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I Am Out with Lanterns
One of us is in the dark.
One of us is a bully.
One of us wants to be understood.
One of us loves a girl who loves another.
One of us remembers the past as if it just happened.
One of us believes they’ve drawn the future.
But we’re all on the same map, looking for the same thing.
Year Ten begins with a jolt for best friends and neighbours Wren and Milo. Along with Hari, Juliet, Ben and Adie, they tell a story of friendship, family, wild crushes, bitter feuds, and the power of a portrait.
As their lives interwine, images could bring them together, and tear them apart.
FROM THE AUTHOR OF THE OTHER SIDE OF SUMMER
One of us is a bully.
One of us wants to be understood.
One of us loves a girl who loves another.
One of us remembers the past as if it just happened.
One of us believes they’ve drawn the future.
But we’re all on the same map, looking for the same thing.
Year Ten begins with a jolt for best friends and neighbours Wren and Milo. Along with Hari, Juliet, Ben and Adie, they tell a story of friendship, family, wild crushes, bitter feuds, and the power of a portrait.
As their lives interwine, images could bring them together, and tear them apart.
FROM THE AUTHOR OF THE OTHER SIDE OF SUMMER
336 pages, Paperback
First published July 30, 2018
14 people are currently reading
1232 people want to read
About the author
Emily Gale
29 books97 followersEmily Gale has worked in the children’s & YA book industry for over twenty years. In London she worked as an editor for Penguin and Egmont, and later as a freelance manuscript consultant and pre-school book writer. In Melbourne she worked with the late literary agent Sheila Drummond, finding new children’s and YA authors; she has reviewed for Bookseller and Publisher, spent several happy years at independent bookshop Readings as a children’s buyer, during which time she was instrumental in establishing the Readings Children’s Book Prize, and worked in two school libraries. Emily’s writing includes novels for teenagers like Girl, Aloud, Steal My Sunshine, and I Am Out With Lanterns, as well as books for 10+ including The Other Side of Summer, Elsewhere Girls, and The Goodbye Year. Her junior fiction character is Eliza Boom, which is published all around the world.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 75 reviews
June 9, 2019
"I am out with lanterns, looking for myself"
I heard about this book at a Penguin event that Emily Gale attended and was immediately drawn in by its premise. It follows six teenagers in year ten in Melbourne, and eventually, all their stories start to intertwine. I really love multi-pov stories and this had six main characters, which is unusual for contemporary, so I was really interested in where this would go.
I don't know how to feel about this book. There were a couple of things I really liked, like specific quotes that stuck with me, and character dialogue and stuff that really made me laugh. I also thought this included SO many things I've been wanting in YA books - like schoolkids doing bad (but teenage) things, and stuff like alcohol/sex that gets sanitised in a weird way in a lot of YA. So there were a lot of things in this book I thought were done super well.
A terrible song is playing. The chorus is about a boy telling a girl he definitely loves her more than anyone else ever could. Negative. If she's that great, surely quite a lot of people are likely to love her as much as this dude.
But there were some things I didn't like. For one, this felt way too congested with main characters. Even though I was initially drawn in by the large cast, the execution didn't work for me. There is like, six or seven different points of view in this and it just felt really cluttered and unnecessary. I felt some perspectives weren't adding a lot to the story, and all the different subplots that came with each character weren't really tied together well enough. It felt like the author bit off more than she could chew, and this book would have just read better with less points of view.
The pace was also an issue for me. Bits of it were quite a slog. Again, I think this is because there were so many plot lines, the entire book got bogged down in them. Quite a few subplots didn't interest me, and the ones that did I felt weren't resolved at all. This book plodded along in the middle, just to finish really abruptly in a way that didn't leave me satisfied.
I did like how much representation there was in this, that I wasn't expecting. Milo is autistic, Wren is bisexual, Hari is queer, and there is other rep in the side characters.
I also liked the themes this dealt with, like sexual harassment, bullying, family relationships and the cost of making art! Again, I just wish some of the themes had been wrapped up better at the end, especially the one involving sexual harassment.
She looks at me, and its the first time I've seen pain in her eyes, but perhaps it's always been there. 'I guess you know I'm queer too', I decide to use the same word as Hari, but then I want to say it my own way. "I'm bi."
Overall, I did enjoy reading this book. It had so much I think we need more in YA, and I love reading Australian YA books because they're infinitely more relatable than American ones. Unfortunately, I thought the execution of this wasn't perfect. The storytelling and pace got bogged down, and the amount of POVs just made this book feel congested. However, I WOULD still recommend it for a good coming of age YA that tackles a lot of themes - it just wasn't my favourite.
July 31, 2018
I did an authenticity/sensitivity read for this book so my review is going to be a bit biased. I'm mainly leaving this review for any autistic readers who aren't sure if they want to try reading it.
I, too, tend to be extremely wary when i see that a neurotypical author has decided to include an autistic character in their book - so often, they rely on really awful stereotypes and look to psychs, parents of autistic kids and wikipedia for their research instead of asking us directly.
But when Emily told me that Milo would be one of the POV characters in the book (long before i was asked to read and give feedback), i was curious and excited. She's a very thoughtful and intelligent person and i knew she would be doing everything she could to get things right. When i did the initial read through, it was immediately obvious that she had done that. My input helped to make him who is is in the finished book but he was 99% there initially.
Reading through the finished book, i smiled when i got to Milo’s chapters because i was finally seeing an accurate portrayal of how i see the world (well, besides the ownvoices books I've read, of course! Nothing comes close to those!). I hope you feel that way, too.
I loved this book so much. I fell in love with most of the characters (Ben can go shove it though) and i kept thinking “i would love to be friends with you". Unsurprisingly, my favourite character is Milo ❤ i also love angry, passionate Wren and quiet, awkward Juliet.
I, too, tend to be extremely wary when i see that a neurotypical author has decided to include an autistic character in their book - so often, they rely on really awful stereotypes and look to psychs, parents of autistic kids and wikipedia for their research instead of asking us directly.
But when Emily told me that Milo would be one of the POV characters in the book (long before i was asked to read and give feedback), i was curious and excited. She's a very thoughtful and intelligent person and i knew she would be doing everything she could to get things right. When i did the initial read through, it was immediately obvious that she had done that. My input helped to make him who is is in the finished book but he was 99% there initially.
Reading through the finished book, i smiled when i got to Milo’s chapters because i was finally seeing an accurate portrayal of how i see the world (well, besides the ownvoices books I've read, of course! Nothing comes close to those!). I hope you feel that way, too.
I loved this book so much. I fell in love with most of the characters (Ben can go shove it though) and i kept thinking “i would love to be friends with you". Unsurprisingly, my favourite character is Milo ❤ i also love angry, passionate Wren and quiet, awkward Juliet.
November 25, 2018
I've been nourishing myself with little chunks of this every night for months (partly because I wanted to keep it going, partly because I'm struggling with recreational reading for more than ten minutes at the moment)
But honestly - Emily Gale's 'I Am Out With Lanterns' is one of the best YA books of 2018. Hands down. Even that title is *chef's kiss*
Considering that this is a loose sequel to her 2016 book 'The Other Side of Summer' (which I also thought was bloody wonderful) it's pretty spectacular that Emily manages to raise the bar yet again with her eloquence and understanding of young people navigating grief, friendship, heartache, and adventure.
Read this book. Buy it for someone you love. I promise, it's a keeper!
But honestly - Emily Gale's 'I Am Out With Lanterns' is one of the best YA books of 2018. Hands down. Even that title is *chef's kiss*
Considering that this is a loose sequel to her 2016 book 'The Other Side of Summer' (which I also thought was bloody wonderful) it's pretty spectacular that Emily manages to raise the bar yet again with her eloquence and understanding of young people navigating grief, friendship, heartache, and adventure.
Read this book. Buy it for someone you love. I promise, it's a keeper!
July 25, 2019
Provided by the State Library Victoria as part of the Inky Awards.
The blurb doesn’t say much, not really. It doesn’t give names, what the book is about, the setting nothing. The title doesn’t say much either, and right at the start on the first page has the title of the book in a quote from Emily Dickinson. As such, I did leave this book towards the end of my(second half) of the books that I read for the Inky Awards, and I did approach it very hesitantly, given that I had no clue of what it was about. Never fear, and despite my reluctance to get into it, I did enjoy reading it.
This book is mainly focused on a group of teens who are starting year ten from two schools in Melbourne. Adie has just come back from Europe and Tassie after nine years with her father who is an artist and at first remembers little about her past life in Melbourne. Wren is a girl who is a bit emo and has a younger sister called Summer. Milo is autistic, plays Minecraft, has a major crush on his best friend Wren, and has a younger sister called Sophie. Ben is a cruel and sick and horrible person who bullies Milo. Juliet is a girl who has had a perfect memory since Adie, who was once her best friend left. Hari comes in a bit later, but is friends with Juliet.
Those are only the main characters, and most of the above mentioned all have their own separate POV’s except Summer, which I found to be quite surprising, as one, the book was all in first person and second, it’s a fair number of characters for a relatively short book(under four hundred pages). Despite this, I thought that all the different characters were all woven seamlessly into each other and they were all distinct and very much different. This book also has LGBTQ+ tropes. Wren is bi, Hari is lesbian I think and Juliet has two mums, which does also make it a diverse cast of characters, which is always a plus.
As for the story line itself, there is not too much to show for it and a large portion of the book was centred on interactions between all the many characters, and as such, the book did feel slow at times. However, many different points of drama, love interests and bullying were put out there, and the last few pages tied everything very neatly together for a very satisfying ending, without any loose threads or plot holes.
Also kudos for the book bringing to fruition many real issues that plagues not only teenagers but adults today. In the book, there’s an app that some of the boys use called Flare, which is a place where people put up unauthorised videos of young girls and women, many of them underage doing things like undressing. While the focus was certainly on the teenagers, it also helps bring into the light that there are dangerous and creepy people out there who do record and put out such disgusting and creepy photos of people. It does give something for people to think about that such people reside among us, which I think is sick and unlawful.
Other areas the book does also focus on include mental disorders such as Milo’s autism and also bullying, because of said disorder which like the novel says, it isn’t a disease, and it isn’t something that can be helped, and that they should simply be accepted into our society.
It was a very enjoyable character driven book, with a lot of pov’s, diversity and struggles of people through modern day problems. 8/10
The blurb doesn’t say much, not really. It doesn’t give names, what the book is about, the setting nothing. The title doesn’t say much either, and right at the start on the first page has the title of the book in a quote from Emily Dickinson. As such, I did leave this book towards the end of my(second half) of the books that I read for the Inky Awards, and I did approach it very hesitantly, given that I had no clue of what it was about. Never fear, and despite my reluctance to get into it, I did enjoy reading it.
This book is mainly focused on a group of teens who are starting year ten from two schools in Melbourne. Adie has just come back from Europe and Tassie after nine years with her father who is an artist and at first remembers little about her past life in Melbourne. Wren is a girl who is a bit emo and has a younger sister called Summer. Milo is autistic, plays Minecraft, has a major crush on his best friend Wren, and has a younger sister called Sophie. Ben is a cruel and sick and horrible person who bullies Milo. Juliet is a girl who has had a perfect memory since Adie, who was once her best friend left. Hari comes in a bit later, but is friends with Juliet.
Those are only the main characters, and most of the above mentioned all have their own separate POV’s except Summer, which I found to be quite surprising, as one, the book was all in first person and second, it’s a fair number of characters for a relatively short book(under four hundred pages). Despite this, I thought that all the different characters were all woven seamlessly into each other and they were all distinct and very much different. This book also has LGBTQ+ tropes. Wren is bi, Hari is lesbian I think and Juliet has two mums, which does also make it a diverse cast of characters, which is always a plus.
As for the story line itself, there is not too much to show for it and a large portion of the book was centred on interactions between all the many characters, and as such, the book did feel slow at times. However, many different points of drama, love interests and bullying were put out there, and the last few pages tied everything very neatly together for a very satisfying ending, without any loose threads or plot holes.
Also kudos for the book bringing to fruition many real issues that plagues not only teenagers but adults today. In the book, there’s an app that some of the boys use called Flare, which is a place where people put up unauthorised videos of young girls and women, many of them underage doing things like undressing. While the focus was certainly on the teenagers, it also helps bring into the light that there are dangerous and creepy people out there who do record and put out such disgusting and creepy photos of people. It does give something for people to think about that such people reside among us, which I think is sick and unlawful.
Other areas the book does also focus on include mental disorders such as Milo’s autism and also bullying, because of said disorder which like the novel says, it isn’t a disease, and it isn’t something that can be helped, and that they should simply be accepted into our society.
It was a very enjoyable character driven book, with a lot of pov’s, diversity and struggles of people through modern day problems. 8/10
December 19, 2018
I don’t think I’ve read an entire book in a 24 hour period before. Emily Gale has forced this new record upon me by supplying me with an exquisite and unputdownable story and life trapping me in a car for 6 hours road tripping home from a weekend out of town and a head cold giving me just the excuse for putting myself to bed at 6pm to read my way to the finish line.
Well, I do hope Emily Gale is feeling MIGHTY smug after a long ago chat we had on Twitter where upon I confided in her my historical/hysterical leeriness of multiple POV narratives. I muttered and moaned about disappointing experiences (aside from Kingsolver’s Poisonwood Bible which is an unequivocal work of art) I always find myself disappointed because I am greedy for a protagonist I can wallow in, or I get wound up that the voices aren’t distinct enough, or I bond with one voice and feel cold and disconnected with the others, or one thread is boring and I’m desperate to get back to the first voice ... whinge whinge moan moan - Rach, quit your bellyaching, you’ve just been served.
Ermergersh, Gale nails it. Every voice, a blimin’ winner. Every thread, urgent, engaging, demanding that I keep reading. Emotional investment on every flippin’ page. Every character, gripping in her/his own right. And most of all, the writing, just oh my ever-loving-eyeballs, the writing is so hecking gorgeous. It’s a crime to call favourites but I have to say: I ADORE MILO. A D O R E !
And the crushes! I L O V E D the crushing in this book. I was relating so hard I thought I would pull a muscle.
So basically I have not a single coherent thing to say, just flailing and pterodactyl shrieks. Emily Gale for the win.
Well, I do hope Emily Gale is feeling MIGHTY smug after a long ago chat we had on Twitter where upon I confided in her my historical/hysterical leeriness of multiple POV narratives. I muttered and moaned about disappointing experiences (aside from Kingsolver’s Poisonwood Bible which is an unequivocal work of art) I always find myself disappointed because I am greedy for a protagonist I can wallow in, or I get wound up that the voices aren’t distinct enough, or I bond with one voice and feel cold and disconnected with the others, or one thread is boring and I’m desperate to get back to the first voice ... whinge whinge moan moan - Rach, quit your bellyaching, you’ve just been served.
Ermergersh, Gale nails it. Every voice, a blimin’ winner. Every thread, urgent, engaging, demanding that I keep reading. Emotional investment on every flippin’ page. Every character, gripping in her/his own right. And most of all, the writing, just oh my ever-loving-eyeballs, the writing is so hecking gorgeous. It’s a crime to call favourites but I have to say: I ADORE MILO. A D O R E !
And the crushes! I L O V E D the crushing in this book. I was relating so hard I thought I would pull a muscle.
So basically I have not a single coherent thing to say, just flailing and pterodactyl shrieks. Emily Gale for the win.
July 15, 2018
This was one of those stories like 'Love Actually' and 'Crash', where multiple different characters and story lines initially have nothing to do with each other, but by the end of the story combine with great force, and knowing all the characters so intimately only makes the ending stronger.
It took a little bit to get into this story with all the different POVs, but the great storytelling and writing kept me turning pages until it all began to come together and I knew I was in for something big. I loved all the POVs, especially Wren and Milo, and even the one I wasn't supposed to like was still enjoyable to read.
By heart broke a little, my heart soared a little, and I wished there'd been a bit more at the end after the resolution, because I wasn't ready to say goodbye to all the characters I'd come to love.
It took a little bit to get into this story with all the different POVs, but the great storytelling and writing kept me turning pages until it all began to come together and I knew I was in for something big. I loved all the POVs, especially Wren and Milo, and even the one I wasn't supposed to like was still enjoyable to read.
By heart broke a little, my heart soared a little, and I wished there'd been a bit more at the end after the resolution, because I wasn't ready to say goodbye to all the characters I'd come to love.
July 17, 2019
‘I Am Out With Lanterns’ is a really beautiful AUSTRALIAN story about a group of teenagers on the cusp of year 10 exploring their identities in a world of increasing sexual understanding and technological advances. Gale manages to give each character a voice, ones that play with the subtleties of stereotypes and allow quiet diversity.
“Parents are the most confusing people – they urge us forwards into every next stage, but then hold us back if the transition becomes inconvenient. Grow up! Don’t grow up so fast! What’s the right speed? What’s the right way?” (141).
We have:
Adie: struggling with her past, looking for life outside paintings.
Wren: following crushes and looking after her best friend Milo.
Milo: managing his autism and a killer crush on Wren.
Juliet: remembering every detail and trying to break her silence.
Ben: small town bully dealing with toxic masculine parental figures.
Hari: hiding in her relationship and just looking out for everyone.
(and Sophie: our tween with one chapter, trying to find her place).
What quiet bravery comes from the novel is its discussions of gender and identity. The thread weaves its way through the novel and I didn’t even realise it was approaching until it was there. As a Flare account is set up showcasing non-consensual photos and videos of the women and children of Fairfield, Gale discusses the hard topics. This was incredibly important.
”The problem isn’t skirt length. The problem isn’t lipstick. The problem isn’t selfies. The problem isn’t new. The problem isn’t girls” (336).
How we represent femininity and how we look after the young girls and women of this country is important. Understanding that women are not always the problem is huge. And to have Gale spell it out so loudly is incredibly important.
Further, how our parents shape our own experiences is at the heart of this novel. We watch the bully Ben in his hardest points. There is no real redemption for him. Only a young boy, untouched by patriarchal pain that reaches out to him. A chance for change.
I think these important messages were hard to see until they hit me because the novel’s pace is slow. I normally read contemporaries quite quickly, but this was a little harder to read. I was a bit disappointed in this aspect. I think however, that despite this, it’s still really important. I wonder further if Gale has given any thought to writing for television, or if anyone is looking into the TV rights for this novel, because I think it would make a perfect and necessary adaptation for today’s youth. I’d love to see the characters fleshed out even further and given more freedom, personality and descriptions.
This book is really important and I’m glad to experience more #LoveOzYA stories. I’m excited for Gale’s future and more stories about these beautiful characters.
“Parents are the most confusing people – they urge us forwards into every next stage, but then hold us back if the transition becomes inconvenient. Grow up! Don’t grow up so fast! What’s the right speed? What’s the right way?” (141).
We have:
Adie: struggling with her past, looking for life outside paintings.
Wren: following crushes and looking after her best friend Milo.
Milo: managing his autism and a killer crush on Wren.
Juliet: remembering every detail and trying to break her silence.
Ben: small town bully dealing with toxic masculine parental figures.
Hari: hiding in her relationship and just looking out for everyone.
(and Sophie: our tween with one chapter, trying to find her place).
What quiet bravery comes from the novel is its discussions of gender and identity. The thread weaves its way through the novel and I didn’t even realise it was approaching until it was there. As a Flare account is set up showcasing non-consensual photos and videos of the women and children of Fairfield, Gale discusses the hard topics. This was incredibly important.
”The problem isn’t skirt length. The problem isn’t lipstick. The problem isn’t selfies. The problem isn’t new. The problem isn’t girls” (336).
How we represent femininity and how we look after the young girls and women of this country is important. Understanding that women are not always the problem is huge. And to have Gale spell it out so loudly is incredibly important.
Further, how our parents shape our own experiences is at the heart of this novel. We watch the bully Ben in his hardest points. There is no real redemption for him. Only a young boy, untouched by patriarchal pain that reaches out to him. A chance for change.
I think these important messages were hard to see until they hit me because the novel’s pace is slow. I normally read contemporaries quite quickly, but this was a little harder to read. I was a bit disappointed in this aspect. I think however, that despite this, it’s still really important. I wonder further if Gale has given any thought to writing for television, or if anyone is looking into the TV rights for this novel, because I think it would make a perfect and necessary adaptation for today’s youth. I’d love to see the characters fleshed out even further and given more freedom, personality and descriptions.
This book is really important and I’m glad to experience more #LoveOzYA stories. I’m excited for Gale’s future and more stories about these beautiful characters.
February 21, 2020
I enjoyed this a lot. It reminded me of Rebecca Stead’s Goodbye Stranger.
July 26, 2018
I just wanted to start with this being my first review on this site so I am unsure whether this review would be helpful in terms of determining whether you want to read it or not. But, I had gotten this book last month at a Penguin Teen Showcase event which I really enjoyed. And listening to Emily Gale read out that first page of the book I immediately knew it was going to be an interesting book.
Now upon reading the book you're introduced to all of these characters who have their own quirks. And I've realised why so many were involved in this story and how they all had a side to the story that needed to be told. This book is one of those books where you get to a particular point in the book and you just feel like that you need to continue on and finish the whole thing because you need to know more. Reading it I had times where I felt bad for Ben due to his situation but then felt all kinds of emotions when he would target Milo. I think out of all the characters within this book I really loved how Milo and Hari were written. There was just something about their characters that there was something to love about them. I believe all the characters had something about them that made them unique, but I really think that these two were my most favorite. I'm not sure what else to say other than its a really good book (without dropping spoilers thats for sure). But it talks about some issues that happen that we need to educate others about and think about the consequences of, especially if it will affect other people. I am so happy to have picked up a copy of this book and I hope that whoever picks it up enjoys it too.
Now upon reading the book you're introduced to all of these characters who have their own quirks. And I've realised why so many were involved in this story and how they all had a side to the story that needed to be told. This book is one of those books where you get to a particular point in the book and you just feel like that you need to continue on and finish the whole thing because you need to know more. Reading it I had times where I felt bad for Ben due to his situation but then felt all kinds of emotions when he would target Milo. I think out of all the characters within this book I really loved how Milo and Hari were written. There was just something about their characters that there was something to love about them. I believe all the characters had something about them that made them unique, but I really think that these two were my most favorite. I'm not sure what else to say other than its a really good book (without dropping spoilers thats for sure). But it talks about some issues that happen that we need to educate others about and think about the consequences of, especially if it will affect other people. I am so happy to have picked up a copy of this book and I hope that whoever picks it up enjoys it too.
August 13, 2019
I was very excited to read this book because I love Australian YA, but this was disappointing. I loved the diversity and a couple of the twists but that's about it. The pace was slow and so boring at times but it kept me intrigued enough that I had to keep reading. I guess I was just waiting for something to happen and it never really did. I don't think anything happens in this book until you're a good third in, and even then it's so anticlimactic that it still doesn't feel like the book was about anything in particular, that's just no good for me. I think some POVs weren't necessary, and there were some storylines that were just left hanging, never to be addressed again. I guess I just thought this would be a different read. I also wasn't a fan of the writing style, and all POVs read the same. This book had so much potential.
Also
Also
May 18, 2019
Trigger warnings: bullying, domestic violence, abuse, probably other stuff that I have forgotten in the past ten days.
3.75 stars.
It took me a while to get into this, and I feel like I would have enjoyed it more if I'd read The Other Side of Summer first. But I didn't, so... Really, I felt like there were maaaaybe one too many protagonists in this book. I liked that it was set in Melbourne and was full of familiar places. I liked that there was a ton of diversity in the story. I liked the writing and the relationships between the characters. But there were times when the characters felt much older than year 10 and other times when they felt much younger. And there were elements of this that felt very...convenient? Add in a few things that weren't as resolved as I would have liked and I enjoyed this a lot but I didn't LOVE it.
3.75 stars.
It took me a while to get into this, and I feel like I would have enjoyed it more if I'd read The Other Side of Summer first. But I didn't, so... Really, I felt like there were maaaaybe one too many protagonists in this book. I liked that it was set in Melbourne and was full of familiar places. I liked that there was a ton of diversity in the story. I liked the writing and the relationships between the characters. But there were times when the characters felt much older than year 10 and other times when they felt much younger. And there were elements of this that felt very...convenient? Add in a few things that weren't as resolved as I would have liked and I enjoyed this a lot but I didn't LOVE it.
July 14, 2018
Nuanced, complex, and thoroughly readable.
Full review (paywalled) at Books+Publishing:
https://www.booksandpublishing.com.au...
I will say that on a personal level 'I am Out with Lanterns' broke me in the best possible way - providing some much-needed representation, and some healing for some great hurt. There was ugly-crying.
Full review (paywalled) at Books+Publishing:
https://www.booksandpublishing.com.au...
I will say that on a personal level 'I am Out with Lanterns' broke me in the best possible way - providing some much-needed representation, and some healing for some great hurt. There was ugly-crying.
August 22, 2018
Excellent interweaving of many characters, each dealing with the messy complications of family, friendship and feelings (and also bullying, parents, and events out of control).
I was immersed and invested, and felt all the love for (most of) the characters.
I was immersed and invested, and felt all the love for (most of) the characters.
September 25, 2020
I am sad that it’s taken me until now to read Lanterns...but now I’m so glad I’ve read it!
The beautiful, diverse characters are endearing, annoying, infuriating, and wonderfully drawn. Real and raw.
The beautiful, diverse characters are endearing, annoying, infuriating, and wonderfully drawn. Real and raw.
September 16, 2018
http://jessjustreads.com
I Am Out with Lanterns is the latest contemporary novel by Australian young adult author Emily Gale. It explores friendship, family, relationships and identity.
There are many characters to this novel, and many switching POV chapters. However, central characters include Wren, an artist who is stuck drawing portrait after portrait of her brother Floyd, who died a few years earlier. Milo is Wren’s next door neighbour. He’s sweet, kind-hearted and has a beautiful soul. But he’s often misunderstood and at school, he’s bullied really horribly.
Adie’s father is an artist, and she’s been his muse since she was little. But he’s a harmful character, and their relationship is not a healthy one. Juliet is really loved and supported at home, but she’s lonely and feels a little lost.
“This is it: my first party as a teenager. You could call that impressive, considering I’ve been a teenager for more than three years, or you might prefer to call it what it actually is.”
I Am Out with Lanterns is very much about self-discovery and self-awareness and that crucial time in a teenager’s life when they grow into themselves and must make choices that others may disapprove of. The title of the book was actually inspired by an Emily Dickinson quote, ‘I am out with lanterns, looking for myself’ and this does well to capture the feel and atmosphere of the novel.
The book explores themes of sexuality, friendship and identity, through the lens of six teenagers.
Emily brings all of these characters together, allowing us to witness their lives alter and change as their paths intersect. Some of these characters are incredibly flawed, but all their voices are incredibly unique and we come to understand each character in a different way.
“I hold the Nintendo high and watch him jump for it. Noah is smaller and skinnier than I was at his age. He’s always in his own little world or having secret chats with Mum, or climbing the tree down the back of our garden by himself and sitting there like some loner.”
Ben’s character is quite different from the others. He’s a bully, and he’s powerful and assertive. He seems to be following in the footsteps of his incredibly manipulative father, and even though he can see this, he doesn’t appear to want to change.
I appreciated his presence as one of the six characters. I think it’s important for authors to show readers a full range of people, and not just good-natured or nice people.
“Today after we’d sat in the chair on the street, as close as I’ve ever been to anyone, I said something funny. She looked at me and for a second we were locked in. Then she hit my arm and it was over. But that’s what I want to draw. Her face in that split second, a shot to the heart. The next time she looks at me like that, I think I’m going to kiss her.”
My only criticism is that I really struggled to keep track of the different characters and their relations to each other, because of how many POVs there are and how quickly they switch. Many of the characters weave in and out of other POVs, so sometimes I had to take a moment to remember their backstory before continuing.
I Am Out With Lanterns is an energetic, emotional story with a dynamic and diverse cast — it is both heartwarming and heartfelt.
Thank you to the publisher for mailing me a review copy in exchange for an honest review.
I Am Out with Lanterns is the latest contemporary novel by Australian young adult author Emily Gale. It explores friendship, family, relationships and identity.
There are many characters to this novel, and many switching POV chapters. However, central characters include Wren, an artist who is stuck drawing portrait after portrait of her brother Floyd, who died a few years earlier. Milo is Wren’s next door neighbour. He’s sweet, kind-hearted and has a beautiful soul. But he’s often misunderstood and at school, he’s bullied really horribly.
Adie’s father is an artist, and she’s been his muse since she was little. But he’s a harmful character, and their relationship is not a healthy one. Juliet is really loved and supported at home, but she’s lonely and feels a little lost.
“This is it: my first party as a teenager. You could call that impressive, considering I’ve been a teenager for more than three years, or you might prefer to call it what it actually is.”
I Am Out with Lanterns is very much about self-discovery and self-awareness and that crucial time in a teenager’s life when they grow into themselves and must make choices that others may disapprove of. The title of the book was actually inspired by an Emily Dickinson quote, ‘I am out with lanterns, looking for myself’ and this does well to capture the feel and atmosphere of the novel.
The book explores themes of sexuality, friendship and identity, through the lens of six teenagers.
Emily brings all of these characters together, allowing us to witness their lives alter and change as their paths intersect. Some of these characters are incredibly flawed, but all their voices are incredibly unique and we come to understand each character in a different way.
“I hold the Nintendo high and watch him jump for it. Noah is smaller and skinnier than I was at his age. He’s always in his own little world or having secret chats with Mum, or climbing the tree down the back of our garden by himself and sitting there like some loner.”
Ben’s character is quite different from the others. He’s a bully, and he’s powerful and assertive. He seems to be following in the footsteps of his incredibly manipulative father, and even though he can see this, he doesn’t appear to want to change.
I appreciated his presence as one of the six characters. I think it’s important for authors to show readers a full range of people, and not just good-natured or nice people.
“Today after we’d sat in the chair on the street, as close as I’ve ever been to anyone, I said something funny. She looked at me and for a second we were locked in. Then she hit my arm and it was over. But that’s what I want to draw. Her face in that split second, a shot to the heart. The next time she looks at me like that, I think I’m going to kiss her.”
My only criticism is that I really struggled to keep track of the different characters and their relations to each other, because of how many POVs there are and how quickly they switch. Many of the characters weave in and out of other POVs, so sometimes I had to take a moment to remember their backstory before continuing.
I Am Out With Lanterns is an energetic, emotional story with a dynamic and diverse cast — it is both heartwarming and heartfelt.
Thank you to the publisher for mailing me a review copy in exchange for an honest review.
May 16, 2019
One of us is in the dark.
One of us is a bully.
One of us wants to be understood.
One of us loves a girl who loves another.
One of us remembers the past as if it just happened.
One of us believes they’ve drawn the future.
I have to admit looking at all that I felt a little bit overwhelmed. Normally books have what 3 perspectives? but this one THIS one had 6 in 366 pages. I have to admit I was VERY worried about this and how author Emily Gale would tie all these perspectives together and to be honest, she did it pretty well and it in fact impressed me and exceeded my expectations.
I was first introduced to the author when I was meeting Fleur Ferris for a book event at my local book club. I had never heard of this book but since I was part of the 2018 Inky Awards I really wanted to meet Ferris as she wrote one of the longlisted titles: Wreck I was sitting by myself in the crowd sort of curious about this book I never heard of and the next thing I know I'm looking at the Inky Awards 2019 longlist and BAAM there it is. And I knew it was the perfect opportunity to get reading a book I sort of was weirdly curious about.
Gosh where do I even begin, let's start with the writing. At first I felt like it was very muddy at times and I did not like the writing style. Later on I grew into it and it improved as I got a feel of the novel. I said even at the start that I was scared about the characters and all these perspectives and how it would end up like it did. But I shouldn't have been so worried, Gale did a fantastic job of showing bullying, bisexuality, alcoholism and goth culture (YESSSSSS) in a way that wasn't necessarily information overload but more gradually progressing.
I wished it didn't end that was the negative of the novel but I very throughly enjoyed this one. Each character was carefully crafted and I fell in love with everyone (except for Ben who can dig a whole and jump in) everyone was well rounded and I loved each perspective respectively. I just wanted to give everyone a hug at the end!
All in all, throughly enjoyed this one and can see why it was chosen as an Inky Awards longlisted novel ;)
ACTUAL RATING: 4.2 STARS
July 12, 2020
4.5 star rating
This was touching and sensitive and one the best contemporary young adult novels I've read in a while.
This was touching and sensitive and one the best contemporary young adult novels I've read in a while.
August 6, 2020
Highschool can be very hard especially if you don’t fit in. Doubly so if you challenge the ‘cool kids’. Adie has moved house too much and Dad changes women so much Adie has trouble recalling their names. Dad’s been short listed for an art prize and everyone’s on tenterhooks until the winner is announced.
Wren loves Goth clothes and makeup and does detention for school uniform violations often. Milo lives next door and is her closest friend.
Friendships change as the students come and go, get older and search for themselves and love.
The bullying, in person, physical, non-physical and digital ramps up. Who is behind it? What are they trying to achieve?
I enjoyed the complexity of the cast of characters. This book was a story of a community not only one or two characters. The characters represent much of society in its multiple forms.
Recommended for 13+
Wren loves Goth clothes and makeup and does detention for school uniform violations often. Milo lives next door and is her closest friend.
Friendships change as the students come and go, get older and search for themselves and love.
The bullying, in person, physical, non-physical and digital ramps up. Who is behind it? What are they trying to achieve?
I enjoyed the complexity of the cast of characters. This book was a story of a community not only one or two characters. The characters represent much of society in its multiple forms.
Recommended for 13+
April 11, 2021
really interesting characters + aussie location = thumbs up
July 31, 2018
Thanks to Penguin Random House Australia for sending me a copy of I AM OUT WITH LANTERNS for review.
I first heard about this book at a book event with Emily Gale, and the way she described the book really intrigued me. It focuses on a lot of themes and issues currently present in today's society, and ones that I don't often read about in YA literature. Also, YAY because this is another fantastic #LoveOZYA novel to add to your reading list!
I love these kids of stories that are told for multiple point of views, and seeing that characters all come together over the course of the book. It consists of such a diverse cast, all with different personality types and quirtks. Seeing how they all either got along with each other, or clashed, added so much depth to the character. Also, Milo, one of the POV characters is autistic, which was great to see. Although I can't speak for the representation, I did read this lovely review from one of the early sensitivity readers which I think says a lot about the authors portrayal of the character.
When Emily spoke about her book, one of the factors that stood out to me was the fact that one of the POV characters was the "villain" of the story. We get to see inside the head of the bad guy, and we don't often get to see this, and if we do, it's because they're redeemable in some way (I do love the bad-boy-turns-good trope). But this wasn't one of them. We got to understand Ben more, and maybe some of the things that happened in his life that resulted in his actions, but in no way does that justify what he did, and the author makes that clear in her story and characterisation.
I AM OUT WITH LANTERNS is a thought provoking story captivating some of teens biggest problems and issues in society today. It was beautifully written, the characters were incredibly well developed, it was a fast paced read with plenty of conflict, yet with a hopeful resolution.
I can't wait to read more of Emily's writing!
I first heard about this book at a book event with Emily Gale, and the way she described the book really intrigued me. It focuses on a lot of themes and issues currently present in today's society, and ones that I don't often read about in YA literature. Also, YAY because this is another fantastic #LoveOZYA novel to add to your reading list!
I love these kids of stories that are told for multiple point of views, and seeing that characters all come together over the course of the book. It consists of such a diverse cast, all with different personality types and quirtks. Seeing how they all either got along with each other, or clashed, added so much depth to the character. Also, Milo, one of the POV characters is autistic, which was great to see. Although I can't speak for the representation, I did read this lovely review from one of the early sensitivity readers which I think says a lot about the authors portrayal of the character.
When Emily spoke about her book, one of the factors that stood out to me was the fact that one of the POV characters was the "villain" of the story. We get to see inside the head of the bad guy, and we don't often get to see this, and if we do, it's because they're redeemable in some way (I do love the bad-boy-turns-good trope). But this wasn't one of them. We got to understand Ben more, and maybe some of the things that happened in his life that resulted in his actions, but in no way does that justify what he did, and the author makes that clear in her story and characterisation.
I AM OUT WITH LANTERNS is a thought provoking story captivating some of teens biggest problems and issues in society today. It was beautifully written, the characters were incredibly well developed, it was a fast paced read with plenty of conflict, yet with a hopeful resolution.
I can't wait to read more of Emily's writing!
December 14, 2019
What the hell just happened?
I feel really bad about putting only 1 star, but I did not enjoy this so I wanted to be honest.
I'm just really confused over this. Where was the plot? Where was all of this going? Judging by the ending all of this was about the Flare app and teaching the lesson that it's not the girls fault, but the guys who share it. Which is a great message by the way, but that was DEFINATELY not the main point of 3/4 of the book.
What about Adie's portraits? What was that about? Juliet's memory thing? Wren's painting of Adie? The whole talk about this "magic thing" or some kind of force through the whole book?
It just feels like the book was going in a totally different direction, but then the writer had to rush an ending and this is the result.
It just seems unfinished. There are so many subplots started through the book that don't have a conclusion, which gives me the feeling of the lack of plot. I was even thinking of dnf it, and I probably would've if I didn't have the goal of finishing my goodreads challenge, because I simply lost interest and I realized I didn't really care how it ended (mostly because I thought this was going to end with some weird explanation for the whole portrait thing and all the coincidences in the progonists lifes, that were left completely ignored)
On top of this, it has poor dialogue and in my opinion, too many mentions to Minecraft, social media, texting, instagram (or at least that's what I thought until the ending, when social media is apparently the whole point of the story).
The best thing about this was Milo and he pretty much disappear for the later half of the book.
There's more good things of course, there's a great representation of LGBTQ+, an autistic character, talks of bullying and the "don't blame the girl" movement. But that's just not enough to make a good story.
With the 1 star I'm not trying to say this was a horrible book, it's just that I personally didn't like it.
(I feel like I should mention that I read a really good book before this, which I adored, and I also expected something completely different from this book before starting it, so that may have biased my opinion on this a little)
I feel really bad about putting only 1 star, but I did not enjoy this so I wanted to be honest.
I'm just really confused over this. Where was the plot? Where was all of this going? Judging by the ending all of this was about the Flare app and teaching the lesson that it's not the girls fault, but the guys who share it. Which is a great message by the way, but that was DEFINATELY not the main point of 3/4 of the book.
What about Adie's portraits? What was that about? Juliet's memory thing? Wren's painting of Adie? The whole talk about this "magic thing" or some kind of force through the whole book?
It just feels like the book was going in a totally different direction, but then the writer had to rush an ending and this is the result.
It just seems unfinished. There are so many subplots started through the book that don't have a conclusion, which gives me the feeling of the lack of plot. I was even thinking of dnf it, and I probably would've if I didn't have the goal of finishing my goodreads challenge, because I simply lost interest and I realized I didn't really care how it ended (mostly because I thought this was going to end with some weird explanation for the whole portrait thing and all the coincidences in the progonists lifes, that were left completely ignored)
On top of this, it has poor dialogue and in my opinion, too many mentions to Minecraft, social media, texting, instagram (or at least that's what I thought until the ending, when social media is apparently the whole point of the story).
The best thing about this was Milo and he pretty much disappear for the later half of the book.
There's more good things of course, there's a great representation of LGBTQ+, an autistic character, talks of bullying and the "don't blame the girl" movement. But that's just not enough to make a good story.
With the 1 star I'm not trying to say this was a horrible book, it's just that I personally didn't like it.
(I feel like I should mention that I read a really good book before this, which I adored, and I also expected something completely different from this book before starting it, so that may have biased my opinion on this a little)
April 12, 2019
This #LoveOzYA novel by Emily Gale is so many things I love: a realistic slice-of-life novel dealing with so many topics (like autism, bullying, sexual harassment, toxic relationships) in such a sensitive, caring way that I think is very accessible for younger teens (which is the age the characters are); multiple point-of-view characters who all have distinct, well-developed voices and story lines; interconnected story lines and characters; a beautiful readable writing style with like just the right balance of description, dialogue, internal monologue; maps and poetry and emphasizing the importance of friendship alongside romantic relationships.
I Am Out With Lanterns focuses on figuring out who you are and who your friends are and the vulnerability that comes with that through the interconnected stories of Adie, Wren, Ben, Milo, Juliet, Sophie, and Hari. Adie has moved back to Melbourne and is trying to break out of the shadow created by being her artist father's muse. Wren is an artist who finds herself stuck in a cycle of drawing pictures of her dead brother until she starts to draw the future. Ben copes with peer pressure and family issues by bullying kids like Milo. Milo struggles to understand his feelings for his best friend, not to mention everyday life in neuro-typical society. Juliet feels lost and forgotten despite the fact that she remembers literally everything.
Sophie, who is Milo's younger sister, and Hari, the cool girl at school, aren't really main characters and I honestly would have liked to hear more from them than two or five chapters. That, along with the fact that the ending felt quite abrupt so some of the characters, in my opinion, didn't get closure, are my main criticisms of I Am Out With Lanterns. Overall, though, I did enjoy the sweetness, exploration of self-identity, and relatability of this novel. While I didn't quite love it as much as I expected, it's definitely worth reading. Also, references to Emily Dickinson are always a good thing.
3.5/5 stars
I Am Out With Lanterns focuses on figuring out who you are and who your friends are and the vulnerability that comes with that through the interconnected stories of Adie, Wren, Ben, Milo, Juliet, Sophie, and Hari. Adie has moved back to Melbourne and is trying to break out of the shadow created by being her artist father's muse. Wren is an artist who finds herself stuck in a cycle of drawing pictures of her dead brother until she starts to draw the future. Ben copes with peer pressure and family issues by bullying kids like Milo. Milo struggles to understand his feelings for his best friend, not to mention everyday life in neuro-typical society. Juliet feels lost and forgotten despite the fact that she remembers literally everything.
Sophie, who is Milo's younger sister, and Hari, the cool girl at school, aren't really main characters and I honestly would have liked to hear more from them than two or five chapters. That, along with the fact that the ending felt quite abrupt so some of the characters, in my opinion, didn't get closure, are my main criticisms of I Am Out With Lanterns. Overall, though, I did enjoy the sweetness, exploration of self-identity, and relatability of this novel. While I didn't quite love it as much as I expected, it's definitely worth reading. Also, references to Emily Dickinson are always a good thing.
3.5/5 stars
August 17, 2018
I Am Out With Lanterns is the latest novel from Melbourne writer Emily Gale about friendship, family, and the events that make your teenage years so wild and confusing. This book has six different main characters and intertwined storylines that comes together to make one large story. I would say that majority of this book is about relationships, romantic and platonic, between all of the characters and their families too. There's also some drama at school and a bully that you get to know as well.
I definitely loved reading about Wren the most at first because she had an interesting backstory and her storyline was exciting to follow. Soon enough, though once the story started flowing I also began to connect with them more and I found something to connect to with each character, whether it be something big or small that we had in common. I also began to really adore Milo once more of his character was revealed and I think his character was a bright light in this novel. Adie was also a very attractive, charming character and she was also the main focus for a lot of the other characters too so there was plenty about her.
Overall, I didn't love it at first, but I always enjoy reading Australian fiction, especially Young Adult fiction because you can really relate to those matters when you also have all our slang and Australian topics thrown in to add more humor and substance to the plot. Then by the end of the book I had really enjoyed the time I spent reading it and I had formed a connected with the characters. I had the same sort of affectionate love for this novel as I did for Yellow by Meghan Jacobson since both novels had that emphasis on friendship and family while being set in Australia and also dealing with loss. I Am Out With Lanterns is a great story for young teens and adults that will tug at your heart.
(Thanks to Random House Australia for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I Am Out With Lanterns is out now in Australia!)
I definitely loved reading about Wren the most at first because she had an interesting backstory and her storyline was exciting to follow. Soon enough, though once the story started flowing I also began to connect with them more and I found something to connect to with each character, whether it be something big or small that we had in common. I also began to really adore Milo once more of his character was revealed and I think his character was a bright light in this novel. Adie was also a very attractive, charming character and she was also the main focus for a lot of the other characters too so there was plenty about her.
Overall, I didn't love it at first, but I always enjoy reading Australian fiction, especially Young Adult fiction because you can really relate to those matters when you also have all our slang and Australian topics thrown in to add more humor and substance to the plot. Then by the end of the book I had really enjoyed the time I spent reading it and I had formed a connected with the characters. I had the same sort of affectionate love for this novel as I did for Yellow by Meghan Jacobson since both novels had that emphasis on friendship and family while being set in Australia and also dealing with loss. I Am Out With Lanterns is a great story for young teens and adults that will tug at your heart.
(Thanks to Random House Australia for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I Am Out With Lanterns is out now in Australia!)
December 8, 2022
This book has a lot of good stuff: feminism, plot twists, great autistic rep (from an allistic author!? this never happens!), Emily Dickinson, cute cats and engaging characters. Truly something for everyone!
September 8, 2018
I don’t totally know what to make of this book. It’s set in Melbourne and I purposefully read it whilst in Melbourne, which was pretty neat.
It’s the opposite of so many books. In a world where I feel like most books move too quickly, this one moves extremely, extremely slowly, which I almost always prefer - as long as there’s payoff. Which I’m not sure there was here?
I wanted to get to the end feeling warm, like the threads had all connected in the right ways, but I sort of felt the rollercoaster ended abruptly. I was dissatisfied.
But all in all, I enjoyed most of this soft, sweet ride, even though I didn’t ever connect much with any of the characters.
I’d be curious to read a sequel if there is one.
It’s the opposite of so many books. In a world where I feel like most books move too quickly, this one moves extremely, extremely slowly, which I almost always prefer - as long as there’s payoff. Which I’m not sure there was here?
I wanted to get to the end feeling warm, like the threads had all connected in the right ways, but I sort of felt the rollercoaster ended abruptly. I was dissatisfied.
But all in all, I enjoyed most of this soft, sweet ride, even though I didn’t ever connect much with any of the characters.
I’d be curious to read a sequel if there is one.
April 24, 2019
I am conflicted about how I feel about this book. For most of it it was a bit of a slog and I spent a lot of time being bored but... there was something about the characters that made me care about them by the end. I wanted to know they were going to be ok. The way Emily Gale tied all the stories together with a couple of lines from an Emily Dickinson poem was lovely and made me feel better about the time it took me to read it.
In the end I am not sure what teens I would recommend this one to. Probably quieter, more thoughtful students that don't really need a plot. I suspect that many of them will give up on it though.
In the end I am not sure what teens I would recommend this one to. Probably quieter, more thoughtful students that don't really need a plot. I suspect that many of them will give up on it though.
November 8, 2018
Great Australian YA novel about 6 teens with very different voices but similar desires. We all just want to be loved and understood and to know that we are enough as we are. Some romance, some mystery, some social commentary. Picked it up at the Dymocks YA Roadshow and was charmed by the Author.
August 21, 2019
I am out with Lanterns had so much potential! I love the diversity of the characters and the plot twists. But mostly there were too many POVs and too many storylines/subplots that were introduced and then not addressed. The ending fell flat.
Read
August 13, 2018If i was still doing star ratings, this would be five (not a logical thing to write, I know, but I just loved it - read this if you loved Take Three Girls :))
August 14, 2018
Better than I expected. Queerer than I expected. More empowering than I expected. All good things.
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