run up to Christmas Day. Father, Chris is a landscaper who's work has been suffering over the past year due to the weather, in his newly found spare time he's trying to pull his family into being as self-sufficient as possible and preparing for a time when the power will fail and they'll need to rely on his stash of beans and rice kept in the garage.

Chris' wife Emma feels her protesting days are behind her and longs for quiet time in her sewing room. Up until now Emma has tolerated Chris' strange new behaviours but she's finding him more and more difficult to deal with.

The book follows the family in the week leading to Christmas as we see the tension mount; while Christmas can be a stressful time for any family its particularly compounded by Chris' increasingly odd behaviours, including bringing home several rabbits insisting they'll be raised to be eaten.

This was a bit of an emotional rollercoaster, some parts had me laughing out loud and the last couple of chapters had me unable to go to sleep until I'd finished. It was an ending my eyes couldn't read quick enough for how much my brain needed answers. The characters are incredibly believable, I want to give Emma the biggest hug (and maybe sit and do some crafting with her in the sewing room).

Overall I'm really glad I requested this, it felt like quite a seasonably appropriate book to read during autumn/winter, in our opening chapters there's non-stop rain and that was the exact weather we had the weekend I read this book. I wouldn't say this is a particularly festive read so even though it is set around Christmastime its by no means a light-hearted sing-song round the tree so maybe read this now or save it for the new year.

When the Lights Go Out is a story that hinges on the intricate details that make up human relationships. Chris and Emma are married with two sons. When Chris's snores and throat clicks keep her up at night, I had a wry smile as this is so relatable.

Chris is on a one man crusade to raise awareness with all that is wrong with the world. Emma is trying to keep afloat amidst his catastrophising, his stockpiling, and his latest venture - raising rabbits to kill for food. He also turns the boiler off, and surreptitiously switches off the power - all in an effort to save money as his work (as a gardener) dries up in response to the relentless rain.

As Christmas approaches and the family get together, tensions reach a climax and Emma ends up locking Chris in the garage. As the children play upstairs, the remaining adults are becoming sleepy and unresponsive.

This book is quite unlike anything I have read before. Uncertain at first, it was a slow burner and I really enjoyed the languid pace of the writing. Truely original and strangely enjoyable.

I just couldn’t get into this book.

This book appears to be about a failing marriage where both parties have very different views. Chris appears to be obsessed with climate change and, as he is struggling to find work, he throws his time and passion into protesting, much to the embarrassment of his wife, Emma.

And that’s it. As is often the case, I have read about 15 to 30mins before bed, however, I found myself not wanting to pick my Kindle up because I has no enjoyment for this book. I found that I couldn’t quite remember where the book had finished last and that I didn’t care.

The 1⭐️ Is because I gave up reading this book. I was either not in the right frame of mind, or this book just wasn’t for me because I have rad the other shining reviews. However, I have too many books to read something I am not enjoying.

Carys is a beautiful writer. She has created a novel that is so human, so touching and so vulnerable. I felt the despair that these characters felt, the loneliness, the anger, the frustration, I felt it all. Although this book is set in the lead up to Christmas, don’t confuse it for a typical, festive romance book. It’s not. It’s bleak. It needs to be read slowly so that the authenticity of Chris and Emma’s situation can be appreciated to the fullest. It’s more character driven than plot driven, so if you enjoy novels that focus on that, you may want to look at this one.

Sadly, this book really wasn't for me. The premise was intriguing, and I requested this book on NetGalley largely because I expected it to be a gripping exploration of an impending environmental apocalypse. Instead, I got a rather subdued (and if I'm honest, dull) family drama about how to cope in a marriage that feels like it's falling apart.

I personally found Emma and her faux environmental concern quite irritating - she constantly seems to feel guilty about not being green enough, but it's obviously a recent concern of hers, and it felt very much like the author read a 'how to turn your household green' article and wanting to drop in all those handy hints. Chris was also a pretty unlikeable character, full of dour pessimism and certainty about the end of the world (but sadly, not in an interesting way). As for the plot... well, there wasn't really one. It's very much a character driven novel, and sadly when you have characters as terrible as these, the resulting book is never going to be to everyone's taste. Unfortunately, this is not a book I can recommend.

Disclaimer - I was fortunate enough to be provided with an advance reading copy of this book by NetGalley. This has not affected my review in any way, and all opinions are my own.

A book for our times, especially these strange times, with real, flawed people. Families are not perfect no matter what Facebook tries to tell us and this is a good example of a family struggling to find a balance. Very well written, very honest, it is also a portrait of obsession that nearly proves fatal.

This is a book of how our world is right now and how we as a society choose to ignore, this book opens our eyes to see what is really happening and what is going to happen if we are not careful. A must read.

Emma and Chris are a married couple, going through troubled times and alongside this is a narrative on climate change, used as a metaphor for some of the issues.
It’s beautifully written but I found it a slog as there’s no real event as such, more, a narrative on relationships and the complexity therein.

I’m grateful to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to preview what, for me, was an ok read.

When the Lights Go Out is the story of Emma, Chris and their sons, Dylan and James, who are living in north west England during a very prolonged, unseasonal spell of heavy rainfall.
They do not see eye to eye about the climate change argument. Emma is the main breadwinner and seems to be holding the family together, while making small doable changes to their lifestyle such as recycling, using public transport and creating homemade gifts. Chris has lost a lot of his gardening work due to the effects of the inclement weather and subsequent flooding. He is taking extreme measures, such as stockpiling food in the garage and preaching in the street about the coming environmental apocalypse, regardless of the suffering he is inflicting on his family.
In the spirit of compromise, Emma has been putting up with Chris’s strange and obsessive behaviour, but eventually she reaches her ‘red line’ and he realizes he has gone too far. I won’t spoil it for you by saying any more.
The writing is very atmospheric – you can almost feel the dampness seeping into your bones – and the descriptions of Chris’s strange behaviour depict an evangelical obsession which echoes the religious zealotry displayed by his family (particularly his father) when he was growing up.
The pace is quite slow to begin with, and I found it took me a while to get into the story. The point of view is split between Emma and Chris, with occasional chapters from James, and Chris’s mother Janet. I found it quite hard to empathize with Chris’s fanatical obsession, as he could no longer see how his behaviour was affecting everyone else.
The story works on many levels: a family drama about a marriage under severe stress; all the differing views surrounding climate change; the effects of parents’ behaviour and beliefs on their children. It could have been quite a depressing tale, but is saved by the black humour.
I had not read anything by Carys Bray before, but will definitely try some of her previous books. Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC to review.

Not really the book to start reading at start of the pandemic! That said Carys Bray has a good insight into the emotions of people who are desperately trying to cope when way out of their comfort zone.
Emma an optimist is preparing for Christmas whilst worrying about her husband Chris who appears to be preparing for the end of civilisation by spending what little money they have on stockpiling food and off the radar medications. Emma wants to pull him out of his pit of despair ,Chris wants to pull her and their sons deep into his. Emma starts to wonder if their marriage and family life will fall apart.. There are some laugh out loud moments in the book together with intense dread and foreboding. You will get sucked in even if some of the characters are difficult to like let alone love.

I adore Carys Bray's writing: she has the knack of getting right to the heart of her characters, showing both the good and the bad while always maintaining the reader's sympathy. Her two previous novels are both, in their own way, examinations of grief and recovery, and both sparkle with humanity and unexpected wit. With that being said, I found When The Lights Go Out a really tough read in many ways. Having recently moved to a rainy and flood-prone area of England, the descriptions of endless, bucketing winter rain were horrifyingly real, and the character of Chris tugged on my heartstrings, leaving me feeling desperately sad. It's a wonderfully written book and, as with many recent novels that explore disaster and/or dystopia, felt terrifyingly prescient in ways that the author obviously never intended in a pre-Covid world. I found it a tougher read than Bray's previous books for all of these reasons, but very much worth reading.

This is an extremely well written and thoughtful novel. Bray's characters and situations are believable and their individual personalities shine out. The story is well constructed and engrossing. But above all, this is a thought-provoking novel that is particularly appropriate reading right now, as we are still in the Covid-19 pandemic. I highly recommend it.

The novel centres on Chris, Emma and their family. It is set some time in the near future to the backdrop of climate change where they live with constant rain, unemployment and the constant psychological stress of trying to continue normal life while knowing that life will never be 'normal' again. Emma tries to do what she can - being vegetarian, using energy sparingly, making useful hand-made items as Christmas gifts. Chris is catastrophising and has become more extreme; his actions will eventually put them all at risk.

It's a difficult book to read if you are conscious of climate change (who isn't?) and feel that you should be doing more about it. Emma's valiant efforts, which are probably similar to what many people are doing today, seem futile and insignificant in the face of the continuing downpour and the sense of impending doom. Chris' survivalist behaviour is distressing his wife and kids, and you can see that he is close to being pushed over the edge by his worry about the future. His actions - like buying antibiotics online from some source his wife doesn't trust - seem extreme.

And yet... Here we are in the midst of a natural catastrophe. Not climate change (yes, that's still there but it's somewhat on the back burner for now) but Covid-19. Buying surgical masks online for delivery from China and worrying if we are making ourselves and our families safer or putting them at risk of breathing in lung-damaging microparticles. Uncertain whether stocking up on toilet paper is a wise move or a ridiculous over-reaction. Questioning every decision, from whether it's safe to see a friend (and should we both be wearing masks or not?) to whether you'll put off seeing a doctor until it feels safer to go into a medical facility.

In this context, Emma and Chris' reactions appear all-too believable and understandable. And while some readers may feel that Emma is level-headed and Chris has lost it, others will feel Chris is the one seeing reality and Emma is fiddling while Rome burns. You'll certainly be asking yourself 'where do I fit in this spectrum of worry/activism/powerless acceptance?'.

Covid-19 will, hopefully, become less of a threat in the coming months. Climate change won't. This novel will remain a timely and valuable challenge, prompting readers to think about what's happening and what their personal responsibility might be.

My thanks to Netgalley for giving me a free copy of this book. All my reviews are 100% honest and unbiased, regardless of how I acquire the book.

My thanks to Random House U.K./Cornerstone Hutchinson for an eARC via NetGalley of ‘When the Lights Go Out’ by Carys Bray in exchange for an honest review.

‘Global temperatures are rising.
The climate of the Abrams’ marriage is cooling.’

Emma’s marriage is going through a difficult patch. Her husband, Chris, is convinced that the world is coming to an end and is trying to prepare his family by stockpiling food and off-label medicines while having them practice their survival skills.

He is exasperated by Emma’s optimism and wishes that she would share a bit of his dread. Their situation is further disrupted by financial instability, torrential rains, power cuts and the unexpected arrival of Chris’s mother. As Christmas approaches tensions mount.

Carys Bray expertly balances drama with a touch of tragedy and a few lighter moments in this contemporary literary novel.

I felt that it was a beautifully written novel that effectively tapped into the anxiety that runs close to the surface in modern society. It also explores issues linked to marriage, parental relationships, and faith. There were many well observed vignettes throughout, though a few scenes linked to animals proved a little difficult for me to read.

Previously I read her acclaimed debut novel, ‘A Song for Issy Bradley’ for a reading group. I would expect that ‘When the Lights Go Out’ will also proof popular with reading groups as alongside good writing it provides plenty of topics for discussion.

A thought provoking and well observed novel.

This is a beautiful depiction of the struggles of family life. It struck the right balance of thoughtful without being morbid. There are humorous moments but the heart wrenching aspects of the story are just as important. A very timely read with all that is happening in the world.

With thanks to Netgalley and Cornerstone, Penguin Randomhouse for a digital copy of this book. How to do justice to this book? The writing is exceptional, so lyrical it often reads like poetry. Dense in adjectives, the reader is plunged into a world which they can see, feel, hear - so vivid and unique are the descriptions. The book starts wet, drenched in weather of almost biblical proportion,’the rain falls and falls..Collecting in divots and rolling away in search of its level,’ and this weather system holds fast through the pages of the books. I would look up from my reading and be surprised to find light and sunshine. Chris and Emma’s marriage is under strain, as fragile as the flood barriers they are trying to shore up around their home which was built on a flood plain. Chris has let the adverse weather seep into his thoughts and waking consciousness and become obsessed with a ‘fresh dread of the future’ and ‘imagining the loss of everything he holds dear.’ Every waking moment is filled with the news of environmental devastation and his small man struggles to avoid personal catastrophe- reducing consumption, planting seeds, keeping rabbits. But like the rain, Chris’ obsession feels more and more out of control. Emma is gentle, patient, creative, loving, but Chris’ obsession is affecting all the family - his unhappiness dries out the laughter, stokes up tension and ultimately puts them all in danger. This powerful novel is about so many things - family, love, understanding, forgiveness, marriage, finding perspective in a damaged and damaging world. The characters are so carefully observed: Emma nurturing, patient, the peacekeeper; Chris in crisis, in the grip of an obsession which risks his humanity; the boys shaking off childhood as they emerge into adults yet holding onto the family traditions that knit them together. Janet -struggling to find her place in a world which is forgetting faith and forgetting her. The writing is absolutely beautiful and haunting.

"When the Lights Go Out" is a beautifully written story. Carys Bray leads you to a keyhole to watch one particular family, their struggles and solutions, and their everyday lives. Are they an ordinary family? Yes and no - in the same ways that any family is ordinary or not. The characters are solid and carry the story firmly on their shoulders... and the story is heart-warming and heart-wrenching at the same time. Perfect.

My thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for an advance copy to review. This review is entirely my own, unbiased, opinion.

It took me a while to get into this book but really enjoyed it when I did. I loved the writing style of this author and ive never read her books before so will definitely be giving more of them a go. Thank you netgalley for the opportunity to read this title in exchange for an honest review.

A pertinent and humourous book to keep you company during the current lockdown and societal upheaval. This book feels incredibly relevant! Not great if you like to read as a form of escapism, as it will probably hit some nerves, but if you're feeling a bit like Chris at the moment, it might be the book for you!

Despite - or rather, because of - its rather depressing subject, this story about personal relationships in a time of potentially apocalyptic change for our planet and way of life should be essential reading. I loved the writing style and the cast of complex but believable characters. I shall be looking for more by Carys Bray.