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Was bleibt, sind wir
Zwei Menschen. Ein Augenblick. Was wäre wenn?
Lucy und Gabe treffen sich mit Anfang zwanzig in einem Uni-Seminar, und diese Begegnung verändert ihr beider Leben für immer. Gemeinsam lernen sie die erste große Liebe kennen. Nur eines bedenken sie nicht: dass ihre Wünsche sie immer weiter auseinander treiben könnten. Lucy macht Karriere in New York, während Gabe als Fotograf um die Welt reist. Trotzdem können sie einander dreizehn Jahre lang nicht vergessen. Werden sie erneut zueinander finden? Ein einziger Augenblick könnte das entscheiden …
Lucy und Gabe treffen sich mit Anfang zwanzig in einem Uni-Seminar, und diese Begegnung verändert ihr beider Leben für immer. Gemeinsam lernen sie die erste große Liebe kennen. Nur eines bedenken sie nicht: dass ihre Wünsche sie immer weiter auseinander treiben könnten. Lucy macht Karriere in New York, während Gabe als Fotograf um die Welt reist. Trotzdem können sie einander dreizehn Jahre lang nicht vergessen. Werden sie erneut zueinander finden? Ein einziger Augenblick könnte das entscheiden …
385 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 9, 2017
12093 people are currently reading
221048 people want to read
About the author
Jill Santopolo
34 books3,468 followersJill Santopolo is the author of the The Light We Lost, the Alec Flint Mysteries, the Sparkle Spa series, and the Follow Your Heart books. She holds a BA in English Literature from Columbia University, an MFA in Writing for Children from the Vermont College of Fine Arts, and a certificate in Intellectual Property Law from NYU. Jill is also the Editorial Director of Philomel Books, an imprint of Penguin Young Readers Group. When she’s not writing or editing, Jill is a thesis advisor at The New School in their MFA program in Writing for Children and Young Adults and is on the faculty of the Columbia Publishing Course. Jill has traveled all over the U.S.—and to Canada and Europe—to speak about writing and storytelling. She lives in New York City.
Twitter: @jillsantopolo
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Facebook: /jillsantopoloauthor
Twitter: @jillsantopolo
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 17,170 reviews
July 11, 2017
I don't know if this is going to be funny. Gasp! is your reaction, I presume. I know. Without fail, no matter what, I’m funny. That’s the Emma Guarantee: Five stars or one, hilarity ensues™. But not this time, maybe.
https://emmareadstoomuch.wordpress.co...
(Update from later: I ended up writing the majority of this review at a later date from this initial bit (had to let the injustice simmer into humor, you know how it is) (yeah, I just hit you with double parentheses, what are you gonna do about it?). Anyway, sometimes while writing this I got too mad to be funny but honestly, my amusing-ness comes naturally. So it worked out.)
I feel a really massive mix of emotions right now. And not in a fun way. I will try to list some feelings that are currently warring within me: sadness, irritation, anger, confusion, disappointment. Hm! All negative. Not looking good for you, three stars, four stars, and five stars. Look! Progress on the rating front already.
This is the synopsis I read of this book (you know, the bananas misleading one that made me make the mistake of picking it up): “For your friend who ugly cried while watching ‘One Day’....‘The Light We Lost’ will bring you back. This read’s about two people who meet in strange circumstances who keep running into each other over the years. Get it, then grab the Kleenex.”
Um, no. I goddamn wish. But no.
(To clarify, I didn’t ugly cry at One Day. Uh, duh. That would destroy my whole thing. My carefully cultivated brand. I just really like stories in which people meet coincidentally over time.)
Instead of that synopsis, we get a metric f*ck ton of characters who fully suck treating each other terribly. The crown jewel in this treasure trove of horrible is our eye roll-inducing protagonist, Lucy. On 9/11 - yes, 9/11 - Lucy meets Gabe, and they instantly fall in love and make out while 3,000 people are dying blocks away. Yes, those are the “strange circumstances.”
That’s, like, ten pages in.
The worst bit is you can tell the author knows it’s offensive. She inserts excuses about how hundreds of people were doing it, and tries to make it profound by the use of truisms about how massive loss of life makes the living want to live. So, like, if you knew it was awful, PICK ANY OTHER DAY IN THE TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY. But beginning your ~life-changing romance~ during one of the greatest tragedies in American history?
God. I’d like to clarify that my “mix of emotions” has changed. Now it’s exclusively fury. THIS BOOK JUST MAKES ME SO ANGRY. Lucy is so self-centered and immature and inconsiderate and emotionally stunted, and so is Gabe. They totally are perfect for each other! We follow them for 13 years, while they consistently throw the people in their lives to the side in favor of making steamy eye contact with one another whenever possible.
They don’t “keep running into each other over the years.” It’s all orchestrated and intentional, BECAUSE THEY’RE OBSESSED WITH EACH OTHER. They never talk about anything else, and they see each other at every opportunity. It doesn’t matter if Lucy is dating, or engaged, or married, or married with children. Whenever Gabe shows up, she drops EVERYTHING. She brings her young daughter with her to see him when he gets the news that his mom died, so that toddler gets the fun childhood memory of seeing an adult stranger uncontrollably crying alongside an early confrontation of the reality and pervasiveness of death!
She also dates, gets engaged to, marries, and has children with this guy Darren, I think, who adores her, despite never really being totally sold on the dude. He turns out to be a total piece of sh*t, but that’s just so Gabe looks better in comparison.
Gabe really needs that. Because he’s just as self-obsessed and inconsiderate as Lucy, and also utterly pretentious, totally egocentric and BORING. (Lucy is also the latter.) This isn’t so much an incredible love story as “Wow, those two people are truly horrible. They should end up together.”
The worst thing that happens in this book - besides the 9/11 incorporation - is a massive spoiler, so don’t read this if you’re at all feeling like you may pick up the book. And now, my thoughts on that, which are also spoilery:
This whole thing just felt like emotional manipulation. Darren existed to make Gabe seem okay, and every twist of the plot was calculated to be the most emotional rollercoaster-y it could be, and everything turned out the way it did in the hopes it would seem like a Meaningful Story. But it doesn’t. It’s just awful. 9/11 was used as a motif, for God’s sake! It was just trying to score Emotional And Profound points all the way. Which is so f*cked.
Lucy also talks down constantly about stay at home moms, and it drives me crazy. Just f*cking let women do what they want, for the love of all that is good and Reese’s-branded. (My version of good and holy.) A career woman is no better than a full-time mom. That’s, like, the entire point of feminism. Is it antifeminist to say I wanna punch Lucy in her stupid face? Keep in mind that I’ll face-punch the male characters of this book, too. #Equality
I really have no clue what the message of this book is, either. A lot of really horrible stuff happens, and it gets worse and worse, and then it just...ends. There’s no moral or hint at what happens next. Again, just trying to emotionally manipulate the reader without actual, you know, purpose. It’s no Me Before You, guys.
But even if this book didn’t suffer from all the stuff I mentioned - and God, did it suffer - I still wouldn’t like it. Because this whole book focuses on a love that consumes, that dims all other loves and joys and small happinesses in life, that prevents one from focusing on everything else. And who the f*ck would want that? Lucy is a broken record through this whole book because she loves a boring assholeand is a boring asshole. Her children and friendships and marriage suffer for it. There’s nothing that’s worth that, and this book sure did a sh*tty job of trying to convince me otherwise.
Bottom line: I’m angry all over again. NOOOOOOO, I scream from the rooftops. A big ol’ nope for this one.
https://emmareadstoomuch.wordpress.co...
(Update from later: I ended up writing the majority of this review at a later date from this initial bit (had to let the injustice simmer into humor, you know how it is) (yeah, I just hit you with double parentheses, what are you gonna do about it?). Anyway, sometimes while writing this I got too mad to be funny but honestly, my amusing-ness comes naturally. So it worked out.)
I feel a really massive mix of emotions right now. And not in a fun way. I will try to list some feelings that are currently warring within me: sadness, irritation, anger, confusion, disappointment. Hm! All negative. Not looking good for you, three stars, four stars, and five stars. Look! Progress on the rating front already.
This is the synopsis I read of this book (you know, the bananas misleading one that made me make the mistake of picking it up): “For your friend who ugly cried while watching ‘One Day’....‘The Light We Lost’ will bring you back. This read’s about two people who meet in strange circumstances who keep running into each other over the years. Get it, then grab the Kleenex.”
Um, no. I goddamn wish. But no.
(To clarify, I didn’t ugly cry at One Day. Uh, duh. That would destroy my whole thing. My carefully cultivated brand. I just really like stories in which people meet coincidentally over time.)
Instead of that synopsis, we get a metric f*ck ton of characters who fully suck treating each other terribly. The crown jewel in this treasure trove of horrible is our eye roll-inducing protagonist, Lucy. On 9/11 - yes, 9/11 - Lucy meets Gabe, and they instantly fall in love and make out while 3,000 people are dying blocks away. Yes, those are the “strange circumstances.”
That’s, like, ten pages in.
The worst bit is you can tell the author knows it’s offensive. She inserts excuses about how hundreds of people were doing it, and tries to make it profound by the use of truisms about how massive loss of life makes the living want to live. So, like, if you knew it was awful, PICK ANY OTHER DAY IN THE TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY. But beginning your ~life-changing romance~ during one of the greatest tragedies in American history?
God. I’d like to clarify that my “mix of emotions” has changed. Now it’s exclusively fury. THIS BOOK JUST MAKES ME SO ANGRY. Lucy is so self-centered and immature and inconsiderate and emotionally stunted, and so is Gabe. They totally are perfect for each other! We follow them for 13 years, while they consistently throw the people in their lives to the side in favor of making steamy eye contact with one another whenever possible.
They don’t “keep running into each other over the years.” It’s all orchestrated and intentional, BECAUSE THEY’RE OBSESSED WITH EACH OTHER. They never talk about anything else, and they see each other at every opportunity. It doesn’t matter if Lucy is dating, or engaged, or married, or married with children. Whenever Gabe shows up, she drops EVERYTHING. She brings her young daughter with her to see him when he gets the news that his mom died, so that toddler gets the fun childhood memory of seeing an adult stranger uncontrollably crying alongside an early confrontation of the reality and pervasiveness of death!
She also dates, gets engaged to, marries, and has children with this guy Darren, I think, who adores her, despite never really being totally sold on the dude. He turns out to be a total piece of sh*t, but that’s just so Gabe looks better in comparison.
Gabe really needs that. Because he’s just as self-obsessed and inconsiderate as Lucy, and also utterly pretentious, totally egocentric and BORING. (Lucy is also the latter.) This isn’t so much an incredible love story as “Wow, those two people are truly horrible. They should end up together.”
The worst thing that happens in this book - besides the 9/11 incorporation - is a massive spoiler, so don’t read this if you’re at all feeling like you may pick up the book. And now, my thoughts on that, which are also spoilery:
This whole thing just felt like emotional manipulation. Darren existed to make Gabe seem okay, and every twist of the plot was calculated to be the most emotional rollercoaster-y it could be, and everything turned out the way it did in the hopes it would seem like a Meaningful Story. But it doesn’t. It’s just awful. 9/11 was used as a motif, for God’s sake! It was just trying to score Emotional And Profound points all the way. Which is so f*cked.
Lucy also talks down constantly about stay at home moms, and it drives me crazy. Just f*cking let women do what they want, for the love of all that is good and Reese’s-branded. (My version of good and holy.) A career woman is no better than a full-time mom. That’s, like, the entire point of feminism. Is it antifeminist to say I wanna punch Lucy in her stupid face? Keep in mind that I’ll face-punch the male characters of this book, too. #Equality
I really have no clue what the message of this book is, either. A lot of really horrible stuff happens, and it gets worse and worse, and then it just...ends. There’s no moral or hint at what happens next. Again, just trying to emotionally manipulate the reader without actual, you know, purpose. It’s no Me Before You, guys.
But even if this book didn’t suffer from all the stuff I mentioned - and God, did it suffer - I still wouldn’t like it. Because this whole book focuses on a love that consumes, that dims all other loves and joys and small happinesses in life, that prevents one from focusing on everything else. And who the f*ck would want that? Lucy is a broken record through this whole book because she loves a boring asshole
Bottom line: I’m angry all over again. NOOOOOOO, I scream from the rooftops. A big ol’ nope for this one.
May 30, 2017
I'm really struggling with where to begin with this book. Sometimes I wonder if its worse if a book is offensive or if its just totally forgettable. At least when something is offensive its inspiring some sort of emotional reaction out of me. Its asking me to think about what it is I'm finding offensive. Forgettable is just a waste of my time.
I'm gonna go with offensively forgettable and call it even.
Lucy and Gabe meet on September 11th. While not inherently offensive itself this is, perhaps, not the ideal way to start a sweeping romantic epic that I was informed by multiple advertisements was going to be part Me Before You and part One Day.
All that says to me is someone's gonna be dead before this is over.
So right, 9/11 is happening, the sky is on fire, people are throwing themselves off buildings, the world is literally shifting on its axis, and Gabe wants to take Lucy to the roof of his dorm because "its the most incredible view of New York City you'll ever see."
Riiiiggghhhhtttt.
That was page nine and it never got any better. I don't even want to waste time on a review for this because it doesn't deserve one. Its such a thoughtless, sorry excuse for a meaningful contribution to women's fiction I honestly don't even want to bother.
Yeah, yeah I know who am I kidding?
But for real there is nothing to care about here. Lucy and Gabe have no personalities beyond this very teenage yearning to "change the world" and "make a difference" but they have all the depth of characters in a tooth paste ad. For Gabe making a difference is becoming a war photographer which he becomes with literally no effort. For Lucy its becoming a producer of children's television where having gotten a job no problem she does groundbreaking work developing a show that sounds just like every other show ever made. Everything they "accomplish" is treated like they're the very first people to ever take war photographs or produce TV shows. They both become incredibly famous and amazing and everyone loves them but somehow it all still sucks for reasons that aren't so much unclear as they are really boring and stupid.
These people aren't real people. They're like sitcom versions of real people. Their deep and amazing relationship boils down to really liking to have sex because honestly? That's all they do. For the five months their initial relationship lasts they have lots and lots of mind blowing sex interrupted only by the elaborate staging of insanely romantic dates that sound like they're out of a 12 year old girls fantasies about what a grown up relationship is. You get to have SEX when you're a grown up! GASP!
The so called conflict arises because Gabe wants to take pictures of war things after being inspired by, you guessed it, the 'Afghan Girl.' The guy who took the picture TOTALLY sets him up with a job at the AP (that's the ASSOCIATED PRESS you guys! It's a super big, huge deal!!!) and even though they've agreed that "your dreams are not disposable" (whatever the hell that means in actual human talk) Lucy is grief stricken that Gabe has taken the job without checking with her first and they break up? I don't know. For some reason his having a job that means he'll be away sometimes is a deal breaker for both of them.
So they break up and their lives continue to be amazing and successful but they're not happy because they just love each other so much.
I seriously kept kind of picturing a preteen girl lying on her bed writing out her "dream boyfriend" list; he's an artist! he has curly hair! his eyes are "deep"! he's super hawwtt! all the things she thinks of when she imagines her perfect, amazing life when she grows up that have no foundation in reality because she has no idea what actually goes into doing things like getting a job or having a relationship.
There's a scene in the beginning where they're in Shakespeare class together and Lucy's bowled over by Gabe's otherworldly ability to "see the beauty in Shakespeare's language and imagery." I'm being serious. This is presented as if no one in the history of the universe has ever expressed the idea that Shakespeare's language use was beautiful.
Lucy isn't any better. She eventually marries a really nice guy who has the audacity to not be Gabe and do things like plan a surprise trip to Paris for her because he knows its on her bucket list but how dare he not know she wanted to book the tickets herself. Gabe understood her. She could bounce her brilliant script ideas off Gabe! Like should she change the gender of the character who wants to be an astronaut? Cause girls can be astronauts too! Gabe would think that was revolutionary! Gender swapping!!! Hand her an Emmy! (which someone does because that's what we're dealing with here).
Turns out Jill Santopolo is the editorial director of an imprint of Penguin Putnam, the publisher of this book, so I don't think its insane to suggest this book was not published entirely based on literary merits and honestly? If I was in her position I can't say I wouldn't do the same thing. I'm sure she's worked very hard to get where she is and if you have the opportunity to publish your book, if that's your dream, who am I to say its "disposable."
(Again, whatever that means).
I'm gonna go with offensively forgettable and call it even.
Lucy and Gabe meet on September 11th. While not inherently offensive itself this is, perhaps, not the ideal way to start a sweeping romantic epic that I was informed by multiple advertisements was going to be part Me Before You and part One Day.
All that says to me is someone's gonna be dead before this is over.
So right, 9/11 is happening, the sky is on fire, people are throwing themselves off buildings, the world is literally shifting on its axis, and Gabe wants to take Lucy to the roof of his dorm because "its the most incredible view of New York City you'll ever see."
Riiiiggghhhhtttt.
That was page nine and it never got any better. I don't even want to waste time on a review for this because it doesn't deserve one. Its such a thoughtless, sorry excuse for a meaningful contribution to women's fiction I honestly don't even want to bother.
Yeah, yeah I know who am I kidding?
But for real there is nothing to care about here. Lucy and Gabe have no personalities beyond this very teenage yearning to "change the world" and "make a difference" but they have all the depth of characters in a tooth paste ad. For Gabe making a difference is becoming a war photographer which he becomes with literally no effort. For Lucy its becoming a producer of children's television where having gotten a job no problem she does groundbreaking work developing a show that sounds just like every other show ever made. Everything they "accomplish" is treated like they're the very first people to ever take war photographs or produce TV shows. They both become incredibly famous and amazing and everyone loves them but somehow it all still sucks for reasons that aren't so much unclear as they are really boring and stupid.
These people aren't real people. They're like sitcom versions of real people. Their deep and amazing relationship boils down to really liking to have sex because honestly? That's all they do. For the five months their initial relationship lasts they have lots and lots of mind blowing sex interrupted only by the elaborate staging of insanely romantic dates that sound like they're out of a 12 year old girls fantasies about what a grown up relationship is. You get to have SEX when you're a grown up! GASP!
The so called conflict arises because Gabe wants to take pictures of war things after being inspired by, you guessed it, the 'Afghan Girl.' The guy who took the picture TOTALLY sets him up with a job at the AP (that's the ASSOCIATED PRESS you guys! It's a super big, huge deal!!!) and even though they've agreed that "your dreams are not disposable" (whatever the hell that means in actual human talk) Lucy is grief stricken that Gabe has taken the job without checking with her first and they break up? I don't know. For some reason his having a job that means he'll be away sometimes is a deal breaker for both of them.
So they break up and their lives continue to be amazing and successful but they're not happy because they just love each other so much.
I seriously kept kind of picturing a preteen girl lying on her bed writing out her "dream boyfriend" list; he's an artist! he has curly hair! his eyes are "deep"! he's super hawwtt! all the things she thinks of when she imagines her perfect, amazing life when she grows up that have no foundation in reality because she has no idea what actually goes into doing things like getting a job or having a relationship.
There's a scene in the beginning where they're in Shakespeare class together and Lucy's bowled over by Gabe's otherworldly ability to "see the beauty in Shakespeare's language and imagery." I'm being serious. This is presented as if no one in the history of the universe has ever expressed the idea that Shakespeare's language use was beautiful.
Lucy isn't any better. She eventually marries a really nice guy who has the audacity to not be Gabe and do things like plan a surprise trip to Paris for her because he knows its on her bucket list but how dare he not know she wanted to book the tickets herself. Gabe understood her. She could bounce her brilliant script ideas off Gabe! Like should she change the gender of the character who wants to be an astronaut? Cause girls can be astronauts too! Gabe would think that was revolutionary! Gender swapping!!! Hand her an Emmy! (which someone does because that's what we're dealing with here).
Turns out Jill Santopolo is the editorial director of an imprint of Penguin Putnam, the publisher of this book, so I don't think its insane to suggest this book was not published entirely based on literary merits and honestly? If I was in her position I can't say I wouldn't do the same thing. I'm sure she's worked very hard to get where she is and if you have the opportunity to publish your book, if that's your dream, who am I to say its "disposable."
(Again, whatever that means).
July 6, 2017
If you’re anything like me—a lover of love, believer in fate or a sentimental dreamer—drop everything and read this book . . . now. I had an inkling this was going to be something special when I picked it up, but I had no idea just how hard this story would tug on my heart or how emotionally invested I would become.
What lends this story a unique feel, in my opinion, is the way Jill Santopolo tells it. Through the eyes of Lucy, a woman living in New York, we’re given a front row seat to an all-consuming, passion-filled, crazy-intense love—the kind that you experience once in a lifetime, if you’re lucky.
Each chapter serves as a vignette of sorts—a combination of Lucy and Gabe over their 14-month relationship and Lucy over a ten-year span, post-Gabe. The interesting thing is, it’s written as if Lucy is talking directly to the one man that will always own a piece of her soul. The man her mind and heart always seem to gravitate towards. She’s reminiscing in a way—pouring her heart out to her first love Gabe, sharing her thoughts about what was so right and in hindsight what should have given her pause—were the choices they made way back when the right ones? Naturally, you have to wonder, why now? How has Lucy landed herself in this moment after so much time has gone by and they’ve both essentially moved on with their lives? Or have they?
This story delves deep and through Lucy examines how our decisions—the compromises or lack thereof, the burning desire to chase our dreams or willingness to set them aside and the acceptance or rejection of another’s perceived flaws—ultimately shape the lives we lead and the relationships that remain a constant. Is being together a twist of fate at all or is it more of a conscious choice?
“A woman filled with light makes everything she touches brighter.”
Not everyone, myself included, will fully understand every decision Lucy makes along the way, or avoid clinging on to the fact that she was incredibly selfish in some instances, given she was living the life she chose, but at the end of the day, I felt like who was I to judge. We all know, the heart wants what it wants and sometimes that doesn't always equate to rational choices.
The only other thing I’m going to say about this story, prepare yourself. Not only for a book that’s impossible to put down, one that will own you for the entire time it takes to read and most likely days, if not weeks after, but for a story that will leave you emotionally gutted. Lucy and Gabe's journey is incredibly heartbreaking and what made it even a touch more powerful was reading the author’s acknowledgements—her candid admission that she started writing this book after going through a breakup of her own.
This is an astonishingly beautiful and raw look at what drives most of us—finding that one person who leaves a permanent mark on our soul and the desire to always keep them close.
What lends this story a unique feel, in my opinion, is the way Jill Santopolo tells it. Through the eyes of Lucy, a woman living in New York, we’re given a front row seat to an all-consuming, passion-filled, crazy-intense love—the kind that you experience once in a lifetime, if you’re lucky.
Each chapter serves as a vignette of sorts—a combination of Lucy and Gabe over their 14-month relationship and Lucy over a ten-year span, post-Gabe. The interesting thing is, it’s written as if Lucy is talking directly to the one man that will always own a piece of her soul. The man her mind and heart always seem to gravitate towards. She’s reminiscing in a way—pouring her heart out to her first love Gabe, sharing her thoughts about what was so right and in hindsight what should have given her pause—were the choices they made way back when the right ones? Naturally, you have to wonder, why now? How has Lucy landed herself in this moment after so much time has gone by and they’ve both essentially moved on with their lives? Or have they?
This story delves deep and through Lucy examines how our decisions—the compromises or lack thereof, the burning desire to chase our dreams or willingness to set them aside and the acceptance or rejection of another’s perceived flaws—ultimately shape the lives we lead and the relationships that remain a constant. Is being together a twist of fate at all or is it more of a conscious choice?
“A woman filled with light makes everything she touches brighter.”
Not everyone, myself included, will fully understand every decision Lucy makes along the way, or avoid clinging on to the fact that she was incredibly selfish in some instances, given she was living the life she chose, but at the end of the day, I felt like who was I to judge. We all know, the heart wants what it wants and sometimes that doesn't always equate to rational choices.
The only other thing I’m going to say about this story, prepare yourself. Not only for a book that’s impossible to put down, one that will own you for the entire time it takes to read and most likely days, if not weeks after, but for a story that will leave you emotionally gutted. Lucy and Gabe's journey is incredibly heartbreaking and what made it even a touch more powerful was reading the author’s acknowledgements—her candid admission that she started writing this book after going through a breakup of her own.
This is an astonishingly beautiful and raw look at what drives most of us—finding that one person who leaves a permanent mark on our soul and the desire to always keep them close.
July 31, 2018
Warning! this is going to be a huge RANT with lots of profanity. Kids stay in school.
Where do I even start with this book? Oh! Maybe with some general thoughts like:
I FUCKING HATED IT. So much. So so much. SO MUCH.
The Plot
Lucy and Gabriel met as collage students. Kissed at 9/11. Dated for a second. Broke up. Met a second time. Fucked around a lot. Started thinking they were unique and poetic. When in fact they are just regular morons. Hurt people. Stalked each other and thought they were 'fated'. But were they actually fated?
To answer that question: If fate wanted those two assholes happy. Then fate is a bitch and she can fight me.
The Characters
If you don't enjoy long discriptions here's a summary:
Lucy: The selfish-who doesn't know what 'compromising' means-Bitch.
Gabe: The interrupting cow.
Darren: The guy who suffered from the stupidity of the selfish bitch and the interrupting cow.
Why I hated this book:
Our MC: Lucy, everytime I think about her, I want to break something. Or a lot of somethings. I swear, she couldn't be more selfish or stupid if she tried. The problem was, she knew the right thing to do. She just didn't fucking do it.
So let's begin at the start, Lucy meets Gabe. And Boom! Clap! Love at first sight. We all know how G-R-E-A-T that trope is. *I'm saying these words through clenched teeth and balled fists*
"“I’m going where?”“With me,” you said, and you ran your fingers absently along my braid. It was an intimate gesture,"
This is how the asshole and the bitch meet. So Romantic! OF-EFFING-COURSE, she said: YES. Wait a minute, I think I vomitted a little from how swoon-worthy and life shattering that was!
Then They kiiiissss. Oh! It was so magical I wanted to kill myself. And guess when is the perfect time to kiss someone? At 9/11 when people are dying. The romance is so real people! Then they have half a date. And Gabe leaves her for his ex-girlfriend.
Lucy feels a real connection with Gabe after five seconds of knowing each other. And it's a connection so strong that they brake up after said 5 seconds. And here are some of Lucy's thoughts:
"I shouldn’t have been crushed, but I was."
No you shouldn't have been crushed- periode. You just met the guy!
After 3 years, she meets the interrupting cow once again. He's drunk and just broke up with his girlfriend sooo-of course, she goes back with him to a hotel.
They date for 2 days. And this is what happens:
“I love you, Luce,” you said.
It was the first time you said that to me. The first time any man had. “I love you too,” I answered.
Gabe: "I love you Luce"
Me: "WTF!"
Lucy: "I love you too."
Me: "What have I done to deserve this shit? Seriously?"
Then they break up because that wasn't actually love and Gabe is a selfish cow. *No offense to the cows* Gabe wants to go to Iraq and take important pictures. Because he wants to change the world.
Until now, I thought I was going to give this book 1 star. But things changed. I got used to the writing and Lucy met Darren.
"He wasn’t you, he’d never be you, but he was sweet and kind and funny and smart and endearing. And there was something wonderful about that."
So logically, she had to go and break his heart.
Spoilers ahead!
Lucy likes Darren. But she keeps thinking about Gabe. Even while they are dating. While they are married. And while she has 2 fucking kids. She just can't get over the five seconds she spent with Gabe.
Lucy, here's a newsflash for you:
Compromising isn't telling your husband that you need to keep talking to your ex.
Compomising isn't telling your husband that you HAD to meet your ex.
And it's not fucking going to Israel to your ex and leaving your children and loving family alone.
That's not compromising. That's cheating and hurting the one person who cares about you.
Lucy suspects Darren of cheating. Darren is by no means perfect. He has his problems. But he knows what COMPROMISING actually means. He did some wrong things. But you know what? He still loves you, cares about you. He could've changed.
But NOOOOOO Lucy is certain that Darren is cheating. So she goes and has sex with Gabe.
Soooo, what had happened waaas that Darren wasn't cheating. And he just wanted to surprise her with a house.
How can someone hurt the one they love in such a way is just unbelievable!
And it wasn't just Lucy's fault. Gabe is also such an interrupting cow, he's as guilty as Lucy. But even with his level of stupidity he tried to stop Lucy from cheating.
I actually knew that something sad was going to happen soooo when Gabe died. I was....so happy! I started dancing.
And we also find out that Lucy is pregnant with Gabe's kid. That just- warms my heart with the fuzzies.
The ending was unsatisfying. But I'm glad Gabe is dead.
The Writing
The only good thing about this book besides the diversity and mentionning the Arabic Spring.
I DO NOT RECOMMEND THIS BOOK espacially if you hate cheating and love at first sight.
Hope you enjoyed reading this review and thank you!
Ps: This was my first book of BOOKTUBE-A-THON soo yay!
Where do I even start with this book? Oh! Maybe with some general thoughts like:
I FUCKING HATED IT. So much. So so much. SO MUCH.
The Plot
Lucy and Gabriel met as collage students. Kissed at 9/11. Dated for a second. Broke up. Met a second time. Fucked around a lot. Started thinking they were unique and poetic. When in fact they are just regular morons. Hurt people. Stalked each other and thought they were 'fated'. But were they actually fated?
To answer that question: If fate wanted those two assholes happy. Then fate is a bitch and she can fight me.
The Characters
If you don't enjoy long discriptions here's a summary:
Lucy: The selfish-who doesn't know what 'compromising' means-Bitch.
Gabe: The interrupting cow.
Darren: The guy who suffered from the stupidity of the selfish bitch and the interrupting cow.
Why I hated this book:
Our MC: Lucy, everytime I think about her, I want to break something. Or a lot of somethings. I swear, she couldn't be more selfish or stupid if she tried. The problem was, she knew the right thing to do. She just didn't fucking do it.
So let's begin at the start, Lucy meets Gabe. And Boom! Clap! Love at first sight. We all know how G-R-E-A-T that trope is. *I'm saying these words through clenched teeth and balled fists*
"“I’m going where?”“With me,” you said, and you ran your fingers absently along my braid. It was an intimate gesture,"
This is how the asshole and the bitch meet. So Romantic! OF-EFFING-COURSE, she said: YES. Wait a minute, I think I vomitted a little from how swoon-worthy and life shattering that was!
Then They kiiiissss. Oh! It was so magical I wanted to kill myself. And guess when is the perfect time to kiss someone? At 9/11 when people are dying. The romance is so real people! Then they have half a date. And Gabe leaves her for his ex-girlfriend.
Lucy feels a real connection with Gabe after five seconds of knowing each other. And it's a connection so strong that they brake up after said 5 seconds. And here are some of Lucy's thoughts:
"I shouldn’t have been crushed, but I was."
No you shouldn't have been crushed- periode. You just met the guy!
After 3 years, she meets the interrupting cow once again. He's drunk and just broke up with his girlfriend sooo-of course, she goes back with him to a hotel.
They date for 2 days. And this is what happens:
“I love you, Luce,” you said.
It was the first time you said that to me. The first time any man had. “I love you too,” I answered.
Gabe: "I love you Luce"
Me: "WTF!"
Lucy: "I love you too."
Me: "What have I done to deserve this shit? Seriously?"
Then they break up because that wasn't actually love and Gabe is a selfish cow. *No offense to the cows* Gabe wants to go to Iraq and take important pictures. Because he wants to change the world.
Until now, I thought I was going to give this book 1 star. But things changed. I got used to the writing and Lucy met Darren.
"He wasn’t you, he’d never be you, but he was sweet and kind and funny and smart and endearing. And there was something wonderful about that."
So logically, she had to go and break his heart.
Spoilers ahead!
Lucy likes Darren. But she keeps thinking about Gabe. Even while they are dating. While they are married. And while she has 2 fucking kids. She just can't get over the five seconds she spent with Gabe.
Lucy, here's a newsflash for you:
Compromising isn't telling your husband that you need to keep talking to your ex.
Compomising isn't telling your husband that you HAD to meet your ex.
And it's not fucking going to Israel to your ex and leaving your children and loving family alone.
That's not compromising. That's cheating and hurting the one person who cares about you.
Lucy suspects Darren of cheating. Darren is by no means perfect. He has his problems. But he knows what COMPROMISING actually means. He did some wrong things. But you know what? He still loves you, cares about you. He could've changed.
But NOOOOOO Lucy is certain that Darren is cheating. So she goes and has sex with Gabe.
Soooo, what had happened waaas that Darren wasn't cheating. And he just wanted to surprise her with a house.
How can someone hurt the one they love in such a way is just unbelievable!
And it wasn't just Lucy's fault. Gabe is also such an interrupting cow, he's as guilty as Lucy. But even with his level of stupidity he tried to stop Lucy from cheating.
I actually knew that something sad was going to happen soooo when Gabe died. I was....so happy! I started dancing.
And we also find out that Lucy is pregnant with Gabe's kid. That just- warms my heart with the fuzzies.
The ending was unsatisfying. But I'm glad Gabe is dead.
The Writing
The only good thing about this book besides the diversity and mentionning the Arabic Spring.
I DO NOT RECOMMEND THIS BOOK espacially if you hate cheating and love at first sight.
Hope you enjoyed reading this review and thank you!
Ps: This was my first book of BOOKTUBE-A-THON soo yay!
July 29, 2017
My heart is broken. I am blown away and broken. I don't know how to review this, so I'm going to ramble for a bit.
Firstly, I want to thank Putnam Books for sending me a review copy. I'm so appreciative!
Secondly, if there's one thing that I took away from this story is to follow your heart. To fully trust and go with your gut. This book had me so irritated with the nature and fragility of human beings, which we obviously can't control at times, because we fall into the trap of following that which is safe and stable, rather than stepping into fear, the unknown and that which might possibly break us, but will make us feel the most alive and accomplished.
This story was written like a love letter. Told from the perspective of Lucy, our main character, she narrates the time when she met Gabe and developed an intense, once-in-a-lifetime type relationship, which didn't work out, but since then has affected every aspect of her life. It was deeply evocative, brutally honest and a raw account on love. Tragic to know that we as humans often settle.
The writing was simple, gorgeous. The emotions are portrayed so vividly through it. I was captivated from the beginning!
Gosh, this needs to be made into a movie or something. And everyone has to read it.
Firstly, I want to thank Putnam Books for sending me a review copy. I'm so appreciative!
Secondly, if there's one thing that I took away from this story is to follow your heart. To fully trust and go with your gut. This book had me so irritated with the nature and fragility of human beings, which we obviously can't control at times, because we fall into the trap of following that which is safe and stable, rather than stepping into fear, the unknown and that which might possibly break us, but will make us feel the most alive and accomplished.
This story was written like a love letter. Told from the perspective of Lucy, our main character, she narrates the time when she met Gabe and developed an intense, once-in-a-lifetime type relationship, which didn't work out, but since then has affected every aspect of her life. It was deeply evocative, brutally honest and a raw account on love. Tragic to know that we as humans often settle.
The writing was simple, gorgeous. The emotions are portrayed so vividly through it. I was captivated from the beginning!
Gosh, this needs to be made into a movie or something. And everyone has to read it.
June 24, 2017
The first day she spent with Gabe has stayed with Lucy ever after, even though they didn't really see one another again afterwards. She is inexplicably drawn to Gabe and so when years later they meet in a bar the two start dating. Gabe isn't happy though, he wants to do more with his life and is afraid of ending up like his own father, resentful and unsuccessful. As he pursues his photography he realizes he wants to go abroad and capture the struggles and political turmoil which means leaving Lucy behind. The two break up but Lucy can't stop thinking about Gabe even after she eventually gets married and has kids she keeps coming back to him.
I really liked the writing and the pacing of the book and though I'm not a big fan of pining I still enjoyed the book. The plot has been done before, especially the ending and I know I read a similar book at some point this year but the execution was good so it wasn't a big deal. I think I mostly feel annoyed at Lucy for her fixation with Gabe and this idea that there's something romantic about intensity and heartache. Doesn't mean I didn't cry there at the end because it was still really sad but I just think that it's impractical to think about relationships the way she did. I mean she didn't ever date Gabe long enough to know how it would actually be once there was more pressure from life and problems on them. Also when you spend years thinking about someone you tend to build it up in your head and make it into something it may actually not be. I don't think Lucy's love for Gabe was love but really obsession with what she thinks they had and what she wants and can't have. I really did enjoy the book though and even though at times the romance felt cheesy, as it does when it's not yourself, it was sweet and addressed the idea of loving more than one person at a time pretty well. The complexities of relationships were captured really well and I really liked Lucy acknowledging the strengths and weaknesses of both her relationships rather than making it seem like with Gabe it was always perfect.
I really liked the writing and the pacing of the book and though I'm not a big fan of pining I still enjoyed the book. The plot has been done before, especially the ending and I know I read a similar book at some point this year but the execution was good so it wasn't a big deal. I think I mostly feel annoyed at Lucy for her fixation with Gabe and this idea that there's something romantic about intensity and heartache. Doesn't mean I didn't cry there at the end because it was still really sad but I just think that it's impractical to think about relationships the way she did. I mean she didn't ever date Gabe long enough to know how it would actually be once there was more pressure from life and problems on them. Also when you spend years thinking about someone you tend to build it up in your head and make it into something it may actually not be. I don't think Lucy's love for Gabe was love but really obsession with what she thinks they had and what she wants and can't have. I really did enjoy the book though and even though at times the romance felt cheesy, as it does when it's not yourself, it was sweet and addressed the idea of loving more than one person at a time pretty well. The complexities of relationships were captured really well and I really liked Lucy acknowledging the strengths and weaknesses of both her relationships rather than making it seem like with Gabe it was always perfect.
February 20, 2025
How apropos that I would begin my second read/listen of this book in anticipation of the sequel “The Love We Found” (publishing April 2025) on September 11, 2024.
Lucy and Gabe met as seniors at Columbia University on a day that changes both of their lives forever-September 11, 2001. As they watch fellow New Yorkers diving from the crumbling wreckage of the Twin Towers, they decide they want their lives to mean something- TO MATTER.
Gabe becomes a photojournalist assigned to the Middle East, covering conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza-choosing this calling over his intense love for Lucy.
Lucy pursues a career in New York, and struggles to open her heart fully to a “different” kind of love.
DO YOUR DECISIONS ALTER YOUR FATE?
OR DOES FATE ALTER YOUR DECISIONS?
Lucy will have to make a life altering decision by the story’s end but to do so she will need to relive their love story from the beginning. She shares her story in a way that sounds like a kind of “open love letter”💌 to Gabe.
Over 13 years, their journey will take Lucy and Gabe oceans apart, but never completely out of each other’s hearts.
Comments from when I first read this book in May 2017: (before I was fully reviewing)
FAVORITE QUOTE:
"He thought I was fully and completely his. But he's never had all of me"
This was a soul searching, thought provoking, love story. The author shares that she wrote this book when she was going through a bad break-up, and I felt her pain.
Heart-breaking on so many levels. And, the best book I have read so far, this year.💔
THOUGHTS after my second read:
WOW!
RAW! HONEST! POWERFUL! HEARTBREAKING 💔
The conflicts in the World that Gabe began covering in this story have only intensified since the author originally wrote this novel-I can see why this became the perfect time to write a sequel.
And, of course, heartbreak heals, but is never completely forgotten. ❤️🩹
I paired my read with the Audible, READ by the AUTHOR, Jill Santopolo and I am so glad to have experienced this book in both formats, and both THEN and NOW.
I highly recommend that you read or listen to this story before its sequel.
MOST DEFINITELY STILL WORTHY OF FIVE STARS
⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Thank you to the Chandler Public library for the loan of both formats.
Lucy and Gabe met as seniors at Columbia University on a day that changes both of their lives forever-September 11, 2001. As they watch fellow New Yorkers diving from the crumbling wreckage of the Twin Towers, they decide they want their lives to mean something- TO MATTER.
Gabe becomes a photojournalist assigned to the Middle East, covering conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza-choosing this calling over his intense love for Lucy.
Lucy pursues a career in New York, and struggles to open her heart fully to a “different” kind of love.
DO YOUR DECISIONS ALTER YOUR FATE?
OR DOES FATE ALTER YOUR DECISIONS?
Lucy will have to make a life altering decision by the story’s end but to do so she will need to relive their love story from the beginning. She shares her story in a way that sounds like a kind of “open love letter”💌 to Gabe.
Over 13 years, their journey will take Lucy and Gabe oceans apart, but never completely out of each other’s hearts.
Comments from when I first read this book in May 2017: (before I was fully reviewing)
FAVORITE QUOTE:
"He thought I was fully and completely his. But he's never had all of me"
This was a soul searching, thought provoking, love story. The author shares that she wrote this book when she was going through a bad break-up, and I felt her pain.
Heart-breaking on so many levels. And, the best book I have read so far, this year.💔
THOUGHTS after my second read:
WOW!
RAW! HONEST! POWERFUL! HEARTBREAKING 💔
The conflicts in the World that Gabe began covering in this story have only intensified since the author originally wrote this novel-I can see why this became the perfect time to write a sequel.
And, of course, heartbreak heals, but is never completely forgotten. ❤️🩹
I paired my read with the Audible, READ by the AUTHOR, Jill Santopolo and I am so glad to have experienced this book in both formats, and both THEN and NOW.
I highly recommend that you read or listen to this story before its sequel.
MOST DEFINITELY STILL WORTHY OF FIVE STARS
⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Thank you to the Chandler Public library for the loan of both formats.
July 20, 2017
Why is 5 stars the limit??!! OMG!!! I LOVED, loved this freaking book!!! The entire time I was reading, I had a sense of foreboding. The style in which it is told felt like a confession and immediately I was apprehensive. Sigh. Lovely. My poor tear-ducts. Lol
"Love does that. It makes you feel infinite and invincible, like the whole world is open to you, anything is achievable."
"Love does that. It makes you feel infinite and invincible, like the whole world is open to you, anything is achievable."
August 11, 2017
"Love does that. It makes you feel infinite and invincible, like the whole world is open to you, anything is achievable, and each day will be filled with wonder. Maybe it's the act of opening yourself up, letting someone else in—or maybe it's the act of caring so deeply about another person that it expands your heart. I've heard so many people say some version of I never knew how much I could love another human being until...I never knew how much I could love another human being until I met you, Gabe."
Lucy and Gabe meet in their senior year at Columbia University, in a Shakespeare seminar, on September 11, 2001. Being in each other's presence when they learn how the world has changed so radically draws them together in a way they never imagined. As they look out on the destruction of the city, they both vow to live a life that has meaning, instead of pursuing a path that only brings them fortune or fame.
It takes a year for the two of them to meet again, but when they do, their relationship immediately intensifies. They are almost inseparable, each pushing the other to pursue their dreams—Lucy pursues a career in children's television, while Gabe wants to become a photojournalist. Their love burns hot, and they cannot imagine being apart. Yet when the next step in Gabe's career is moving to Iraq to take pictures, he doesn't hesitate, leaving Lucy behind to mourn what might have been, and wonder why she wasn't enough to keep him home.
"You were my comfort and my pain all at once."
Lucy does all she can to pull her life back together, even though she longs for no one but Gabe. But eventually she realizes that although they will always be connected, she needs to move on, and some time later she meets Darren. Darren is a few years older than she is, and offers Lucy more stability than Gabe, although without some of the dynamism. As she grows to love Darren, she knows their relationship will never be the same as her and Gabe's, but is a life of steady love better or worse than a life of brief bouts of burning passion?
While both of their lives move on without the other, Gabe and Lucy still find themselves orbiting around each other from time to time, encounters which provoke passion, pain, betrayal, jealousy, grief and, of course, love. Although Lucy and Darren have a wonderful life and she has a successful career, she cannot help but wonder what might have been. And when she makes a snap decision one day, she has no idea where that will lead—and what it will bring for both of their lives.
The Light We Lost, as you can tell from the image I used at the top of my review, is definitely a tearjerker. But beyond the emotions it provokes, it's an interesting and compelling look at the power of first love, and how it can radically change the course of your life. Sure, it's a little melodramatic, and I don't know if we're given enough evidence of just how intense the bond between Lucy and Gabe is to provoke all that occurs in the story, but you still need to know what happens.
Jill Santopolo knows how to draw you into a story and unravel just enough plot to keep you utterly immersed. The book is told with a lot of foreshadowing, but she never gives away everything. This would be a good movie, and it's definitely a good beach read if you don't mind crying in your lounge chair.
They say you never forget a first love. The Light We Lost surely proves that adage!
See all of my reviews at http://itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blo....
February 7, 2025
˗ˏˋ ★ ˎˊ˗ 1 star ˗ˏˋ★‿︵‧ ˚ ₊⊹
This tried to be beautiful and heartfelt but it was a boring slog. I really anticipated loving this book because it really is something I typically gravitate towards and love, but it just didn't work for me.
Everything about The Light We Lost is simple. The story, the characters, the writing. There isn’t much for you to hook onto really. I wasn’t much too interested about Lucy and Gabe’s apparent world-altering romance that lasted for only, what, three months? Four? It was certainly enough to make Lucy (and Gabe himself, apparently) fall so head over heels for a guy who left her to go photograph starving children in a war-torn country, even though she was his supposed ‘muse’.
The two never get over each other, despite having every opportunity to make up and have one decent conversation together about their feelings. I did not feel joy when reading Lucy dropped everything on a whim to flee to her supposed soulmate, or empathize with her when she complained of Darren, the man she married and constantly compares against Gabe, again, the man who decided that going across to the other side of the world was preferable than being with her.
No, I felt frustrated every single time Lucy felt it was oh-so-important that she keep trying to reconnect with a guy she hadn’t seen in years, confirming to us that she would leave her two children and husband who she herself decided to be with behind, just because.
She cheated on her husband because the opportunity presented itself, not because she really had any tangible evidence, her rather using her insecurity as an excuse. ‘Oh, he goes golfing too much, and talks on the phone to a woman I don’t know and prefers that he have some privacy on his phone, so that gives me a reason to hook up with a guy I haven’t been with for thirteen years’.
She is not likable, or relatable, or empathetic. She’s selfish, stupid, and annoying. The same much goes for Gabe, with the same ability to not want to face the consequences of his own actions. I didn’t find them as aggravating or as blood-boilingly aggravating as most other main characters though, mostly because the text didn’t invoke much in me.
It’s simple. It’s a simple story trying to masquerade as some profound, life-altering, emotional story about torn-apart meant-to-be soulmates, but it’s not. It’s about two selfish assholes wallowing about the bed that they made and the fact that they have to lie in it.
⋆✴︎˚｡⋆ Connect with me on Instagram ˗ˏˋ★‿︵‧ ˚ ₊⊹
This tried to be beautiful and heartfelt but it was a boring slog. I really anticipated loving this book because it really is something I typically gravitate towards and love, but it just didn't work for me.
Everything about The Light We Lost is simple. The story, the characters, the writing. There isn’t much for you to hook onto really. I wasn’t much too interested about Lucy and Gabe’s apparent world-altering romance that lasted for only, what, three months? Four? It was certainly enough to make Lucy (and Gabe himself, apparently) fall so head over heels for a guy who left her to go photograph starving children in a war-torn country, even though she was his supposed ‘muse’.
The two never get over each other, despite having every opportunity to make up and have one decent conversation together about their feelings. I did not feel joy when reading Lucy dropped everything on a whim to flee to her supposed soulmate, or empathize with her when she complained of Darren, the man she married and constantly compares against Gabe, again, the man who decided that going across to the other side of the world was preferable than being with her.
No, I felt frustrated every single time Lucy felt it was oh-so-important that she keep trying to reconnect with a guy she hadn’t seen in years, confirming to us that she would leave her two children and husband who she herself decided to be with behind, just because.
She cheated on her husband because the opportunity presented itself, not because she really had any tangible evidence, her rather using her insecurity as an excuse. ‘Oh, he goes golfing too much, and talks on the phone to a woman I don’t know and prefers that he have some privacy on his phone, so that gives me a reason to hook up with a guy I haven’t been with for thirteen years’.
She is not likable, or relatable, or empathetic. She’s selfish, stupid, and annoying. The same much goes for Gabe, with the same ability to not want to face the consequences of his own actions. I didn’t find them as aggravating or as blood-boilingly aggravating as most other main characters though, mostly because the text didn’t invoke much in me.
It’s simple. It’s a simple story trying to masquerade as some profound, life-altering, emotional story about torn-apart meant-to-be soulmates, but it’s not. It’s about two selfish assholes wallowing about the bed that they made and the fact that they have to lie in it.
⋆✴︎˚｡⋆ Connect with me on Instagram ˗ˏˋ★‿︵‧ ˚ ₊⊹
August 8, 2017
4 Stars.
Lucy & Gabe met on September 11, 2001. After the events of that day, both felt a connection to each other that neither could explain. One that connected them forever and no other relationship compared. It didn't matter that on that day when they were both in College, they shared a few intimate moments which Lucy thought were the beginning of a relationship and then Gabe decided to go back to his ex-girlfriend that same day. It didn't matter that over a year later, after they met again on her birthday (which happened to be the same night he broke up with said ex-girlfriend) and then started dating Lucy, that Gabe never once put Lucy first thereafter. Somehow, it was enough for her. Lucy felt that pull towards him. That need. They fell in love. Insanely. Deeply. That crazy love that you think will only ever happen once in a lifetime. He got her like no one else. He understood her. Her work, her drive... the important things in her life. And they shared everything - or so Lucy thought. Yet Gabe was unfulfilled. His life's passion was photography. And then he got a job offer with the AP overseas - which he accepted without even talking it over with her. And that was it - Fairytale Over.
Enter Darren. A kind, sweet, romantic guy who was looking for someone just. like. Lucy. And he found her. Though hesitant at first, Lucy enjoyed spending time with him. Darren was the first person who made her laugh after her breakup with Gabe. He took things slow and went out of his way for her. Though he pretty much always made decisions for her, like buying a puppy without consulting her or planning weekends away, she got used to it. He was after all, the sweetest guy ever. So, he didn't take her job seriously, or always think that the things she wanted were all that important, she couldn't have everything. In the end, though he wasn't Gabe and never would be, she loved him. In a different way, is all. And then it happened. Darren proposed. And she said yes.
On the day of the wedding however, after not having heard from Gabe in years, he called her. Because she was his Pegasus. And although she had her doubts, Lucy married Darren. Their life together was magical, and she loved her husband desperately.. yet something was missing. Thus she wonders, each and every day, if the decision she made was the right one. As her heart, her mind and her soul, missed a man who would never fully be hers. And she knows that she will wonder for the rest of her life, if the life she is living is the life that was meant for her; if she was supposed to be with Gabe, her soulmate, instead.
“The Light We Lost” by Jill Santopolo is a beautifully written novel about the complexities of love, soulmates and the possibility of fate. It is a book that catches you on a wave at low tide from the very first page and keeps you swimming out to sea until the very last page, when the tide finally comes in.
I will admit however, that I had a bit of a hard time with the story of Gabe and Lucy at the start of this novel. I didn’t feel that their relationship was well established enough for me to be that invested in their love story or for me to believe that their connection was real or true. It may have in part been due to Gabe and his actions and/or reactions or the fact that most of the novel was spent focusing on Lucy and Darren (who, naturally, I didn't like), thus it was not until late into the novel that I “felt” something shift in their direction. The shift however, took place.. and when it did, I had to give kudos to the author, Jill Santopolo, because she knows how to rip that frakking heart out of your chest, so hard that you aren’t sure that you are able to breathe without it. The breath leaves you. The TEARS fill your eyes, BIG Huge FAT Tears. And they runneth over. And you are left gasping. Enough said.
Published on Goodreads and Amazon on 8.6.17.
Lucy & Gabe met on September 11, 2001. After the events of that day, both felt a connection to each other that neither could explain. One that connected them forever and no other relationship compared. It didn't matter that on that day when they were both in College, they shared a few intimate moments which Lucy thought were the beginning of a relationship and then Gabe decided to go back to his ex-girlfriend that same day. It didn't matter that over a year later, after they met again on her birthday (which happened to be the same night he broke up with said ex-girlfriend) and then started dating Lucy, that Gabe never once put Lucy first thereafter. Somehow, it was enough for her. Lucy felt that pull towards him. That need. They fell in love. Insanely. Deeply. That crazy love that you think will only ever happen once in a lifetime. He got her like no one else. He understood her. Her work, her drive... the important things in her life. And they shared everything - or so Lucy thought. Yet Gabe was unfulfilled. His life's passion was photography. And then he got a job offer with the AP overseas - which he accepted without even talking it over with her. And that was it - Fairytale Over.
Enter Darren. A kind, sweet, romantic guy who was looking for someone just. like. Lucy. And he found her. Though hesitant at first, Lucy enjoyed spending time with him. Darren was the first person who made her laugh after her breakup with Gabe. He took things slow and went out of his way for her. Though he pretty much always made decisions for her, like buying a puppy without consulting her or planning weekends away, she got used to it. He was after all, the sweetest guy ever. So, he didn't take her job seriously, or always think that the things she wanted were all that important, she couldn't have everything. In the end, though he wasn't Gabe and never would be, she loved him. In a different way, is all. And then it happened. Darren proposed. And she said yes.
On the day of the wedding however, after not having heard from Gabe in years, he called her. Because she was his Pegasus. And although she had her doubts, Lucy married Darren. Their life together was magical, and she loved her husband desperately.. yet something was missing. Thus she wonders, each and every day, if the decision she made was the right one. As her heart, her mind and her soul, missed a man who would never fully be hers. And she knows that she will wonder for the rest of her life, if the life she is living is the life that was meant for her; if she was supposed to be with Gabe, her soulmate, instead.
“The Light We Lost” by Jill Santopolo is a beautifully written novel about the complexities of love, soulmates and the possibility of fate. It is a book that catches you on a wave at low tide from the very first page and keeps you swimming out to sea until the very last page, when the tide finally comes in.
I will admit however, that I had a bit of a hard time with the story of Gabe and Lucy at the start of this novel. I didn’t feel that their relationship was well established enough for me to be that invested in their love story or for me to believe that their connection was real or true. It may have in part been due to Gabe and his actions and/or reactions or the fact that most of the novel was spent focusing on Lucy and Darren (who, naturally, I didn't like), thus it was not until late into the novel that I “felt” something shift in their direction. The shift however, took place.. and when it did, I had to give kudos to the author, Jill Santopolo, because she knows how to rip that frakking heart out of your chest, so hard that you aren’t sure that you are able to breathe without it. The breath leaves you. The TEARS fill your eyes, BIG Huge FAT Tears. And they runneth over. And you are left gasping. Enough said.
Published on Goodreads and Amazon on 8.6.17.
December 9, 2018
Fate! Decisions! Regrets!
I adore dual narrations, but this is in single POV, told by the heroine, Lucy, and is extremely well written. The storyline is told in the form of what I would call a diary with the most mysterious undertones as she recounts past events. I found myself enthralled trying to figure out which direction the storyline was headed. The characters are surprising, captivating and infuriating.
These characters are so infuriating at times, I found myself wanting to pull my hair out in frustration over their actions.
I know some of my GR friends will want to be aware of this WARNING, but it is a major spoiler:
As each chapter is revealed you know extreme heartache is coming. Scenarios kept swirling in my head as to how ‘everything’ was going to play out.
So what is this ‘everything?’ To tell you would give too much away, and as per usual, I won’t give you a smidgen. Except I will say ‘everything’ wasn’t tidied up as I had hoped. I am not a fan of lose ends nor unanswered questions. An epilogue is really needed, IMHO, so four stars.
BUT, this is quite a unique, very emotional, romantic read. Quite hypnotic as well. It is also beloved and highly recommended by many!!
I adore dual narrations, but this is in single POV, told by the heroine, Lucy, and is extremely well written. The storyline is told in the form of what I would call a diary with the most mysterious undertones as she recounts past events. I found myself enthralled trying to figure out which direction the storyline was headed. The characters are surprising, captivating and infuriating.
These characters are so infuriating at times, I found myself wanting to pull my hair out in frustration over their actions.
I know some of my GR friends will want to be aware of this WARNING, but it is a major spoiler:
As each chapter is revealed you know extreme heartache is coming. Scenarios kept swirling in my head as to how ‘everything’ was going to play out.
So what is this ‘everything?’ To tell you would give too much away, and as per usual, I won’t give you a smidgen. Except I will say ‘everything’ wasn’t tidied up as I had hoped. I am not a fan of lose ends nor unanswered questions. An epilogue is really needed, IMHO, so four stars.
BUT, this is quite a unique, very emotional, romantic read. Quite hypnotic as well. It is also beloved and highly recommended by many!!
April 8, 2017
I can't do this anymore. I have given up at page 145.
What do we have but yet another young New Yorker examining the lint in her navel and imagining that it is fascinating for us all. The problems of a woman who falls madly in lust and thinks it's love is so small, so petty, that I cannot generate enough enthusiasm to continue.
As usual, the prose if lovely. The sentences are put together nicely, the voice comes through clearly.
It's the fecking story. It isn't strong enough to support an entire novel.
Sure there are those who enjoy a soap opera, or those who are twenty-something elitists in New York who believe their problems have deep relevance to the world. I am not one of them. This is not a book for me.
Sorry, Penguin Random House. You gave me the book for a review, but I can't finish it. I wouldn't inflict this on anyone I know because they like good books with substance. If you're wondering why book sales are down, well, you can start here.
What do we have but yet another young New Yorker examining the lint in her navel and imagining that it is fascinating for us all. The problems of a woman who falls madly in lust and thinks it's love is so small, so petty, that I cannot generate enough enthusiasm to continue.
As usual, the prose if lovely. The sentences are put together nicely, the voice comes through clearly.
It's the fecking story. It isn't strong enough to support an entire novel.
Sure there are those who enjoy a soap opera, or those who are twenty-something elitists in New York who believe their problems have deep relevance to the world. I am not one of them. This is not a book for me.
Sorry, Penguin Random House. You gave me the book for a review, but I can't finish it. I wouldn't inflict this on anyone I know because they like good books with substance. If you're wondering why book sales are down, well, you can start here.
May 10, 2017
I had high hopes for this one. While I was totally engrossed in the story itself, I had A LOT of problems with the choices that the main characters made. When I finished the book, I was just sad 😕
This is a new author to me that I would read again
Full Review now posted 5/9
The blurb for The Light We Lost captured my attention right away. For one, I am a HUGE fan of Me Before You and I love any romance story about first love.
I had very high expectations for this book going in even though I knew that this was a debut novel. And sadly I felt a little let down. I will explain why.
This book was told in Lucy's POV and it felt almost like a journal or daily diary entries of her life. Attending Columbia University and meeting and falling in love with Gabe. These two experience something horrific together, something that I was a part of as I was there working on Wall Street on September 11th. It is something in our history that no one will ever forget.
I enjoyed their love story—how much they loved each other and supported each other though at times I often felt that Lucy took a backseat to Gabe's personality and later on his hopes and dreams for his career.
The reader will journey with Lucy as she tries to get over her broken heart of losing her love and then when she tries to build a new future with Darren, the epitome of the perfect boyfriend. Darren was everything that Gabe was not and then some, but I often times felt sad for him and her constant comparisons between him and Gabe. He had very big shoes to fill.
Darren puts Lucy back together and together they take on life's journey but there is always that certain someone lingering in the back of her mind, the what ifs, the memories.
I don't want to ruin the story for those who intend on reading this but here are my thoughts... I felt that Lucy never really gave Darren a fair shot. She put Gabe on such a high pedestal that I don't think anyone would have been able to have her heart completely. There were times that I didn't love their choices because I knew in my heart that someone was going to get hurt. And when some mistakes were made because of some preconceived notions, I couldn't help but wish that there was more communication... more talking so that maybe some of these things could have been avoided.
Here's the thing... no one is perfect. We all make mistakes. Like the book mentions—sometimes there is that fork in the road, the choices you make, the mistakes that sometimes happen is what life is all about. And I get that. I guess for me, I just couldn't stand behind the choices that the heroine made because I felt like they were selfish and one sided and yes they hurt my heart and made me angry and sad. I didn't love the ending and would have wished for a few more chapters so that we could have experience what happened when the truth came out—I felt like I was missing something and just wanted a bit more. Maybe an epilogue would have helped this more.
Would I read this author again? Most definitely. Her writing style was interesting and unique and despite not loving the story, I was engrossed from page one and The Light We Lost was unputdownable.
This is a new author to me that I would read again
Full Review now posted 5/9
The blurb for The Light We Lost captured my attention right away. For one, I am a HUGE fan of Me Before You and I love any romance story about first love.
I had very high expectations for this book going in even though I knew that this was a debut novel. And sadly I felt a little let down. I will explain why.
This book was told in Lucy's POV and it felt almost like a journal or daily diary entries of her life. Attending Columbia University and meeting and falling in love with Gabe. These two experience something horrific together, something that I was a part of as I was there working on Wall Street on September 11th. It is something in our history that no one will ever forget.
I enjoyed their love story—how much they loved each other and supported each other though at times I often felt that Lucy took a backseat to Gabe's personality and later on his hopes and dreams for his career.
The reader will journey with Lucy as she tries to get over her broken heart of losing her love and then when she tries to build a new future with Darren, the epitome of the perfect boyfriend. Darren was everything that Gabe was not and then some, but I often times felt sad for him and her constant comparisons between him and Gabe. He had very big shoes to fill.
Darren puts Lucy back together and together they take on life's journey but there is always that certain someone lingering in the back of her mind, the what ifs, the memories.
I don't want to ruin the story for those who intend on reading this but here are my thoughts... I felt that Lucy never really gave Darren a fair shot. She put Gabe on such a high pedestal that I don't think anyone would have been able to have her heart completely. There were times that I didn't love their choices because I knew in my heart that someone was going to get hurt. And when some mistakes were made because of some preconceived notions, I couldn't help but wish that there was more communication... more talking so that maybe some of these things could have been avoided.
Here's the thing... no one is perfect. We all make mistakes. Like the book mentions—sometimes there is that fork in the road, the choices you make, the mistakes that sometimes happen is what life is all about. And I get that. I guess for me, I just couldn't stand behind the choices that the heroine made because I felt like they were selfish and one sided and yes they hurt my heart and made me angry and sad. I didn't love the ending and would have wished for a few more chapters so that we could have experience what happened when the truth came out—I felt like I was missing something and just wanted a bit more. Maybe an epilogue would have helped this more.
Would I read this author again? Most definitely. Her writing style was interesting and unique and despite not loving the story, I was engrossed from page one and The Light We Lost was unputdownable.
November 9, 2017
I don't even know how to review that book. It's one of the most emotionally engaging books I've read in a long time. My heart broke many a time reading it. It's gut-wrenching. But most of all it's just beautiful. It's a love story and it's a story about love and choices we make and all the what ifs we have to live with.
Lucy and Gabe, two people who are meant to be together but when together their love is just too intense, too much, burns and breaks them. Their story is incredibly heart-breaking. Two people who love each other but aren't able to be happy being together. Their love is too all-consuming, too deep and yet not enough. Lucy isn't enough, Gabe is too much. Whatever the reasons they go their separate ways. Lucy finds love with somebody else, different love, quieter, not as passionate. But Gabe comes back. He can't be without her. And as much as Lucy tries she can't stop the pull she feels towards him, he'll always be the greatest love of her life.
Lucy and Gabe are so well-crafted, well-developed as characters, flawed but relatable. I felt for both of them. I wanted them to have their fairy tale ending. What happens to them, how their story ends, well, make sure to have tissues ready because it will make you cry, it will break your heart.
The Light We Lost is simply beautiful and compelling, it will stay with me for a very long time. Definitely one of my favourite reads of 2017. Highly recommended!
Lucy and Gabe, two people who are meant to be together but when together their love is just too intense, too much, burns and breaks them. Their story is incredibly heart-breaking. Two people who love each other but aren't able to be happy being together. Their love is too all-consuming, too deep and yet not enough. Lucy isn't enough, Gabe is too much. Whatever the reasons they go their separate ways. Lucy finds love with somebody else, different love, quieter, not as passionate. But Gabe comes back. He can't be without her. And as much as Lucy tries she can't stop the pull she feels towards him, he'll always be the greatest love of her life.
Lucy and Gabe are so well-crafted, well-developed as characters, flawed but relatable. I felt for both of them. I wanted them to have their fairy tale ending. What happens to them, how their story ends, well, make sure to have tissues ready because it will make you cry, it will break your heart.
The Light We Lost is simply beautiful and compelling, it will stay with me for a very long time. Definitely one of my favourite reads of 2017. Highly recommended!
May 2, 2017
I won this through a Goodreads giveaway.
Ever have a friend who cannot stop yammering about the love that got away? Imagine over 300 pages of that and you have the essentials of this book. The narrator is incredibly immature, as is the object of her enduring obsession, who has very little use for her, except on the rare occasions when his feelings have been hurt. A significant portion of this book is devoted to the narrator commenting on the fact that the second boyfriend does things that would never have occurred to the first and vice versa. Because different partners haveing different behaviors is apparently unexpected. The main characters are awful, self-absorbed, over-privileged people.
It is appalling that it's mentioned in the same breath as "Me Before You", "One Day", or even "Love Story".
Ever have a friend who cannot stop yammering about the love that got away? Imagine over 300 pages of that and you have the essentials of this book. The narrator is incredibly immature, as is the object of her enduring obsession, who has very little use for her, except on the rare occasions when his feelings have been hurt. A significant portion of this book is devoted to the narrator commenting on the fact that the second boyfriend does things that would never have occurred to the first and vice versa. Because different partners haveing different behaviors is apparently unexpected. The main characters are awful, self-absorbed, over-privileged people.
It is appalling that it's mentioned in the same breath as "Me Before You", "One Day", or even "Love Story".
October 7, 2017
“We’ve known each other for almost half our lives.
I’ve seen you smiling, confident, blissfully happy.
I’ve seen you broken, wounded, lost.
But I’ve never seen you like this.
You’ve taught me to look for beauty. In darkness in destruction, you always found light.
I don’t know what beauty I’ll find here, what light. But I’ll try. I’ll do it for you. Because I know you would do it for me.
There was so much beauty in our life together.
Maybe that’s where I should start.”
On the day that Lucy and Gabriel met, he was late for class, Professor Kramer’s Shakespeare seminar, and about to discuss what Brutus is saying about fate and free will in Julius Caesar when the TA walks in and announces that he was late because a plane has just hit one of the twin towers, but it was still believed to have been an accident with a prop plane. Class continues.
They emerge from the class in that blissful ignorance of the reality of the news, that both towers had collapsed, hearing the news in snippets, and no one really knew what has really happened or what to do, where to go, what to think.
So they go to Gabe’s room to check on the news, everyone still in a state of shock and disbelief.
” The world felt like it was cracking in pieces, like we’d gone through a shattered mirror into the fractured place inside, where nothing made sense, where our shields were down, our walls broken. In that place, there wasn’t any reason to say no.”
A year passes during which they don’t see each other, but when they do it’s almost as if no time has passed. The what-ifs that had been running through their minds for all that time, a year of missing that feeling of an instant connection, unable to find it in anyone else.
There’s a need, an immediacy to their love, hers and Gabe’s, born out of a recognition of the frailty of life, the knowledge that it really could be over any second so you have to grab hold of it right then, right now, and never, ever let go. Gabriel makes Lucy feel infinite. Lucy makes Gabriel feel invincible. What Lucy grabs hold of is Gabe, and the thing that Gabe grabs hold of is doing something with great magnitude, with principal, something that will share his vision with the world, so that the work he inevitably leaves behind will be invincible.
”Love does that. It makes you feel infinite and invincible, like the whole world is open to you anything is achievable, and each day will be filled with wonder.”
Gabriel is a dreamer, a dreamer with a goal to use his photography to share his vision of the world. The people in the photographs – what he sees in these moments he finds and shares, the emotion he pulls his viewer into found within the image. He wants to make a difference.
A Step You Can’t Take Back – Kiera Knightley
Written by: Gregg Alexander, Danielle Brisebois, John Carney
Lucy is a planner, not a dreamer. She wants to know the plan, be part of deciding on the plan. She most definitely does not want anyone else deciding on anything without her. She has goals, yes, but she senses the balance in everything, how her goals can’t negate the goals of others, hers are not unimportant, but she understands when others choose their own needs over hers, even when it hurts, she allows them to choose.
Lucy can’t stop wishing her marriage to Darren had as much passion and caring and equality as her relationship with Gabe had. Darren treats her like a child, a pat on the head and a “good girl” type comment to placate her, but all it does is infuriate her more. Makes her miss Gabe more, miss the life they could have had, should have had, together.
Soulmates. Fate. First Love. The ideals we build upon in our lives, based upon a once upon a time kind of love. The writing is charmingly lovely, and if you enjoy love stories, this is a very good one. Think of Jo Jo Moyes “Me Before You” or one of Joshilyn Jackson’s novels, with a sprinkling of Gae Polisner’s “The Memory of Things.” Personally, I loved the way she told this story, there’s a vulnerability that felt very real as she shares it all.
A Step You Can’t Take Back – Kiera Knightley
Written by: Gregg Alexander, Danielle Brisebois, John Carney
Many thanks, once again, to the Public Library system for the loan of this book!
I’ve seen you smiling, confident, blissfully happy.
I’ve seen you broken, wounded, lost.
But I’ve never seen you like this.
You’ve taught me to look for beauty. In darkness in destruction, you always found light.
I don’t know what beauty I’ll find here, what light. But I’ll try. I’ll do it for you. Because I know you would do it for me.
There was so much beauty in our life together.
Maybe that’s where I should start.”
On the day that Lucy and Gabriel met, he was late for class, Professor Kramer’s Shakespeare seminar, and about to discuss what Brutus is saying about fate and free will in Julius Caesar when the TA walks in and announces that he was late because a plane has just hit one of the twin towers, but it was still believed to have been an accident with a prop plane. Class continues.
They emerge from the class in that blissful ignorance of the reality of the news, that both towers had collapsed, hearing the news in snippets, and no one really knew what has really happened or what to do, where to go, what to think.
So they go to Gabe’s room to check on the news, everyone still in a state of shock and disbelief.
” The world felt like it was cracking in pieces, like we’d gone through a shattered mirror into the fractured place inside, where nothing made sense, where our shields were down, our walls broken. In that place, there wasn’t any reason to say no.”
A year passes during which they don’t see each other, but when they do it’s almost as if no time has passed. The what-ifs that had been running through their minds for all that time, a year of missing that feeling of an instant connection, unable to find it in anyone else.
There’s a need, an immediacy to their love, hers and Gabe’s, born out of a recognition of the frailty of life, the knowledge that it really could be over any second so you have to grab hold of it right then, right now, and never, ever let go. Gabriel makes Lucy feel infinite. Lucy makes Gabriel feel invincible. What Lucy grabs hold of is Gabe, and the thing that Gabe grabs hold of is doing something with great magnitude, with principal, something that will share his vision with the world, so that the work he inevitably leaves behind will be invincible.
”Love does that. It makes you feel infinite and invincible, like the whole world is open to you anything is achievable, and each day will be filled with wonder.”
Gabriel is a dreamer, a dreamer with a goal to use his photography to share his vision of the world. The people in the photographs – what he sees in these moments he finds and shares, the emotion he pulls his viewer into found within the image. He wants to make a difference.
”So you find yourself at this subway
With your world in a bag by your side
And all at once it seemed like a good way
You realize it's the end of the line
For what it's worth
“Here comes the train upon the track
And there goes the pain, it cuts to black
Are you ready for the last act?
To take a step you can't take back?”
A Step You Can’t Take Back – Kiera Knightley
Written by: Gregg Alexander, Danielle Brisebois, John Carney
Lucy is a planner, not a dreamer. She wants to know the plan, be part of deciding on the plan. She most definitely does not want anyone else deciding on anything without her. She has goals, yes, but she senses the balance in everything, how her goals can’t negate the goals of others, hers are not unimportant, but she understands when others choose their own needs over hers, even when it hurts, she allows them to choose.
Lucy can’t stop wishing her marriage to Darren had as much passion and caring and equality as her relationship with Gabe had. Darren treats her like a child, a pat on the head and a “good girl” type comment to placate her, but all it does is infuriate her more. Makes her miss Gabe more, miss the life they could have had, should have had, together.
Soulmates. Fate. First Love. The ideals we build upon in our lives, based upon a once upon a time kind of love. The writing is charmingly lovely, and if you enjoy love stories, this is a very good one. Think of Jo Jo Moyes “Me Before You” or one of Joshilyn Jackson’s novels, with a sprinkling of Gae Polisner’s “The Memory of Things.” Personally, I loved the way she told this story, there’s a vulnerability that felt very real as she shares it all.
“Here comes the rain, so hold your hat
And don't pray to God, 'cause He won't talk back
Are you ready for the last act?
To take a step you can't take back, back, back?
You can't take back, back, back.
“So you find yourself at this subway
With your world in a bag by your side”
A Step You Can’t Take Back – Kiera Knightley
Written by: Gregg Alexander, Danielle Brisebois, John Carney
Many thanks, once again, to the Public Library system for the loan of this book!
April 4, 2025
I don't even know how to review this book.
It's one of the most emotionally engaging books I've read in a long time.
If you’re anything like me—a lover of love, believer in fate or a sentimental dreamer—drop everything and read this book . . . now.
I had an inkling this was going to be something special when I picked it up, but I had no idea just how hard this story would tug on my heart or how emotionally invested I would become.
This book is an astonishingly beautiful and raw look at what drives most of us—finding that one person who leaves a permanent mark on our soul and the desire to always keep them close. I believe this book will resonate with me for years to come.
This book is Love.
It's one of the most emotionally engaging books I've read in a long time.
If you’re anything like me—a lover of love, believer in fate or a sentimental dreamer—drop everything and read this book . . . now.
I had an inkling this was going to be something special when I picked it up, but I had no idea just how hard this story would tug on my heart or how emotionally invested I would become.
This book is an astonishingly beautiful and raw look at what drives most of us—finding that one person who leaves a permanent mark on our soul and the desire to always keep them close. I believe this book will resonate with me for years to come.
This book is Love.
March 3, 2018
What’s a person gotta do to get some hearts broken here?
I’ve been in search of an emotionally damaging read that tugs at my heartstrings for far too long with no luck whatsoever.
A reputable source tells me this might be it... be it.
This is what I said prior to starting this book... the depressed me who was sat staring at blank space for hours, just wasting the day away could go back and punch the yesterday me with the big mouth. 🤦♀️
I'm dead inside. I feel so fucking empty and melancholic.
I haven’t felt this depressed by a book in such a long time that I must've forgotten the sharp sting of an emotionally stirring read since I kept going on and on about "needing to read some depressing book." I knew it was going to be a hard hitting read but never did I imagine it to hit me this hard. 🤦♀️
One of my mottos in life is ’be careful what you wish for'–with good reason because I've had some wishes come true only to completely backfired on on my face- so, I’ve learned, over time, to weigh all options before I open my mouth. Evidently, all logic and common sense goes out the window the moment books enter the picture.
✨ The plot:
Plot-wise, there's really not much I can say because the blurb literally explains word for word what the book’s all about.
It's about ‘that one great love’ that spans decades since its start on September 11, 2001, a day when Lucy and Gabe met at Columbia University and nothing was the same again.
Over a course of a decade, Lucy recounts her turbulent relationship with Gabe and their whirlwind romance as young love unfolds and life (stupid life) gets in the way. Their romance gets interrupted as both want to make a difference and seek a meaning in life so he leaves to become a photo-journalist in war-torn lands and she stays in NY and becomes a children's TV producer.
✨ The narrative:
The narrative is written in the second person as a kind of one-sided conversation/monologue as lucy is addressing Gabe as ‘you’, much like the novel, YOU by Caroline Kepness.
The story flows easily across the years with a study pace that captivates the reader as Lucy evaluates her life and scrutinises over some of life's unanswered questions: Are our lives shaped by our own choices or by forces outside our control? Are first loves forever? And is it worth risking stability and comfort for a love that is unpredictable and explosive? This is a devastating novel about decisions made, roads not taken, opportunities created and lost and ultimately about love and loss.
The heartbreak is real, guys. It is real and it is savage.
November 26, 2019
"There's something about death that makes people want to live."
Book one for the Booktubeathon is complete! And I fucking loved it. I cried so much at the end of this book holy shit I was unprepared. This is a romance novel that spans decades and it follows the characters Lucy and Gabe. This story is told in this very interesting second person, and it's from Lucy's POV as she tells her story to Gabe from her perspective. And it almost reads like literary fiction because of the way it spans decades and it's written so gorgeously and aklsjdlkasjda. I loved it so much. I read this book to complete the Booktubeathon challenge of 'reading a book about something you want to do' and I have always wanted to live in New York, and this book not only takes place in New York, but the dedication literally says: "For New York."
“Some relationships feel like a wildfire-they're powerful and compelling and majestic and dangerous and have the capability to burn you before you even realize you've been consumed.....some relationships feel like a hearth fire-they're solid and stable and cozy and nourishing.”
This book reminded me a lot of One True Loves by Taylor Jenkins Reid and Before We Were Strangers by Renee Carlino (two of my favorites!) The love triangle situation between Lucy and Gabe and Darren was totally reminding me of One True Loves and it's been a while since I've read a really good love triangle where I root for both sides. Also, the ending of this book made me the most emotional a book has made me in a LONG TIME. I was bitch crying, literally. You can see it in my vlog. I was a hot mess at the end of this book and I'll never forget about these characters. I think I was especially emotionally invested in this story because it involves 9/11 2001, and that was a brutal day in America and these characters have their first kiss on 9/11 and that day is always seared into their minds for more reasons than one, and it was just really powerful and emotional for me.
I just loved it so much more than I was expecting to. I highlighted a million passages because this author writes so beautifully and I wanted to remember all of it.
This book completes the Booktubeathon challenges for 'let a coin toss decide your first read' and 'read a book about something you want to do' because it takes place in New York and I want to live in New York'
Book one for the Booktubeathon is complete! And I fucking loved it. I cried so much at the end of this book holy shit I was unprepared. This is a romance novel that spans decades and it follows the characters Lucy and Gabe. This story is told in this very interesting second person, and it's from Lucy's POV as she tells her story to Gabe from her perspective. And it almost reads like literary fiction because of the way it spans decades and it's written so gorgeously and aklsjdlkasjda. I loved it so much. I read this book to complete the Booktubeathon challenge of 'reading a book about something you want to do' and I have always wanted to live in New York, and this book not only takes place in New York, but the dedication literally says: "For New York."
“Some relationships feel like a wildfire-they're powerful and compelling and majestic and dangerous and have the capability to burn you before you even realize you've been consumed.....some relationships feel like a hearth fire-they're solid and stable and cozy and nourishing.”
This book reminded me a lot of One True Loves by Taylor Jenkins Reid and Before We Were Strangers by Renee Carlino (two of my favorites!) The love triangle situation between Lucy and Gabe and Darren was totally reminding me of One True Loves and it's been a while since I've read a really good love triangle where I root for both sides. Also, the ending of this book made me the most emotional a book has made me in a LONG TIME. I was bitch crying, literally. You can see it in my vlog. I was a hot mess at the end of this book and I'll never forget about these characters. I think I was especially emotionally invested in this story because it involves 9/11 2001, and that was a brutal day in America and these characters have their first kiss on 9/11 and that day is always seared into their minds for more reasons than one, and it was just really powerful and emotional for me.
I just loved it so much more than I was expecting to. I highlighted a million passages because this author writes so beautifully and I wanted to remember all of it.
This book completes the Booktubeathon challenges for 'let a coin toss decide your first read' and 'read a book about something you want to do' because it takes place in New York and I want to live in New York'
December 4, 2018
“There are people we come across during our lives who, after they drift out of our worlds, drift out for good. Even if we see them again, it’s a quick, meaningless hi and how are you? There are other people, though, with whom things pick up right where the relationship left off, whenever we run into them. The level of comfort—it feels like no time has passed.”
I read this book 3 days ago and I'm still feeling the heartache. :'(
This book is one of my top 5 books in 2018, so I highly recommend it to you. <3
Ps.
I want to thank my dearest friend Amber for recommending this book to me. <3
Amber, I'll never forget this story. I cried really, really bad while I was reading this book but it was totally worth it. <3 Thank you very much for sharing it with me. :)
Please read her amazing review with this link. ;)
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
“Gabriel,” I said between breaths, “you make me feel infinite.” You bent your head down and kissed me hard. “You make me feel invincible,” you whispered.
Love does that. It makes you feel infinite and invincible, like the whole world is open to you, anything is achievable, and each day will be filled with wonder. Maybe it’s the act of opening yourself up, letting someone else in—or maybe it’s the act of caring so deeply about another person that it expands your heart. I’ve heard so many people say some version of I never knew how much I could love another human being until . . . And after the until is usually something like my niece was born or I gave birth to a child or I adopted a baby. I never knew how much I could love another human being until I met you, Gabe. I’ll never forget that.
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Full review to come later because I'm a fucking mess right now.... 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭
I read this book 3 days ago and I'm still feeling the heartache. :'(
This book is one of my top 5 books in 2018, so I highly recommend it to you. <3
Ps.
I want to thank my dearest friend Amber for recommending this book to me. <3
Amber, I'll never forget this story. I cried really, really bad while I was reading this book but it was totally worth it. <3 Thank you very much for sharing it with me. :)
Please read her amazing review with this link. ;)
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
“Gabriel,” I said between breaths, “you make me feel infinite.” You bent your head down and kissed me hard. “You make me feel invincible,” you whispered.
Love does that. It makes you feel infinite and invincible, like the whole world is open to you, anything is achievable, and each day will be filled with wonder. Maybe it’s the act of opening yourself up, letting someone else in—or maybe it’s the act of caring so deeply about another person that it expands your heart. I’ve heard so many people say some version of I never knew how much I could love another human being until . . . And after the until is usually something like my niece was born or I gave birth to a child or I adopted a baby. I never knew how much I could love another human being until I met you, Gabe. I’ll never forget that.
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Full review to come later because I'm a fucking mess right now.... 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭
October 18, 2021
Another book to add to the "books that have made me cry" shelf! Wow. The Light We Lost is heartbreaking. The writing is so vulnerable and beautiful and pleading. The ending has me asking so many questions; I'm dying to know what happens next. The book holds so many poignant anecdotes about time, fate, and the gravity of the choices we make. The themes remind me of books like One Day in December, , and The Midnight Library, so if you enjoyed any of those, give The Light We Lost a try, but make sure you have tissues nearby.
January 22, 2022
4.5 stars
“The thing about roads is sometimes you happen upon them again. Sometimes you get another chance to travel down the same path.”
The Light We Lost is about Lucy, a young woman in college who meets a man that will change her life forever. Right from the moment she met Gabe, they had an instant connection. But their story was always one of right place wrong time. After falling in love, Gabe leaves Lucy to pursue a career in photojournalism and Lucy remains in New York City to work in television. Throughout the years they keep in touch, always keeping that connection to one another.
“We only reveal our true selves to the people we care about most.”
Okay, confession. I fully expected to hate this book when I picked it up and the complete opposite happened. I really enjoyed this one. Santopolo’s writing style sucks you into the story and the setting and you stay there even after the book is finished. Despite having somewhat predicted the end, I still was emotionally overwhelmed and was impressed that even being prepared the end of this book hit me hard. Do I like all the characters in this book? No. Honestly, I don’t like any of them. But I love their story and that’s what made this book work.
“Sometimes we make decisions that seem right at the time, but later, looking back, were clearly a mistake. Some decisions are right even in hindsight.”
“The thing about roads is sometimes you happen upon them again. Sometimes you get another chance to travel down the same path.”
The Light We Lost is about Lucy, a young woman in college who meets a man that will change her life forever. Right from the moment she met Gabe, they had an instant connection. But their story was always one of right place wrong time. After falling in love, Gabe leaves Lucy to pursue a career in photojournalism and Lucy remains in New York City to work in television. Throughout the years they keep in touch, always keeping that connection to one another.
“We only reveal our true selves to the people we care about most.”
Okay, confession. I fully expected to hate this book when I picked it up and the complete opposite happened. I really enjoyed this one. Santopolo’s writing style sucks you into the story and the setting and you stay there even after the book is finished. Despite having somewhat predicted the end, I still was emotionally overwhelmed and was impressed that even being prepared the end of this book hit me hard. Do I like all the characters in this book? No. Honestly, I don’t like any of them. But I love their story and that’s what made this book work.
“Sometimes we make decisions that seem right at the time, but later, looking back, were clearly a mistake. Some decisions are right even in hindsight.”
December 5, 2017
Gabe and Lucy are both terrible people. If their love was so damn epic, they should have stayed together and destroyed each other instead of all the people around them. Yuck.
July 3, 2017
The 2 most selfish a@?holes in all of literary (this term is as loose as a poetic license will allow) history. What an absolutely ridiculous book. These 2 characters are so insanely ridiculous, childish, immature and selfish it's difficult to take even one sentence in this book seriously. I'm baffled as to who could ever give this book more than 2 stars. I listened to the audio of this book and even the narrator sounded like a childish millennial imbecile which was actually a perfect match with the main character. Total fail.
March 22, 2025
“A woman filled with light makes everything she touches brighter.”
― Jill Santopolo, The Light We Lost
Lucy and Gabe were idealistic seniors at Columbia University when they first met on 9/11/2001. As they watched the Twin Towers tragedy unfold, they agreed they wanted their lives to have meaning and matter. A year later, they met again, and that's when the magic happened. They felt like soulmates...
Then Gabe becomes a photojournalist assigned to the Middle East...
And Lucy became a writer and producer for children's television and stayed in New York...
The Light We Lost is Lucy and Gabe's love story told to the reader through Lucy's first-person narrative. She has decisions to make, and before she moves forward, she wants to share their thirteen-year journey of emotional ups and downs, together and apart, one little piece at a time.
Santopolo's writing style is simple; the chapters are short, and the pages turn quickly. I rarely enjoy romance novels, as most appear superficial and juvenile. This one seemed different in some ways, and I did love it, but I am still torn about several unmentionable niggles, (sorry, no spoilers!), including the fact that this is a love story, and I didn't cry, not even once!
4⭐
Lucy and Gabe were idealistic seniors at Columbia University when they first met on 9/11/2001. As they watched the Twin Towers tragedy unfold, they agreed they wanted their lives to have meaning and matter. A year later, they met again, and that's when the magic happened. They felt like soulmates...
Then Gabe becomes a photojournalist assigned to the Middle East...
And Lucy became a writer and producer for children's television and stayed in New York...
The Light We Lost is Lucy and Gabe's love story told to the reader through Lucy's first-person narrative. She has decisions to make, and before she moves forward, she wants to share their thirteen-year journey of emotional ups and downs, together and apart, one little piece at a time.
Santopolo's writing style is simple; the chapters are short, and the pages turn quickly. I rarely enjoy romance novels, as most appear superficial and juvenile. This one seemed different in some ways, and I did love it, but I am still torn about several unmentionable niggles, (sorry, no spoilers!), including the fact that this is a love story, and I didn't cry, not even once!
4⭐
January 27, 2022
3.25 stars
If I could sum up this review in one line it would be: I loved the writing but not the characters. I don’t want to spoil it, but I didn’t find it terribly romantic and I was so frustrated with so many of the choices our heroine specifically made. I truly did enjoy the writing style and the author narrates her own audiobook which is so cool, her voice was great. I would try her again, this just wasn’t the book for me.
If I could sum up this review in one line it would be: I loved the writing but not the characters. I don’t want to spoil it, but I didn’t find it terribly romantic and I was so frustrated with so many of the choices our heroine specifically made. I truly did enjoy the writing style and the author narrates her own audiobook which is so cool, her voice was great. I would try her again, this just wasn’t the book for me.
Audio book source: Libby
Story Rating: 3.25 stars
Narrators: Jill Santopolo
Narration Rating: 4.5 stars
Genre: Contemporary
Length: 7h 16m
June 21, 2017
This was hard to put down, I loved it!
July 17, 2017
"What makes a life well spent?"
I first heard about The Light We Lost through The Skimm and knew immediately that I wanted to read it, so I chose it for my book club's July read (Sidenote: Most of us really enjoyed it). Then, I saw reviews mentioning the book was a cross between One Day and Me Before You and thought "oh no" but also "oh yes" - 2 books that I really enjoyed but have tragic elements. As I read this book, I braced myself for the inevitable tragedy that I predicted to occur.
The Light We Lost was outstanding. I loved this book. Lucy and Gabe met in college on September 11, 2001 and the day changes their lives, as it did for many, particularly because they are in New York.
"There are so many moments that change a person's world. Some are because of a decision that's made. Others, I think might be because of the universe, fate, God, a higher power, whatever you want to call it. I don't know. I've been wrestling with this question for 13 years now."
Lucy and Gabe's story captured many true feelings we often experience in our relationships. Timing is everything. I enjoyed and appreciated the realistic elements and the realistic progression of events - picking up where you left off, drifting apart, trying to move on, being drawn back in - directly or indirectly, etc.
This book is one that struck a chord with me, in a good way and one that will stick with me for a long time. I would highly recommend it.
"Thank you for filling a dark day with light."
I first heard about The Light We Lost through The Skimm and knew immediately that I wanted to read it, so I chose it for my book club's July read (Sidenote: Most of us really enjoyed it). Then, I saw reviews mentioning the book was a cross between One Day and Me Before You and thought "oh no" but also "oh yes" - 2 books that I really enjoyed but have tragic elements. As I read this book, I braced myself for the inevitable tragedy that I predicted to occur.
The Light We Lost was outstanding. I loved this book. Lucy and Gabe met in college on September 11, 2001 and the day changes their lives, as it did for many, particularly because they are in New York.
"There are so many moments that change a person's world. Some are because of a decision that's made. Others, I think might be because of the universe, fate, God, a higher power, whatever you want to call it. I don't know. I've been wrestling with this question for 13 years now."
Lucy and Gabe's story captured many true feelings we often experience in our relationships. Timing is everything. I enjoyed and appreciated the realistic elements and the realistic progression of events - picking up where you left off, drifting apart, trying to move on, being drawn back in - directly or indirectly, etc.
This book is one that struck a chord with me, in a good way and one that will stick with me for a long time. I would highly recommend it.
"Thank you for filling a dark day with light."
April 16, 2025
4.5⭐️ The moment Lucy and Gabe meet as seniors at Columbia, on September 11, 2001, they knew their lives would never be the same. For both, the tragedy is eye-opening as each sees it as a push to do something impactful with their lives. When they are reunited a year later, it seems as though it is finally their time to be together. But when Gabe is offered a photojournalism assignment in the Middle East, he feels he must take it, even if it means leaving Lucy behind.
My original review of this book is one sentence long: This felt infinitely sad. Now, several weeks later, I am struggling to find the words for this review. This book is indeed infinitely sad. Told in letter format as Lucy recounts the moment she first met Gabe, through the early days of their relationship and breakup, and all the years that followed, this is a heartbreaking tale of star-crossed lovers who never seem to be able to connect as their lives and careers are continuously pulling them in opposite directions. And yet, the overarching story of the ultimate love that transcends the moments together, and the desire to find your true calling in life, is incredibly powerful, and what will make this story memorable for me long after I have forgotten the small details.
As someone who drove past the Twin Towers the night before they fell, and knew people lost in the tragedy, I struggle when Sept. 11 is added into books as a prop (The Lies that Bind is a case in point), and my antenna goes up as soon as the story hints we are headed in that direction. And yet, as it turns out, I did not need to be concerned with The Light We Lost. Jill Santopolo honors the tragedy by showing just how much it impacted those around it. For one of our MCs, Gabe, it led to the desire to use his camera to tell the stories of the victims of war.
I am looking forward to reading the follow-up story, The Love We Found, but have a sneaking suspicion it will rebreak my heart into a million pieces. Then again, that’s one of the reasons we love stories like these.
Read if you like:
▪️women’s fiction
▪️books told through letters
▪️emotional romance
▪️star-crossed lovers
📌 Book 2 is out now!
My original review of this book is one sentence long: This felt infinitely sad. Now, several weeks later, I am struggling to find the words for this review. This book is indeed infinitely sad. Told in letter format as Lucy recounts the moment she first met Gabe, through the early days of their relationship and breakup, and all the years that followed, this is a heartbreaking tale of star-crossed lovers who never seem to be able to connect as their lives and careers are continuously pulling them in opposite directions. And yet, the overarching story of the ultimate love that transcends the moments together, and the desire to find your true calling in life, is incredibly powerful, and what will make this story memorable for me long after I have forgotten the small details.
As someone who drove past the Twin Towers the night before they fell, and knew people lost in the tragedy, I struggle when Sept. 11 is added into books as a prop (The Lies that Bind is a case in point), and my antenna goes up as soon as the story hints we are headed in that direction. And yet, as it turns out, I did not need to be concerned with The Light We Lost. Jill Santopolo honors the tragedy by showing just how much it impacted those around it. For one of our MCs, Gabe, it led to the desire to use his camera to tell the stories of the victims of war.
I am looking forward to reading the follow-up story, The Love We Found, but have a sneaking suspicion it will rebreak my heart into a million pieces. Then again, that’s one of the reasons we love stories like these.
Read if you like:
▪️women’s fiction
▪️books told through letters
▪️emotional romance
▪️star-crossed lovers
📌 Book 2 is out now!
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