The Light Pirate is an amazing story about how weather patterns and rising sea levels wreak gradual havoc on Florida. It is told in sections and starts with Kirby and Frida in a hurricane and the birth of Wanda. It then moves on to follow Wanda through her life in Florida and the disasters and weather events that change her life. It really is a heartbreaking story of loss, strength, and hope. How do you live when your world is falling apart and your family is disappearing? How do you go on when the life you knew is gone? The climate crisis is very real and this book shows one future that may come. The characters are well written and the story is phenomenal.

The Light Pirate by Lily Brooks-Dalton was a fascinating read for me. I enjoyed it so much more than I ever anticipated I would. It’s a story of loss, lots of loss but it’s also about survival. The story centers around Wanda. She is born during a Hurricane and that’s where she gets her name from. I believe this story is set a little into the future and it tells what it might be like with all these crazy weather patterns that we have. Wanda and her family live in Rudder, Florida. With all the storms and the rising waters, it just might be the end for this state. The same is true for California, only they are dealing with fires. The authors amazing job with her descriptive writing made me feel like I was right there experiencing everything the characters went through and it all seemed so believable. What the characters did and what they went through just to survive was a real eye-opener to me. It really made me think and appreciate what we have now and I pray nothing like this ever really happens. This is a book I think everyone could benefit from reading just to raise awareness of what could happen. The addition of a little magical realism only added to the stories appeal. I’d like to thank NetGalley for the arc that I received off the Read Now section. I enjoyed this so much and highly recommend it to others. I’m giving it a 5 star rating!

WOW! I didn't know much about this book going in but I saw a positive review from a trusted reader and I went in blind. This is the best climate fiction I have read in YEARS. This is a book I honestly will press into the hands of everyone I know since it has that wide of appeal.

I loved this story. I loved the beautiful writing.

It’s told in four parts- Power, Water, Light, Time and follows our MC, Wanda, throughout her life. She’s a quirky, lovable misfit. With everything going on in the world these days, this felt very near future dystopian with a dash of magical realism.

I can’t wait to check out more of Brooks-Dalton’s books!

Thank you NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for the #gifted ebook!

Pub Date: 12/6/22

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⚡️

I am so glad that I went into this book completely blind. The story I thought was being set up was turned on it’s head at 20% in, and the novel became someone else’s story—-and a different kind of book. The Light Pirate tells the story of our planet, specifically Florida, if we continue on our current path of horrific annual hurricanes and worsening climate change. The world becomes unrecognizable and the impacts span across the globe. The novel feels like science fiction at moments because of this, but…it’s not so far from reality if we don’t take action. This could all happen, and that is terrifying. We follow a family, but specifically, the youngest daughter Wanda, as she attempts to survive this reality and maintain her sanity while also coming of age. It’s harrowing, and upsetting, and scary. The writing is beautiful, however, and the story is absolutely unforgettable. I can’t wait to sell this one.

Thank you NetGalley, Lily Brooks-Dalton, and Grand Central Publishing for this Advanced Reader’s Copy in exchange for an honest review of The Light Pirate (coming out December 6th!)

I loved this book. I'm not one who tends to love dystopian, but I read it from time to time. If it's too dark, I drag my feet reading it. For example, Parable of the Sower/Talents by Octavia E. Butler - loved it but took me awhile to get through because it's disturbing! Versus something like The Bear by Andrew Krivak, which I loved, Both Krivak and Brooks-Dalton balance the theme of man vs. wild while relishing in nature's beauty, and man's return to nature. I'd venture to say that The Light Pirate is like The Bear meets Where the Crawdads Sing.

I found this story to be captivating, harrowing, and perfectly paced. I'm not used to a story with an omniscient narrator, but Brookes-Dalton successfully does this without causing confusion or the feeling of head-hopping. When the characters felt joy, or grief, or dread, I felt it all along with them. Brookes-Dalton makes it easy to connect to the characters, and to heed this book's warning.

A beautiful, gripping, haunting book, and an absolute must-read.

The light Pirate is an imaginative novel about climate change and how it affects the state of Florida when hurricane after hurricane hits. The coastline is eroding and the sea level is rising. The governments and infrastructure of cities across Florida are failing and people are starting to move to other states in order to survive. The story follows the Lowe family in the town of Rudder as life there slowly becomes obscure. This is a very suspenseful book. You won't be bored, it will keep you turning pages until the end. Thanks to author Lily Brooks-Dalton, Grand Central Publishing, and NetGalley. I received a complimentary copy of this ebook. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

I really enjoyed this unique post apocalyptic story. Wanda’s journey, is both tragic and fascinating. I I love how she never gives up, but I didn’t quite understand the connection between the title and the story.

This is one of those books that will stay with you long after you read it. I had no idea what I was getting into when I started this one— Just that the cover was so amazing I hoped the story held up— Wow, did it ever.

I’m at a lost for words trying to describe the Light Pirate without giving too much away. Every bit of it was a surprise to me so I want to leave much of that experience for everyone else too.

It certainly impacted my thinking about modern living and the climate we know is changing.

I also couldn’t help, but feel my family connections to this book. Being born in Florida, having so many family members still living down there in that humid world— It literally hits home! I hope Lily Brooks-Dalton’s The Light Pirate will reach those nay-saying Floridians and give them a sneak peak at what could be a very wild future for the Sunshine state.

That said: Much love the the folks that just went through an horrific hurricane.

Thank you for the advanced read. It was an amazing book!

This was not at all what I was expecting however I throughly enjoyed it. The timing of reading this book gave me goosebumps as Hurricane Ian was ravaging Florida at the time, the main hot topics of the book. The characters were likes me but left a bit unfinished for me Towards the end. It’s fiction, however, seemed very close to reality. Scary to think about.

In Lily Brookes-Dalton's The Light Pirate, there are four elements to the story. Time, water, light, and power are interwoven in this apocalyptic tale

Immediately we are gripped by the story of Frida who is pregnant with Wanda as a hurricane named Wanda approaches. Kirby, Frida's husband, is called to work, leaving her alone. During the storm she enters into premature labor and gives birth to a little girl she names Wanda. We then enter Wanda's life as the story continues.

This book is captivating in its first half. In the second half the pace slows down, but is still easy to follow. This story is emotional and may not be suitable for all audiences. This is a melancholy tale of survival during the apocalypse. As I read, I reached for my Kleenex.

You'll love The Light Pirate if you enjoy strong people and the story of overcoming hardship! There is a lot of depth in the plot and the characters feel real!

The Light Pirate is available on December 6th.

NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing, thank you for sharing this breathtaking novel with me! I appreciate your kindness.

#TheLightPirate #NetGalleyReviewer

Lovely writing, about a serious topic of climate fiction. I loved learning more about Wanda and the strength she had to get through this wild climate. Being in Florida, it was a heavy to book for me to read, as the danger in the book seems inevitable.

This book was very well written and parts of it were captivating, but other sections really lagged. I welcomed a baby while I was reading this book, so I didn’t pick it up for a month and I honestly didn’t feel any motivation to finish the book. I powered through, and I’m glad I did, but I wish some of the supporting characters’ stories would have played out more.

3.5/5 stars

The Light Pirate is a lyrical example of climate fiction. Wanda is a compelling character and the structure of the novel is unique and resonant. Brooks-Dalton asks vital questions within the bounds of a compelling story.

This novel follows the Lowe family into the future where Florida is ravaged by more hurricanes and high temperatures. The story begins with Frida who moved to Rudder with Kirby after losing her mother to a hurricane in Puerto Rico. Another hurricane bears down on Rudder, drastically altering the Lowe family. Frida gives birth to Wanda during this hurricane, setting the stage for a new life filled with the array of human emotions. Details about linemen and electricity mixed with ecology make this a unique and interesting read.

This beautiful book pulls you in with the depth of its characters and the authenticity of the setting, a near-future Florida overrun by disaster and climate change, and as much a character in the book as any human. This is the story of Wanda, named after the terrible hurricane she was born during, and raised by a family formed by the shifting circumstances forced on those protecting her. The storms come more often and are more destructive, and eventually people stop rebuilding and leave. And the wilds and the sea returns. But like the times, Wanda is not ordinary, and learns from her survivalist mentor Phyllis to adapt to her changing surroundings. If anyone can find a future in society's collapse, it's Wanda.
Each of the characters is rich and deep and memorable, and the reader will care deeply for them. The gradual deterioration of Florida, both physically and socially is made so very plausible and believable, that it all seems completely natural and inevitable. Its wilderness identity forms it into the primary lead character next to Wanda at one point, and it holds its own quite nicely, with a touch of mystery and completely heartless. The writing is fluid and I simply loved everything about it. A wonderful read from start to finish. I give very few 5 stars. This certainly is. Highly highly recommended.

Gave me overstory vibes. I really enjoyed the environmental aspect of the writing. Hit a little weird reading this while Florida was about to get hit with a hurricane in real time but was also a good reminder of what people are going through as I sit in my comfortable Midwest weather.

Frida has been through a devastating hurricane once when she was younger, and is always terrified as they approach, but especially now that she is pregnant. Her husband Kirby is focused on preparing their home, boarding up the windows, and making sure they’ll be safe. As an electrical line worker, he knows he’ll have to check on the lines, as well, that’s his job. He leaves the boys, Flip and Lucas with Frida and soon after she begins to experience labor pains, so she goes to lie down and rest. Meanwhile, the brothers leave without telling her, and when Kirby returns, there is a new member of his family, a daughter, Wanda, who Frida names after the storm that summoned her birth.

Everything changes for Kirby and his family on that night. All the loss surrounding so many is devastating, but there is also a generosity of spirit by those whose loss is replaceable. A broken window, a car smashed by a fallen tree, loss of electricity. These are nothing compared to the loss of human lives, to losing those that you love.

As Wanda grows and attends school, she is taunted and ostracized for her name and its association with the hurricane that arrived as she was born. At one point they come dangerously close to worse when a group holds her under water. What happens makes it apparent that she has a gift, a gift that even she doesn’t understand.

Separated into four sections titled Power , Water , Light , and Time there is so much more to this story. So much beauty in these pages, and also much desperation as living in this place becomes untenable. There are few who have the skills necessary to survive what will come. Little by little, homes are left vacant, businesses abandoned, and life changes drastically. As time passes Wanda loses other loved ones, but finds comfort in nature, even as it rapidly changes. The world has forever changed, still, somehow she holds on to hope.

Slightly more than six years ago I read Lily Brooks-Dalton’s Good Morning, Midnight’, one of those books that quietly seep into your heart and soul, and so beautifully written, so when I saw this one, I knew I wanted to read it. This one stole both my heart and soul completely. I found the same sense of quiet isolation, that same sense of serenity despite the chaos, as well as the author’s ability to pull me into this story completely.

A beautifully shared, powerful story.


Pub Date: 06 Dec 2022

Many thanks for the ARC provided by Grand Central Publishing

I was honored to receive an ARC from Grand Central Publishing and NetGalley. This review is my own opinion. You need to be in a good mind spot to read this book. It is heavy reading that highlights the disappearance of small, coastal towns in Florida that are impacted by destruction from hurricanes. The main characters are loyal to their town and want to only save it and the environment as they move through the years. This thread is what enabled me to find some hope in this book. It takes you through year after year of hurricanes while the main characters took second place in this book. This was not the escape I look for when reading.

Because of "The Light Pirate," "Good Morning, Midnight" has now moved to the top of my reading list.

Lily Brooks-Dalton's second novel is one of the best books I've read this year. I was wholly engrossed from start to finish in her story of Wanda, a young girl who must learn to survive in a collapsing Florida.

I'm finding I am quickly becoming a fan of "eco-lit" or "eco-fiction," especially when it has a speculative bent to it. And "The Light Pirate" fits this bill. It's a quiet novel, filled with exquisite writing and powerful emotional resonance, and Brooks-Dalton does a masterful job of showcasing the environmental decline and ultimate collapse of the world we live in. The science propelling the story is logical, and you can't help but believe you have been handed a crystal ball, one that is revealing the future of our beloved Earth.

What I found most impressive about Brooks-Dalton's writing is its subtle, understated beauty. The story is quietly told, never overly dramatic or too "in-your-face." And it's both complex and simple. Dreary, yet hopeful. Heartbreaking and uplifting.

"The Light Pirate" is a novel I will not soon forget. Many other readers will feel the same, I am sure.


My sincerest appreciation to Grand Central Publishing and NetGalley for the physical and electronic Advance Review Copies. All opinions included herein are my own.