Emotional and unfailingly honest, The Lighthouse at the Edge of the World is a story that will linger in your memory long after you've read the final page.

On the evocative shores of lake Michigan the dead get ferried away. It's a tradition that Nera has watch her father perform again and again throughout her youth. Readers follow along on the night that this sacred and routine ceremony doesn't go to plan.

I found this story to be brimming with heart...it's a deep and thoughtful look at how we can lose ourselves and the way we can fight to get ourselves back. The main characters are nuanced and ever so human, with the supporting dead characters being a masterful catalyst to explore grief,love,life, and how they intermingle to make something magical.

Readers looking for something soft and insightful will swoon over this quiet tale.

A surprisingly deep and reflective meditation on grief and loss, with a character I loved and wanted to root for. And the dogs! What a wonderful concept. I'll definitely think about this one for quite some time.

Very Unique Storyline/ARC

What a distinctive and imaginative piece of work. Being a Chicagolander, I’ll never be able to look at the city in the same light again.

The two main characters are so beautifully crafted out, adding a breath of life to them, as they burgeon into animation on these pages. The world itself is skillfully sublime and phenomenal, depicting such artistic emotive beauty, even throughout what I will describe as the evil sections, and I felt it as if I were reading about a real world, that existed just a quick drive away.

The characters and world building, two necessary components of every novel written, were vividly portrayed, breathing life and identity into these personas and worlds. Happy, sad, snarky, innocent, all traits helping to build elements of identity into each one.
Even the supporting cast of characters had individual natures expressing who they were deep inside.

There’s actually two worlds being cohesively formed into one. The "real" one, and the "fantasy" one, causing one to wonder what’s just beyond the edge of our sight, if only we’d allow ourselves the possibility to experience there could be more fantastical things outside of our senses.

All these bits and pieces pull together to present a compelling storyline, keeping you focused and engaged.

My only one downside out of all of this, was being I slightly disappointed with the ending. It felt as if there were questions left as to where they went and what happened next. I’m not sure there would’ve been an easy way to wrap up what happened, without an additional 100 more layers, and pages, to an already established storyline. I’m sure ending any novel has to be one of the most challenging parts a writer can experience.

Definitely recommend to those liking the Magical Realism sub-genre, and Fantasy genre on a larger scale..
The is due for release on July 29, 2025, so be ready to get your hands on it as soon as possible.

Note: I received early access from NetGalley, and the publisher Tor Books, of this manuscript, and have at my own discretion and opinion, chosen to post this review.

3.5⭐️
A novel set in Chicago, about two women alive yet in a world of death. I really felt the Hadestown influence. As charming as the premise was, I didn't wholly connect to it simply due to lack of knowledge. There were elements that I wanted more of but, the writing style was captivating and I enjoyed the multiple POV with the font changing with each narration. Dogs, memories, and music played an integral part of this. The Lighthouse at the Edge of the World told a story of grief and finding beauty in the mundane, how to live and love, what it takes to find someone even if it's yourself.

Are you looking for a book about grief that will hit you in all the sensitive places? This may fill that void. It was written with heart and thought for the passing of souls and the grief of those who remain.

Charlie is grieving the loss of her sister who died in a tragic, senseless act of violence. Though Charlie can now see the souls of the departed, she can not find her sister's soul and she feels she has so much left unsaid to her. After the incident, her mom left and her dad has turned into a husk of the person he once was. Charlie feels alone and abandoned by those she loves most and has no lifeline keeping her afloat.

One evening while Charlie is wandering the streets of Chicago looking for a sign her sister is still in the city, when she wanders upon the lighthouse where souls converge to pass beyond the veil. There she meets Nera, the daughter of the ferryman who helps the souls cross over. Nera has never lived outside of the lighthouse and Charlie is alive but looking for a reason to keep going. The two women find solace in each other as they each figure out what it means to be alive while trying to find clues as to where Charlie's sister's soul is.

I don't read a lot of emotionally charged books but I picked this one up at a time I was ready for it. I do see how someone may compare it to Under the Whispering Door by T.J. Klune but the authors both have different ways they get to their end goal. Though there are hard topics in this book, I am glad I was provided the opportunity to read it and provide an honest review. I hope more will pick it up when they are in a good place to face these topics.

This book with wreck you.

I loved JR Dawson's THE FIRST BRIGHT THING, so I was eager to get my hands on this new book, and did not disappoint.

In THE LIGHTHOUSE AT THE EDGE OF THE WORLD, Nera is a daughter of the Station Master, helping to ferry dead souls beyond the veil in the shadowy world of the dead at the edge of Chicago. Charlie is a young woman in the real world navigating the new and horrible loss of her older sister. Armed with a new found ability to see the spirits of the dead, and the dogs who lead them safely home, Charlie crosses to the other world in search of her sister, determined to find her and bring her back.

It's a tale of Orpheus, yes, but also something more universal: a deep, powerful story about loss and letting go, the people we love -- and also the dogs that love us. JR Dawson laces kindness into every page, not in a way that is saccharine, but in a moving, 'I see you,' kind of way. You will definitely cry a few times before the end, but feel hopeful too that there is joy in living and all the simple things that come along with it: pizza, pups, music, and yes, even a brutal winter in Chicago if it means you can have spring.

Read this book -- ideally in a public place where strangers can see you go through all the feelings, because that's okay.

Thank you to Tor and Netgalley for the advance reader copy!

Synopsis:
-On the shore of Lake Michigan stands a lighthouse that guides souls to the afterlife.

-Nera, the lighthouse keeper’s daughter, tends the light and protects the path with help from a pack of loyal ghost dogs (who can communicate on the after life plane of existence!).

-One night, a living girl named Charlie appears, searching for her lost sister.

-As the lighthouse flickers and danger creeps in, Nera and Charlie must uncover the truth, protect the lost, and face what it means to let go and to stay while facing their own inner demons.

Thoughts:
A quiet, powerful read that absolutely wrecked me in the best way! I was only a quarter of the way in and already bawling my eyes out. This story blends speculative fiction with emotional depth, exploring love, trauma, survival, and hope at the end of everything.

I was completely drawn in by the shifting timelines that progress from Nera’s father’s timeline to present day, giving just enough information to leave you wonder what happened next without being super predictable.

The world building of the lighthouse and afterlife was so well done, which I can see how it easily could have been a disaster and confusing.

There is a quiet strength to the characters, and asks: what do we save when the world falls apart? Nera and Charlie’s growth individually as well as apart is beautiful to see unfold. The exploration of what it means to be human and alive: the joy, grief, and experiences.

If you love talking spirit guide dogs and stories that makes you feel, this one’s a must-read! The ending was also chef’s kiss. I love an ending that is simple yet perfection!

Thank you to Netgalley, Tor, and J.R. Dawson for gifting me this ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Last year I read my first book by this author, and it was one of my favorites of the year. So, I was really excited to pick this one up. The Lighthouse at the Edge of the World is a beautifully written story. A premise that was perfectly executed. Charlie is a haunted character, both figuratively and literally. I really felt for her both because of the loss of her sister but also the gaping hole that was left by her father and mother all but completely disconnecting from life. I really liked Nera as a character, and it was really fascinating to witness her journey and how she really came into her own. I loved that Charlie was able to bring her to life so to speak. I really liked the "magic" system in this story. I thought the way that the ghosts interacted with Charlie, Mera and Harrisson was interesting. Harisson at first was not my favorite but as the story progressed and more of his story came out, I really was able to understand the things that had bothered me so much before. There were so many lovely moments in this book and there were so many parts that really make you reflect on a life fully lived; I also absolutely adored the ending on this one.

The Lighthouse at the Edge of the World is an emotion packed read featuring magic, family, and loss. This story follows Charlie who’s struggling to come to terms with her sister’s death and Nera, whose father helps ferry lost souls through the veil. I felt Dawson did incredibly well with crafting Charlie’s character, and I believe anyone who’s lost someone will be able to connect with her soul deep grief. I also could not get enough of Nera’s child like wonder about the real world. It was refreshing to experience that kind of joy about things as simple as deep dish pizza. While I wouldn’t call this a fast paced read, it draws you in where it feels fast paced. I also loved the addition of talk dogs to help ease the crossing of the veil. For me, the ending was where this book shined especially bright and I liked the approach that Dawson took with wrapping up the story. I really appreciate the decision to use separate narrators for the audiobook. This is a story where I think it could be easy to get confused if only one narrator was used when swapping POVs. This was crucial for me being able to follow the story and ensured I was fully engaged. I also enjoyed the use of musical sound effects and felt they were appropriately utilized in this audiobook given the story is rooted in music. Overall, I found this well worth the read.

I really enjoy this book but I need to set it aside until my mental health is in a better place to do justice yo such a sensitive topic.

3.75 stars and all kinds of emotions for this queer mythological retelling of Orpheus and Eurydice set in a Chicago lighthouse leading to the river Styx!

I'm a sucker for all mythological retellings, and while I loved this one, it was so much more emotional and dark than I had anticipated! The writing was absolutely beautiful, atmospheric, and tugged at all my heartstrings - and there just seemed to be something that didn't totally click with me. I thought it was a great read to get me thinking about what it truly means to be alive and to LIVE. Charlie and Nera's journeys, both separate and together, had me hitting my feels and reflecting. Will need to take some time to come back to this one!

Thanks so much to JR Dawson and NetGalley for a chance to read this in exchange for an honest review.

Although this book had an interesting premise and many right ingredients, it didn't come together for me. I found it to be a bit confusing and characters didn't come alive for me.

A charming, if at times rushed, paranormal, queer romance. It eschews the easier answers and obvious happy ending. The time frame and setting inform the story without overwhelming, and the bounce between Nera's and Charlie's perspectives works well--and I have seen that technique be disastrous. An overall satisfying read that won't leave most people disappointed. The only people I can imagine taking umbrage with the content are homophobes and antisemites. Otherwise, beyond some swearing, it is a sweet, sober journey. Nera is captivating as someone who doesn't know the world and finds glory even in the commonplace. For the most part, Charlie portrays well the damaged woman slowly coming out from beneath the rubble when offered a soft hand.

I don't know how she does it, but Dawson always manages to write the most heart-wrenching examinations of grief, trauma, and darkness with such softness and beauty. I don't even know how many times I cried reading this. I cannot comprehend the reviews that say they couldn't connect to the characters -- this was exactly the meditation on identity, love, and living in the face of death that I needed right now. The station's design and constantly changing layout to suit the needs of its inhabitants was fascinating and there were just so many very good dogs. As an archivist, the significance of simply listening to and witnessing the lives (including the mundane everyday joys) of the deceased was especially poignant.

Oh how I wanted to like this more than I did. The short and sweet of it: I have mixed feelings about this book.

This is a really unique (new?) adult urban fantasy story that is queer and full of grief. On the surface, it's right up my alley. You know I love grief books, and this one in particular is all about music. At times I was so compelled by these characters, and I really loved the general concept too. It has a bit of unconventional story telling, some nice flashbacks, weird POVs. And again, I can't get enough of mid-twenties books. It had everything going for it.

So then why do I feel so...meh?

I do think most of my meh-ness comes down to personal preference. As far as writing goes, I don't know that I'd change very much, and I don't know that it needs a lot of editing. The voice is strong, the plot is decent, the characters are really quite good. But at the end of the day, I felt like this just did not hit me the way I wanted it to. It often came across as cheesy and a bit...younger than I was hoping for. The problem here is that I just could not figure out how to feel about it. For all the things I really enjoyed about it - the 2005 Chicago setting (sorry, NWI kid here), the LESBIANS (!!!!!), the endearing talking dogs - I also just felt like I wanted something...more. I think the first half was way stronger than the second half, and that ending is not quite what I wanted. I don't know!! It's like every time I finally sank in and felt like it was heading in a new direction, it swerved into a new lane that I didn't really love.

All that said, I do think the lesbians SHINED in this story. They had such a lovely romance, and I loved all the Orpheus and Eurydice implications. Fantastic, huge win for gay people everywhere.

As far as comp titles go, I think this felt like a mixture between Miyazaki x Mike Flanagan x The Expert of Subtle Revisions x Hadestown x a Disney movie. Which is, all in all, not a bad batch of comps.

Not sure this review helps anybody because I do not have any strong thoughts on this, but it had its moments! I think for certain people it will hit super hard, but it just didn't make a lasting impression on me. Glad it exists though!!

pro tip - maybe don't read a book thats queer with jewish queer women thats literally about death and life on a roadtrip with your entire jewish family... cuz ya girl was c r y i n g.

🐶 Since the death of her sister Charlie has been able to see the dead, but her sister’s ghost is one that she can’t find. One night a familiar song leads Charlie to a lighthouse on the edge of the city that no one else can see. No one except for the ghosts who are journeying there and the ferrymen moving the spirits onward.

Nera doesn’t remember if she had a life before her time at the lighthouse that serves as a way station for the dead. All she knows is that her father is the keeper and one day soon that job will fall to her. But the steady light has been flickering, and when a young and living stranger shows up at the lighthouse Nera begins to question everything her father has taught her. 🐶

I received an eARC of The Lighthouse at the Edge of the World by JR Dawson in exchange for an honest review. Here are my thoughts!

The Lighthouse at the Edge of the World was a book that I wanted to destroy me, but instead ended up kind of disappointing me. I think that between the title and the synopsis I set my expectations too high so it was inevitable that this book would fall short.

Before I dive too deep into what didn’t work for me in this book let’s spend some time on what I did like.

The story was definitely original, which was a huge plus. I liked the early 2000s setting, especially since I don’t feel like I personally have read a lot of queer stories that took place during that timeframe. Also, I was really impressed with some of the one liners in this one.

Unfortunately, all that didn’t make up for what I didn’t like/enjoy.

Despite the fact that there were some great lines, overall the writing felt disjointed. This bleed over into the pacing as well and left me struggling to get through the first two thirds or so of the book. I think the choice to use journal entries to reveal some past events rather than direct pov chapters played into the pacing issues too.

Honestly some stylistic changes and editing out 50 pages or so could’ve made this book so freaking impactful. As is this one gets three stars from me, but let me know what you think when it’s released on July 29th!

This is a beautiful book that explores death, grief, and love. There are also talking dogs that protect souls as they make their final trip through the veil, and if that's not enough to pique your interest, I don't know what to tell you.

This novel is told from two POVs: Charlie, a girl drowning in grief after the senseless death of her sister, and Nera, the daughter of the lighthouse keeper who ferries souls through the veil. It should be impossible for Charlie to find the lighthouse, but she stumbles upon it while following the notes of her sister's unfinished song.

When Nera agrees to help vibrant and oh-so-very-alive Charlie learn if her sister passed through the veil or is trapped by the terrifying haunts that stalk Chicago's streets, the last thing she expects is to fall in love.

Charlie's grief is so raw and so real. I think anyone who has lost someone close to them will recognize this grief. It was impossible for me not to empathize with Charlie’s desperation. Everything Nera knows about the living world she learned through memories of the souls that visit the lighthouse. Her wonder and excitement about the world of the living is infectious. Her joy in hearing about Chicago’s streets, their deep dish pizza, the zoo - all the little things we take for granted are so awe-inspiring to someone who has only viewed the skyline from afar. If you’re from Chicago or visit Chicago regularly (like me), you will appreciate how much the city itself is a character in this book.

I wouldn't call this a fast paced book, but my goodness did the ending have me on the edge of my seat. If you want an exploration of grief and sapphic love, or if you love dogs or the musical Hadestown, this is for you!

This had an amazing concept, but I was so bored by the execution. I feel like this book is meant to connect and be meaningful (and it might be for some people), but for me, I didn't feel anything. This may be due to the supposed high-stakes ideas that felt low-stakes in execution. Nothing was specifically bad (except maybe some cringeworthy nods to the early 2000s), but nothing was outstanding either. I was seriously debating to DNF this book, but I powered on through. Overall, this book is extremely meh. I do hope others really get meaning out of it, but it didn't work for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and Pan Macmillan / Tor for the eARC in exchange for an honest review. As someone living in a Chicago who lost a sister, this book was at times a difficult read for me, but it was a really meaningful one. The story is about a station master and his daughter who work at a lighthouse, helping the dead to cross over into the afterlife. We get to see the souls they interact with and spend time in a beautifully rendered, magical space between our world and the afterlife. The descriptions of The Veil, the lighthouse, and the atmosphere generally are gorgeous. The author also clearly either lived in Chicago or did impressive research, because the references were spot-on, and I loved seeing a mention of Women & Children First.

The character work here is very good. A lot of the time, sapphic romances can fall into the trap of having the characters be too similar or not feel connected to any larger community. Charlie and Nera both feel like "real" people (which I know is a weird way to phrase it if you've read the book), they have distinct personalities, and they make decisions that are consistent with their personalities. The only thing I did wish is that there was a little more differentiation in the way they speak/phrasing. I would've liked to see more emphasis on the fact that Nera is from a completely different time period and wouldn't necessarily behave the way Charlie would.

As far was what didn't work as well for me, there was just some distance between me and the story that never fully connected, and I'm not sure how I feel about the ending. While I didn't want everything tied up very neatly in a bow, I was left feeling a little unsatisfied and like there was something missing, though admittedly I'm not sure what it was. Still, while it wasn't perfect and not every choice worked for me, I was tearing up at the end and the characters definitely made me connect deeply with their story and their relationship.