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booksanddragons's review against another edition
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
yesrachishere's review against another edition
2.0
Lucille Bennett is now taking care of herself and her little sister Wren since their mom left. She's forced to get a job to pay the bills while still attending high school and taking her sister to and from school and trying to find someone to babysit while she works. Her best friend Eden helps out but when she shuts Lucille out, Digby, Eden's brother, and Lucille's crush, steps in and offers her help. Even though he has a girlfriend, Lucille can't help but think that he might like her as well. She tries to make things work without parents and without anyone finding out so her and Wren won't be separated and put into foster care.
This Raging Light started out really good. As I was reading, I wondered why there were so many negative reviews because I was enjoying it. But when I got about halfway through and until the end, I understood. I think Lucille is a very brave girl and due to how her life is going, I expected her to spiral and have breakdowns. But she held up so well! I was proud of her for taking care of her sister. But she makes some bad decisions. Starting with Digby. Digby has had the same girlfriend since forever and Lucille knows this. In fact, she mentions it to him quite a bit but neither one of them seems to care. They are both in the wrong and I don't like the relationship between the two of them. Therefore, I didn't like the romance in this book.
Let's talk about Eden, Lucille's best friend. Lucille yells at Eden and Digby one night telling them to get out of her house and Eden doesn't talk to her for a while. I didn't really understand because we are given no explanation until later on. I think Eden could have been a better friend to Lucille, due to what she was going through.
I kind of wish we had more closure on where Lucille's mom is and if she's going to come back or not. And what's going to happen with their dad? I probably won't pick up the companion novel, But Then I Came Back, unless someone tells me that it's better than this one.
This Raging Light started out really good. As I was reading, I wondered why there were so many negative reviews because I was enjoying it. But when I got about halfway through and until the end, I understood. I think Lucille is a very brave girl and due to how her life is going, I expected her to spiral and have breakdowns. But she held up so well! I was proud of her for taking care of her sister. But she makes some bad decisions. Starting with Digby. Digby has had the same girlfriend since forever and Lucille knows this. In fact, she mentions it to him quite a bit but neither one of them seems to care. They are both in the wrong and I don't like the relationship between the two of them. Therefore, I didn't like the romance in this book.
Let's talk about Eden, Lucille's best friend. Lucille yells at Eden and Digby one night telling them to get out of her house and Eden doesn't talk to her for a while. I didn't really understand because we are given no explanation until later on. I think Eden could have been a better friend to Lucille, due to what she was going through.
I kind of wish we had more closure on where Lucille's mom is and if she's going to come back or not. And what's going to happen with their dad? I probably won't pick up the companion novel, But Then I Came Back, unless someone tells me that it's better than this one.
paperluster's review against another edition
2.0
I chose this book on recommendation from my local bookstore. I was told it was extremely popular and that they had ordered thousands of copies in. I hadn't heard of the book but I loved the cover, so I figured why not.
The only word I can use to describe this read is RANDOM. I was hoping this would be a nice quick/light read, in between series. This was a quick read but it was anything but light. This review is going to be a jumbled mess, because that is how I feel after reading.
Where do I begin...
The main character is Lucille and she has been through a world of pain in her short life. Her Father is in jail for a crime he committed against her Mother, her Mother has fled and left her two daughters to fend for themselves, there isn't enough money or food and Lucille has to get a job to support her and her 9-year old sister, all while keeping this giant mess a secret. Lucille fears if others find out her and her sister will be separated and placed into foster care. She initially believes her Mother will be back but as time goes on she starts to realise her life and responsibilities are changing rapidly.
It is so wrong for the girls to be left on their own, but I was sincerely rooting for them to succeed. I didn't want the Mother to come back. She has burnt her bridge, silly selfish woman. This book was just so frustrating. Eden is a terrible best friend, Digby is terrible love interest, the strange person/people who were breaking in to commit acts of kindness was treated as way less creepy than they were and Lucille worked ridiculous hours and dressed beyond her years to try stay afloat. Lucille was a mess - Obviously with good reason - but who wants to read about that. Not me!
The book just ended so abruptly, that I literally exclaimed 'What the hell' out loud after reading. I mean was anything resolved? What happens next? Surely that can't be how the story ends?
Overall I wouldn't recommend this book...to anyone.
Loves:
- I really enjoyed that each chapter was a day
- Some chapters took huge leaps. Day 28 to 49 was a huge leap
- I liked the little sister, she was funny
Dislikes:
- I like the cover but I do not understand the cover choice, the colours or any of the meaning behind the choices.
- Why is the book called 'This Raging Life'
- The characters have the most Random names
- The ending...or lack there of
- Eden has got to be the worst best friend. I understand the logic of siding with your twin and worrying about his happiness, but what best friend doesn't want their bestie to legally become their sister?!
- Way too much was going on. The novel was way to short to have that much drama!
- I didn't like Digby. I really wanted to, he was weird, the dialogue between him and Lucille was cringe worthy and lets not forget he cheats on his long term girlfriend repeatedly.
- Too predictable
- I thought it was going to be an 'All The Bright Places' change my life and give me all the feels kinda book - NOPE
“Music carries the weight of being human, takes it away so you don't have to think at all, you just have to listen. Music tells every story there is.”
The only word I can use to describe this read is RANDOM. I was hoping this would be a nice quick/light read, in between series. This was a quick read but it was anything but light. This review is going to be a jumbled mess, because that is how I feel after reading.
Where do I begin...
The main character is Lucille and she has been through a world of pain in her short life. Her Father is in jail for a crime he committed against her Mother, her Mother has fled and left her two daughters to fend for themselves, there isn't enough money or food and Lucille has to get a job to support her and her 9-year old sister, all while keeping this giant mess a secret. Lucille fears if others find out her and her sister will be separated and placed into foster care. She initially believes her Mother will be back but as time goes on she starts to realise her life and responsibilities are changing rapidly.
It is so wrong for the girls to be left on their own, but I was sincerely rooting for them to succeed. I didn't want the Mother to come back. She has burnt her bridge, silly selfish woman. This book was just so frustrating. Eden is a terrible best friend, Digby is terrible love interest, the strange person/people who were breaking in to commit acts of kindness was treated as way less creepy than they were and Lucille worked ridiculous hours and dressed beyond her years to try stay afloat. Lucille was a mess - Obviously with good reason - but who wants to read about that. Not me!
The book just ended so abruptly, that I literally exclaimed 'What the hell' out loud after reading. I mean was anything resolved? What happens next? Surely that can't be how the story ends?
Overall I wouldn't recommend this book...to anyone.
Loves:
- I really enjoyed that each chapter was a day
- Some chapters took huge leaps. Day 28 to 49 was a huge leap
- I liked the little sister, she was funny
Dislikes:
- I like the cover but I do not understand the cover choice, the colours or any of the meaning behind the choices.
- Why is the book called 'This Raging Life'
- The characters have the most Random names
- The ending...or lack there of
- Eden has got to be the worst best friend. I understand the logic of siding with your twin and worrying about his happiness, but what best friend doesn't want their bestie to legally become their sister?!
- Way too much was going on. The novel was way to short to have that much drama!
- I didn't like Digby. I really wanted to, he was weird, the dialogue between him and Lucille was cringe worthy and lets not forget he cheats on his long term girlfriend repeatedly.
- Too predictable
- I thought it was going to be an 'All The Bright Places' change my life and give me all the feels kinda book - NOPE
“Music carries the weight of being human, takes it away so you don't have to think at all, you just have to listen. Music tells every story there is.”
javalenciaph's review against another edition
5.0
Read the full review on Bookaholics Not-So-Anonymous.
Note: This ARC was provided by HMH Books for Young Readers in exchange for an honest review.
This Raging Light is a coming-of-age debut novel from author Estelle Laure and is about an incoming senior named Lucille Bennett who suddenly finds herself the caregiver of her young sister, nine-year-old Wren, when both her parents check out from their family and the life they've led for nearly two decades together. Since she's nine months away from becoming an adult, Lucille can't really afford to ask for help from the adults around her, fearful that both she and Wren will be taken into foster care. Life as she knew it ended with her father losing his group on his sanity for a brief period and not being ready to return to their family and her mother walking out on them soon after. Lucille's story is one that may be considered angsty but then it's difficult to blame her for acting out at times because, let's not forget: she's seventeen.
There's a bit of a love story that goes on between Lucille and her best friend's twin brother, Digby Jones, but the focus is mostly on Lucille's struggles and having no other choice but to seemingly grow up overnight. The thing is, that growing up process, wherein she has to be the mature near-adult, is a continuous one and her frustrations are perfectly understandable. It's easy for us to say that if she were really responsible, she should have asked for help from an adult or an authority figure, but then this was about family and the choices she had before her were not simple ones because they all carried risks. The romance with Digby was at times sweet and at times suspect, because Digby being in a long-term relationship with someone else was indeed a big deal, but I think it was handled as realistically as possible.
I liked Lucille and felt that she was a seventeen-year-old who made the choices that she felt were best at the time because these were the ones that worked for her. There were a couple of unexpected things that happened in the story, but they helped in giving this debut novel a different creative flavor. I'm sure some readers felt the ending was one that left the story unfinished, but I'd prefer to see it as hopeful. It also felt more of a transition than an ending, because that's how Lucille's life was at that point--one that was in constant transition, and one that she chose to look at with more positiveness than she thought possible. She learned a great deal and she evolved, learning that she's capable of taking on more than she expected and that help, even when not asked for, is freely given by those who care. 4.5 stars for This Raging Light. ♥
Note: This ARC was provided by HMH Books for Young Readers in exchange for an honest review.
This Raging Light is a coming-of-age debut novel from author Estelle Laure and is about an incoming senior named Lucille Bennett who suddenly finds herself the caregiver of her young sister, nine-year-old Wren, when both her parents check out from their family and the life they've led for nearly two decades together. Since she's nine months away from becoming an adult, Lucille can't really afford to ask for help from the adults around her, fearful that both she and Wren will be taken into foster care. Life as she knew it ended with her father losing his group on his sanity for a brief period and not being ready to return to their family and her mother walking out on them soon after. Lucille's story is one that may be considered angsty but then it's difficult to blame her for acting out at times because, let's not forget: she's seventeen.
There's a bit of a love story that goes on between Lucille and her best friend's twin brother, Digby Jones, but the focus is mostly on Lucille's struggles and having no other choice but to seemingly grow up overnight. The thing is, that growing up process, wherein she has to be the mature near-adult, is a continuous one and her frustrations are perfectly understandable. It's easy for us to say that if she were really responsible, she should have asked for help from an adult or an authority figure, but then this was about family and the choices she had before her were not simple ones because they all carried risks. The romance with Digby was at times sweet and at times suspect, because Digby being in a long-term relationship with someone else was indeed a big deal, but I think it was handled as realistically as possible.
I liked Lucille and felt that she was a seventeen-year-old who made the choices that she felt were best at the time because these were the ones that worked for her. There were a couple of unexpected things that happened in the story, but they helped in giving this debut novel a different creative flavor. I'm sure some readers felt the ending was one that left the story unfinished, but I'd prefer to see it as hopeful. It also felt more of a transition than an ending, because that's how Lucille's life was at that point--one that was in constant transition, and one that she chose to look at with more positiveness than she thought possible. She learned a great deal and she evolved, learning that she's capable of taking on more than she expected and that help, even when not asked for, is freely given by those who care. 4.5 stars for This Raging Light. ♥
justinereads's review against another edition
5.0
Holy shit.
Just read this in about 4 hours.
4 hours of crying.
Some of it happy tears.
Strength and true friendship will prevail.
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
Just read this in about 4 hours.
4 hours of crying.
Some of it happy tears.
Strength and true friendship will prevail.
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
bluebeereads's review against another edition
2.0
Istyria book blog ~ A World of Enchanted Books
This seems one of those book where people either seem to love it or (strongly) dislike/hate it. Unfortunately I belong to the latter. While the writing isn't bad and the story itself had a lot of potential, ultimately I was very disappointed.
This Raging Light is about Lucille. Her life is a mess after her dad went crazy and her mom left town. She has to pay the bills and look after her little sister. But as usual in these stories, a boy messes everything up. Lucille falls for her best friend's brother Digby.
Look, this is not the most original story out there. I've seen it before and, unfortunately, I've seen it done better too. But it had potential. If executed great, even an unoriginal story can be amazing. And while the writing is great, the rest isn't. There are too many plot lines for a novel of this size. My ARC copy is only 149 pages, which is very short. By the end of the book, a lot of those plot lines were left unresolved. That's something I really don't like.
Next to that I also have a lot of problems with the characters. Our main character, Lucille, is really very dramatic and quite ungrateful at times. She was annoying. Most of the other characters had very little personality to be honest. Eden was a horrible friend, but then again, Lucille wasn't a good friend either. Digby... Well... considering he has a long-term girlfriend all throughout the book, he's an ass. He's cheating on both girls the whole time. And I didn't like him, even without the cheating. The romance was so weird! Some call it cheesy, but honestly, it was just weird to me.
This Raging Light is too short and has way too much going on. There was potential, but it just fell flat for me. Then again, I've seen quite a few people giving it more than 4 stars, so you might love it. Who knows?
This seems one of those book where people either seem to love it or (strongly) dislike/hate it. Unfortunately I belong to the latter. While the writing isn't bad and the story itself had a lot of potential, ultimately I was very disappointed.
This Raging Light is about Lucille. Her life is a mess after her dad went crazy and her mom left town. She has to pay the bills and look after her little sister. But as usual in these stories, a boy messes everything up. Lucille falls for her best friend's brother Digby.
Look, this is not the most original story out there. I've seen it before and, unfortunately, I've seen it done better too. But it had potential. If executed great, even an unoriginal story can be amazing. And while the writing is great, the rest isn't. There are too many plot lines for a novel of this size. My ARC copy is only 149 pages, which is very short. By the end of the book, a lot of those plot lines were left unresolved. That's something I really don't like.
Next to that I also have a lot of problems with the characters. Our main character, Lucille, is really very dramatic and quite ungrateful at times. She was annoying. Most of the other characters had very little personality to be honest. Eden was a horrible friend, but then again, Lucille wasn't a good friend either. Digby... Well... considering he has a long-term girlfriend all throughout the book, he's an ass. He's cheating on both girls the whole time. And I didn't like him, even without the cheating. The romance was so weird! Some call it cheesy, but honestly, it was just weird to me.
This Raging Light is too short and has way too much going on. There was potential, but it just fell flat for me. Then again, I've seen quite a few people giving it more than 4 stars, so you might love it. Who knows?
princetongirly818's review against another edition
4.0
Coca Cola, went to town
Diet Pepsi shot him down
Doctor pepper fixed him up
Now we're drinking 7 up
:D
Diet Pepsi shot him down
Doctor pepper fixed him up
Now we're drinking 7 up
:D
maria_sanb's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.0