What do you think?
Rate this book
Gives Light #5
Lending Light
"Sometimes my imagination bleeds into reality."Eleven years ago a serial killer menaced the Nettlebush Indian Reservation. Rafael Gives Light is his son. A loner, Rafael relies on his startlingly overactive imagination to escape the distrust and vitriol of his peers.In the summer of 2000 an exceptionally blond boy moves to Nettlebush. Rafael learns that the boy is his father's last living victim. The boy wants to be friends.
339 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 1, 2014
22 people are currently reading
450 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 73 reviews
July 11, 2015
Amazing. Absolutely amazing!
Anyone who knows me knows that Gives Light by Rose Christo is my favorite series ever. I fell in love with the first book and I wasn’t able to put the series down. At the time, there were only four books, and I thought that was the whole series. I hoped there would be more, but I would have been okay with leaving it at four if the author had wanted it that way.
Lending Light is the fifth book in the Gives Light series. It’s the retelling of book one, Gives Light, from Rafael’s POV. Rafael happens to be one of my favorite literary characters ever. Both he and Skylar are. But I never got to read a book from his POV before now, and it was always something I wanted. Something I craved. So you could imagine my delight when I heard that the new book would be from his POV, and I would get to relive the first book and the events around that time from his eyes. Honestly, I knew I would love it, but I would never have been able to guess how much. Rafael is a complex character and one I couldn’t not love. Getting a book from his POV was amazing. I always knew he was a complex, lovable, and somewhat sad guy, but I never knew how deeply he felt.
There were times in the book where I really understood Rafael’s anger. People talked to him like he was his dad, or like he should have stopped him. It felt, to me, as though he was expected to be an adult when he’d only been a child. A child who lost a lot himself. A child who had to deal with a lot of guilt, and still does, over the loss of his mother. Some of those scenes were particularly hard and emotional. Maybe they wouldn’t be for someone who wasn’t as in love with Rafael as I am, but they were definitely tough for me. I just wanted to hug him so bad, or have Skylar hug him.
The way Rafael felt about Skylar was so beautiful, so powerful, I was surprised. It’s not like I was surprised he loved him, I already knew that. But the power behind that love was so strong, and they appeared very early on, like just after they met. But it was so beautiful, and for me, very believable. I felt how much he cared about Skylar and I found myself falling in love with this couple, again. Not that I ever lost it. But at times his feelings came out in such the simplest of ways, I couldn’t stop myself from feeling like it was my first experience with them.
There are moments in this book where I was wondering how Rafael didn’t go insane. This book drew out Skylar and Rafael becoming a couple a lot more than Gives Light did. Maybe because they had different scenes, and Rafael’s journey was different than Skylar’s was. But I was seriously getting impatient for them to get together, and to relive those moments with Rafael this time. And then there were moments, moments before that first kiss, moments that really stood out for me, and I suddenly found myself less impatient and not really focusing on them becoming a couple, but simply wanting them to share more scenes together. Those moments happened quite often and they were some of my favorite moments in the book.
The writing in this book is beautiful, not surprising since it’s a Rose Christo book. I expect it from her whenever I pick up one of her books. They always amaze me and the writing makes me so insanely happy, and jealous at times. I would love to have the ability to write half as beautifully as she does.
Another thing that remains similar to the other books is the family feel to this book. Family is definitely a huge part of this series, and I do tend to love almost all of the characters. Especially Skylar’s Granny. She was funny in this book, too, even though she wasn’t in it as much as the previous ones. Her love for Skylar was obvious in this, and it made me so ridiculously happy. And the tattoo scene was awesome. I laughed so hard while I was reading it.
Some people might be people might be hesitant to read this because it’s a retelling of Gives Light, but you shouldn’t be. This almost feels like a new series, and I don’t really see an issue with starting with this book, though you should really read the books in order. If you’re a hardcore fan of the series, like I am, then you should definitely read this because it’s amazing and wonderful and it puts you into Rafael’s head and you get his thoughts and his feelings and his different experiences. I promise, you won’t regret it.
My review on Greedy Bug Book Reviews.
Anyone who knows me knows that Gives Light by Rose Christo is my favorite series ever. I fell in love with the first book and I wasn’t able to put the series down. At the time, there were only four books, and I thought that was the whole series. I hoped there would be more, but I would have been okay with leaving it at four if the author had wanted it that way.
Shaman Quick raised an imperious hand, halting me. "You are not telling me everything you saw," he announced. "But you have told me enough. You will very soon learn what it means to have no voice.
Lending Light is the fifth book in the Gives Light series. It’s the retelling of book one, Gives Light, from Rafael’s POV. Rafael happens to be one of my favorite literary characters ever. Both he and Skylar are. But I never got to read a book from his POV before now, and it was always something I wanted. Something I craved. So you could imagine my delight when I heard that the new book would be from his POV, and I would get to relive the first book and the events around that time from his eyes. Honestly, I knew I would love it, but I would never have been able to guess how much. Rafael is a complex character and one I couldn’t not love. Getting a book from his POV was amazing. I always knew he was a complex, lovable, and somewhat sad guy, but I never knew how deeply he felt.
My mother's name was Susan Gives Light. I craved the light like dying men crave water.
It was like having a lantern inside of me, and it blazed to life when Sky was near, without him even knowing: It oozed melted light throughout my veins; it made me happier than I'd known humanly possible.
There were times in the book where I really understood Rafael’s anger. People talked to him like he was his dad, or like he should have stopped him. It felt, to me, as though he was expected to be an adult when he’d only been a child. A child who lost a lot himself. A child who had to deal with a lot of guilt, and still does, over the loss of his mother. Some of those scenes were particularly hard and emotional. Maybe they wouldn’t be for someone who wasn’t as in love with Rafael as I am, but they were definitely tough for me. I just wanted to hug him so bad, or have Skylar hug him.
The way Rafael felt about Skylar was so beautiful, so powerful, I was surprised. It’s not like I was surprised he loved him, I already knew that. But the power behind that love was so strong, and they appeared very early on, like just after they met. But it was so beautiful, and for me, very believable. I felt how much he cared about Skylar and I found myself falling in love with this couple, again. Not that I ever lost it. But at times his feelings came out in such the simplest of ways, I couldn’t stop myself from feeling like it was my first experience with them.
Sky in my arms was the best feeling.
Sky was everything;
There are moments in this book where I was wondering how Rafael didn’t go insane. This book drew out Skylar and Rafael becoming a couple a lot more than Gives Light did. Maybe because they had different scenes, and Rafael’s journey was different than Skylar’s was. But I was seriously getting impatient for them to get together, and to relive those moments with Rafael this time. And then there were moments, moments before that first kiss, moments that really stood out for me, and I suddenly found myself less impatient and not really focusing on them becoming a couple, but simply wanting them to share more scenes together. Those moments happened quite often and they were some of my favorite moments in the book.
I snagged my arms around Sky's waist. I pressed my face against his stomach. I felt every breath he took, slowing my own breathing until we matched. My face was damp with tears; I worried that I'd wet his shirt. He didn't care. His fingers roamed my scalp in feathery touches. He tucked my hair behind my ears and stroked the back of my neck. I'd never felt so relaxed. The feeling was doubly strong when I realized Sky was relaxed, too. Our emotions were in synch. I knew just then that anything he felt, I felt. Anything I felt, he felt. For a moment, however brief, however lasting, we shared the same heartbeat.
The writing in this book is beautiful, not surprising since it’s a Rose Christo book. I expect it from her whenever I pick up one of her books. They always amaze me and the writing makes me so insanely happy, and jealous at times. I would love to have the ability to write half as beautifully as she does.
Another thing that remains similar to the other books is the family feel to this book. Family is definitely a huge part of this series, and I do tend to love almost all of the characters. Especially Skylar’s Granny. She was funny in this book, too, even though she wasn’t in it as much as the previous ones. Her love for Skylar was obvious in this, and it made me so ridiculously happy. And the tattoo scene was awesome. I laughed so hard while I was reading it.
Some people might be people might be hesitant to read this because it’s a retelling of Gives Light, but you shouldn’t be. This almost feels like a new series, and I don’t really see an issue with starting with this book, though you should really read the books in order. If you’re a hardcore fan of the series, like I am, then you should definitely read this because it’s amazing and wonderful and it puts you into Rafael’s head and you get his thoughts and his feelings and his different experiences. I promise, you won’t regret it.
My review on Greedy Bug Book Reviews.
September 7, 2014
This was really a surprise. I did not expect that there was going to be a MAGICAL aspect to the story and that it would be coming from Rafael's POV. Rose Christo really gave Rafael a beautiful voice. It was amazing to see Skylar through his eyes. Here we get to see how true unconditional love LOOKS like. This whole series has made me feel special so far. Im really looking forward to the next book.
August 12, 2016
Beautiful.
I loved Rafael's voice, and getting his POV.
I had the idea that maybe kissing Sky was my natural, default state, and the reason I'd been such a disagreeable person all my life was because I hadn't been kissing him all my life.
I loved Rafael and Sky together.
Sky's fingers found the dimples on my cheeks. He played with them like they belonged to him; and I guess they did.
And Sarah was a delight...
"Uh, but--if you were serious about ice cream--"
"I am always serious about ice cream," Sarah said.
"How about tomorrow?" Zeke asked. "
That sounds very reasonable."
I loved Rafael's voice, and getting his POV.
I had the idea that maybe kissing Sky was my natural, default state, and the reason I'd been such a disagreeable person all my life was because I hadn't been kissing him all my life.
I loved Rafael and Sky together.
Sky's fingers found the dimples on my cheeks. He played with them like they belonged to him; and I guess they did.
And Sarah was a delight...
"Uh, but--if you were serious about ice cream--"
"I am always serious about ice cream," Sarah said.
"How about tomorrow?" Zeke asked. "
That sounds very reasonable."
September 27, 2018
4,5 stars
I am in "Don't touch me, I'm fragile" stage since I finished this book.
It's just... beautiful.
Rose Christo books always make me emotional. I don't even read ya; it's that sensitive age where every touch and every look has a meaning, a purpose, and it takes a master writer to bring it to paper. My first and favorite of hers is The Place Where They Cried- that book is powerful and devastating and it lingers in your thoughts long after you finished reading. Gives Light series is nothing less so, but there is something very sweet and precious about Sky and Rafael and you just can't not be affected by their story.
If you are familiar with series, do I even have to write anything to convince you to read it?
Lending Light is retelling of first book in Gives Light series from Rafael's pov. I know what's going to happen, I read it, but it felt like a different story. I actually opened a parallel window with Gives Light to read their first encounter and if I haven't gobbled LL I would do that with every important, pivotal moment- I wasn't aware how much I needed Rafael's pov before I experienced it.On top of that, I wasn't sure I am going to appreciate it this much because I just finished few days ago The Dogs of Balboa convinced by Jenni's review and Michael is in a similar place like Rafael- both angry, both sad and full of guilt.
I was wrong.
Rafael is an artist and the way he sees and describes world is deeply spiritual, rich and multilayered; it's full of colors, sensations and sounds.
The guy smiled at me.
The shadows covering the ground burst apart. The shadows released my ankles, warmth spreading up my legs, into my knees. The faces around me went completely visible, talking, laughing, a mother chasing her kid around the firepit, three old men viciously arguing about their quinoa crops. Light spread into the sky and stripped the shadows down, reproachful, but gentle. The sky bled red with sunset, matching the bonfire. The clouds lit up yellow, fanning out like daisy chains, their glow so clear, so crisp it felt like I'd never seen it before; I'd never seen anything before. Light splashed across the dry grass on the ground, the dead brown tinting bronze, alive.
It's stunning.
Being in Rafael's mind is like watching a movie in theater, full experience with surround sound and effects.
I remember how I felt about Sky when I was reading his thoughts-that visceral need to protect him. It happened with Rafael as well. I wished so much for these boys never to feel pain in their life, never to be touched by ugly and evil. It just left me raw and emotional.
As for angst level, it's high. Rafael is complicated mess of hormons and conflicting feelings of loving his dad and hating what he did, hatred and guilt. He needed Sky so bad...
I always loved how Christo writes relationships, not just romantic, but all of them. Connections between family members, ties between people who live in Nettlebush Reserve. Her characters are always defined by people they come in touch with as much as they are by nice and bad things they go through. Gabriel! "Probably the most epic name on Earth, and probably just as hard to live up to." ;)
So, that's it.
Go.
Read this.
If you never read Christo before this is the reason why her writing struck a chord with so many of us and why I think it's criminal she is so underrated:
Ain't that the truth.
I am in "Don't touch me, I'm fragile" stage since I finished this book.
It's just... beautiful.
Rose Christo books always make me emotional. I don't even read ya; it's that sensitive age where every touch and every look has a meaning, a purpose, and it takes a master writer to bring it to paper. My first and favorite of hers is The Place Where They Cried- that book is powerful and devastating and it lingers in your thoughts long after you finished reading. Gives Light series is nothing less so, but there is something very sweet and precious about Sky and Rafael and you just can't not be affected by their story.
If you are familiar with series, do I even have to write anything to convince you to read it?
Lending Light is retelling of first book in Gives Light series from Rafael's pov. I know what's going to happen, I read it, but it felt like a different story. I actually opened a parallel window with Gives Light to read their first encounter and if I haven't gobbled LL I would do that with every important, pivotal moment- I wasn't aware how much I needed Rafael's pov before I experienced it.On top of that, I wasn't sure I am going to appreciate it this much because I just finished few days ago The Dogs of Balboa convinced by Jenni's review and Michael is in a similar place like Rafael- both angry, both sad and full of guilt.
I was wrong.
Rafael is an artist and the way he sees and describes world is deeply spiritual, rich and multilayered; it's full of colors, sensations and sounds.
The guy smiled at me.
The shadows covering the ground burst apart. The shadows released my ankles, warmth spreading up my legs, into my knees. The faces around me went completely visible, talking, laughing, a mother chasing her kid around the firepit, three old men viciously arguing about their quinoa crops. Light spread into the sky and stripped the shadows down, reproachful, but gentle. The sky bled red with sunset, matching the bonfire. The clouds lit up yellow, fanning out like daisy chains, their glow so clear, so crisp it felt like I'd never seen it before; I'd never seen anything before. Light splashed across the dry grass on the ground, the dead brown tinting bronze, alive.
It's stunning.
Being in Rafael's mind is like watching a movie in theater, full experience with surround sound and effects.
I remember how I felt about Sky when I was reading his thoughts-that visceral need to protect him. It happened with Rafael as well. I wished so much for these boys never to feel pain in their life, never to be touched by ugly and evil. It just left me raw and emotional.
As for angst level, it's high. Rafael is complicated mess of hormons and conflicting feelings of loving his dad and hating what he did, hatred and guilt. He needed Sky so bad...
I always loved how Christo writes relationships, not just romantic, but all of them. Connections between family members, ties between people who live in Nettlebush Reserve. Her characters are always defined by people they come in touch with as much as they are by nice and bad things they go through. Gabriel! "Probably the most epic name on Earth, and probably just as hard to live up to." ;)
So, that's it.
Go.
Read this.
If you never read Christo before this is the reason why her writing struck a chord with so many of us and why I think it's criminal she is so underrated:
"In Shoshone lore, we say that God has two halves: Wolf, fair and wise, and Coyote, wicked and capricious. The reason for God's dual nature is because everything around us has the capacity for both good and bad. Nowhere is that more apparent than the sun. The sun gives life, gives light, but if you look at it directly it can blind you. People are about the same. We love one another. We hurt one another. They're not mutually exclusive. Even the kindest heart can make a mistake and say something terrible. Even the blackest heart can spare rare kindness on an unsuspecting soul."
Ain't that the truth.
July 20, 2016
This book covers the same time frame as the first in the series, Gives Light, but from the POV of Rafael rather than Skylar. Despite the overlap, there are enough differences to keep this from being just a retelling. For one thing, Rafael is a mystic and an artist, a dreamer who sees the world from a bit of an angle. He sometimes slides into an archetypal view of the world, and his sideways take on life is both different and fascinating.
The shift into the paranormal/mystical in this book was both welcome and not. I was pleased to find one of my main pet peeves from the first books - - by providing a magical basis for it. At the same time, the charm of the Skylar books, grounded in history and contemporary life and society and injustice, was diluted a little by the shift in emphasis.
At first I found myself skipping a bit here and there, but gradually Rafael's narrative voice hooked me. By the time I moved on to book 6, I was fully engaged in Rafael's parallel world with his cultural experiences, his uncle, and his alternate view as the man who loves Skylar beyond all reason. There are also explanations here for a few other questions I had, so it did round out the first book in a satisfying way.
The shift into the paranormal/mystical in this book was both welcome and not. I was pleased to find one of my main pet peeves from the first books - - by providing a magical basis for it. At the same time, the charm of the Skylar books, grounded in history and contemporary life and society and injustice, was diluted a little by the shift in emphasis.
At first I found myself skipping a bit here and there, but gradually Rafael's narrative voice hooked me. By the time I moved on to book 6, I was fully engaged in Rafael's parallel world with his cultural experiences, his uncle, and his alternate view as the man who loves Skylar beyond all reason. There are also explanations here for a few other questions I had, so it did round out the first book in a satisfying way.
May 30, 2015
It took me longer than usual to read this book because the writing was so beautiful, I was taking it slowly to fully enjoy every sentence.
I'm in love with this series and this one definitely proves that Rose Christo is an amazing author. She took the story of Gives Light and managed to tell a whole new story with a different feel to it , different emotions and moments explored and still the same beloved characters.
It was wonderful to see Skylar through Rafael's eyes but it was especially wonderful to discover all this inside world inside Rafael and how things were before Skylar's arrival then how it changed Rafael and helped him find a balance.
This series is a beautiful tale of nature, culture, friendship, family and love.
I'm in love with this series and this one definitely proves that Rose Christo is an amazing author. She took the story of Gives Light and managed to tell a whole new story with a different feel to it , different emotions and moments explored and still the same beloved characters.
It was wonderful to see Skylar through Rafael's eyes but it was especially wonderful to discover all this inside world inside Rafael and how things were before Skylar's arrival then how it changed Rafael and helped him find a balance.
This series is a beautiful tale of nature, culture, friendship, family and love.
September 3, 2014
So, so good.
On Friday I talked about my love for the first four Gives light books by Rose Christo and today I'm going to talk about the fifth book in the series, Lending Light. Lending Light takes us right back to the beginning of the story, it is, more or less, the same storyline as in Gives Light (though it doesn't follow quite as far into events as Gives Light). I have to admit, after reading the first four in the series, I was a little reluctant to go back to the beginning. I considered it would be interesting to see things from Raf's POV, but honestly, I kinda thought it was going to be boring. I'd seen all this before, I wasn't ready for a repeat. I needn't have worried - within the first few pages I was hooked.
Yes, I did know the story - the thing is however, Rose Christo is excellent at writing the characters. So the events might be the same but the feelings weren't. I thought I understood Raf from reading the first books...and I did, to a certain extent, but he shines in a whole knew light in this book.
In a way I might even have enjoyed this book all the more for having read the others, though I believe it could be read first or alone. Raf is a complicated boy - imagine wearing the face of a killer and being judged for it your whole life? Or at least feeling as if you're being judged for it. Imagine loving someone despite the fact that you know they did something horribly unforgivable. I love how Rose Christo explores the grey. How there is more to a human character than just good or bad, how we are ALL a mixture of both components.
Seeing the effects of a man's actions and the consequences on two people trying to find their way in life. Trying to discover who they are and who they love is just wonderful. It is eye-opening really. It made me think about how quick we are to judge or even label. It's understandable really, we're all just trying to make sense of the world around us but it's a reminder that whatever age we are we're always learning. Rafael is a wonderful, wonderful character and I really enjoyed seeing his world through his eyes. As much as Sky and he are intrinsically connected they are also totally separate entities. Raf, for all his anger and anti-social behaviour loves unconditionally and seeing these - feeling this - through him was so beautiful. Seeing Skylar through his eyes was just heart warming really.
As always Rose Christo creates a world that fascinates me. The descriptions are as divine as ever, these are books that you feel rather than just read. I would say to anyone who enjoyed the first book of the series but are worried about reading this, to give it a go, I'm willing to bet you won't be disappointed.
Review previously at BMBR.
On Friday I talked about my love for the first four Gives light books by Rose Christo and today I'm going to talk about the fifth book in the series, Lending Light. Lending Light takes us right back to the beginning of the story, it is, more or less, the same storyline as in Gives Light (though it doesn't follow quite as far into events as Gives Light). I have to admit, after reading the first four in the series, I was a little reluctant to go back to the beginning. I considered it would be interesting to see things from Raf's POV, but honestly, I kinda thought it was going to be boring. I'd seen all this before, I wasn't ready for a repeat. I needn't have worried - within the first few pages I was hooked.
Yes, I did know the story - the thing is however, Rose Christo is excellent at writing the characters. So the events might be the same but the feelings weren't. I thought I understood Raf from reading the first books...and I did, to a certain extent, but he shines in a whole knew light in this book.
In a way I might even have enjoyed this book all the more for having read the others, though I believe it could be read first or alone. Raf is a complicated boy - imagine wearing the face of a killer and being judged for it your whole life? Or at least feeling as if you're being judged for it. Imagine loving someone despite the fact that you know they did something horribly unforgivable. I love how Rose Christo explores the grey. How there is more to a human character than just good or bad, how we are ALL a mixture of both components.
Seeing the effects of a man's actions and the consequences on two people trying to find their way in life. Trying to discover who they are and who they love is just wonderful. It is eye-opening really. It made me think about how quick we are to judge or even label. It's understandable really, we're all just trying to make sense of the world around us but it's a reminder that whatever age we are we're always learning. Rafael is a wonderful, wonderful character and I really enjoyed seeing his world through his eyes. As much as Sky and he are intrinsically connected they are also totally separate entities. Raf, for all his anger and anti-social behaviour loves unconditionally and seeing these - feeling this - through him was so beautiful. Seeing Skylar through his eyes was just heart warming really.
As always Rose Christo creates a world that fascinates me. The descriptions are as divine as ever, these are books that you feel rather than just read. I would say to anyone who enjoyed the first book of the series but are worried about reading this, to give it a go, I'm willing to bet you won't be disappointed.
Review previously at BMBR.
September 19, 2025
4.5 stars ...
Re-read: Sept '25
Re-read: Sept '25
March 10, 2018
Disclaimer: Author Rose Christo may not be Native American herself, as she has claimed.
------------------------------------------------------------------
This book has the sort of fragile beauty that makes you kind of forget that you're a cynical 40-something who has read it all before. I thought it'd be tedious to read the same story as Gives Light, but then from Rafael's POV. I've seldom been so happy to be completely and utterly wrong. Still, it probably helps that I read that book a while ago.
Rafael Gives Light (who should have been named Rafael Sees Light, or Rafael Touches Light) is one of those Christo MCs that just bowls you over with their ungainly vulnerability. He's probably my favorite. Maybe after Tommy from White Buffalo Calf Warriors, I don't know. I am not going to spoil the book by telling you why, read it yourself.
The book isn't perfect. Christo tends to be a bit repetitive, although it's really not that bad here. And the end is a bit abrupt. But hell, it's close enough, better than I remember Gives Light being, to give it 5 stars.
------------------------------------------------------------------
This book has the sort of fragile beauty that makes you kind of forget that you're a cynical 40-something who has read it all before. I thought it'd be tedious to read the same story as Gives Light, but then from Rafael's POV. I've seldom been so happy to be completely and utterly wrong. Still, it probably helps that I read that book a while ago.
Rafael Gives Light (who should have been named Rafael Sees Light, or Rafael Touches Light) is one of those Christo MCs that just bowls you over with their ungainly vulnerability. He's probably my favorite. Maybe after Tommy from White Buffalo Calf Warriors, I don't know. I am not going to spoil the book by telling you why, read it yourself.
The book isn't perfect. Christo tends to be a bit repetitive, although it's really not that bad here. And the end is a bit abrupt. But hell, it's close enough, better than I remember Gives Light being, to give it 5 stars.
August 24, 2014
Contains the most beautiful descriptions of what it's like to love someone that I have ever read.
September 22, 2025
Awesome!
This book covers the same time frame as book 1 so I wasn't sure how good or interesting it would be. I freaking loved it! Book 1 was written from Sky's perspective and this one was written from Rafael's perspective. I love Rafael's voice and how he sees the world! This is now my favorite book in the series! Five stars!
This book covers the same time frame as book 1 so I wasn't sure how good or interesting it would be. I freaking loved it! Book 1 was written from Sky's perspective and this one was written from Rafael's perspective. I love Rafael's voice and how he sees the world! This is now my favorite book in the series! Five stars!
October 9, 2014
Sometimes, when reading a book that's supposed to be a sort of recounting of the first from another POV, I get a little apprehensive. Sure, reading about the other persons feelings and thoughts, the experiences, it can be fun. And sometimes it tends to be a regurgitation of everything I've already read and I'm pretty disappointed.
So not the case here.
This book does hit on a few things that the first book in the series went over. But what this also does, is give us the experiences and happenings that we never knew about. So much of what Raf goes through during the first book is a mystery. You fall in love with him, of course, but he's still a little bit untouchable... or something. There are also so many days to that first summer. Days that Sky does not tell us about, a lot of them he doesn't know of, so we get them from Rafael. It's kinda priceless.
This book really broke my heart. Raf breaks my heart. He experiences everything so much more deeply than everyone else. He's special, our Rafael. So special. His memories, his feelings, his struggles, all of them more than I could handle myself. He's so strong and beautiful. I'd hope that in the next book we get more of his POV. The way he sees everything is so wonderful, it would be a shame not to see through his eyes again. It would be a shame to not be able to hear Sky again through Raf's mind. Because he really did hear him. He heard Sky loud and clear.
The other thing about this book, and all the others of the series, are the lessons. Lessons that should be learned the world over. I know I'll take them to heart. I'm also shoving this series in the faces of everyone else I know, starting with one of my sisters. I know she'll love them as much as I do. I'd hope everyone who reads them can get something useful from them. Not just the story of Sky and Raf, but the story of love and family.
So not the case here.
This book does hit on a few things that the first book in the series went over. But what this also does, is give us the experiences and happenings that we never knew about. So much of what Raf goes through during the first book is a mystery. You fall in love with him, of course, but he's still a little bit untouchable... or something. There are also so many days to that first summer. Days that Sky does not tell us about, a lot of them he doesn't know of, so we get them from Rafael. It's kinda priceless.
This book really broke my heart. Raf breaks my heart. He experiences everything so much more deeply than everyone else. He's special, our Rafael. So special. His memories, his feelings, his struggles, all of them more than I could handle myself. He's so strong and beautiful. I'd hope that in the next book we get more of his POV. The way he sees everything is so wonderful, it would be a shame not to see through his eyes again. It would be a shame to not be able to hear Sky again through Raf's mind. Because he really did hear him. He heard Sky loud and clear.
The other thing about this book, and all the others of the series, are the lessons. Lessons that should be learned the world over. I know I'll take them to heart. I'm also shoving this series in the faces of everyone else I know, starting with one of my sisters. I know she'll love them as much as I do. I'd hope everyone who reads them can get something useful from them. Not just the story of Sky and Raf, but the story of love and family.
August 27, 2014
Brilliant book - I could not have imagined a better retelling of events from Raphael's POV. Such an amazing exploration of how a person can be good/ evil ... and the transforming power of unconditional love.
March 26, 2015
More book reviews at TheBookishOgre.
I had the idea that maybe kissing Sky was my natural, default state, and the reason I'd been such a disagreeable person all my life was because I hadn't been kissing him all my life.
This review almost goes the same with book one. Because this story is in fact based on the first book and the only difference is that Rafael narrated this. Oh, how I loved that guy. It's very heartwarming to see Sky through Rafael's eye. How Sky changed Rafael's life and how Rafael tried to be that person.
So let me just tell you why I freaking loved this series. Let's start with the characters. Probably this series has one of the best set of characters in young adult contemporary. Everyone has depth. Everyone is remarkable. Every single main or secondary ones tugs your heart. Rose Christo doesn't need to make her characters to be too perfect to gain a strong connection with them. You'll love them just the way they are.
And for the romance, it just so happened that we're introduced to a society where a boy who likes a boy is not a crime by law, a disease, a sin, or whatever ridiculous name they call it. So this is not me-and-you-against-the-world or i-love-you-you-love-me-but stuff. This is a fresh take for us to the mm genre where no one gives a damn who you love.
"I have a boyfriend," I said
Meredith smiled warmly at me. "That's wonderful! What's his name?"
"Not telling" I said
"You made him up," Holly accused
"Bite me," I said again
Why so adorable, Rafael?
I had the idea that maybe kissing Sky was my natural, default state, and the reason I'd been such a disagreeable person all my life was because I hadn't been kissing him all my life.
This review almost goes the same with book one. Because this story is in fact based on the first book and the only difference is that Rafael narrated this. Oh, how I loved that guy. It's very heartwarming to see Sky through Rafael's eye. How Sky changed Rafael's life and how Rafael tried to be that person.
So let me just tell you why I freaking loved this series. Let's start with the characters. Probably this series has one of the best set of characters in young adult contemporary. Everyone has depth. Everyone is remarkable. Every single main or secondary ones tugs your heart. Rose Christo doesn't need to make her characters to be too perfect to gain a strong connection with them. You'll love them just the way they are.
And for the romance, it just so happened that we're introduced to a society where a boy who likes a boy is not a crime by law, a disease, a sin, or whatever ridiculous name they call it. So this is not me-and-you-against-the-world or i-love-you-you-love-me-but stuff. This is a fresh take for us to the mm genre where no one gives a damn who you love.
"I have a boyfriend," I said
Meredith smiled warmly at me. "That's wonderful! What's his name?"
"Not telling" I said
"You made him up," Holly accused
"Bite me," I said again
Why so adorable, Rafael?
July 14, 2019
I really enjoyed getting to see more from Rafael’s perspective, and seeing more of Gabe and Rosa was pretty awesome too! I did sock it a star, only because the story was a tad boring, though that’s mostly due to the fact we’d already seen most of this though Skylar’s eyes, so it’s not really the books fault. It just wasn’t quite up to par with the previous four in the series.
September 4, 2014
Rafe's "voice" is beautiful, especially the way he sees Skyler.
April 23, 2017
“Custer was a child once. He didn’t spend his childhood killing Indians and stealing their homeland. Nero didn’t spend his childhood burning Rome to the ground. Everybody was a child once. No child was born hating the world around him. You had to learn that trait. You had to pick it up from the worst pockets of the universe, the filthiest recesses of society, where the people who learned it before you deposited it when they were done.”
This was absolutely beautiful but that's no surprise because all the other books in this series were just as gorgeously written as this one. Rose Christo has the ability to construct points of views and situations that feel so real even if they make no sense sometimes. That happened especially in this book, with Rafael as its narrator. I honestly didn't think that his POV was important or necessary when I first saw that was the case but I'm so happy we got this. His voice is completely different from Sky's and we got so much new information that I didn't realise I needed until they happened. To me, the cutest thing that happened ever was when Sky and Rafael got together and Rafael told everyone he saw "I have a boyfriend". I laughed so much because he's such a cheesy, brooding boy.
Even if there were a lot of cute and adorable moments, Rose Christo's writing and the voice of the book changed here. I felt it was darker and more complex than Sky's. Sky is an optimist and an idealist and his narration show that. But Rafael is very much a pessimist because of all the things that happened in his life and there's a lot of self hate and self deprecation that developed and turned into something else during the book. Not exactly self love but acceptance maybe. I loved how being with Sky made him like himself more because he felt responsible for his happiness. And it wasn't in a dependable way, like, he didn't like himself only because he had a boyfriend. But I believe a lot of the self hate came from the guilt of being the son of his father and he needed the redemption of seeing one of his victims not only not blaming him but loving him and caring about him. I found that dynamic so interesting and complicated and I loved it. I also realise I didn't now how he could hear Sky's voice and that was explained in this book with a bit of the help of magical realism. That was unexpected but beautiful at the same time.
It wasn't a perfect book, don't get me wrong. Like with all the other books in the series, there were sexists ideas with things like colours that I found unnecessary and one time Rafael talks about Sky's schizophrenic eyebrows and I would like for people to stop describing things with mental illnesses. I'm sure there are better words to use. But apart from those things, this book brought a different perspective that I adored reading. It was much more focused on the Shoshone life style that he already had instead of learning all new things like Sky did. There were a lot of legends and stories that were so beautiful and interesting. I'm so thankful for this series because it's making me learn so many new things that I've never thought about and the writing is just glorious.
March 24, 2015
One word: Phenomenal.
Rose has done it again, but not in the way I expected. I was always curious about Rafael’s POV because Sky made him seem something so..delightful. Sky made him seem like he was his Sun.
But it never occurred to me exactly what Sky saw in Rafael, until I read Lending Light.
Rose made it so easy for me to connect with Rafael. Whatever Rafael felt, I felt. That’s the power Rose’s writing created. With most books that I have read, most readers know what the character doesn’t because the author wants us to know something to create a plot twist.
What I loved? This wasn’t Rose. Rose put her readers as the character. Rose made us connect with the character in a way that made the story flow like it was our own. My own.
In a way, it was.
Everything Rafael explained about love, I crave. Rafael has said that he had never had a partner, I have never truly had one. Rafael said that he loved unconditionally. I hope to someday love someone unconditionally. Rafael fell in love with someone who was afraid of who they could be, but he made Sky unafraid. I, too, hope to make someone fearless. Rafael fell in love for the first time, and it turned out to be beautiful and a lifetime love. That became my hope for what I could potentially be looking for or be living. Rafael fell in love with someone that calmed him, that changed him, that made him question everything he liked..because he liked whatever Sky liked...to make him happy.
“I have a boyfriend.”
Those four words were probably one of my most favorites. I have never smiled more in my life because I want to feel what Rafael feels for Sky.
I think I want to feel it more than anything because Rafael is realistic and yet crazy in love. Rafael kept that balance between his mind and his heart. He feared to lose Sky, but he kept that to himself.
There’s just something magical about a first love. There’s something magical about Rafael’s love for Sky. HE CAN HEAR HIS VOICE. Like, I don’t know how much more you can love someone. A SPEECH THERAPIST???!!!! My heart. I cried so much. I cried so, so much. This love is so huge..so unique..so beautiful that it’s hard to believe it is all in a book. Can it be lived in reality? I sure hope so.
I could never get enough of Rafael and Sky. I always crave to read their passages together. There’s a stir of warmth, comfort, and magic. Rose’s writing when they’re together is..unexplainable. I feel like each word is so important, each word has to be devoured. Each word has to be read several times in order for the reader to understand this compassion. I didn’t mind rereading it. I took pictures, damn it. I take pictures to reread my favorite passages over and over again.
There were a lot of repeated passages, but I knew that had a purpose. Usually, I would find that slightly annoying, but I never did. I felt like Sky sometimes. I wanted Rafael to forget that he wasn’t his father. I wanted him to forget that he wasn’t a killer. He wasn’t a murder. I wanted him to stop hurting people as well.
I love Rafael. I love him so much.
I love Rose.
I love Lending Light.
I love this whole series.
Rose has done it again, but not in the way I expected. I was always curious about Rafael’s POV because Sky made him seem something so..delightful. Sky made him seem like he was his Sun.
But it never occurred to me exactly what Sky saw in Rafael, until I read Lending Light.
Rose made it so easy for me to connect with Rafael. Whatever Rafael felt, I felt. That’s the power Rose’s writing created. With most books that I have read, most readers know what the character doesn’t because the author wants us to know something to create a plot twist.
What I loved? This wasn’t Rose. Rose put her readers as the character. Rose made us connect with the character in a way that made the story flow like it was our own. My own.
In a way, it was.
Everything Rafael explained about love, I crave. Rafael has said that he had never had a partner, I have never truly had one. Rafael said that he loved unconditionally. I hope to someday love someone unconditionally. Rafael fell in love with someone who was afraid of who they could be, but he made Sky unafraid. I, too, hope to make someone fearless. Rafael fell in love for the first time, and it turned out to be beautiful and a lifetime love. That became my hope for what I could potentially be looking for or be living. Rafael fell in love with someone that calmed him, that changed him, that made him question everything he liked..because he liked whatever Sky liked...to make him happy.
“I have a boyfriend.”
Those four words were probably one of my most favorites. I have never smiled more in my life because I want to feel what Rafael feels for Sky.
I think I want to feel it more than anything because Rafael is realistic and yet crazy in love. Rafael kept that balance between his mind and his heart. He feared to lose Sky, but he kept that to himself.
There’s just something magical about a first love. There’s something magical about Rafael’s love for Sky. HE CAN HEAR HIS VOICE. Like, I don’t know how much more you can love someone. A SPEECH THERAPIST???!!!! My heart. I cried so much. I cried so, so much. This love is so huge..so unique..so beautiful that it’s hard to believe it is all in a book. Can it be lived in reality? I sure hope so.
I could never get enough of Rafael and Sky. I always crave to read their passages together. There’s a stir of warmth, comfort, and magic. Rose’s writing when they’re together is..unexplainable. I feel like each word is so important, each word has to be devoured. Each word has to be read several times in order for the reader to understand this compassion. I didn’t mind rereading it. I took pictures, damn it. I take pictures to reread my favorite passages over and over again.
There were a lot of repeated passages, but I knew that had a purpose. Usually, I would find that slightly annoying, but I never did. I felt like Sky sometimes. I wanted Rafael to forget that he wasn’t his father. I wanted him to forget that he wasn’t a killer. He wasn’t a murder. I wanted him to stop hurting people as well.
I love Rafael. I love him so much.
I love Rose.
I love Lending Light.
I love this whole series.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 25, 2022
There is so much tenderness, sweetness, heartache, disbelief and sorrow, all mixed up with wonder and hope throughout this story.
The original Gives Light story told from the perspective of Rafael, so powerfully conveys the impacts of generational trauma, and how (gay teen) love can forge a new pathway of healing and growth.
I want to read this series again and again! Rafael & Sky’s love is angsty in a whole other way which just grows kinder and more honest over time.
The original Gives Light story told from the perspective of Rafael, so powerfully conveys the impacts of generational trauma, and how (gay teen) love can forge a new pathway of healing and growth.
I want to read this series again and again! Rafael & Sky’s love is angsty in a whole other way which just grows kinder and more honest over time.
September 2, 2018
Book 5 in the Gives Light series takes us back to the timeline for Book 1, only this time told from Rafael's POV. There are a few overlapping scenes between the two books, but this is not a retread by any means. This is Rafael's story, not his version of Skylar's story, and we get to see what was going on with him while Skylar was settling in at the Nettlebush reserve. We get to go on Rafael's journey of self-acceptance and self-enlightenment as he comes to realize that he's not responsible for his father's evil deeds and that he's worthy of love. We see his struggle to understand his father's motivations while his father killed those women, and what it means that he can still love his father despite that. And we also discover that his father was an even worse human being than we previously thought. How can he possibly be any worse, you may ask? Well, he can that's how.
Rafael is a visual person, seeing his emotions in visual manifestations, which threw me at first. It was a heavy-handed storytelling technique at times but now and then provided good insights into Rafael's thought-process. Raf's also an intuitive, able to sense other people's emotions even as he struggles to understand his own. It was amusing to see him slowly falling for and crushing on Sky, and see how he influenced some of those events from Skylar's story that Skylar wasn't aware of.
Technical issues (doesn't effect rating): The chapters were not always labeled and the chapter markers were way off, so don't rely on them when reading on your Kindle or Kindle-app.
Rafael is a visual person, seeing his emotions in visual manifestations, which threw me at first. It was a heavy-handed storytelling technique at times but now and then provided good insights into Rafael's thought-process. Raf's also an intuitive, able to sense other people's emotions even as he struggles to understand his own. It was amusing to see him slowly falling for and crushing on Sky, and see how he influenced some of those events from Skylar's story that Skylar wasn't aware of.
Technical issues (doesn't effect rating): The chapters were not always labeled and the chapter markers were way off, so don't rely on them when reading on your Kindle or Kindle-app.
January 22, 2021
3.75 stars. (Originally 3.5, but I've rounded up because of how much I love this community of characters)
It was really good to finally be able to return to this story.
I love Sky, and I love Rafael. They're a wonderful duo and, in a lot of ways, they're complete opposites to one another. That's why they're so good together, though. They bring out the best in one another, and give each other so much without realising they're doing it.
Even though this is almost like a re-telling of Gives Light, but from Rafael's perspective, for the most part it's just a lot of different character interactions, and a lot of internal dialogue/history. I liked being inside Rafael's head, and seeing his character development first-hand. I also appreciate, and feel like I understand, some of the side-character a lot more now.
However, the reason I've rated Lending Light as a 3.5 stars, which is the lowest rating I've given to a book in this series, is because the internal dialogue/history got to be a bit *too much* at some points. Whilst Rose Christo paints a very detailed picture, I just found it difficult to get through some of it. It didn't feel relevant or necessary, and kind of over the top. I even skim-read a few sections here and there, and felt like I didn't miss out on anything.
If you're a fan of the series, then you absolutely need to read this book. For me though, it just wasn't *as good* as the previous books.
It was really good to finally be able to return to this story.
I love Sky, and I love Rafael. They're a wonderful duo and, in a lot of ways, they're complete opposites to one another. That's why they're so good together, though. They bring out the best in one another, and give each other so much without realising they're doing it.
Even though this is almost like a re-telling of Gives Light, but from Rafael's perspective, for the most part it's just a lot of different character interactions, and a lot of internal dialogue/history. I liked being inside Rafael's head, and seeing his character development first-hand. I also appreciate, and feel like I understand, some of the side-character a lot more now.
However, the reason I've rated Lending Light as a 3.5 stars, which is the lowest rating I've given to a book in this series, is because the internal dialogue/history got to be a bit *too much* at some points. Whilst Rose Christo paints a very detailed picture, I just found it difficult to get through some of it. It didn't feel relevant or necessary, and kind of over the top. I even skim-read a few sections here and there, and felt like I didn't miss out on anything.
If you're a fan of the series, then you absolutely need to read this book. For me though, it just wasn't *as good* as the previous books.
October 28, 2014
"It was a waste to have arms and not hold him. It was a waste to have a mouth and not kiss him."
I am absolutely speechless.
it was BEAUTIFUL.
it doesn't really express how much i love this story but BEAUTIFUL and perfect are the only words on my mind right now.
i was slightly afraid that the fifth part wouldn't be as good as previous parts, especially since i've already known the story. i didn't expect that i can fall in love with the plot, characters and this wonderful couple all over again. because this is exactly what happened.
Rafael with all his insecurities, imagination, anger, love is one of the most beautiful people and although i believe that he really needed Sky to find himself and feel okay in his own skin, it was more like they both - Sky and Rafael - needed each other.
there are millions of reasons why i love this story. i love the plot, i love Rafael and Skylar, i love all characters - even Eli because after all he was Rafael's dad, i love stories about the past and stories showing Native Americans' problems, i love cknversations because to be honest there were some answers to my own questions and these books made me look at it differently.
Thank You Rose Christo! and please, please keep writing
I am absolutely speechless.
it was BEAUTIFUL.
it doesn't really express how much i love this story but BEAUTIFUL and perfect are the only words on my mind right now.
i was slightly afraid that the fifth part wouldn't be as good as previous parts, especially since i've already known the story. i didn't expect that i can fall in love with the plot, characters and this wonderful couple all over again. because this is exactly what happened.
Rafael with all his insecurities, imagination, anger, love is one of the most beautiful people and although i believe that he really needed Sky to find himself and feel okay in his own skin, it was more like they both - Sky and Rafael - needed each other.
there are millions of reasons why i love this story. i love the plot, i love Rafael and Skylar, i love all characters - even Eli because after all he was Rafael's dad, i love stories about the past and stories showing Native Americans' problems, i love cknversations because to be honest there were some answers to my own questions and these books made me look at it differently.
Thank You Rose Christo! and please, please keep writing
August 6, 2019
wow .... What can I say ...? It describes the love in an amazing way, the most beautiful way I've ever read, how magical is all when narrated from Rafael point of view, he has an unique way to see the world, to perceive everything ...
"Maybe regular people woke up one day and realized,'I'm going to be a poet.' 'I'm going to be a baker.' That day I woke up and realized: I was going to make Sky happy."
This boy is so innocent and pure, so marked by the decisions of his father.. how tortured by them, he was the only one who lived enough to experience and suffer the consequences of his father actions, yet, he has the innocence and pure heart of a child, even after how much he's suffered... Then Sky arrives and his life is bright again.
"I wanted Sky to talk. I wanted Sky to sing. I wanted everyone to hear his voice the way I heard it, soft and mellow, mild. His voice was already a song. I heard it sometimes when I was alone, except I was never alone; he'd given me his light to keep"
Like I said it has the more pures ways to describe love, is so magical, really really beautiful, 5 fucking stars !
"Maybe regular people woke up one day and realized,'I'm going to be a poet.' 'I'm going to be a baker.' That day I woke up and realized: I was going to make Sky happy."
This boy is so innocent and pure, so marked by the decisions of his father.. how tortured by them, he was the only one who lived enough to experience and suffer the consequences of his father actions, yet, he has the innocence and pure heart of a child, even after how much he's suffered... Then Sky arrives and his life is bright again.
"I wanted Sky to talk. I wanted Sky to sing. I wanted everyone to hear his voice the way I heard it, soft and mellow, mild. His voice was already a song. I heard it sometimes when I was alone, except I was never alone; he'd given me his light to keep"
Like I said it has the more pures ways to describe love, is so magical, really really beautiful, 5 fucking stars !
March 15, 2016
ok here it is , I have read all of the gives light books so far and I have to say I love them all. this is a great sweet romantic series with a wonderful native history touch. I love Skylar and Rafael soo much they are both so wonderfully different makes me want to squish them so bad. I like the point of view of each character but I definitely have to say Rafael`spoint of view wins this time. he's way of telling the story is soo much sweeter and romantic ,Rafael is just wonderful the way he expresses himself , how he shows his feelings towards Skylar is just beautiful. makes me think that's Rafael fell more for Skylar than skylar did for him but they are both so different each one has their unique way of loving
January 18, 2015
I was expecting this to be another telling of book one but from Rafaels point of view, but this was much more than that.
While a few things overlapped this was much more Rafaels story. I always felt there was more to Rafael then we had previously seen and this book gave me a deeper understanding of him. It was especially sweet to see his feelings for Skylar blossom and grow.
I did find some of the Indian history seemed a little repetitive and this book was rather more wordy than it needed to be adding, a sense of padding rather than story importance, but this was still a very informative read and much worthy addition to the series.
While a few things overlapped this was much more Rafaels story. I always felt there was more to Rafael then we had previously seen and this book gave me a deeper understanding of him. It was especially sweet to see his feelings for Skylar blossom and grow.
I did find some of the Indian history seemed a little repetitive and this book was rather more wordy than it needed to be adding, a sense of padding rather than story importance, but this was still a very informative read and much worthy addition to the series.
August 27, 2014
I love this whole series; it's one of my favorites. It was wonderful getting to read about Rafael's point of view. I would love to have the rest of the already published story from Rafael's POV including the time between books 3 and 4. I really hope there will be more. This is part of an excellent series I would recommend to anyone; even if they don't normally real YA books. They have a much more grown-up feeling than other YA books I've read. And the writing is very well done. *crossing my fingers that there will be more coming*
June 30, 2015
Oh man.
I cried a lot with this book, Rafael, precious, lovely, amazing Rafael. Why everyone was so mean to him? why?!! and he was so self loathing, oh, it broke my heart!
I think I liked this book more than the first one since I already knew the characters, so I already knew how amazing Rafael he was (not that Skylar isn't amazing too). I loved the magic realism (or whatever it was) in Rafael life, how he could touch people and feel their emotions, his weird hate for Annie and how in touch with nature he was, and of course the lovely falling in love from his POV.
A great read :D
I cried a lot with this book, Rafael, precious, lovely, amazing Rafael. Why everyone was so mean to him? why?!! and he was so self loathing, oh, it broke my heart!
I think I liked this book more than the first one since I already knew the characters, so I already knew how amazing Rafael he was (not that Skylar isn't amazing too). I loved the magic realism (or whatever it was) in Rafael life, how he could touch people and feel their emotions, his weird hate for Annie and how in touch with nature he was, and of course the lovely falling in love from his POV.
A great read :D
July 25, 2018
When I realized what this was - that I'd be able to read one of my absolute favourite stories for the first time. Again! - my litteral thoughts where "Oh, my god. Oh my god! OH MY GOD!! Please, please let this be just as good! Please, please, let it be good!". And this book - surpassed all my hopes. It is by far the best of the five (and that is saying something!). If I could I would give it a six out of five!
Want to read
June 27, 2015OH MY GODDDDDDDDDDD!!!!
Just been aware about this!!!
Rafael's POV? Really? I want to read this!!!
Just been aware about this!!!
Rafael's POV? Really? I want to read this!!!
September 15, 2014
Wow. This is really book one from Raphael's POV instead of Sky's. So even if you haven't read the series, and you really should, you can read this book on it's own. And it is heartwarming and amazing. 5 stars
Displaying 1 - 30 of 73 reviews