Honestly, I'm not quite sure how to categorize this novel. After reading the synopsis provided by publisher, I was pretty sure of what I was getting into, and the book did deliver on that, but also provided more. I'm not even sure how they would have provided hints at the twists and turns without either giving something away or over-promising suspense and mystery where it was fairly easy as the reader to see where some things were pointing. I'm glad that I got to find these unexpected depths to the story, but I am somewhat worried that the provided synopsis might undersell the story.

Overall, the narration for the audiobook was well done, but seeing as the story is told exclusively through emails, notes, and other written communications, I do think that this book would be better enjoyed through a written (physical or ebook) format.

A brilliant snapshot of small town life.

I had no idea what to expect from this book but the hook of 3 Brooklynites moving to Goodnight, Kansas turned out to barely encapsulate everything this book was. It was the struggle of a family trying to make ends meet after failure in the big city, the friends they make in their new home, small businesses trying to stay afloat, a major scandal with the biggest employer in town and the mundanity (with nuance) of small town life where everyone is up in each other’s bizness.

Page Getz is so skilled and the epistolary aspect was done really well. Also pinpointed the malaise of small town’s relying so heavily on businesses that often do not have their employee’s or the town’s best interest at heart. I feel like the early 2000’s was a time of great upheaval when factories like the one in Goodnight were exposed and we got to see this play out here fictionally.

Despite the messiness this was a very wholesome read.

Hillary Huber had the narration down-pat, each character perspective was very distinguishable.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and author for this ALC. Looking forward to more from Page!

I really loved this epistolary novel. I actually haven't ever NOT liked an epistolary novel. The characters in this were great, and the plot moved along in letter format.

I was hooked from the beginning!
It was amazing and engaging.
I was instantly sucked in by the atmosphere and writing style.
The characters were all very well developed .
The writing is exceptional and I was hooked after the first sentence.

I just finished a good audiobook. A Town With Half the Lights On by Page Getz was very entertaining.

This story did a great job capturing the ups and downs of small-town life. I enjoyed all the quirky characters; it definitely gave me Gilmore Girls vibes. The epistolary format gave it a unique feel, and I appreciated the cozy, uplifting tone.

Page Getz's "A Town with Half the Lights On" is a page-turning story with varied characters and gripping mysteries in a gossip-filled and opinionated small town that feels positively alive, and that you both grow to hate and grow fond of. With sprinkles of wholesomeness and kindness yet also a serving of frustration seasoned with narrow-mindedness, Getz basically shows both the best and the worst in people.

As you might have read, the story is entirely made out of emails (loved the email addresses), newspaper excerpts, notes, and even messages in bottles. This epistolary style was just a tad slow to get into and would probably be better suitable for print rather than audio format, but it was refreshingly creative, felt unique and turned the story into bite-sized pieces of the Goodnight, Kansas puzzle. Slowly unearthing and/or burying the "veritable" skeletons in everyone and everything's closets was satisfying as heck.

Another thing that got me is just how much fun it was to read! The natural, character-driven humour had me chuckling all throughout, characters all had their unique voices - both thanks to the writing and the talented audiobook narrator, Hillary Huber.

Although the characters felt a bit far away from me to relate, Getz did manage to make me believe what these characters are struggling with and why they are struggling through the various points of view. And I did really get quite hungry due to some of the amazing-sounding food descriptions!

Overall, would recommend to pick this book up for a really fun time of New Yorkers moving to a small town in the Midwest with all the quirky characters that come with it.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Tantor Audio/Recorded Books for providing this audiobook!

I was genuinely curious to see how this book would approach epistolary storytelling, and I went in with high hopes. Unfortunately, it just didn’t click for me. I ended up calling it quits around the 25% mark after several attempts to get into the story. Despite pushing through, I found myself disconnected from both the plot and the characters. While the concept was intriguing, it ultimately fell flat for me.

A thoroughly quirky novel that combines the perspectives of most of the small town it is set in, A Town with Half the Lights On is an interesting read. It is unique in its execution and holds the readers attention.

I loved this!
The epistolary format is so well done!
the small town accuracy and the characters
amazing all around

It’s been such a long time since I felt so completely invested in a story. My first thought after finishing this book was simply: five stars don't even begin to do it justice.

It combines so many of my favorite elements—an epistolary format + a found family + a charming small-town setting + and a cast of lovable characters. I especially loved how the story gave attention to the main family as well as the many of the side characters. I felt so immersed in the story of each individual.

The novel is told entirely through letters, emails, diary entries, local newspaper columns, notes passed between teenagers, school reports, and more. Since I listened to the audiobook version, it was a bit confusing at first to keep track of everything and everyone, but I soon got the hang of it. That said, I do think this is a book that would shine even more if read in physical or ebook format.

At its heart, the story follows the Solvang family, who move from New York to the small town of Goodnight, Kansas, after facing a personal misfortune. Goodnight is a close knit town full of eccentric charm. Together with some townsfolk, the Solvangs set out to save the beloved local diner, protect the spirit of their community, and stand against the looming threat of corporate greed from a large tire factory. You will meet their three alpacas, go on a treasure hunt with two teenagers and read the Town's newspaper which is written anonymously by the townsfolk only.

This one is so underrated with only just 138 ratings on Goodreads and I haven’t seen many people talking about it, even though it has only recently been released. It definitely deserves a lot more love and attention!

It was such a wholesome and beautiful read; I loved it to pieces. This book felt like a long comforting hug and one I will come back to again and again.


Thank you so much to @netgalley and @tantoraudio for providing me with a review copy of this beautiful book.

A town is boosted by a few plucky residents who come as outsiders but become family. I enjoyed the story of these caring and determined people who help to raise up those around them and make sure credit goes to all.

My issues with the book stem from the format, but only because it didn’t translate well into audio. The fact that the entire book is compromised of found media is great, but that really hindered the flow of the narration. I think I would have enjoyed it more if I’d had a physical or digital copy.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my copy. These opinions are my own.

Happiest of Pub Dates to @page_getz_ for the delightful 𝑨 𝑻𝑶𝑾𝑵 𝑾𝑰𝑻𝑯 𝑯𝑨𝑳𝑭 𝑻𝑯𝑬 𝑳𝑰𝑮𝑯𝑻𝑺 𝑶𝑵 #gifted from Sourcebooks Landmark @bookmarked and @tantoraudio via @netgalley.

I was so thrilled to hear that Page Getz was going to be here at @watermarkbooksandcafe for her launch! I feel so fortunate. Hearing more from an author about their book gives so much richness to a story, and this was no different.

I thoroughly enjoyed this tale of the New Yorkers thrust into this small Kansas town of Goodnight due to crisis and then find a crisis in the town with which they can help. Sid, Scarlet, & their daughter Harlem meet some amazing people in this town, not least of which is Disco, the girl Harlem's age, whom everyone has written off.

There is a comfort read quality to this community story that feels both nostalgic and hopeful. It also addresses very real issues that small towns must face with big business and job insecurity. It comes about in a cozy way, but this story goes deeper in several themes with just the right amount of humor.

I did listen a bit, and the narrator, Hillary Huber did a great job, but I do think the physical format needs to be read due to the epistolary nature. There are all sorts of writing forms used which added so much to this story, but it was harder to listen without seeing the words and the way in which it was printed. I am so glad I had both! It made for a truly lovely reading experience.

I definitely recommend this second-chance story for all of us who need some hope!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

*mild to medium spoilers ahead*
*mild to medium spoilers ahead*
*mild to medium spoilers ahead*
*mild to medium spoilers ahead*
*mild to medium spoilers ahead*

You've been warned. Now, to the review.

I'll admit. When I first started this book, I didn't think I was going to enjoy it. The whole thing is told in a "collection of correspondence" style -- emails, letters, newspaper articles, journal entries, handwritten notes, etc. After the first few instances of this, I thought, "Nope. This is going to bug the snot out of me." (Also, I'd like to note that I listened to this in audio format. It might not seem nearly as irritating or hard to follow if you're reading it on the page. But starting a brand-new book and having a bunch of "From: Name soandso@domainname.com To Name differentsoandso@differentdomainname.com" come at you in audio format was not a great way to start. If I had it to do over again, I'd definitely read it instead of listening to it.)

Anyway.

I'd received the book through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review, so I was determined to finish it.

Imagine my surprise when, after getting used to the "found document" format, I started to actually enjoy it! It's a very "feel good" story with a somewhat predictable plot, but that didn't make it any less enjoyable. I loved the character of Disco (a young "weird" girl who loves country music and just doesn't fit in with her entire town) immediately, and that love spread to the rest of the book.

The basic premise is that a family of New Yorkers moves to a small town in Goodnight, Kansas. The patriarch, Sid, was a fantastic chef, but he ran his father's historic diner into the ground with his "new" ideas and has vowed never to cook again. The family is broke and has nothing but an inherited farm in Kansas. The town is small and dying, losing their beloved May Day Diner, and being kept afloat by a single business -- a tire-making factory that may or may not be poisoning in the town's water supply.

There are side plots, of course.

One involves Harlem, the daughter (also weird and very New York), trying to fit in in the small town and wanting desperately to head back to New York and the only life she's ever known. She, of course, befriends Disco, and that relationship is a budding light in the darkness for her.

Another involves the mother of the family coming home, much to the dismay and disdain of her three sisters whom she hasn't really spoken to since she fled Kansas for New York as a teenager. She now has to navigate living in her hometown with sisters who aren't ready to forgive her for abandoning them.

A third side plot involves the mother's deceased father (Harlem's grandfather) who left the land/farm to them. Harlem is convinced that he has buried treasure somewhere on the land. She and Disco set out to find it so she can help Disco save the diner she loves so much and get her own family home to New York.

In distinct Hallmark movie fashion, the dad decides to take saving the town's beloved diner (though he isn't ready to cook in it -- he leaves that to his wife). And when Harlem and Disco finally find the "buried treasure," it isn't at all what they thought it would be. Instead of treasure, it's a dangerous secret that could turn the whole town against the new family -- even after they manage to save and revive the diner.

More than that I will not say. I don't want to get into major spoilers, and if you want to know what happens from there -- well -- that's why the author wrote the book!

It's a sweet, albeit formulaic, story of friendships, family, and the definition of "home" not always being what we think it is. It had a nice, steady pace, and though I never did get used to the litany of email addresses being read aloud, you quickly get used to the style.

If you like heartwarming tales of small communities coming together to save themselves, you'll enjoy this one. Though again, I definitely recommend reading it instead of listening to it in audio format. I think the writing style will be far less jarring that way.

A Town with Half the Lights On is a bit Fried Green Tomatoes (cozy, tight-knit small town vibes) and a tad Erin Brockovich (environmental hazards). A couple and their daughter have just moved to Goodnight, Kansas, from New York, both to claim their inheritance, but also to get their lives back on track in hopes of returning to New York soon. There is just something about Goodnight, though. The residents are charming. The town is quaint. There's a cafe set for demolition that seems worth saving. The story is told through text messages, emails, newspaper articles, and more, so it sounded right up my alley. Unfortunately, I just couldn't get into this one either in ebook or audiobook format.

Thanks to Sourcebooks Landmark, Tantor Audio, and NetGalley for review copies of the ebook and audiobook versions of A Town with Half the Lights On.

Thank you sourcebooks for my audiobook - just not for me. Disconnected and disinterested - almost dnf but finished it out

This lovely little epistolary novel tells the story of the town of Goodnight, Kansas - a failing town whose main industry is the tire factory. The Solvang family has run to Goodnight from Brooklyn because the wife Scarlet, inherited her father’s land and her husband Sid, needed to leave Brooklyn. Once they are in Kansas, Sid sees the need to save the May Day Diner - a Goodnight institution. Sid, Scarlet and their daughter Harlem are just hoping to get the May Day successful enough so that they can go back to Brooklyn, but the May Day becomes the heart of Goodnight; and then the town asks them to save the Hallelujah - the town’s dilapidated hotel. While the Solvangs are helping the town in many ways, there are still those who see them as outsiders and do not want to accept them. Then everyone’s tire factory are put into jeopardy and the town needs to figure out what kind of place and people they want to be.


It took me a bit to get into this book but I do think it’s because I was listening to the audio - I had thought since it was an epistolary novel that the audio would work well, but I preferred to read this one because the notes/emails/articles were so short and from many different characters that it became very confusing. This was such a sweet novel and once I picked up the book I found it hard to put it down. I had read a bunch of wonderful reviews of this one so I ran to request and I am so happy I did, this one left me with such a nice happy feeling. In addition there is a lot of food and cooking in it (including Jewish cooking) so I was sold! This had a little Lula Dean’s Little Library of Banned Books and a little A Wonderful life feel to it.

4.25 stars

Thank you to Tantor Audio and NetGalley for the ALC

running with it though.

I loved the cozy small town vibe, the sniping back and forth and the gossip that travelled via email, the town paper and passed notes. What I loved even more was when the whole town eventually rally together and learn to love one another, differences and all.

I enjoyed the narration a lot, Hilary Huber done a great job, but as I mentioned I did find it jarring for around the first 30% and definitely feel I’d have been able to rate a print copy higher, had that been a possibility.

Huge thanks to Tantor Audio via NetGalley fir the opportunity to review the ALC 🎧

Special mention to the indigestion that has me awake at 3am writing this review 😨

Oh Kansas, how I occasionally miss thee.

For reals though. There is something about the Midwest. The people are nicer, life is slower and some of the more important things are valued. Not saying that they aren’t in other places but having lived in some of the busiest metros/areas in the country and also several places in the Midwest, I feel I can state this. There is something different about it, something that the Solvang family is about to discover…

Moving from a demanding, busy and exciting metro to the calmer lifestyle of the Midwest can be a culture shock. Trying to settle in, by a diner, solve mysteries, meet amazing people who become like family (everyone needs that odd quirky girl…she is the best) and some amazing comfort food.
But during a time when a down on their luck family move to a down on their luck town, what else is to happen besides making a difference. The secrets, the love, the happiness and experiences will have you cheering for a well rounded ending.

Loved Kitchens of the Great Midwest? The movie the spitfire grill? This is for you.

Found family, epistolary storytelling & cozy warm fuzzy vibes alert. ✨✨✨✨✨

A Town with Half the Lights on from Page Getz was the book I didn’t know I needed. It is indeed a warm hug in book form.

Thank you @tantoraudio @bookmarked for the review copies of this delightful and gently subversive read. I read it in one day and with the hectic pace of life… that’s a big deal for me.

I don’t want to spoil this one. It’s a story of people down on their luck but full of love and hope and the kind of beautifully stubborn determined spirit that makes me a little misty eyed. The way the story is told through emails and shared notes and a delightfully charming local newspaper allows a range of voices to shine through and lets the local small town vibe wash over you as a reader.

Come for the charm… and stay to cheer on Harlem and Disco and Sid and Scarlet. You’ll leave wanting a biscuit and soup that makes you cry.