This is the closest I have come to the horror genre in a while. The cover appropriately depicts the tone of the narrative.

It is the nineteenth century and its rare for a female to be the Lamplighter in a town besieged by mist/ fog after the sun sets. It’s a whaling town with ships coming in heading out, although there’s a darkness to the place which people can’t seem to put their finger on.

Our lead protagonist is doing her job with a heavy heart when one day she turns out to be the second last person to see a missing girl. What follows is a tightrope that our young adult has to balance on.

Although the story is written well and I found myself appreciating the immersive writing without too much of graphic details, there are two reasons this was not a full five stars. The first is that I guessed the secret reveal. There were enough hints before things happened. Then there’s the ending. I rarely enjoy cliffhangers like this, it’s done well but for someone like me, I wanted more closure!

I would definitely recommend this to young adults and older who like dark narratives.

I received an ARC thanks to Netgalley and the publishers but the review is entirely based on my own reading experience.

Super suspenseful in the best way. Creepy and haunting. Nothing good could come of ignoring harm. Phew.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

First things first, beautiful cover and I just adored the descriptive writing. Warbler, the port town where this story is set, is among my favorite kinds of settings. It sits on the boundary between urbanism and nature. So much humanity living at nature's whim. Reading this, I really got the sense that everyone in this port town was a bad season away from ruin. Loved that.

I thought the author handled the sexism and misogyny faced by the main character well. Even among the most "well-meaning" men, it was always present. The implications of sexual violence and coercion made my skin crawl. Very well done.

The villain was really fascinating. I cannot say for certain I totally understood them but I understood enough to fear them.

The main character was difficult to deal with, not because she was badly written but because she was just...not smart. Not in the sense that she was unintelligent, only a painfully poor decision maker. And I won't lie, I skimmed sometimes because she was genuinely embarrassing to me. In any other book, that's a deal breaker for me, but I stuck it out to the end and I'm glad.

Because this book is a four-star read masquerading as a three-star read, and that doesn't become apparent until you realize that this is a tragedy. Our plucky girl lead can't main character her way out of this one. That realization re-frames her frustrating traits as fatal flaws that even recognizing them she couldn't escape. She was doomed by the narrative.

Four stars.

The more I read of this book, the more I was engrossed. The setting was so interesting, and I absolutely loved the premise. I have been trying to get into more thriller and horror-style books, and this title was a great start into that genre!

I’m sorry this book just wasn’t for me :( I usually love horror and spooky stories but the atmospheric horror just didn’t hit with me but I do think this story was very well written. I think one of my main issues with this book was the recurring mentions of assault as it’s not something I generally am comfortable reading about. Overall I think the story was well written, just not for me

The beginning is really shocking and disturbing. I think it is a crude attempt to grab attention. A vivid image of suicide is not a hook.

I was recently in a gothic h0rror mood, and this grabbed me immediately! Tempe was a little unreliable, but honestly I kind of loved having an unreliable narrator. It made it difficult to know who to trust, adding to the suspense. It was also such a thrilling ending, I am still in shock. I loved this so much!

A DNF and maybe it's just because I wasn't in the mood for it which is crazy because if this were a movie I would eat it right up. One to try again later on I think.

Thank you so much North Star Editions, Crystal J. Bell, and NetGalley for providing me with a free copy of this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A gothic historical fictional novel with a mystery, HECK YES! I really enjoyed this book because it was entertaining, thrilling, and exciting. The main aspect of the book focuses on women’s rights in the nineteenth century and how they are still relevant in the twenty-first century. I loved Tempe’s character because she has a fiery personality. Although rash and impulsive she has a good heart and is very passionate. The book is slow-paced, however I think it’s suitable as it adds an eerie vibe to the story. Overall, I really enjoyed this book and would recommend it to others! 4/5 stars!

and incredible novel that brings the best on spooky and emotional. I enjoyed every emotion this magnificent book took us. I loved and cried and hoped, and in the end, I can say this book is somethings I will never forget

The Lamplighter has a fantastic eerie atmosphere and a compelling premise, but it doesn’t fully deliver on its potential. The setting is immersive, and the writing has a haunting quality that works well for a gothic mystery. However, the pacing is uneven—some parts drag, while others feel rushed. Tempe is an interesting protagonist, but her choices can be frustratingly repetitive. The ending also feels a little unsatisfying, leaving some loose ends. It’s a decent read with strong vibes, but it doesn’t quite hit the mark. Worth checking out if you love slow-burn gothic horror, but not a must-read.

Fantastic gothic horror novel ! Our FMC is following in her fathers footsteps as a Lamplighter, and when creepy things begin to happen, she is blamed.

I feel really mixed about this. Currently catching up to my arcs so I will give a more detailed review in the future!

Lamplighter is very slow paced and I tend to not enjoy those books because they cause me to lose interest. This book however kept me interested just enough to keep reading. The characters where frustrating to read about, which also made them feel more real?

If this books pacing was beter it would've been perfect

I sincerely apologize--I don't know what happened, but my original review didn't post! I enjoyed THE LAMPLIGHTER quite a bit, but agree with other reviewers that it's more YA than MG. It's a lot of fun, though, and will be a good read for kiddos who like romance and historical fiction.

This felt more like middle grade than YA while I was reading. However I did thoroughly enjoy, it reminded me of Erin Craig’s house of salt and sorrows at times

The atmosphere of the book is effective and spooky and evocative, though I sometimes personally struggled with truly placing the settings. We're on a port/wharf, but also there's groves of trees and a nearby forest and tons of walkways that people just walk right off "into the fog".

I wanted to like Tempe but while I thought that some of her actions and decisions were relatable or perhaps admissible in the situations she found herself, I grew weary of her almost constantly making Very Poor or Purely Stupid decisions time after time. I cheered for her when she finally made the move to take some initiative, both dealing with the issue at hand and also her relationship with Josiah but it was frustrating to no end because it was always too little and far far too late.

I especially was aggravated by her skirting around the issue with Gideon and the past sexual abuse in regards to her sister, because literally her sister wants to marry this guy and Tempe repeatedly lies or hides the truth from her sister. We're not talking about sharing a violent kiss/manhandling with some stranger for conversation, we're trying to prevent a very unhealthy relationship for OUR SISTER. Probably not a good time for lies and mistruths that make things seem better than they really are and additionally DO in fact make us look delusional or at best untrustworthy because we keep changing the story.

On that note, she lies and changes her story a bajillion times even for the townspeople and the local authorities (Henry being one of them) and that was annoying because though she always is doing it for the right reason and has good intentions, she comes across as very untrustworthy and incapable of telling the truth, which in turn causes more issues for her down the road because, ope, no one wants to listen to her. And then it all gets pinned on the fact that she's a female. Do I think there's some rampant misogamy in this town?? Heck yes, but don't ADD to the problem by making dumb decisions and lying so they all struggle to believe you.

I know this is (gothic) horror adjacent and that genre just loves lack of explanation but I would have appreciated understanding the villain(s) of the story better and how they came to be what they were, so to speak.

Where this truly truly lost me was the ending. While it was a gutsy move on the author's part with this ending, it didn't win out for me.

Chilling story, slow burn. But we’re given lots of description and story telling to paint this gothic horror painting in our head as we read. I loved this story, kept me on the edge of my seat. Took a little to get into but it was well worth the slow burn.

actual rating: 3.5 stars

the lamplighter by crystal j. bell is a haunting, atmospheric read that captures your attention from the first page and doesn’t let go. set in the eerie, fog-filled whaling village of warbler, the story follows temperance, a young woman who takes on the role of the town’s lamplighter after her father’s mysterious death. in this town, the lamplighter is not just a caretaker but a symbol of safety, yet the villagers are quick to question temperance’s ability to fill her father’s shoes, especially when young girls start disappearing under her watch.

the character dynamics are one of the strongest elements of this book. bell does a fantastic job of creating a mix of characters, from the sympathetic to the downright unsettling, keeping readers on edge as they try to figure out who can be trusted. the town itself feels almost like a character, with its misty atmosphere and dark secrets, making it easy to imagine being caught in its web of mystery and danger.

the pacing is great, building up tension and unease as temperance struggles to clear her name and protect her family. the suspense is thick, and the twists keep you guessing, especially when it comes to the fates of the missing girls and the true nature of the infamous warbler figureheads.

as for the ending, i’m torn. after finishing it, i had to go back and reread the final chapters a few times to process what had just happened. while it’s definitely shocking, i’m not sure if it felt entirely satisfying or if it left too many loose ends. regardless, it’s one of those endings that will definitely stick with you and spark conversation.

overall, the lamplighter is a gripping and eerie historical fiction novel that’s perfect for fans of suspense and dark mysteries. the setting, characters, and atmosphere are all top-notch, and if you’re looking for a spooky story with a bit of historical intrigue, this is one to check out.

The writing and description in this book was absolutely sensational, however, I did struggle a bit getting through the book but I think it was my mindset at the time of reading the book.

I'll definitely re-read this book again to see if it was my mood because the writing was very good.

While I initially liked the concept of this book, I found the execution to be a little lacking. I felt like we spent too much time with the MC's daily life and not with the actual mystery. The ending was also a let down.