All the Little Lights

Whoa!! I couldn't put down this story once I started reading it. But what really shocked me was the ending. I definitely recommend reading this book! Catherine Calhoun was born in a town where people hated her mother's family. Her grandparents were very wealthy owning half of the town, then after losing everything they were hated. She meets Elliot Youngblood, her neighbor's nephew the summer of the year she was 15 years old. In truth he's been coming to visit for years, but he never had the nerve to introduce himself to her. Elliott's father is an abusive alcoholic and he spends summers at his aunts to avoid the fighting at home. That summer they are inseparable. He keeps her away from her house and her parents fighting until dark every night. The day before he's supposed to leave his mother shows up early when Catherine's father is found on the floor dead of a heart attack. Elliott has no choice but to leave without saying goodbye to her. Two years later, Elliot moves to Oak Creek to be with Catherine and to finish his senior year of high school. He knows it will take time for her to forgive him for leaving, but he's not giving up. Catherine has a secret she's keeping from everyone in town, no one can come inside her home anymore. He mother is mentally unstable and ill. Catherine went from a child to the caretaker fast, but no one can really know how bad it is. But when Elliott is accused of a terrible crime, Catherine will do anything to save him. Including turning her back on her mother. An amazing story! A must read!!

This was a very different Jamie McGuire! I'll try to keep it spoiler free. Is it a love story? Yes, but the underlying plot is so strong, I hardly noticed the romance. And that wasn't a bad thing. It's about Catherine, stuck in an old family home her mother turns into a bed and breakfast after her father dies. There is something sinister going on, but I loved that I never figured it out until it was revealed at the very end. I never even saw it coming. From the outset, Jamie sets up the disquieting vibe of the house, the Juniper. In the summer it is oppressively hot and they can't afford to turn on the air, not that it works well anyway. In the winter it is bitterly cold. There are always noises going on about the house and it is dark and old. This is nicely juxtaposed to Mrs. Mason's home--warm, inviting, light and bright. It would have gotten five stars from me except for it was too long and dragged in the middle, and there were a few inconsistencies and too many unanswered questions. Why didn't Catherine say something sooner? She's not helping her mom by keeping this awful secret. Especially after Pressly disappears. I didn't know who Duke was, but I still knew that something was off and the Juniper was the first place I would look. Catherine almost let Elliot take the rap for a crime he didn't commit. Then, he told her, "I understand why you had to keep it a secret." Uh, no. I don't buy it. Still, Ms. McGuire is a heck of a storyteller.

OMG! This was such an interesting find. I thought I was only reading a sample and kept waiting for the sample to be done to decide if I wanted to buy the book lol Jamie McGuire created an amazing story. It deals with small town bigotry, mental health issues, love, support, perseverance, and mystery. The whole time, there’s a huge mystery that keeps the story moving and can be a bit taxing on the nerves but since there’s so much going on that it doesn’t come across as a bad thing. The big reveal is such a huge shocker, I really had no idea that the story was heading that way. Elliot is such a great character. Wise beyond his years. Forced to be wise beyond his years because of the color of his skin. He’s so sure of his beliefs that no one can make him change his mind. Catherine is also forced to act beyond her age because of her family situation. The heaviness of their lives draws them together. When life gets in the way and keeps them apart, Catherine is devastated and thinks that it’s her time of most need but little did she know that her real time in need was yet to come. Their journey and the support they provide one another is such a beautiful thing to see, especially for two teenagers. They really do get through the worse of things together. Once the HUGE mystery is revealed, all that Elliot cares about is that Catherine can start to heal and finally out herself first. Absolutely loved this story. Finishing the book left me reeling. The big reveal is just that good and unexpected. And trust me, I tried to figure it out all along the way!

When two young outcasts forge a fast friendship in a small deteriorated town there relationship is tested numerous times with bullying, fighting, and secrets. Catherine was a stubborn isolated character who ostracized herself. She pushed people away including Elliot. She was harboring a secret. This was a young adult second chance friendship to loveship. I was first introduced to Jamie McGuire with the release of Beautiful Disaster. I was extremely excited to see a book unrelated to that series. I really wanted to love this book, but I only liked it. Given the outcome of this story I’m disappointed that I couldn’t love it because that ending explained so many things, yet the delivery kept me from loving it the way I should’ve. I got tired of reading about the mean girls bullying Catherine. Then the weird vibes from the Bed & Breakfast house that her mother insisted on establishing left me hanging one too many times. I felt the excuses kept piling up with Elliot’s popularity, with his nationality, with Catherine’s mother, with the classmates, and the houseguests. It all became too much. Narrators: Karissa Vacker was the female narrator who performed Catherine’s point of view. Darrell Dennis was the male narrator who performed Elliot’s point of view. This was a dual point of view audiobook meaning all scenes were read by one narrator whether the scenes were male or female characters. I enjoyed Karissa’s performance, her tone of voice suited Catherine’s character. Darrell on the other hand did a good performance, but I wasn’t envisioning Elliot’s character with his tone of voice. I preferred listening to Karissa. Overall: I felt the story was unnecessarily lengthy. I understand developing the characters and building a comfortable friendship of trust, but this went beyond the call of duty. The delivery of information was vague in some parts and I realize why after finishing. Im not understanding why Jamie made it a point to state Elliot being a Cherokee Indian. Nothing became of this other than some ignorant comments. I kept waiting for something pivotal to happen regarding his nationality as if it held some relevant importance. The delivery of this story had its ups and downs. I enjoyed the first 10% and the last 25% of this book. The rest was slow. I hate these type of books where I wish the delivery was done differently. I don’t like how the last 5% of the book does a grand finale of fireworks. Had the rest of the book matched the excitement I felt at the end I would have felt differently. It’s bitter sweet to think how this story went from worrying about being friends with a Cherokee Indian guy to him being accused of hurting a known bully. Story: Catherine was stuck in a life created by her unstable fragile mother. It’s her senior year of high school and she can’t wait to leave this town. She has responsibilities keeping her from leaving. Elliot was the bright light that gave her hope. He wanted to protect her from the life her mother demanded of her.

my favorite author!! never disappoints!

This book was a good read. It was a sweet love story of two young kids who find a connection within each other. I will say that for me the girls “secret “ that she was keeping from the one she loved was dragging on. I say that because when the secret was finally revealed I already saw it coming way early on in the book. It was a good story line and was brought out to the characters in a good way however it just dragged on for me. I will also say that the author needs to be careful in consistency because when the truth is revealed there is a lack of the whole truth if you pay close attention to previous interactions with the characters revealed throughout the book. I also feel the ending was a little rushed as in okay I need to put an end to the book now.. I feel there could have been a little more. I get that the kids are young and that’s most likely what the author was trying to portray that they moved on together faced things together starting something new together. All in all I did enjoy the book.

Going into reading All the Little Lights, I have to admit I didn't even read the blurb. As a long time fan of Jamie McGuire I knew I had to read this one. And just wow was I not disappointed at all. I love how different All the Little Lights is from her previous works. This was simply a beautiful and moving book of young love. But that is not all that it was. There is such an air of mystery that surrounds this entire story. It sucks you in like no other and leaves you to digest every detail for clues to what is going on. Which I must say I didn't see it coming but should have. SOOOOO GOOOOD. Catherine and Elliott have this connection from the very beginning. You just get this sense that Elliott wants to protect Catherine and help her anyway he can. Now with Catherine, you get this sense that of secrets and mystery that surrounds her. The love that forms between Elliott and Catherine is so beautiful. I love how their bond is so strong through everything. Families and members of the town may be against them somewhat but they don't let them win. I really don't want to give too much away. I'll just leave it with that this is a phenomenal read. I couldn't walk away from this one if I tried. This is one of those reads that needs to be one clicked like yesterday to read. So go do it.

Wow. I didn’t think anything could top the Maddox brothers but this comes pretty damn close! I adored this story ❤️ It was nothing like I thought it would be, which I love. I love being surprised, and this book certainly did that. First of all, I need to mention Elliott and how fierce his love is. Having had a disjointed childhood, he seems to have a better grasp on what/who he wants than most guys his age. His love for Catherine is unwavering and something so beautiful. I adored watching him grow throughout the story. Catherine is this complex girl who holds the world’s problems on her shoulders. Desperate to protect her mama and also her friends, she pushes everyone away until she’s left with barely anyone on her side. When something happens to rock the town at its very foundations, Catherine and Elliott find themselves stuck in the middle. She is used to be an outcast, but Elliott is branded guilty by association. His temper doesn’t exactly help his case. I won’t say any more because I don’t want to ruin it, but this book will have you on the edge of your seat, questioning everything. I didn’t see the ending coming at all. Definitely one of my top reads this year!

libro molto coinvolgente e piacevole da leggere. non scritto in inglese difficile, comprensibile a tutti quelli che hanno un b2 come livello di riferimento linguistico.

Started off as a romantic story; with strong undercurrents of mystery plot. Towards the later half, the story started becoming more mysterious and full blown thriller. I was literally putting off everything just to see the story end. Hats off for keeping the suspense till end.

This book was a surprise, a good one. I started reading waiting for a cheese love story, oh was I wrong. The love story is there but it's surrounded by a completely and well written thriller that not only surprised me by the crude portrayal of its antagonist but also by the way it deals with mental health and the importance of letting go. A must read.

Definitiv ein sehr spannendes und schönes Buch

This was really good. I didn’t read the blurb or was just recommended to me. A great combination of suspense, romance and intrigue. Closed door romance while still being sweet, I didn’t see the ending coming. (Which I love) it was a little angsty- I felt a little anxious at various times while reading as it does cover domestic violence and neglectful parents. Would recommend - don’t read the blurb just give it a go