Review in 10-ish words: Romantic setting but the characters fell short for me.

Synopsis:
After the death of her mother, her father's job takes Amy to the mysterious town of Seabrook. At eighteen, her life has been turned upside down, she is coping with grief about as well as her father is.

What is meant to be a one night visit in a small, seaside town turns into an unforgettable weekend when she meets Ryan.

My thoughts:
You know those sleep scape stories on the headspace app? This was what this book reminded me of.

Not necessarily in a bad way. I found the book relaxing at some points. The setting is very romantic- small seaside town, little hotel, a ranch, a mysterious lighthouse. I loved that element. But the characters felt very one dimensional, and there were several writing cliches that made it hard to stay in the story.

The relationship between Ryan and Amy felt very shallow. This may be the timeline of the story as well- I just didn't buy into them caring about each other considering how fast the story was proceeding. I also feel like we didn't see enough of Amy's dad to really understand their relationship with any real depth.

My biggest critique is probably in regards to the ending- I feel like the last few chapters could have been cut, or at least refined. It made the book drag on.

It was a 'feel good' story, I suppose. And it touched on some resonating themes (grief, loss, family, home) that I appreciated. The magical realism was nice but I feel like there was a lot of 'explaining' towards the 2/3's mark.


Thank you to Netgalley for providing a complementary copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. The opinions in this review are entirely my own.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read and review this book. All opinions are my own.

I love a book with a little bit of mystery and magical realism. It made a pretty good read for October’s Halloween vibe. To properly enjoy the story I do think it's better to read the book but the narrator still did a great job at bringing the characters to life.

The lighthouse is an intriguing book about grief, struggle and acceptance. Some twists truly send the story into another dimension and some that will break your heart. All in all, it’s a lovely debut novel!

The Lighthouse by Christopher Parker
Narrated by Braden Wright
Genre - General Fiction (Adult)
Rating - 5 out of 5 stars
Narration Rating - 5 out of 5 stars

This book caught my attention because of the title. I love lighthouses and anything about them. Boy was I in for a good surprise!

In this debut novel by Christopher Parker, a girl named Amy and her father head to the strange town of Seabrook. Amy’s mother has just died and she is grieving terribly. Strange things start to happen and Amy is having trouble figuring it all out. After a huge twist things start to fall into place and everything starts making sense.

Braden Wright makes this somewhat dark book come alive with his narration. He keeps the book moving at a fast pace and sometimes while I was listening an hour would go by and I would not even realize it.

I would highly recommend this audiobook to anyone who is a fan of mystery and a somewhat dark books. I absolutely loved it! I will anxiously be waiting for Christopher Parker’s next book.

A very original and unique storyline. An amazingly personal book, talking about grief and responsibility. Amy is struggling with her mother’s death and when her father tells her they are going to a small town to help wrap up a missing person’s case for his job, she ends up coming along. Amy meets Ryan in the most bizarre way, but it’s like the universe is pulling the two of them together. Ryan has made Amy forget about the depression she has been in since her mother’s death. He shows her around his hometown, his ranch, and they bond over the fact that they both have lost their mother. Ryan was sure his life was over after finding out his family ranch was going to be foreclosed on. He goes to drink is sorrows away and stumbles on Amy. He soon fins that all his worries have gone away when he is around her and he can’t seem to let her out of his sight. He enjoys every moment with her and even confesses his biggest problem: not telling his elderly handicap dad that they are about to be kicked out of their family home. I liked most of the characters and especially liked Ryan. The two help to heal each other, even if they don't realize it. This book is all about processing death and dealing with the aftermath of bad decisions. This book was everything that I wanted, plus more. The ending was exactly what I wanted it to be, although there was a great twist in this book. I love the small hometown, the ghost stories and the scary truth that comes out. I think this was a perfect magical, spooky book that is more realistic. I loved it so much and I can’t wait for it to hit the shelves because I know it will be an instant hit. It is a perfect blend of love, spooky, grief, life, and so much more. It was so easy to connect with the characters - all of them. The magical realism is so flawlessly executed. This page-turner is destined to be one of the top books of the year. Congratulations to Christopher Parker on a superb book. Thank you to Christopher Parker, Beacon Press, and NetGalley for an audio copy of this book. I went into this book without much expectation, as I’m not familiar with the author but the storyline sounded intriguing.

The Lighthouse is an imaginative debut from author Christopher Parker. I picked this book up based on a glowing review from a trusted reader friend.

Two young adults, Amy and Ryan, are each dealing with deep, emotional issues when their paths cross in the small town of Seabrook. I was enchanted by this mysterious story of grief, love and magical realism. I wasn't always sure where the story was going next, but it was easy to get wrapped up in.

One critique I would have is related to the dialogue. At times it felt a bit schmaltzy, cliché and one-dimensional. Some of the other elements felt a little too convenient, but I was able to suspend reality enough to enjoy the journey.

Thank you to Beacon Press Limited and NetGalley for early access.

Amy is struggling with her mother’s death. Her father has to go out of town on police business and she joins him. There Amy meets Ryan who has got his own struggles.
This was a heartbreaking story about grief with magical realism. This book was sad, but also had funny moments. I really enjoyed this book. The pacing was just right. I loved the characters. Some parts of the magic realism took a moment to accept, but they do make sense for the plot. I listened to the audiobook and loved the narration.

Narrator 5 stars

Great voice.

Story 3 stars

Really interesting concept. The characters were enjoyable and well developed but overall all didn't love the book, didn't hate the book. Just very in the middle with it.

We will purchase this title in book form. I enjoyed the narrator but think our patrons would rather read then listen to this story. This is a story about what is possible after death and moving on from losing someone close to you. Leaves you feeling good at the end.

I was sent this book from the publisher/publicity team. My ratings and reviews will be my own personal opinions and are in no way influenced by publishers or authors who may have sent me books to review.

I am a little torn on this one. There were some things I was loving about it and others that I just could not get into. I really like how the stories interconnected. It was a little slow at times, but all came together in the end.
I did not realize this was going have some magical realism. I am not normally a huge fan of this within a story, but again it all worked as the story continued to progress. This did have a little bit of everything with romance, grief, loss, and mystery.

Overall, this was good.

At the beginning of this book I could tell something wasn't normal. Amy who is reeling from the loss of her mom goes with her dad on a work trip. Weird things start happening in the town of Seabrook Oregon. I was drawn immediately into this story. With a light flare of ghost story, grief, and love story this book will have something for everyone. I devoured this book in one day. I would love to read more by this author. Great for this time of year.

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read and review this book. All opinons are my own.

This book gave me “The Midnight Library” by Matt Haig vibes.

The descriptive writing was very good. I was able to thoroughly visualize the text. In addition, the storyline was heavily character driven which caused the characters to seem realistic. Amy is 18 years old and is working through the heartache of losing her mom. We follow as Amy navigates through her new norm while she is still in the midst of grief. Her emotions and demeanor fit the plot. There were a couple of enjoyable twists that unfolded later in the book. Overall, this was a good read but a little slow paced at times.

Thank you to Christopher Parker, Beacon Press, and NetGalley for an audio copy of this book. I would like to mention that the audio narration seemed off, I’m unsure if it was a glitch in the NetGalley app so I didn’t hold it against my overall rating. But at times, the voice felt overly robotic no matter what speed I tried.

Amy has just lost her mother and is struggling with how to handle her emotions. To get some space, Amy and her dad travel to Seabrook, a small town known for its broken lighthouse. There Amy meets Ryan, a young man with his own troubles trying to run his family's ranch and take care of his ailing father. Strange, unexplainable things start to occur in Seabrook, setting Amy on a journey not only to discover what is going on, but to heal her grief in the process.

This was a very character-driven book and did well exploring the themes of loss and grief. It took me a bit to get into the novel, but once the mystery element appeared I was very curious to know what was happening in the little town with its residents. The atmosphere of the town, mystery surrounding it, and curiosity of the lighthouse propelled me into the story.

A few elements I struggled with were the long dialogues, instalove, and Amy’s character. While I enjoyed Amy and tried to empathize with her struggle, I had to keep reminding myself that she was an adult as her personality and decisions seemed very juvenile.

Thank you Netgalley and Beacon Press for the copy in return for an honest review.

The Lighthouse
Christopher Parker
A month ago, Amy Tucker lost her mother in a tragic automobile accident. Her father, Kevin, was a state police detective. Kevin is struggling to deal with the loss of his wife and how to strengthen his relationship with Amy. His brother suggested he and Amy get away from Portland. Kevin agreed to travel to Seabrook to see the family of a missing young man. They had only planned to stay one night but Kevin disappeared.
By pure chance Ryan Porter and Amy meet. Ryan is a hard-working young man, the son of a local rancher; he was well thought of in the town. Ryan lost his mother years ago and was raised by his father. Ryan was devoted to his and has taken care of him since he suffered a stroke. Financial problems put the family ranch in jeopardy. When the two young adults meet, they have an instant connection. Suddenly the old lighthouse in town began shining bright. The closer Ryan and Amy grew the brighter the lighthouse glowed. The town’s people were superstitious about the lighthouse.
This is a captivating tale filled with sorrow, affection, a little spooky, and the joy of life. This tale is character driven. It was easy to connect with Amy and Ryan. I felt the pain of Amy’s grief of losing her mother and Ryan’s feelings of inadequacy over taking care of his father and their financial problems. This is the debut of Author Christopher Parker; he writes like a seasoned author. Parker took the plot in directions I wasn’t anticipating.
I was quickly captivated by this tale. There wasn’t any violence and very little profanity. This book is suitable for young adults and older. This tale is an emotional rollercoaster. I found tears in my eyes on more than one occasion. The Lighthouse was beautifully written.

This one is difficult to review without giving away the essence of the story. I chose this book because of the title and the beautiful cover. I went in with almost no knowledge of what it was about. I can say that this is far removed from what I normally read. There is more than a little of the paranormal in this one.
Amy and her dad are struggling after the recent loss of her mother. Kevin is asked to take a short work trip and takes Amy with him. When they arrive at Seabrook is when things really start to happen. Sorry, I can't say more than that.

I was a little unsure in the beginning about having a male narrator reading as a teenage girl. But once I got into the story I began to appreciate the narrator's calm and soothing voice. I liked most of the characters and especially liked Ryan. I wish there could have been a different outcome in some ways, but the ending was indeed satisfying.

Thanks to netgalley and Beacon Press Limited for the advance audio copy.

The Lighthouse by Christopher Parker

A devastating loss has permanently altered Kevin and Amy Tucker's world. The father and daughter continuously butt heads, as they struggle with coming to terms with an unexpected death. In an effort to help alleviate the stress Kevin and Amy are feeling, Kevin's brother Jack hands Kevin a case file. It contains information about a missing person, and Jack encourages Kevin to take on the case. Jack believes Kevin needs to travel to investigate missing person report, hoping it will help Kevin focus on something other than his loss . Kevin agrees to look into the matter, and decided to takes Amy along with him. He believes the time, that they spend together, may help improve his relationship with his daughter. As the two wounded souls make their way toward the town of Seabrooke, they are unaware that the journey will change the trajectory of their lives in profound ways.

Amy experiences an alarming incident not long after she and her father check in to into their hotel. An intruder enters their hotel room. Due to the strangers background, and qualities, it's evident that Amy is wrong about the strangers intentions. When she realizes she has made a mistake about the stranger's aim, she begins to get to know and trust the mysterious man. As they get to know each other, they both begin to fight the undeniable fact that they are romantically attracted to each other.

As the story is told from the third person point of view, Parker gives good insight into the characters' mindsets, emotions and actions. It is obvious that the messages in the book are a part of an effort to express the importance of the many ways people work to care for and protect the ones they love. One highlight in the story is how Parker uses one of the side characters to lift the tone of the narrative as readers witness the tension that exists between Amy and her father. Another highlight, is the way in which the author has crafted The Lighthouse to show the different ways people express love during difficult times.

Quill Pen News gives The Lighthouse a rating of 3.5 stars. At times, the length of dialog, during certain sections of the book, slows down the pace of the story-line. There also is magical realism which may pull some readers attention away from the narrative, because so much of the characters' experiences are set in a realistic setting of a small town.

Readers, who love stories that contain detailed information about the development of a relationship between two strangers, will appreciate the candid conversations between Amy and her new friend. This is definitely a book for fans of stories about people that struggle, and cope with, the difficulty of expressing love when they experience a great hardship and or loss.

If you love stories that include a heartfelt message about family, love and loyalty, click the link below to order your copy today!

***I was given an opportunity to listen to the audio book, of The Lighthouse through the Netgalley platform, in exchange for my honest opinion about the book.***

This review is posted on the quillpennews.com website and will be features on the Quill Pen News Instagram page.

I enjoyed this story and was not expecting the "twist". I loved how Amy and Ryan connected through their grief. I kept wishing for a different outcome for Ryan, even though I knew it wouldn't happen.

I listened to this on audiobook and I didn't particularly care for the narrator. But otherwise, I would recommend it!

Thank you NetGalley + Beacon Press for a free ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

What a pleasant surprise! I picked this book based on the intriguing cover and went in blind. So, even though I had no expectations, the mystery and major plot points were not what I expected!
This is a heartfelt and personal story about overcoming grief, woven with a touch of magical realism. 18 year old Amy is processing the death of her mother and takes a trip with her father to Seabrook. There she meets Ryan and they have an unexpected and strong bond. But as the story goes, the secrets of Ryan and Seabrook are exposed.
I listened to this on audio, and at first I didn’t really enjoy a male voice for Amy, but once it got going, it was well done.
Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book!

Lots of heart but misleading and disappointing

I would like to thank Christopher Parker, Beacon Press, and NetGalley for allowing me to listen to a free audiobook ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was a wonderful story about several characters’ journeys through grief and difficult life circumstances. It’s beautifully written, bursting with heart and hope, takes one to the pits of despair and leads one back to thinking everything will be okay.

That’s not what I was expecting, and I was disappointed with how it turned out. Not that I wanted the plot to be predictable; I mean that it’s set up like a mystery and perhaps a ghost story, but it’s neither of those. (Don’t get too invested in the lighthouse, it’s effectively a red herring.) Instead of pursuing spookiness, instead of following leads to solve a mystery, the story becomes a fantastical exploration of “spirit” and soul-searching. Baffled? I don’t blame ya.

SPOILERS

Here’s a synopsis to help explain what I mean. Eighteen-year-old Amy Tucker and her dad, a detective, go to a small town named Seabrook, intending to only spend one night there. The dad, Kevin, is supposed to inform the father of a missing person that the police will no longer actively pursue the case due to lack of leads. A secondary purpose for the trip is to get both Kevin and Amy out of the house, as neither of them are processing the death of their wife/mother well at all; Kevin’s drinking rather heavily and Amy’s withdrawn and depressed.

In Seabrook, Amy meets a young man named Ryan and Kevin seems to disappear. Cell phones don’t work, time passes strangely, and a condemned lighthouse functions despite not having the equipment necessary to do so. Circumstances have Amy and Ryan spending lots of time together, growing close. They’re supposed to be attracted to each other and fall in love, but there were zero romantic vibes; Parker is no romance novelist. Amy and Ryan had chemistry, but the kind that made them feel like siblings.

Anyway, one weird thing leads to another, and come to find out, after accidentally taking too many of her father’s sleeping pills, Amy’s spirit has become involved in a “snow globe” created by Ryan’s spirit, which is in denial about the fact that he’s dead. He’s the missing person the police couldn’t find. With the spirits of his unborn sister and Amy’s dead mother lending aid, Amy has to free Ryan’s spirit from limbo by helping him process his trauma and come to terms with his fate; at the same time, she processes her own. And discovers a natural affinity for horses, apparently. Didn’t buy that.

Think King’s Cross limbo from Deathly Hallows, only set in a small Northwestern town instead of in a train station. Plus the citizens of Seabrook functioned like the people who were mental antibodies in Inception.

When they were revealed to be spirits trapped in a metaphysical snow globe or whatever, that was where I lost a good portion of my interest in the book. I was never tempted to stop reading (listening), I was intrigued and invested enough to finish, but I realized the book wasn’t going to be what I wanted it to be and just rolled with it until the end. I had expected a mystery, potentially supernatural, about an old lighthouse, and what I got was a weepy exploration of grief and spiritualism.

I was also disappointed that Amy didn’t remember anything that happened in the snow globe when she returned to the real world (for lack of better phrasing). Made everything that had happened feel unimportant and inconsequential. The epilogue was also disappointing; I wanted to see Amy and Ryan reunite in the hereafter, wanted her to remember everything, wanted the story and everything they went through—not to mention the time I spent reading about it—to matter, not see Old Amy get recognition for restoring the lighthouse. At that point, the lighthouse meant nothing to me. Eff that lighthouse.

So yeah, overall, the story had potential but ultimately belly-flopped in my opinion. An elegant leap, triple somersault, and—splat.

The narrator, Braden Wright, was great! My only issue with him was his incorrect pronunciation of the word “misshapen.” He pronounced it “miss-happen.” Maybe it was a dialectal thing, I’m not sure where he’s from. Lol the first time I figured it was an accident, but when he did it again I was like, oh, he really doesn’t know how to say it right.

Thanks to @netgalley for this one! There were just a few times that I thought that this book was going just a bit long, but I enjoyed it. As the story unfolded, themes of love, duty, and mystery emerged. It started as a ghost story, and was not quite what I expected, but was a really nice surprise.

I honestly don't know what to say about this book except that I didn't like it.

I felt that the final idea was somewhat childish, that the booked was soooooo long and for no reason, it dragged on FOREVER. Several final chapters were just filler content and I was THIS close to giving up after the big realization.

I didn't like any of the characters. I thought Amy was a little brat and I hated her actions.

I also disliked the narrator. I really can't understand why there would be a male narrator for a book mostly told by a teenage girl. This really put me of!

I didn't dislike the book per se, there just wasn't a single thing or a sentence that I did like.