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The Lighthouse Land (Lighthouse Trilogy #1)
The first in a new epic sci-fi series, perfect for fans of Orson Scott Card's "Ender" books or Philip Pullman's "His Dark Materials"
Introducing the first young adult novel from crime fiction writer Adrian McKinty, whose adult books have been called "unputdownable" ("Washington Post"), "exceptional" ("San Francisco Chronicle"), and "profoundly satisfying" ("Booklist").
Whe...more
Introducing the first young adult novel from crime fiction writer Adrian McKinty, whose adult books have been called "unputdownable" ("Washington Post"), "exceptional" ("San Francisco Chronicle"), and "profoundly satisfying" ("Booklist").
Whe...more
MP3 Book, 0 pages
Published
January 1st 2011
by Blackstone Audio, Inc.
(first published October 1st 2006)
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July Book #13: I like the concept of this book. A boy, Jamie, and his mother discover they are the sole heirs to a "island" off the coast of Ireland (who wouldn't want that). As they are barely scraping by in New York, this comes as a god-send. They have not been in Ireland long before Jamie and his new friend, Ramsay, discover a mysterious device in a hidden room in the top of the lighthouse on Jamie's new property. The device tranports them to another world, Altair, far out in space where Jami...more
McKinty is a wonderful storyteller and he has written something very special in this Lighthouse series. I was more familiar with his gritty, gory crime novels but Lighthouse series is completely different. I loved the vivid imagination and that the main characters are teens who have to work together, use history lessons, physics, trigonometry and other sciences to problem solve. McKinty also throws in large helpings of humor that truly made me laugh out loud. Gerald Doyle is a wonderful narrator...more
the story of a strange new land on a distant planet... strangely and immediately convenient and familiar to the strangers.
it felt shallow and i'm known to slum, gleefully, in the genre.
i really like the main character's unusual traumatised condition, as well as the elderly man he befriends early on. just the story itself didn't click or offer anything.
it wasn't dark enough to hold up to the potential of the characters, and the characters weren't deep enough to connect to. there was a moment w...more
it felt shallow and i'm known to slum, gleefully, in the genre.
i really like the main character's unusual traumatised condition, as well as the elderly man he befriends early on. just the story itself didn't click or offer anything.
it wasn't dark enough to hold up to the potential of the characters, and the characters weren't deep enough to connect to. there was a moment w...more
I did not like the first chapter, the cadence seemed very stilted and did not grab me into wanting to read the series. Also, I do not like the pop culture references because it dates a book making it obsolete in just a few short years. For example if I say, "Her clothes looked like Cindy Lauper's costumes", no one younger than about 35 would even know who the reference is about. Perhaps some feel pop culture in a book makes it accessible for young adults, but I think it cheapens the experience o...more
1 star was tempting, mainly because it's very disappointing to see an author as strong as McKinty flounder in a genre that obviously hinders him. The most engaging parts of the book were similar to the beautifully-paced horror of his previous novels, especially the gripping Dead trilogy.
First off, the revelation that the main character lost half of his left arm to bone cancer and is so depressed and disconnected with life that he refuses to speak. This is not the sort of character development yo...more
First off, the revelation that the main character lost half of his left arm to bone cancer and is so depressed and disconnected with life that he refuses to speak. This is not the sort of character development yo...more
I was expecting a different kind of turn from this book.
Not that I was fully disappointed, that is, but it lacked, in my view, that little 'wow spark'.
The plot is very interesting, and the characters are developed so well it's like they are actual living-breathing characters beside you. The only thing though is that otherthan Wishaway I had trouble visualizing all the oter characters. Jamie acted really mature for a 13 year old. That's a surprising thing to see and made me rather happy, and all...more
Not that I was fully disappointed, that is, but it lacked, in my view, that little 'wow spark'.
The plot is very interesting, and the characters are developed so well it's like they are actual living-breathing characters beside you. The only thing though is that otherthan Wishaway I had trouble visualizing all the oter characters. Jamie acted really mature for a 13 year old. That's a surprising thing to see and made me rather happy, and all...more
Very entertaining story of a an American boy traumatized by the loss of a limb to cancer. His mom inherits a lighthouse in Ireland and they decide to move right away...she will need to fill me in to how you move to another country and find a job that quickly, but that's another story.
The boy, Jamie, makes a good friend of Ramsey, an all-around good Irish boy. He's handsome, he's good at all kinds of sports, and does well in school. Actually I'd say he's above average intelligence.
I was sometime...more
The boy, Jamie, makes a good friend of Ramsey, an all-around good Irish boy. He's handsome, he's good at all kinds of sports, and does well in school. Actually I'd say he's above average intelligence.
I was sometime...more
Going into this book knowing that it is a story written from the viewpoint of a teenager, I found that it was an entertaining story. If you expect an adult approach, you might not like it as much. It was interesting to experience a location new to me - that being Port Muck, Ireland, located in the Inner Hebrides off the western coast of Scotland. I liked the "travel through a wormhole to another world" aspect of the story, too, especially since this was more fantasy than science fiction. My favo...more
What a cool concept! A story of a teen overcoming physical and psychological disability brought on by surviving cancer, new beginnings, N.Y. to Ireland, growing up, interplanetary travel, friendship, adventure, first love, ICE SHIPS... Yes, freaking cool ice ships, family, duty, morality, standing up for what is your belief no matter the herd opinion. This story tends to lean toward favoring atheism and all is answerable by science, but in more subdued tones. It's not SCREAMING that idea, but is...more
Awesome Trilogy by one of my fave writers of Vachss like hardboiled novels, this is completely different. Harry Potter made it ok for adults to read YA fiction; McKinty's tale in this and the next 2 books include the coming of age/hero archetype with a great dose of magic/technology (if sufficently advanced there's no difference, neh?) Addresses "deep issues" like biowarfare but still has some pretty violent fight sequences. The characters try to prevent bloodshed, but are valiant when necessary...more
This book reminded me so much of Angie Sage’s Septimus Heap series. Jamie, recovering from cancer, winds up inheriting an island in Ireland. Who would have imagined that the island holds a portal to another world - one that is in trouble and needs help. Jamie and his new friend Ramsey travel to Altair and attempt to reverse an attack from an enemy force.
Parts of this book seemed silly - two boys - seemingly with common sense - decide to go to a world and save it without so much as a second thoug...more
Parts of this book seemed silly - two boys - seemingly with common sense - decide to go to a world and save it without so much as a second thoug...more
This is the first book of a wonderful trilogy. It kept my attention the whole way through the series. The story follows a 15 year boy who has lost his arm due to cancer. As a result he cuts himself off from everyone by not speaking. He lives in New York City and soon finds himself in Ireland with his Mom because he inherits a house on an island that has an old light house on it. The Light house holds a wonderful secret that sends him light years away to a different world. Loved this book and it...more
I picked up this book because I've read the other McKinty novels and really liked them. Also because I couldn't quite figure out how he'd 'tone' down what seems to be his natural writing style to fit with the 'young adult' crowd. I'd say, for the most part, this book was written for anyone older than, say, fifth grade. In fact, there were more than a few times that I felt the dialogue and story telling was very elementary and almost forcedly so.
The story has some interesting sci-fi/fantasy parts...more
The story has some interesting sci-fi/fantasy parts...more
I was captivated by this book from the beginning and think it would be great for a young adult tor read. This is the first in the Lighthouse Trilogy by Adrian McKinty and would recommend all three. The story starts out with a teenage boy who looses his arm and no longer has the desire to speak because of his diagnosis with cancer. His mother soon finds out that they have inherited a small island in Ireland. What they didn't know is that her son also inherited a title and a magical lighthouse.
I had to read this because of the book jacket summary, which goes something like:
"Jamie is a poor kid who lives in Harlem, until his mother inherits a lighthouse in Ireland! They move to Ireland. Jamie then finds a secret device that transports him on an interstellar journey!" Can't pass up interstellar Irish journeys.
The book was cute, and nothing about it offended me, but nothing about it was super awesome, either. I liked that it was in Northern Ireland, and there was a little bit of local le...more
"Jamie is a poor kid who lives in Harlem, until his mother inherits a lighthouse in Ireland! They move to Ireland. Jamie then finds a secret device that transports him on an interstellar journey!" Can't pass up interstellar Irish journeys.
The book was cute, and nothing about it offended me, but nothing about it was super awesome, either. I liked that it was in Northern Ireland, and there was a little bit of local le...more
It's interesting how things that we go through affect our thinking and abilities. In this book, Jamie has to come to terms with being handicapped since the amputation of his left arm due to cancer. He decides he isn't going to speak anymore, but will that really help? When he discovers what the lighthouse next to his house really is, he is transformed into a leader and in a way a warrior. A good book about decisions, friendship and love.
I liked this book. Not as much as others, but i did like it. It had some interesting parts. Though, I felt that it left a lot to be desired. My favorite part is when they actually travel to the alien place. I like that part because it was the one part of the book I didn't have a question about. All in all, this was a pretty good book. I would recommend it to pretty much everyone.
This will be brief as I have a lot of homework and study to do.
The Lighthouse Land is an interesting book, but probably not quite in my "most epic page turners of all time" list, but very few make it anyway.
However I am still going to read the rest of the series for lack of reading material.
#I decided to read this because...
I had nothing else to do and I randomly picked it off the public library shelf.
#What I liked...
relatively good action and some interesting concepts and it painted an interest...more
The Lighthouse Land is an interesting book, but probably not quite in my "most epic page turners of all time" list, but very few make it anyway.
However I am still going to read the rest of the series for lack of reading material.
#I decided to read this because...
I had nothing else to do and I randomly picked it off the public library shelf.
#What I liked...
relatively good action and some interesting concepts and it painted an interest...more
A mute 1 armed boy moves to Ireland with his mom because they enherited an island. The lighthouse holds a secret...one that Jamie and his new friend Ramsay will unlock. A magical world beyond expected...
Different ending than most books. Interestins really. Great book, full of suspence, action, fighting, and even romance. I am not very found of romance in any story.
Different ending than most books. Interestins really. Great book, full of suspence, action, fighting, and even romance. I am not very found of romance in any story.
When I chose this book, I didn't realize what type it was. The beginning of the book was very interesting to me but I found out after a while that this book is something my 11 and 15 year old would read instead of me. The book was good overall but it lost me interest some in the middle. I think my kids would give it 5 stars though.
Wormholes are a pretty exciting thought in the science world. What if you were thrust into one, missing an arm here on Earth, but whole on the new world? Would it be worth staying? What if you found love on the new planet? Which one would be stronger as a young teen...Mom or the new person? Could you bring yourself to fight and kill people on this new planet if if would save the very people that have been awaiting your arrival?
All in all, a very fun read with lots of action and many questions a...more
All in all, a very fun read with lots of action and many questions a...more
When Jamie loses his arm to cancer his life spirals downward until his mom is bequeathed a lighthouse in Ireland. When he and his new friend explore the lighthouse they time travel to a world in which Jamie’s ancestors, the Ui Neills, have played a liberating role and Jamie is expected to follow in their footsteps.
Jamie moves to Ireland with his mom after finding out that they have inheritance from their relatives there, which is pure luck, since they're basically bankrupt. Little does he know that he will meet Ramsay, and together discover the secret of the lighthouse on the property-- a passage to the alien world.
Jan 22, 2011
Dotty
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
adventure,
fantasy-sci-fi
Jamie has a choice. Be a resident of Muck Island off the coast of Ireland with a body minus an arm and voice. Or be a resident of Aldan in the region of Altair with two arms and a voice.
I enjoyed this book. I am really glad I took the opportunity to read my way through the teenager section of my library. this is the first in a series and i am already into the 2nd one
I LOVED the beginning of this book, I loved the Harry Potter tones of beleaguered kid makes special discovery, and I was excited about the promise of the mysterious lighthouse. I mentally gave it 4+ stars as I was reading. But then we got to Altair and I just didn't love it as much. Altair felt flat to me, like a prop for the protagonist's hero journey that couldn't stand on its own. I wanted it to stand on its own, I really did, I wanted to learn more about the culture and the conflicts and I w...more
Dec 23, 2008
Temoca
rated it
2 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
added-to-school-library
I picked this book up to try and add another book to our school's library shelf. It is just okay. I liked the Irish background and setting and maybe this book is just setting up the rest of the trilogy, but I never felt like I had to turn the page.
Good for boys 11 to 14 who like fantasy & sci-fi with a little bit of history thrown in. This is suppose to be a trilogy but yet to see other books in the series.
A good book, kind of sci-fi. My favorite line from the book was "forget him, he's just another red-shirted extra making a cameo appearance in our lives."
Couldn't get past 100 pages. After starting and stopping and starting and stopping for four months, I've finally decided to call it quits.
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Adrian McKinty is an Irish novelist. He was born in Belfast, Northern Ireland in 1968 and grew up in Victoria Council Estate, Carrickfergus, County Antrim. He read law at the University of Warwick and politics and philosophy at the University of Oxford. He moved to the United States in the early 1990s, living first in Harlem, New York and from 2001 onwards Denver, Colorado where he taught high sch...more
More about Adrian McKinty...
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