The Light Fantastic

by Sarah Combs

Seven tightly interwoven narratives. Three harrowing hours. One fateful day that changes everything.

Delaware, the morning of April 19. Senior Skip Day, and April Donovan’s eighteenth birthday. Four days after the Boston Marathon bombing, the country is still reeling, and April’s rare memory condition has her recounting all the tragedies that have cursed her birth month. And just what was that mysterious gathering under the bleachers about? Meanwhile, in Nebraska, Lincoln Evans struggles to pay attention in Honors English, distracted by the enigmatic presence of Laura Echols, capturer of his heart. His teacher tries to hold her class’s interest, but she can’t keep her mind off what Adrian George told her earlier. Over in Idaho, Phoebe is having second thoughts about the Plan mere hours before the start of a cross-country ploy led by an Internet savant known as the Mastermind. Is all her heartache worth the cost of the Assassins’ machinations? The Light Fantastic is a tense, shocking, and beautifully wrought exploration of the pain and pathos of a generation of teenagers on the brink—and the hope of moving from shame and isolation into the light of redemption.

Genres: Young Adult, Contemporary, Realistic Fiction, Teen, Fiction, Mental Health, Survival

320 pages, Hardcover

First published September 13, 2016

About the author

Sarah Combs leads writing workshops at a nonprofit literacy center in Lexington, Kentucky, where she lives with her two young sons, two pacifist bird dogs, and her modern-day Atticus Finch of a husband, whose acquaintance she first made at a geek camp not unlike Gloria’s. Breakfast Served Anytime is her first novel.

Reviews

[Elyse Walters · Rating 4 out of 5]

"One Nation, Under the Assassins, Indivisible, with Revenge and Punishment
for All."

Students and a couple of teachers are part of a group lead by 'The Mastermind' ....
They are a group of assassins. The plan is to enter their schools and go on a shooting
rampage. They meet online to plot a series of shootings.
With several different narrators, we step into each of their minds....with a focus on their reactions when they discover that people are not always what they demonstrate on the surface. Underneath their high grades, white teeth smiles, leadership confidence, are the hidden fears, guilt, shame, pain, anger, tragedies. Some of the kids are directly involved with the plotters...others have dropped out...
So we get to see what these kids go through if they stay 'in' to carry out violence and
why....
and also see what kids go through when they drop out.

The set up was engaging from the very start. April is the first person we are introduced to. It was fascinating reading about the events that happened in the month of April throughout history on the day April was born. Having a photographic memory - such as April - makes for some interesting reading itself . April is a very unique character: born the day of the Oklahoma City bombing.
She remembers so much about many significant dates in history - ( that each took place in the month of April), that it's almost 'freaky'.
Her birthday is coming up again -in April- which means more tragedy.

So....basically this book looks at school shootings....the people behind them and an inside look into their minds.
Other main characters: Lincoln, Gavin, Sandra Heslip, Phoebe, Pallav, The Mastermind, ( we learn his name at the end of the story),

Much of the writing feels like a stream of consciousness ---
A terrifying topic to begin with....not easy to explore on any level....but the author did an excellent job opening up a locked door...letting us try to wrap our brains around the the unthinkable.

A book for 'very' mature teens -and adults who have ever tried to understand what the hell is going on in our world today when it comes to violence at this level.
Where is so much pain coming from for many young people, that an author even 'needs' to write this book? No easy answers here!

Thank You Candlewick Press, Netgalley, and Sarah Combs, (kudos to you!!)

[Taryn · Rating 3 out of 5]

April 19th is April Donovan's eighteenth birthday. It's also Senior Skip Day, but she and her two best friends decide to attend school anyway. April has a Hyper Superior Autobiographical Memory (hyperthymesia) and can't stop herself from thinking about every tragedy that has happened during her birth month. On the same day, a young man--known online as the Mastermind--is planning a coordinated attack on the nation's schools.

"People might say to you kids that your generation is spoiled. Entitled. Too wrapped up in yourselves. … But this thing,” Mr. Goodrich says. “I mean, what is this? Nobody can tell me that you kids aren’t fighting a war all your own. Jesus Christ, nobody can tell me that.”

I was a junior in high school when the Columbine shooting happened and the active shooting drills entered the routine soon after. Even though they were just drills, those days were always so unsettling! The idea of being hunted is terrifying. Several mass murders are vaguely referenced within the chapters (no murderers are named) and it shocked me how fresh each one is in my memory.

The entire story happens in a 2.5 hour period (9:43am to 12:03pm), except for the final two chapters. Despite taking place in the time surrounding an active shooter situation, there is very little violence. It's more about the inner lives of these teenagers and their moment of decision ("the light fantastic") than bloodshed. What makes someone willing to take their own life and the lives of others? What could steer that person towards a better path?

We all want attention. Every single one of us. We’re all starved for it, and anyone who says they’re not is a liar. The root of all evil? I don’t think it’s money, like the saying goes. I think maybe the actual root of all evil is the constant need for attention on the part of every single human being on the planet, myself included. We are all just bottomless pits of need.

The Glass Menagerie (helpful analysis at link) and several Greek myths (Icarus/wings, Theseus, Fates/ thread) are frequently alluded to. The writing style reminded me of Tennessee Williams and it took me forever to figure that out, even though it was staring me right in the face! There is in anxious energy and a passion in these character's voices. The youthful use of language did make me feel old! Several of the characters mash their words together and one of them occasionally communicates in hashtags for emphasis. It annoyed me at first, but it underscores the youth and innocence of the characters. Everything is so new, so much is happening, and they feel it all so deeply; they can barely stop to take a breath between their words.

Be the most awesome you can awesomely be. Don’t settle for anything less. It’s a huge lot of pressure, the constant expectation of awesomeness. What if you don’t feel awesome? What if awesome is the opposite of the way you feel? How about this, assholes: be kind.

There are a lot of perspectives and it can be difficult to keep track of them all. The chapter headings are poetic, but not always helpful. The headings have timestamps, but it would've liked it if a location was also included. Since there were also many different places and minor characters, I kept having to go back and see how the perspective I was reading related to everyone else. I wasn't able to keep everyone straight until I was halfway through the book. I hope the character list below will help readers who are having the same problem. The character names that aren't italicized are mentioned a few times, but they don't have their own chapters.

Delaware
April- The central character. Has hyperthymesia.
Gavin - One of April's best friends.
Gina - Best friends with April and Gavin.
Pal  - Classmate that April has grown up with.
Nate - Classmate, has had a crush on Gina for years
Mr. Goodrich - Physics teacher.

Nebraska
Lincoln - Friends with April in elementary school, but lost touch when he moved.
Sandra Heslip - High school English teacher, released class early on April 19.
Adrian  - Made a threat to Ms. Helslip.
Laura - Lincoln's classmate and crush.

The Assassins and the Plan
Mastermind in California
Idaho (Phoebe)
Delaware (Revealed at end)
Nebraska
Texas

Shame. It weighs more than sorrow, and much more than regret. Delaware can’t even say what it looks like, because that’s the thing with shame: After a while you might dare to open your eyes, thinking maybe you’ve managed to forget about it this time, just for a second — but no. There it is. Always there. It might once have been attached to whatever it was you said (or didn’t say), whatever it was you did (or failed to do), but it is now its own dark creature, separate from and larger than the thing that gave it life. It keens its high, silver scream in your ears, the sound of echoing mirrors. It feeds and hungers and preens, and it will not go away.

April's condition causes her to recall almost everything she has experienced throughout her entire life in excruciating detail. The Assassins are also haunted by memories. They each have single incidents that replay in their heads, forcing them to relive their shame constantly. As the Assassins turned inwards, they become untethered from their families and communities. Even though many of the Assassins of are self-isolated and too ashamed to go to their loved ones for help, they still crave human connection and deep down hope someone will reach out to them. The main messages are to look out for your fellow human beings and be kind. "You never know what’s going on inside somebody’s head, somebody’s heart." At one point a character wonders if those that experience cruelty anticipate its return. That gives some insight into how the Assassins may have became so trapped inside themselves. 

What matters is the love, and love is always good. It’s a start, a tether. It’s enough.

This author excelled at authentic character profiles. I cared about their fates. I was surprised that I was able to relate to some of the inner turmoil of some of the characters in The Assassins group. I remember keeping things to myself in high school because I was too ashamed to tell anyone, especially those closest to me. I could understand why these characters embraced an online community that allowed them to shed their identity and baggage, as well as giving the illusion of power over their situation. One thing that really got me was how different my picture of the Mastermind was compared to his physical description at the end. It's easy to forget how young these kids are.

We think we want and need so many things in this life, but this, I realize, is the key: just, every once in a while, to feel new again.

The downside is I didn't feel like I read a complete story. It was more like a series of scattered moments with little connective tissue. Some parts didn't capture my imagination in the way I think they were supposed to (the bleachers) and I didn't always feel the tension you would expect with a story of this nature. The pivotal events that drove Phoebe and Delaware to consider mass murder didn't ring completely true to me. However, I think this book is important for understanding the minds of the kids that are teetering on the edge. The teens in this book aren't sociopaths. They are consumed by self-hate and unable to see a way out. I loved the writing too; it was the kind I could feel in my gut.  Recommended for teenagers and those who work with them.

My favorite passage:

God, the world is so huge. This is all anybody needs to keep on going, I think: a daily reminder of just how huge the world is, and how small we are—how small our problems are—in comparison. Don’t laugh at me, either. Don’t laugh. This is not me talking some sort of manufactured inspirational nonsense. This is me trying hard to tell the truth about something, and the truth is that I couldn’t not be in love with the world if I tried. And I’ve tried, too — I’ve tried to feel sorry for myself, I’ve tried to affect a brood. I can’t do it, though. It’s like I’m physically incapable. Sooner or later I always get bowled over by what appears to be my genuine affection for the world. It’s like I can’t help it, and it doesn’t even take much. Like a song’ll come on the radio, some song I haven’t heard in a while or whatever, and, bam, there I am, taken by surprise, right back in love with my life. Music does this to me all the time. Music, and that part of the day just before the sun disappears, and cherry Twizzlers, and most of all freedom. Any kind of freedom at all.

___________________

I received this book for free from Candlewick Press & NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. This title will be released on September 13, 2016. As of August 3rd it's still available in the 'Read Now' category, with an archive date of 9/13/16.

[Sarah Elizabeth · Rating 3 out of 5]

(Source: I received a digital copy of this book for free on a read-to-review basis. Thanks to Candlewick Press and NetGalley.)

“Nothing will ever be the same. There’s before and there is after and I just want it to go away.”

This started out okay, but I lost interest.

There were several main characters in this – April who had a memory condition which allowed her to remember her entire life, Lincoln who used to be friends with April but moved away, a teacher, a couple of Aprils friends, and some of the people behind the coordinated attack which was due to take place.

The storyline in this jumped about all over the place following all the different characters, and for the longest time it just felt like nothing was happening at all, and I really lost interest. We had April and her friends not doing much, and Lincoln and his friend not doing much, the teacher not doing much, and Phoebe (one of the attackers) also not doing much and I got really quite bored. I also had problems knowing which character we were following at times, and how things fitted together.
I do think other people might appreciate this book, but it really didn’t do it for me.



5 out of 10

[maria · Rating 3 out of 5]

I would like to thank Candlewick Press for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The Light Fantastic by Sarah Combs is a book that gave me a new perspective on common everyday life in the United States of America. As a Canadian, you would think our lifestyles and our daily way of life would be similar considering how close we are to one another…I mean we’re literally attached for crying out loud. So why is it that our lives are so very different from one another? I’m not saying that as a Canadian I live this perfect and sheltered life, but tragedies such as school shootings that are the main focus of The Light Fantastic, just aren’t as common here as they are in the United States. They definitely happen in Canada, don’t get me wrong…but even while watching the news at home, I hear so many horror stories that come out of the States that genuinely shock me.

The Light Fantastic takes place in a few different states and is told in the multiple perspectives of different characters throughout each of these states. The story takes place not too long after the Boston Marathon bombings that took place in 2013. It deals with the aftermath of that terrible event and how it has effected multiple teenagers throughout America. The Light Fantastic is definitely a dark read as it deals with some pretty heavy, and all too realistic, topics.

“…real-life shootings kept happening. All the time. No: all the time. These things could barely get a WTF out of anyone anymore, such was their frequency.”

While I typically enjoy multiple perspectives as a storytelling device, I found the amount of perspectives in The Light Fantastic to be a little confusing. I found it difficult to keep track of which characters were from which state and I found it hard to differentiate the characters from one another. Because this story was relatively short and due to the multiple perspectives, I found it really hard to connect to any of the characters. They felt a little flat and I didn’t feel as though I really got to learn much about them as people. There was definitely the potential to have interesting and dynamic characters throughout The Light Fantastic. I wanted to learn more about April and her memory. I wanted to learn more about “The Mastermind” and what made him tick and why he was the way that he was. While I did find the amount of perspectives to be a little much, I did love how they were all connected in varying ways regardless of the fact that they were all from different locations across America.

The Light Fantastic is such an important read, especially because of how realistic and truthful it is. As a Canadian, The Light Fantastic gave me a new perspective on what living life in constant fear of the next attack must feel like. I’m lucky enough to have grown up in a country with strict gun laws and I’m honestly really grateful for it. Once again, it’s not like terrible things don’t happen here, but I’m so glad that it isn’t something that feels like a common everyday occurrence.

“So I sit back down, go back to the only place there is to go, the last place I want to be: inside my own mind. It’s getting dark in there.”

The Light Fantastic definitely opened up my eyes to something that is happening right next door. It is an important read that deals with topics that need to be discussed more frequently. I hope that one day soon, these tragedies will feel less like the norm and more like a thing of the past.

--

Initial post reading thoughts:

While this book dealt with extremely important and all too real topics, I was a little underwhelmed by it. It was pretty slow and didn't pick up until the final chapters. I'm left with a few questions and the writing style just wasn't for me.

[Taylor · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved the writing style (I think it's the best thing about this book) and the characters were pretty cool but I'm not a fan of books that deal with shootings or bombings or anything like that. I don't like reading about those things at all. So even though I loved the writing style, I couldn't get into this book for even a second. It's definitely a case of personal preference and not the book's fault at all. It just wasn't for me. If you're fine with reading about shootings/bombings, I'd say give this book a try. But if you're hesitant at all, skip it.

[shameeka alexis · Rating 5 out of 5]

For more reviews, go to:

Ah, Sarah Combs, did you really have to write a book like this?!

That was me after I finished the book. I HAD to cool down because the book was as fantastic as its name!

The Light Fantastic is written from the perspective of seven narrators:

Ah, I must say. I loved each one of these characters. The author has taken her time to develop each one of these characters. One by one as we hear their sides, all the pieces of the jigsaw puzzle starts fitting in and finishes into a beautiful story with an amazing theme.

The novel focuses on why so many teenagers are involved in violence, why they pick up guns and do what is going on nowadays. What drives them to do it, what entities can make them stop.It was a beautiful book and I don't even know where to start from when talking about it.

Here's the plot:

The Mastermind is the leader and he has selected a person from each place who shares his  hate and angst and has a come up with a Plan that would destroy all. They call themselves 'The Assassins'. They are all teens who have been blinded by their age, fears and their hate for themselves and do not know where to channelize it.

“One Nation, Under the Assassins, Indivisible, with Revenge and Punishment for All.”

Initially, the story seems like a complete mess. It is really disjoint and incoherent. But if you're able to get through it, you'll find how amazing the story it.

Every character was so well developed, and every event in this book so well connected.

April was born on April 19 1995 in Delaware, the day the Oklahoma City bombing took place. She survived despite her poor health condition at the time of birth, and hence the name 'April Hope'.

April has a really good memory (understatement of the year) and in the story keeps recollecting this one instance when her former neighbourhood friend, Licoln Evans kissed her on her eyelids when they were children. And that he gave her his quarter collection.

April is smart, funny and I loved her.

Lincoln Evans has moved from Delaware to Nebraska and is schooling there according to the story. In Lincoln's Honors English class is this girl called Laura Echols. He is completely besotted by her and yearns to learn her secrets and help her out.

He is sweet, intelligent and helps Laura battle her inner demons.

Gavin was a little irritating. I didn't even understand why he was one of the narrators. With his stupid hashtags, I didn't like him. But of course, in the end, I realized why Sarah Combs had to tell the story from his perspective too. Brilliant work. She could've toned down a bit on the hashtags though.

Sandra Heslip is Lincoln's English teacher and I must say, she was as cool as my English teacher. I literally have no words to describe how much I loved her.

“ Let's say he had to stop at a read light and in the adjacent car there's a tiny baby asleep in a car seat in the back. Let's say there's a Christmas garlans encircling the lampposts, wreaths on windows and doors, the most wonderful goddamn time of the year, not that it ever will be again.(...)I can think right now of any number of different things that the Lost Boy might have encountered on that twelve-minute drive that could have made him stop. Turn around. Change his mind. Change the horrible way the story ends and start new. ”

The Mastermind is a genius. He is intelligent and really skilled. He is the one who formulates the Plan and puts together 'The Assassins'. The Mastermind's original name is not revealed until the end.

He redeems himself thanks to his friend, Wendy.

Phoebe was a soccer player and sister to Angela. All is well in her life until she meets this guy called Dylan Fisher online. Thanks to him, her life turns upside down and she gets sucked into the Plan.

In the end, Phoebe gets back on track with the help of her sister who makes her realize that there is so much in life to continue living, that there is so much love left in this world.

This is what the story is about: How would it be if everybody with bloodthirst out there discover something that makes them feel that life is worth living? 

Pallav or Pal, is an Indian. He is the perfect student - good scores, spelling whiz and extremely well mannered.

I cannot talk much about Pal without dropping spoilers. Suffice to say that he never got a chance to redeem himself in the book.

It was overall a very interesting book and with a really moving plot.

*ARC provided by publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review*

[Alexa (Alexa Loves Books)]

Compelling, complex, complicated - it is incredibly difficult to figure out exactly how to talk about The Light Fantastic. I've never been so disheartened and saddened and terrified reading something, but I've also never felt more compassion or hope or light in the dark. In her own way, Combs really manages to capture a "flashbulb moment", a day where everything changes for these characters in ways that they could never have imagined. Also, there were a lot of character perspectives, some I really got into and others I feel like I could possibly have done without.

On a personal note, I get very anxious reading these sort of stories. While I understand they can be very important in presenting perspectives or figuring out the why behind situations that seem unexplainable, it is hard to not feel anxious and afraid after reading such a plot. So yeah, consider that my personal trigger warning since this does get scary and sad.

[PinkAmy loves books, cats and naps · Rating 2 out of 5]

PLOT: People across the country plan school shootings to happen at the same time led by someone who calls himself Mastermind.

CHARACTERS: Multiple first and third person points of view barely distinguishable from one another I was constantly confused as to who I was reading. The backstories got muddled in my mind.

READING EXPERIENCE: Started off average and declined steadily until I was skimming pages to get to the end. I started and stopped multiple times, to take breaks.

THE LIGHT FANTASTIC had been on my wish list for a while, waiting for a price drop. I'm glad I didn't pay more than $1.99.

[Veronica · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Light Fantastic by Sarah Combs deals with one of the most pressing and important issues of our time. Namely, the alienation of young people and the connection with school shootings.
April Donovan is turning 18 soon and she can't help rehashing all of the tragedies that have happened during the month of April thanks to her rare memory condition that lets her remember the dates of terrible events accurately. April is not the only main character of the story but she seems to be the one who is at the foundation of the story. There are other characters from all over the country as well but the story flips back and forth between them all.
It took me a while to get used to the style of the book but the format is needed in order to tell the coordinated stories of others involved in the crisis.
The Light Fantastic is an important examination of teenagers who are feeling desperate enough that they do the wrong thing. There are no easy answers to this issue but understanding why teenagers might feel alienated is a start. All in all, The Light Fantastic is an absorbing and thought provoking read.
I received a copy of this book from the publishers via Netgalley for free in exchange for an honest review.

[Shannon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Seven tightly interwoven narratives. Three harrowing hours. one fateful day that changed everything. Delaware, the morning of April 19. Senior Skip Day and April Donovan's 18th birthday. Four days after the Boston Marathon bombing, the country is still reeling and April's rare memory condition has her recounting all the tragedies that have cursed her birth month. And just what was that mysterious gathering under the bleachers about? Meanwhile, in Nebraska, Lincoln Evans struggles to pay attention in Honors English, distracted by the enigmatic presence of Laura Echols, capturer of his heart, but she can't keep her mind off what Adrian George told her earlier. Over in Idaho, Phoebe is having second thoughts about the Plan mere hours before the start of a cross-country plot led by an internet savant known as the Mastermind. Is all her heartache worth the cost of the Assassin's machinations? The Light Fantastic is a tense, shocking and beautifully wrought exploration of the pain and pathos of a generation of teenagers on the brink - and the hope of moving from shame and isolation into the light of redemption.

This book is told from many different perspectives and we are first introduced to April, who has a photographic memory and seems to be fascinated by reading and recounting all of the tragedies that have occurred during the month of April, which also happens to be her birth month. There are several other main characters including Lincoln, Gavin, Sandra, Phoebe, Heslip, Pallav and the Mastermind. Although the story is told from many different perspectives, I found it easy to follow when the chapters switched from one character to another. The writing is a bit different and seemed to me to just be each characters thoughts running through their head, but it worked well for this story. It did get a bit confusing trying to keep track of some of the characters and their different locations.

This book explores school shootings, which is a very hard topic to write about. I have read other YA books on this topic and there are really only a few that do it well. It's a difficult topic to not only talk about, but to explore, especially in regards to what the individuals involved in these tragedies are thinking. The story in this book, as briefly mentioned in the synopsis, is a group of students and a few teachers are part of an online group lead by the Mastermind, who meet online and come up with a plan to enter their individual schools and start shooting. This entire story also occurs in the time span of just under 3 hours on the same day, except for the last two chapters. This book doesn't actually contain a great deal of violence, the author instead explores what is going through the minds of all the various people involved. Overall, I thought the book was well written and the character development was excellent. The writing style is unique and I also enjoyed that as well. The writing style is a bit different and a bit hard to follow at times, so I am not sure everyone will enjoy it, but I certainly recommend you give it a try. The author did a great job writing about a very difficult and tragic topic, which is not easily done. And the cover of this book is also pretty fantastic. I give the book 3.5 stars, although as we know, Goodreads doesn't do 1/2 stars! Happy reading!

Thank you to Candlewick Press was sending my an advanced reading copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Jenny Baker · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF at 15%

I’ve been trying to read The Light Fantastic for about six weeks. I’ve started it from the beginning twice during that time and I still can’t capture my interest enough for me to keep reading. I don’t like it when I don’t finish a book, but I try to give novels at least fifty pages before I call it quits. You have fifty pages to impress me and to keep me reading.

A summary of The Light Fantastic can be found here. A group of students and teachers meet online to plan a shooting rampage. What attracted me to this novel was the storyline because it has a personal meaning to me. I work in a community college and we regularly have emergency drills to practice what we would do if there were an active shooter on campus. Our Public Safety team tells us in advance, whether we need to evacuate or shelter-in-place. We have designated rooms where we can barricade ourselves until the threat is over. I thought having this connection to this storyline would add a wonderful layer to the experience.

Here are my main issues with this novel. One, I didn’t like the execution. I’m fine with a couple of changes in points of view, but not seven. If there are more than three changes in points of view, the story feels disorganized. It’s hard for the story to get off the ground with all of these shifts. Two, I really didn’t like the writing style. It has a stream-of-consciousness tone, which isn’t necessary a problem, but I don’t think it works in this story. It takes too long to see any movement in the story and too many sentences were unnecessary.

It takes courage to write a story on this subject with our devastating history such as Columbine and Virginia Tech. It was interesting to read the history of shootings at the beginning and to learn that they all took place in the month of April. I hadn’t realized that before. I just wish this novel had a more traditional structure. I realize that my opinion isn’t popular. Some readers may be fine with seven points of view. If that doesn’t bother you, then go ahead and give this a try. It just wasn’t my cup of tea.

A special thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Caitlin (thebookshire) · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’m always intrigued by stories that cover topics that are acutely relevant to the times we live in. Books that aren’t afraid to tackle hard topics – to talk about things no one else wants to talk/think about.

The Light Fantastic tackles what is, in my opinion, one of the most terrifying threats our society currently faces – school shootings. I’ve tried to read a few books on this subject, but I’ve never found one that has completely blown me away (last year’s This is Where It Ends looked promising, but just didn’t hit home for me). I was hoping that this book would be the one that really stuck.

In many ways, The Light Fantastic is an interesting and engrossing book. I found the group of students who were part of the “assassins” (an online group plotting to go on a shooting rampage at their various schools across the United States all at the same time/date) to be particularly intriguing. These are people who seem “perfectly ordinary” but feel so isolated and alone that they want to lash out against society in a very big way. The psychology there is fascinating.

I really wish there had been more on each of these characters, to explain why they chose to either “stay” or “leave” the assassin group before the appointed “day of reckoning.” I was so interested in their reasoning, motivation, etc. and I felt like for some of them things were very fleshed out while for others I just didn’t get WHY they were doing what they were doing.

If you’re worried about violence in a book about school shootings, don’t. This book has way more to do with what makes a person snap/want to lash out than it does about the actual shootings themselves. While there are violent acts referenced, there aren’t graphic descriptions to worry about.

With a more satisfying ending, I think this could have easily been a four or five star read for me, but I felt like there were too many unexplored/unexplained things left when it came to a close. I would have also liked more tension surrounding the day of the shootings, because I felt it lacked an urgency I was expecting given the subject matter.

Still, a good choice for those looking to explore the minds of people who commit atrocious acts out of nowhere.
 

[Lia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Things I loved about The Light Fantastic

- This shouldn't really count, but it's definitely a plus. The cover. Look at that pretty cover! That was actually one of the main reason why I started reading this book. A book with such a pretty cover must be as pretty inside as well, right?
- Seven narrators interwoven in one story. Even though I didn't really understand what role Sandra (the teacher) had in the whole story, but maybe I missed something. It was really interesting to see the things happening from all these different people's views. My favourite povs were April and Lincoln.
- Everything is related. Even though it was sometimes a little bit too coincidental, it was really cool that the things some person was thinking about in one scene, someone else thought about in another scene. Also I love that some of the characters have a backstory together, even though they don't even meet or talk in the book itself.
- It is shocking and scary. I don't get scared easily. Send me through a dark forest at night and I won't shake, give me a spider and I won't even tremble. But this freaking book. It got to me. I started reading this book, while having no clue what it was actually about, because let's be honest the blurb isn't making things clearer. So when I found out what was going to happen I got really scared and I needed to continue reading even though I really should have stopped. The next day it got much better though because I wan't scared anymore. But be warned, it is really tense and shocking.
Overall this book was pretty good, not amazing because some things were pretty vague and I didn't like everybody's pov, especially Gavin's, he just didn't make sense to me. But the writing was really good! The book was exiting, interesting and very tense and therefore I am giving this ★★★☆. I will recommend this to anyone who likes realistic stories about bad things that are happening and doesn't get scared easily.

This book came out on September 16th and is available on Amazon and B&N (and probably a lot of other stores as well). I received this book to review by NetGalley and the publisher Candlewick, this did not influence my opinions.
This review appeared on my blog: https://imaginaryplacesonpaper.wordpr...

[Roanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you, NetGalley, for an ARC of this book.

This book had been sitting on my TBR pile for awhile now. I'm new to NetGalley and I just couldn't figure out how to open a protected ebook. I know, I should have Googled. Anyway, fast forward to this morning, I was finally able to open the book on my desktop (font too small on my phone).

And all I can say is... *drum roll*

#WayUp #Blessed

I'm sooo glad I conquered my laziness and decided to download a reader to open this ARC. Want to know why? The Light Fantastic is just that-- fantastic. It touched on an issue so relevant, something that's happening everywhere in the world (all that pent up angst and sadness, man). To be honest, I was feeling something along the lines of what some of the narrators (there were seven!) were feeling. What a coincidence, I thought. This book is trying to save me.

You know a piece of literature is golden when it reaches inside you and fixes something you didn't even know was broken. Like, I didn't even know I needed the words until they were right before my eyes. Such beautiful words, Sarah Combs.

The multiple narrative might put off or confuse some people. I was a little, too, in the beginning. But as the story progressed, I understood, and I loved all these voices, and I loved how each of them had wisdom and insights to share.

You can tell how much I loved this book by now but the ending disappointed me. I got suckered off into this story, I got invested into these people's lives, and leaving me hanging just like that is a punch in the gut.

TLDR: Relevant, great writing, multiple narrative might be confusing to some, ending too abrupt.

Visit my blog: chasingroanne.tumblr.com/tagged/book-...

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and Candlewick Press for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

"Nobody can tell me that you kids aren't fighting a war all your own."

An ambitious novel with multiple storylines, narrators and geographical locations but in the end it's about emotionally fragile teenagers and the possibility of interconnections. Sure, it was confusing at times and the ending left me wanting but there were so many nuggets of delicious writing and interesting insight into teenage brains here. Since I started reviewing books via NetGalley on my Kindle, this book produced the most notes by far. I savored so many of these perceptive thoughts that display a real talent from the author, especially of the damaged, obsessive mind of teens that feel their current reality is so painfully gigantic. "Shame. It weighs more than sorrow, and much more than regret." But these characters also display keen reflection that gives hope to this social-media-obsessed generation. "We all want attention. Every single one of us. We're all starved for it, and anyone who says they're not is a liar." "We think we want and need so many things in this life, but this, I realize, is the key: just, every once in a while, to feel new again."
In the face of tragedies seemingly every day in the news, it is a timeless reminder to look for the helpers, to find the good. "Any number of things can happen in the course of any day in this world. It's not such a bad urge, is it, to gather joy when it's there for you?" Bonus points for an outstandingly creative title and beautiful cover.

[Chris N · Rating 2 out of 5]

They are a generation who have seen plenty of violent acts in their lives, like 9/11, various school shootings and so on, the latest being the Boston Marathon bombings. A group of kids nation wide gather online to "plot" a series of school shootings because they were bullied, marginalized or angry at their parents for something. As more kids drop out the Mastermind is one of a small handful left whi intend on carrying through with their part. Scattered in the story are a few kids who are directly involved with the plotters. So it winds around two sets of people scattered around the country.

The blurb looked interesting but overall the book didn't grab my attention enough to care. Too many points of view and one character used # in front of a lot of his words which annoyed the hell out of me. It was a confusing mess, some points of view were cut short leaving you to question as to why they were in there to begin with. If it was a bit more focused it might have made for a better story. To be honest I skimmed through the last 40% of the book just to see what happened.

ARC provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Cole · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Light Fantastic by Sarah Combs is an audacious novel.I expected the story to focus on April, a young woman with hyperthymesia (or the ability to remember basically everything). Instead Combs tackles the lives of 7 people and weaves them together. This book is set a few days after the Boston Marathon bombing on April 19th, which also happens to be April's 18th birthday. The writing itself is beautiful. Although sometimes, I found myself confusing some of the characters and the details of their lives. I was invested in the characters and what would become of them as a group of anonymous teenagers planned coordinated school shootings around the country. This was definitely a scary idea but not completely improbable given the times we live in. I loved the connectedness of the universe she created. I would have been more satisfied as a reader if some of the blanks in the end were filled in. I definitely have some unanswered questions. I would recommend this book to high school students and I would also read her next novel.

[Funky Fish · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a roller coaster of a book! This novel is about several teenagers, each with strong personalities and stories to tell, who get caught up in violence and tragedy. This book was quite enjoyable and exciting, it just had a few minor issues.

I loved the suspense and depth of the characters, but I felt that the ending was just a bit... flat, possibly due to the confusing plot line. And there was quite a lot of swearing in there, which is just not really my thing. But I still enjoyed the book, and would recommend it to mature audiences, as it includes coarse language, drug and alcohol references, mature themes and violence.

[Meaghan · Rating 4 out of 5]

“The truth is that I couldn't not be in love with the world if I tried.”

Taking place in the wake of the 2013 Boston Marathon tragedy, this book follows seven characters that are about to enter an even more personal tragedy in this already tumultuous atmosphere. With a focus on emotion, Sarah Combs explores the individual behind mass tragedy, and the layers of feeling created by a single moment.

I’ve had an advanced copy of this novel waiting for me on my kindle for a while now, and I have to admit I really regret having put it off that long. The Light Fantastic was both everything I expected from a novel in this setting, but also everything I didn’t expect. It is emotional and dramatic, dark and harrowing, but at the same time it carried the light of human experience as well, the hope and optimism that most of us carry, and a love of life alongside the fear of death.

It constructs this whirlwind of emotion and experience through seven characters, all different in their background, personality, and way of thinking, and these differences come through clearly in each perspective. No two seem to run together, as all speakers focus on different external and internal parts of the tale to tell, but at the same time they create a unified front of human experience, create a whole for the reader to see the story in. Additionally, the characters are not truly divided, as there are always connections between them. It removes any strict distinctions attached to the character by their backgrounds or actions, and rather than there being some who are good and some who are bad, it is more of a web of action and inaction and what led to events transpiring. Additionally, even though the seven characters are spread all over the country, they are still strongly connected. There are whispers of past acquaintances as well as common themes and lines that play into each of the seven narratives. It adds further to that “web,” and shows how truly connected everything is.

My favorite part of this book had to be the writing. It’s written as a stream of consciousness rather than ordered into structured and planned sentences. While this has its downsides and makes it an informal sort of writing, it pairs really well with the events in The Light Fantastic. Since the focus of this novel is emotional, rather than the events actually taking place, this style fits perfectly and helps the reader feel what is going on, rather than just see it.

My only issue with the book is the ending itself. While what happened and the way it happened all worked well with the story, and the reveals of the “who” behind certain events also worked, the way it was presented somehow didn’t fully impact me. The entire book is an entire pathway up, of increasing intensity, but the ending didn’t seem to be a final explosion of this build up. I won’t say that the ending fizzled, but rather that the final climax did not fully match the amount of build up it was given. It left me wanting more still from the story, some greater revelation or understanding, but regardless this didn’t impact my enjoyment of the overall novel too much.

In the end, I do still highly recommend this novel. It’s a quick yet intense read and tackles issues still relevant to today. Even though the novel is a few years old at this point, it feels as if it could have been written in today’s America, which is part of why this book affected me as much as it did.

[Salha · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the overall plot of this book, it was about a topic I've never read before; and one of the MC's has hyperthymesia, which is something that's not very often shown in books.

The writing was a bit weird, I don't know if that was because I was reading an ARC version of the book. I wasn't a huge fan of Gavin talking in #hashtags. I also found the many point of views a bit confusing: there was April, Gavin, Phoebe, Ms. Heslip, the Mastermind, Licoln Evans, and there were other characters that kinda qualified as main but didn't get their own point of view.

It was not until the end that I managed to identify which character came from which state, and which of them were part of The Assassins, an online group created by the Mastermind.

Even though the book was confusing, the plot managed to engage me from the very start and it was cool to see into the characters' minds, to try to understand what made them do what they did.

This book is based on a terrifying topic and, even though the characters are fictional, we can' deny that there's realness inside it. And it also even mentions tragedies that actually happened in real life, so it's not that far from our reality.

[Blue · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Light Fantastic by Sarah Combs is a slow page-turner. That is, it is certainly engaging in a "can't put this down" sort of way, yet beautifully written with enough attention to detail and emotional development of characters that it does not at all feel rushed.

By one-third of the book, the plot (or the Plan) is pretty clear, though just who will and who won't remains to be determined. Regardless, someone, at least one, is going to do it, that much is a statistical guarantee, if there ever was any. So this is not about hypothetical school shootings, that much is clear.

The characters all have distinct voices, well stylized, managing to exact any kind of emotional effect whenever necessary. The teenagers sound like very smart teenagers, and perhaps that's part of the set up, as we are to believe that the Mastermind has hand-picked his disciples to be as smart as him, but let's not forget that not all voices belong to the Assassins. In a way, I finished the novel thinking that perhaps teenagers are much smarter than they sound. They have learned to think, but not to speak. But I know this is not entirely true. I am also yet to meet a teenager who is so mature and sweet and caring, especially when it comes to the sex-of-interest (opposite or same, whichever floats their boat).

There are two stories I cannot fathom ever having such a traumatic effect on me: learning that a love interest does not exist (it was a prank) and a letter saying you are now un-accepted due to a (fake, cynical, satirical) interview you gave. The former just does not seem that devastating. And the latter seems like it can be easily fixed; someone in admissions was either too uptight or did not get the joke.

That teenagers (and later, college students) do cruel stuff like getting someone drunk and taking off their clothes at a party for everyone to take pictures of is just mind blowing. Not because someone would fall for it, but because someone has so much time and cares so much (hates so much, I guess) to bother doing such a thing... I mean, sure, I had many mean thoughts in my life about other people, but I would never bother. One must have much better things to do with one's time (I had way too much homework, it seems...) Yet, as mind blowing as it is, Combs made it believable, because, hey, things like this do happen.

What Combs' story brought home to me, perhaps intentionally, is that all this hate and rage is perhaps because we do not know how to deal with shame. And it's tough. Shame is a relentless, pulverizing, unforgettable thing that can induce madness. But if we cannot keep kids (and people) from being cruel, then we must teach them how to go through shame without doing too much harm (it cannot be eliminated, I don't think, but one can move through emotions.)

The Light Fantastic sheds a broader light on the inner lives of not just teenagers, and perhaps the brightest beams fall on the parts that make us very much the same, how we all have shame, guilt, hate, and rage. Ultimately, why some manage to move through it, while others cannot is difficult to say. Combs does not offer an answer, but just a suggestion that distractions, coincidental or not, are important devices that can pull us out of our minds, and perhaps those minute moments are crucial in some cases: a stranger's conversation, someone calling our name, a sister's attention, another person's rage...

Of course, no need to point out that the events of this novel would not exist if it were not so easy to obtain fire arms in the world, in the US, in general, or rather this would be a fantasy, not a reality.

Combs chooses to focus on one shooter who is more typical: a teenager who feels the weight of the world on his shoulders, who, for the rest of his life, just as before, has to prove himself, succeed though he is "other," represent, be good, do well... Does his case seem the most likely to bring someone to madness? Or is he chosen exactly because of what he points out to be his life-long ball and chain: that he is "other," he is always the one who has to prove himself despite his otherness. Because could we really imagine the white, upper class, rich girl go to school and shoot people? No, we can imagine her maybe shooting herself, and that's it. Yet, the statistics do support the choice of Pal over, say, Pheobe or Laura. We cannot, it seems, ignore our biology (yet, the potential aggression of some boys is cast against the cruelty of girls and the caring love of two other boys; perhaps that's why there aren't shootings in schools every day? Perhaps this is how it should be, this is how it is when things are in some sort of balance?)

And one question remains after I finished this novel: how will Pal's parents live with their shame? Regardless if they are responsible (are they?) or not, regardless of any of that, they will live years after such an event, they will have to move, they will have to change their names (will they?)... Will Pal's sister stop acting up and try to console her parents or will she tell them "I told you so! You're so clueless!" Will she feel responsible (wasn't she as clueless?) So, a sequel?

Overall, The Light Fantastic is a thought-provoking novel. It's well written and both the story and the plot move seamlessly. The view points are useful in moving the story forward and insightful in various ways that add to the characters. Recommended for those who like grey hounds, Peter Pan, the Glass Menagerie, and Icarus.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for a digital copy of this novel for my honest review.

[Kristina · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was extremely well written. I loved how the author used stream of consciousness writing and was able to have a distinct voice for all of the narrators. Which is especially impressive because there are a bunch of narrators. The content of the book is very intense and disturbing. This is a young adult book, but I don't think I could have read it as a teenager. It deals with very heavy subjects (TW: school shootings, suicide) and I was not expecting it to be as intense as it was. 5 stars for the amazing writing, but I would be hesitant to recommend it to many people because of the huge amount of triggering content.

[Michelle (Pink Polka Dot Books) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wouldn't say it was perfect, but it was so thought-provoking. I love books that ask the tough questions!

This is going to be a tough one to review. It's like trying to describe the way something delicious tastes-- there are only so many words to do it and none of them are as good as the actual eating of the food. I had the best time reading this book. It's so smart and emotional that I basically never wanted it to end.

This book was one of those "not a lot happens" books, but it makes up for it in FEELING. I'll always love a book that makes me think about the whys in life. And this one made me do a lot of thinking.

I loved so many of these characters. Good and bad. Not everyone is a good guy in this book, but mostly, even the ones who were the bad ones made me feel compassion towards them in some way.

April is in Delaware and she has that weird condition where she can remember details about every day of her life, and she's always felt like she was tied to the bad things that seem to happen in April every year. After all, she was born on the day of the Oklahoma City bombing. Lincoln's dad was killed on September 11th, and now he's seeing a girl way out of his league.... except nobody knows the secrets she carries. The Mastermind has been waiting for this day for a long, long time. Nothing is going to stop him from carrying out his ultimate plan. Gavin is crammed in a janitorial closet with an entire classroom of kids scared he'll never be able to run again. And a bunch of other kids hate themselves more than anyone else could ever hate them.

It's a really hard book to explain because it's not what happens in the book that is impactful, it's what the book makes you think about.

Sometimes the philosophizing got old, but it was so insightful and meaningful that I didn't mind. This book made me think about all the crazy things that happen in the world we live in and it made me feel like I did when I read Forgive Me, Leonard Peacock. Like how there are so many people in pain & how many of those people are people that I know?? How many people are hiding their pain and how many do I interact with, and am I too self-involved to ever notice it? How many people do I miss out on helping? It also made me realize that I'll never understand certain things (like why people are so intent on hurting other people) and that people are really hard to understand in general.

So it ended rather abruptly, but I think I am okay with not knowing what happens to every last character. I kind of like imagining it on my own.

Quote: "I think about it all the time, how many people there are, how there can't possibly be room on this earth for all that love and confusion and longing and fury. Where are you supposed to put it all? Where's it going to fit?"

OVERALL: Another one of those books that hit me right in the gut. I love books like this that make me think outside of myself and look around at life that's going on that has nothing to do with me. I'd recommend this to so many people, so I'm just going to say-- if you like books that make you feel, read this!

My Blog:

[Zoë P · Rating 3 out of 5]

The date is April 19th, 2013, which just happens to be April Donovan's birthday. April has hyperthymesia, which in very basic terms means she has a superhuman memory. This can be good and bad. For example, remember that birthday part you had as a little kid? Imagine remembering every single amazing detail. Now think of the worst thing that's happened in your life, and imagine remembering every single horrible detail. Remember 9/11. Remember the Boston Marathon bombings. Remember school shootings. These are the things April has to deal with.

This novel is told from multiple perspectives, from April herself, to her friends, to people she's never met. They all intertwine in some way, and while I usually enjoy that I felt it wasn't executed perfectly. There were many times where I'd start a new chapter and I would have no idea who was talking, then I'd find out a few pages later and have to re-read to fully comprehend what just happened. Apart from that, I did enjoy the writing. I felt most of the characters had little quirks that shone through every now and then.

As always there were characters I loved and characters I disliked. I loved April, her abundance of facts around dates was always interesting and while I realise it would be annoying to constantly have those thoughts in real life, it was interesting for me to read. Pheobe was also a character I enjoyed. After joining an online forum, she ends up meeting a bunch of other teenagers and there comes The Plan. As the date for The Plan's execution draws closer she starts to have doubts. I loved that she was just a regular girl, I guess it helps dispell the stereotype of people that commit gun crimes.

This book deals with a lot of serious topics. Firstly, gun violence in America. I know everyone jokes about how gun crazy the USA is but I think Combs shone a much-needed spotlight on it. I think it would be interesting to hear an American's opinion on this, obviously, they wouldn't think anything that happens in this is "normal" but I feel a large proportion of American's have been desensitised to guns. The thing I liked about the book in regard to guns is that ordinary people are the ones that have guns, and I guess it makes you realise that it's normal people that usually conduct these horrible shootings.

This definitely an interesting read, and has many important messages people should be thinking about.

[Amy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not sure how I feel about this one. Pretty much the only thing I knew going in was that it was partly set in Delaware (and tbh that is 95 percent of the reason why I picked it up). It ended up being way more intense than I expected. There were a lot of narrators and it was sometimes difficult to keep track of which ones knew each other and where they were located. They did mostly have distinct voices, but sometimes I found them annoying. (Example: I am extremely opposed to characters thinking in hashtags. It is distracting and weird and unnecessary and what will people think reading them in twenty years or whatever when hashtags are just a distant memory?)

The other thing about this book is that it should be a home run for me because a. Delaware and b. Spoiler I guess??: one of the main characters, it turns out, is diabetic. Diabetes and Delaware, could this book be any more up my alley?? But the portrayal of diabetes was nothing more than a super convenient plot device. Early in the book, the mastermind narrator is thinking of things his body remembers how to do and lists "how to inject yourself with insulin" (109). At the time, I thought it was a tasteless example of things a person might use muscle memory for, because it's not until way later - when the mastermind has a conveniently serious hypoglycemic episode - that it becomes clear he actually has diabetes. And it conveniently - spoiler spoiler spoiler - keeps him from finishing his master plan.

There are so few diabetic characters in literature (like, I can count the ones I know on two hands, maybe even one), and the ones that do exist basically always have a severe and dramatic hypo- or hyperglycemic event because ~*~why else would the author have included it~*~. That is not what being diabetic is actually like. 99 percent of the time it's not dramatic and I dislike when books make it seem that way.

ALSO it seems like the author didn't do that much research because the character is having clear symptoms of low blood sugar and thinks, "That granola bar was ages ago. He should've brought his insulin pen" (209). That's not how low blood sugar works - he obviously didn't need his insulin pen, he needed more carbs. To be fair, I read a galley copy - maybe that error was corrected for the final printing. But still. Frustrating that the few portrayals of diabetic characters in literature are so hyperbolic/inaccurate.

[Alanna · Rating 3 out of 5]

***Given everything that happened in Orlando recently, I guess I feel I should add a TW for this book/review (although I don't go into explicit detail, neither does the book really, but if reading about that school shootings is too much for you right now... I just wanted you to be aware of the subject matter).***

When I first started reading the book, I loved nearly everything about it. The writing was beautiful, and I loved the characters -- especially April and Gavin. And the plot, it hooked me and had that kind of ominous feeling where you know something bad is going to happen but you can't stop reading it.

I had been writing notes as I read and this really isn't the review I thought I'd be writing at all based on those, I thought this review would be a glowing one. But then, something changed. And I genuinely can't tell if it's something in me that changed after Orlando or if the book was one of those ones that start off well then go downhill.

It seemed to drag and meander in really frustrating ways and it felt like there was so many POV's that it lacked focus. It would go off on tangents that were beautifully written, but would bore me because it wasn't what I wanted to be reading about (I needed to know what was happening to the characters in the Now of the story, to know if they were okay and what was happening, but there wasn't a lot of that).

It would do this thing where it would end a POV on a cliffhanger and we'd have to wait so long to get back to that, and when the story would bring it up again it would skim over it or sum it up briefly or just be disappointing -- it felt like the attention was never quite where it seemed it should have been, if that makes sense?

In the end, I felt pretty underwhelmed. It wasn't a bad book, far from it, but it felt like I'd gotten into a taxi and been taken on a bunch of detours then the car stopped before I'd gotten to the point I needed to get to.

I'd still rate the book 3 stars out of 5, because it is still beautifully written but something just didn't click for me in the end and I'm not sure if I'll ever figure out if it's just issues I had with the book itself or real life events messing with my emotions and judgement seeing as the two are so entangled for me now.

[Asiya · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Real isn't how you are made. It's a thing that happens to you."

This review was originally posted on my blog.
Oh Lord, help me explain how I felt about this book. It made me so emotional I had to take a break a cool down a bit a few times. It does not matter where you are from, you must read The Light Fantastic!

The book digs into the brains of people, ordinary and extra-ordinary. And you really get it. You get the feeling of this unimaginable sadness seizing your insides, ruined dreams and despair as if everything is lost and there is nowhere to go, and the only possible way to solve this mess is oblivion. I am being honest here, I have a one-on-one experience with mental issues and Combs' words got under my skin. It felt so real, like my worst episodes were happening to me again. That's how close to truth Sarah Combs was. I would definitely say it can be a mild trigger when it comes to your emotional stability. So, be careful when picking this book up.

I pretty much loved everything about the novel but my favorite character of all is Gavin. His witty and funny comments about his future, what he has to give to the world and people in general are the definition of determination and hope. Like,"the world, with its shit-tone of ignorance, has got too much gorgeousness to offer. I've got too much to offer, bitches."
The thing is, this should be everyone's motto, don't give up no matter what happens. Gavin will make you want to live, he is not getting any of your sad bullshit.

There are many more some sort of mottos or even life philosophies I personally picked up from the Combs' characters. As an example, what an Honors English teacher Sandy said,"We think we want and need so many things in this life, but this, I realize, is the key: just, every once in a while, to feel new again."

You see, this is the book for everyone. I believe it can touch everyone's hearts because it not a made-up words of vampires, werewolves or fairies. This is the reality.

[Casina · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the idea of The Light Fantastic but didn't necessarily enjoy the execution. Set four days after the Boston Marathon bombing and skipping between narrators, Combs explores gun violence and what may lead teens to those dark feelings.

The wide range of narrators was not executed as well as it could have been. I would have appreciated it if it was either from the perspective of those connected to April or the Assassins, not a few of each. Some of the kids had only a few chapters and that was adequate for their stories. Others characters were kind of floating stories with no, or little to no, connection with everyone else, which confused me a little.

April was by far the most developed narrator. With a photographic memory, April gives glimpses of not only her life but her classmates growing up. It is a good exploration into how others view you when contrasted with narration of these classmates themselves. Those that are suffering deep down may seem fine to everyone else.

Other narrators are strangely underused and not explained. The teacher, for example, didn't really seem to ever establish a purpose for being in the story. At the end of the book, I wasn't quite sure what she had to do with the overarching plot with Lincoln. It seemed like an effort to add an adult to the narrative, but the book would have been stronger, in my opinion, told just by the teens.

I really did want to like this book, it was a great, relevant, topic, but it was not my favorite.

Thanks NetGalley a copy to review!

[D · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review for Netgalley.

This book is gripping throughout and beautifully written.

The book follows the characters with a stream of consciousness style narrative. the characters themselves are fleshed out through the book, which I feel is very important when looking at this topic and the reality and widespread affect it has on people's lives. The most compelling characters, in my opinion are Gavin and Lincoln. I don't know if this is something that the author did intentionally, but they seem to have the most to say about what is happening around them, they are 'the fleshiest'. The hashtag humour and emotional perspective of Gavin makes him feel realistic, and a likeable personality.

The only problem I had with the book was the amount of views, some felt pointless, or fell flat. April for example, who we start off with, slips in and out of the narrative stream; I felt like I knew more about other incidents and deaths than I actually did her own personality.

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

With such a dark subject as school shootings, I wondered how Combs would approach this story. She reminds us in her novel that after the Boston Marathon shootings, there was a call to "look for the helpers," as there is far more good than bad in this world. Likewise, THE LIGHT FANTASTIC shows us how, during the darkest days of someone's life, that person is often surrounded by others who care and want to help. Her character Gavin perhaps says it best: "They're everywhere, I promise you. You have to believe that they are. Not just believe it, but know it deep down in that place in your heart where the true stuff lives." For the first time in quite a while, I finished this novel and then sat completely still, book closed in my lap,while I pondered all that I read. This story will not let you go, but the message that will resonate most is this: hope.