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The Wide Starlight
The Hazel Wood meets The Astonishing Color of After in this dreamy, atmospheric novel that follows sixteen-year-old Eli as she tries to remember what truly happened the night her mother disappeared off a glacier in Norway under the Northern Lights.
Never whistle at the Northern Lights, the story goes, or they'll sweep down from the sky and carry you away.
Sixteen-year-old Eline Davis knows it's true. She was there ten years ago, on a frozen fjord in Svalbard, Norway, the night her mother whistled at the lights and then vanished.
Now Eli lives an ordinary life with her dad on Cape Cod. But when the Northern Lights are visible over the Cape for just one night, she can't resist the possibility of seeing her mother again. So she whistles—and it works. Her mother appears, with snowy hair, frosty fingertips and a hazy story of where she's been all these years. And she doesn't return alone.
Along with Eli's mother's reappearance come strange, impossible things. Narwhals swimming in Cape Cod Bay, meteorites landing in Eli's yard, and three shadowy princesses with ominous messages. It's all too much, too fast, and Eli pushes her mother away. She disappears again—but this time, she leaves behind a note that will send Eli on a journey across continents, to the northern tip of the world:
Find me where I left you.
Never whistle at the Northern Lights, the story goes, or they'll sweep down from the sky and carry you away.
Sixteen-year-old Eline Davis knows it's true. She was there ten years ago, on a frozen fjord in Svalbard, Norway, the night her mother whistled at the lights and then vanished.
Now Eli lives an ordinary life with her dad on Cape Cod. But when the Northern Lights are visible over the Cape for just one night, she can't resist the possibility of seeing her mother again. So she whistles—and it works. Her mother appears, with snowy hair, frosty fingertips and a hazy story of where she's been all these years. And she doesn't return alone.
Along with Eli's mother's reappearance come strange, impossible things. Narwhals swimming in Cape Cod Bay, meteorites landing in Eli's yard, and three shadowy princesses with ominous messages. It's all too much, too fast, and Eli pushes her mother away. She disappears again—but this time, she leaves behind a note that will send Eli on a journey across continents, to the northern tip of the world:
Find me where I left you.
320 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 16, 2021
About the author
Nicole Lesperance
4 books165 followersNicole grew up on Cape Cod and graduated from Wesleyan University. She spent a few years in London and now lives near Boston with her husband, two kids, and two rambunctious black cats. She writes young adult and middle grade books.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 216 reviews
April 10, 2021
This book was magical and has a stunning cover!!
Mel 🖤🐶🐺🐾
Mel 🖤🐶🐺🐾
February 3, 2022
3/5 stars
The Wide Starlight is a YA Magical Realism novel, weaving together the story of a sixteen-year-old girl coping with the grief over her missing mother with Norwegian fairy tales. If you know me, you’ll know that the combination of stories/fairytales and grief is to me, like a waving flag to a bull. Unfortunately, this didn’t quite meet my (admittedly high) expectations.
What I loved most about this story was the rich imagery; wispy-ghostlike apparitions, northern lights in the skies, Narwals appearing in the Cape Cod Bay… Honestly: just look at this cover and you’ll get a good feeling for this books ambiance.
What I didn’t love was the way the magical realism was interwoven into the story. Instead of drifting seamlessly into another, I found the transitions a bit jarring. Every other chapter would be a kind of short Norwegian fairytale, lightly connected to the events in the story. Yet instead of adding to the atmosphere I felt taken out of the story, and wanted to skip them to get back to the main narrative.
Additionally, I never got a good feel for our protagonist Elise and her relationship with her mother. In a story centring around grief, this is essential to me, so this really hampered my enjoyment.
I want to stress that I’m highly critical of books about the grief of a parent, as they’re so close to my own heart.
I feel this is a fine debut that a lot of teens will enjoy, hence the still fairly high star rating. You have to be okay with Magical Realism elements, and the switches between fairytale and real life though.
The Wide Starlight is a YA Magical Realism novel, weaving together the story of a sixteen-year-old girl coping with the grief over her missing mother with Norwegian fairy tales. If you know me, you’ll know that the combination of stories/fairytales and grief is to me, like a waving flag to a bull. Unfortunately, this didn’t quite meet my (admittedly high) expectations.
What I loved most about this story was the rich imagery; wispy-ghostlike apparitions, northern lights in the skies, Narwals appearing in the Cape Cod Bay… Honestly: just look at this cover and you’ll get a good feeling for this books ambiance.
What I didn’t love was the way the magical realism was interwoven into the story. Instead of drifting seamlessly into another, I found the transitions a bit jarring. Every other chapter would be a kind of short Norwegian fairytale, lightly connected to the events in the story. Yet instead of adding to the atmosphere I felt taken out of the story, and wanted to skip them to get back to the main narrative.
Additionally, I never got a good feel for our protagonist Elise and her relationship with her mother. In a story centring around grief, this is essential to me, so this really hampered my enjoyment.
I want to stress that I’m highly critical of books about the grief of a parent, as they’re so close to my own heart.
I feel this is a fine debut that a lot of teens will enjoy, hence the still fairly high star rating. You have to be okay with Magical Realism elements, and the switches between fairytale and real life though.
February 14, 2021
Thank you to NetGalley and PenguinTeen for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
I am definitely in the minority when I say this book just wasn't for me. I loved what the author was trying to do with mixing fiction and folklore together. I just felt like it was clunky and I didn't feel for the main character.
I loved how vivid the writing was and I did truly enjoy the "once upon a time" stories that we get that are about Eline, her mother, and her mothers-mother. I just felt like the author put a lot of thought into writing those and then didn't fully invest in the main story.
I thought Eline was very self centered and I know she has grief and trauma because of what happened years ago when her mother disappears. I just feel as though that doesn't give you a right to be a bad friend and she doesn't give thought to her actions.
I wish I could say I loved this, but it just was not for me.
I am definitely in the minority when I say this book just wasn't for me. I loved what the author was trying to do with mixing fiction and folklore together. I just felt like it was clunky and I didn't feel for the main character.
I loved how vivid the writing was and I did truly enjoy the "once upon a time" stories that we get that are about Eline, her mother, and her mothers-mother. I just felt like the author put a lot of thought into writing those and then didn't fully invest in the main story.
I thought Eline was very self centered and I know she has grief and trauma because of what happened years ago when her mother disappears. I just feel as though that doesn't give you a right to be a bad friend and she doesn't give thought to her actions.
I wish I could say I loved this, but it just was not for me.
February 9, 2021
4.5 stars
The Wide Starlight captured me immediately and completely. It is a beautifully written, deeply emotional story about a young girl named Eline (Eli) and her relationship with her mother. Ten years ago, when they still lived in Svalbard, Eli and her mother left their home in the middle of the night. She was found later by a rescue crew while her mother had disappeared without a trace. Now, she and her father live in Cape Cod and she is still plagued by that grief and feelings of abandonment. When the Northern Lights appear over Cape Cod, Eli follows the pull to call them down and ask for her mother back.
The main storyline is interspersed with stories that all begin “once upon a time,” and following that fairytale convention, describe fantastical situations, both happy and sad. They give us more context into Eli’s understanding of the world, of her relationships, and what was lost when they left Norway. There is a fabulist element that permeates this book, which is one of my favorite things when done right. I hesitate to discern too much between “reality” and “fantasy” because that feels inauthentic to Eli’s story, but I can see some readers finding this confusing or wanting to diagnose our main character. I recommend simply going with what is laid out, rather than trying to fight for logic.
The atmosphere especially worked well for me here. I read this at the perfect time, in the middle of winter, and that enhanced the cold, isolated feelings I was getting from the book. The end, too, was perfectly inevitable and cathartic. It is heartfelt and tender, soothing to old wounds.
I feel like I’ve both rambled and said nothing concrete, but that feels somehow fitting for the way this book left me. It is one of those hard to come by stories that cuts close to the bone, those stories that make me forget where my life ends and the character’s begins.
I’ll leave you with some comp titles in hopes that I can more accurately pinpoint who I think will love The Wide Starlight as much as I do. The marketing already calls out The Astonishing Color of After by Emily XR Pan, and I would also add Sia Martinez and the Moonlit Beginning of Everything by Raquel Vasquez Gilliland, both of which follow young girls whose stories revolve around searching for their mothers. I’d also say there’s a similar melancholic tone here to We Are Okay by Nina Lacour, and the casual acceptance/understanding of traditional stories and lore of The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden.
cw: grief, loss of a parent
The Wide Starlight captured me immediately and completely. It is a beautifully written, deeply emotional story about a young girl named Eline (Eli) and her relationship with her mother. Ten years ago, when they still lived in Svalbard, Eli and her mother left their home in the middle of the night. She was found later by a rescue crew while her mother had disappeared without a trace. Now, she and her father live in Cape Cod and she is still plagued by that grief and feelings of abandonment. When the Northern Lights appear over Cape Cod, Eli follows the pull to call them down and ask for her mother back.
The main storyline is interspersed with stories that all begin “once upon a time,” and following that fairytale convention, describe fantastical situations, both happy and sad. They give us more context into Eli’s understanding of the world, of her relationships, and what was lost when they left Norway. There is a fabulist element that permeates this book, which is one of my favorite things when done right. I hesitate to discern too much between “reality” and “fantasy” because that feels inauthentic to Eli’s story, but I can see some readers finding this confusing or wanting to diagnose our main character. I recommend simply going with what is laid out, rather than trying to fight for logic.
The atmosphere especially worked well for me here. I read this at the perfect time, in the middle of winter, and that enhanced the cold, isolated feelings I was getting from the book. The end, too, was perfectly inevitable and cathartic. It is heartfelt and tender, soothing to old wounds.
I feel like I’ve both rambled and said nothing concrete, but that feels somehow fitting for the way this book left me. It is one of those hard to come by stories that cuts close to the bone, those stories that make me forget where my life ends and the character’s begins.
I’ll leave you with some comp titles in hopes that I can more accurately pinpoint who I think will love The Wide Starlight as much as I do. The marketing already calls out The Astonishing Color of After by Emily XR Pan, and I would also add Sia Martinez and the Moonlit Beginning of Everything by Raquel Vasquez Gilliland, both of which follow young girls whose stories revolve around searching for their mothers. I’d also say there’s a similar melancholic tone here to We Are Okay by Nina Lacour, and the casual acceptance/understanding of traditional stories and lore of The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden.
cw: grief, loss of a parent
April 1, 2021
rep: mental illness
the wide starlight is magical story about a girl who's desperately searching for her mother who disappeared one night along with the aurora borealis. after her mother vanished, eline's father moved them away from norway to the united states. as eline slowly filled in the gaps of not only what happened that night but also memories of her childhood, she discovered things about her mother that she didn't observed or knew in the past.
nicole lesperance's writing is simplistic yet absolutely captivating. she adds stories within stories so that the readers gradually get a sense of the bigger picture. nothing is ever dumped on the reader. it's a slow exploration of all the characters' stories ranging from eline to eline's mother to eline's grandmother.
it was beautiful, magical and very emotional. when eline finally reconnected with her mother who she hasn't seen in years or thought to be dead, it was awkward and weird. eline's hesitance in discussing about things and her elation of finally finding her mother clashes. with the author's writing, eline's emotional state was easily related to the readers.
overall, a wonderful debut with a whimsical and captivating setting in norway, about a young girl who's desperate for her mother's return.
the wide starlight is magical story about a girl who's desperately searching for her mother who disappeared one night along with the aurora borealis. after her mother vanished, eline's father moved them away from norway to the united states. as eline slowly filled in the gaps of not only what happened that night but also memories of her childhood, she discovered things about her mother that she didn't observed or knew in the past.
nicole lesperance's writing is simplistic yet absolutely captivating. she adds stories within stories so that the readers gradually get a sense of the bigger picture. nothing is ever dumped on the reader. it's a slow exploration of all the characters' stories ranging from eline to eline's mother to eline's grandmother.
it was beautiful, magical and very emotional. when eline finally reconnected with her mother who she hasn't seen in years or thought to be dead, it was awkward and weird. eline's hesitance in discussing about things and her elation of finally finding her mother clashes. with the author's writing, eline's emotional state was easily related to the readers.
overall, a wonderful debut with a whimsical and captivating setting in norway, about a young girl who's desperate for her mother's return.
March 20, 2021
At first I was a little bit confused on what was going on or how the magic and the world works but somehow it’s better this way so you can understand everything later. The story was nice, a little bit slow for me, but still very interesting and pretty sad.
I loved how Eli, the protagonist, in the end made peace with her inner self and discovered herself but at the same time helped others to understand each other better.
I loved how Eli, the protagonist, in the end made peace with her inner self and discovered herself but at the same time helped others to understand each other better.
January 14, 2021
“Once upon a time, far from the green house at the top of the world, a girl stood alone on a frozen fjord under an empty night sky, clutching a ring that had turned from gleaming gold to dull silver. ‘I wish for my mamma to come back.”
Ah, were do I start with this beautiful story. The Wide Starlight is magical and dreamy and so gorgeously written. The kind of book that makes you feel like anything is possible when you’re reading it. That maybe, just maybe, there’s some magic in the world that the rest of just can’t see. The Wide Starlight by Nicole Lesperance is the book that kept me up reading well past 2 am on a Sunday night making for the Mondayest Monday ever and I have zero regrets.
Eline was only a child when her mother disappeared, snatched up in to the sky by the Northern Lights, leaving her alone on a frozen fjord far from her home. At sixteen, Eline, or Eli is living in Cape Cod with her father, far from her Norwegian roots when a series of unlikely events occur. First the arrival of the Northern Lights which are rarely, if ever, seen in the Cape. This, along with a cryptic note found in a bush, leads Eli to remember the night her mother disappeared; the night she whistled down the Northern Lights and was swept up into the sky. Thinking she can bring her mother back, Eli whistles at the sky and her mother returns but she’s a mirror image of her former self and she’s brought with her a spot of trouble.
There’s so much I loved about this story! There is a sense of magic incorporated in to every page; the lyrical stories and Nordic fairytales told by the characters are poignant and wistful, captivating and compelling. And then there’s the setting! What a setting Ms. Lesperance created! Atmospheric and richly detailed; an absolute joy to read and discover. I loved how she examined the love between a mother and daughter; the rose-colored glasses we wear as children when we see only the perfection of our parents. She explores the bitter heartache that comes with loss, explored in vivid detail and all wrapped up into one painful ball of raw emotion. My words can’t really do this book justice.
Most of us who read a lot will say ‘this is a story that will stay with me for a while’ after reading a book that’s really touched us. This is how I feel about The Wide Starlight; it’s a story that will come back to me again and again, long after I’ve finished the last word.
My sincere thanks to Penguin Teen and the author for providing me with a DRC in exchange for my review.
Ah, were do I start with this beautiful story. The Wide Starlight is magical and dreamy and so gorgeously written. The kind of book that makes you feel like anything is possible when you’re reading it. That maybe, just maybe, there’s some magic in the world that the rest of just can’t see. The Wide Starlight by Nicole Lesperance is the book that kept me up reading well past 2 am on a Sunday night making for the Mondayest Monday ever and I have zero regrets.
Eline was only a child when her mother disappeared, snatched up in to the sky by the Northern Lights, leaving her alone on a frozen fjord far from her home. At sixteen, Eline, or Eli is living in Cape Cod with her father, far from her Norwegian roots when a series of unlikely events occur. First the arrival of the Northern Lights which are rarely, if ever, seen in the Cape. This, along with a cryptic note found in a bush, leads Eli to remember the night her mother disappeared; the night she whistled down the Northern Lights and was swept up into the sky. Thinking she can bring her mother back, Eli whistles at the sky and her mother returns but she’s a mirror image of her former self and she’s brought with her a spot of trouble.
There’s so much I loved about this story! There is a sense of magic incorporated in to every page; the lyrical stories and Nordic fairytales told by the characters are poignant and wistful, captivating and compelling. And then there’s the setting! What a setting Ms. Lesperance created! Atmospheric and richly detailed; an absolute joy to read and discover. I loved how she examined the love between a mother and daughter; the rose-colored glasses we wear as children when we see only the perfection of our parents. She explores the bitter heartache that comes with loss, explored in vivid detail and all wrapped up into one painful ball of raw emotion. My words can’t really do this book justice.
Most of us who read a lot will say ‘this is a story that will stay with me for a while’ after reading a book that’s really touched us. This is how I feel about The Wide Starlight; it’s a story that will come back to me again and again, long after I’ve finished the last word.
My sincere thanks to Penguin Teen and the author for providing me with a DRC in exchange for my review.
February 20, 2021
The Wide Starlight was pretty cool from start to finish.
March 8, 2021
Review to come once my eyes dry.
March 11, 2021
★★★★★
I received a copy of this book via the publisher.
Picture this: I'm sitting at the table munching on my gluten-free, vegan mayo turkey sandwich wondering why my gut has to turn against me all the time and I'm forced to eat this $5 loaf of bread when I hear the huffing of the mail truck pull up my house. Now, on a normal day, I'm all excited about the Burger King coupons and *maybe* my Etsy bookmark order on a good week. But when I hear the hefty footsteps up my front porch, I know I got something worth being excited about that doesn't include the moment my gas-x pills begin to work.
In this beautiful, wonderful package was a book from Penguin and I ripped it open with vigor to discover The Wide Starlight, a for-real finished copy, and my eyes nearly bulged from my socket. I remember messaging the publisher about a possible review copy, but I hadn't heard anything so I assumed, like most of my review queries, I'd been dumped into the email trash folder. Imagine my joy when I'd finally been heard!
The Wide Starlight is everything I hoped it would be. Ten years after the disappearance of her mother on a glacier in a remote region of Norway, Eline now lives in Cape Cod with her dad. But despite having moved on with their lives, Eline still wonders what happened that fateful day she was left alone in the freezing cold. And her mother was nowhere to be found. When she finds out the Northern Lights can be seen from her location, she heads out and does the unthinkable: attempts to contact her mother. But things start to get weird, and soon Eline's journey takes her back to Norway, to the grandmother she hasn't seen in the years, and to the place that held the mystery of what really happened to her mother.
Magical realism is my bag because despite liking to be grounded in the real world, I do enjoy seeing the hints of magic we all wish we had around us each and every day. Life can get messy and hard and aggravating, but to imagine there's a power beyond anything you could ever imagine out there, it can get a little less heavy.
I particularly love the writing; there's something so simple yet fascinating about it. The weaving of golf Nordic tales in with the story captivated me to the point of inspiration for my own writing.
This book is beautiful and heartbreaking all in one. I'm going to be a fan of Nicole Lesperance for a long time to come.
I received a copy of this book via the publisher.
Picture this: I'm sitting at the table munching on my gluten-free, vegan mayo turkey sandwich wondering why my gut has to turn against me all the time and I'm forced to eat this $5 loaf of bread when I hear the huffing of the mail truck pull up my house. Now, on a normal day, I'm all excited about the Burger King coupons and *maybe* my Etsy bookmark order on a good week. But when I hear the hefty footsteps up my front porch, I know I got something worth being excited about that doesn't include the moment my gas-x pills begin to work.
In this beautiful, wonderful package was a book from Penguin and I ripped it open with vigor to discover The Wide Starlight, a for-real finished copy, and my eyes nearly bulged from my socket. I remember messaging the publisher about a possible review copy, but I hadn't heard anything so I assumed, like most of my review queries, I'd been dumped into the email trash folder. Imagine my joy when I'd finally been heard!
The Wide Starlight is everything I hoped it would be. Ten years after the disappearance of her mother on a glacier in a remote region of Norway, Eline now lives in Cape Cod with her dad. But despite having moved on with their lives, Eline still wonders what happened that fateful day she was left alone in the freezing cold. And her mother was nowhere to be found. When she finds out the Northern Lights can be seen from her location, she heads out and does the unthinkable: attempts to contact her mother. But things start to get weird, and soon Eline's journey takes her back to Norway, to the grandmother she hasn't seen in the years, and to the place that held the mystery of what really happened to her mother.
Magical realism is my bag because despite liking to be grounded in the real world, I do enjoy seeing the hints of magic we all wish we had around us each and every day. Life can get messy and hard and aggravating, but to imagine there's a power beyond anything you could ever imagine out there, it can get a little less heavy.
I particularly love the writing; there's something so simple yet fascinating about it. The weaving of golf Nordic tales in with the story captivated me to the point of inspiration for my own writing.
This book is beautiful and heartbreaking all in one. I'm going to be a fan of Nicole Lesperance for a long time to come.
February 2, 2021
3.5 stars. This one was actually perfect for reading while we are currently in the middle of a winter storm since the setting is very wintry! I really liked the way the author wove magic and lore into a story about loss, and the ensuing grief and anger that follow, and appreciated the unique setting.
March 22, 2021
This book is the beautiful and very difficult in between of contemporary and fantasy where nothing is really explained and it just feels like real magic.
We follow Eli who when she as 5 her mother took her out to the middle of the glacier range near their home in Norway and then ... disappeared. Now a senior in high school, Eli is noticing odd magical things happening around her. And she also got a note that her mother is trying to contact her.
From there, this book caught me. We have feathers in lockers and narwhals showing up on the coast of Maine, 3 magical princesses, and a storybook of the history of the family. I absolutely loved it. If you're a fan of Katrina Leno's writing or The Last True Poets of the Sea, this book fits right into that category of magical realism.
We follow Eli who when she as 5 her mother took her out to the middle of the glacier range near their home in Norway and then ... disappeared. Now a senior in high school, Eli is noticing odd magical things happening around her. And she also got a note that her mother is trying to contact her.
From there, this book caught me. We have feathers in lockers and narwhals showing up on the coast of Maine, 3 magical princesses, and a storybook of the history of the family. I absolutely loved it. If you're a fan of Katrina Leno's writing or The Last True Poets of the Sea, this book fits right into that category of magical realism.
Want to read
May 13, 2021I need to read this asap. Look at that cover. Beautiful. ✨
October 13, 2021
Re-read #1 | October 13, 2021
I loved this book so much the first time that I had to read it again. And I KNEW what was going to happen. But at that scene in Chapter 51, I completely lost it. 😭 💔
Now that I read this book again, I can see there are some things that could've been better developed. For one, the characters. And I'm not 100% sure how the magic worked or what its limits were. But maybe that was intentional, and maybe knowing the magic system might ruin the mysterious aesthetic of this story.
But I especially love how Lesperance wove Eli and her mother's story in such a subtle and gradual way while not sacrificing the suspense element. Their stories interwoven create a backdrop for beautiful themes—the most prominent being forgiveness, and the love a mother and daughter share.
One thing I pulled from this story was the message that familial relationships are messy and beautiful all at once. They're filled with tears and laughter and mistakes and pain. But amidst all that, love for one another holds us together—bonds that actions and circumstances can't sever.
So in all, still a beautiful story. While not perfect by all means, the themes in this book resonated with me on a much deeper level this second time around. It's definitely a book that tackles the topic of mental health, but it's not JUST about mental health.
In conclusion, this book isn't for everyone. But for the select few like me, this is a read that will cause them to tear up and savor every word.
Original review | April 25, 2021
I loved this book SO much. Spun of Norwegian fairy tales, magical realism, and the northern lights, it delves deep into family relationships, forgiveness, loss, and moving on despite everything, this book really was right up my alley.
While I’m not a big fantasy reader, Lesperance wove the magic into the story in a way that didn’t distract from the main plot. Right away, I was pulled in by her vivid prose.
The story was told in three parts—seventeen-year-old Eli’s life, a diary of sorts from her traumatic childhood (written in fairytale style), and the diary her mother left her (also written in fairytale style). While the beginning was a bit slow, the second half of the book made sense of it all. When Eli wasn’t actually just reacting to events—but doing something to get back her lost mother.
I personally sympathized a lot with the main character. In the story, she lives a life with her father, trying to forget her broken past. But she wakes up with nightmares every night, usually ones with her lost mother (who was taken by the northern lights when she was seven). She tries to appear fine. But no—inside, her memories that she’s tried to erase come back to haunt her, and they’re tearing her life apart. But the one thing she does do is write a story—the story of her childhood and the time when she was with her mother.
Most of the characters had such depth. The author managed to weave the way they viewed life and how they were trying to fix their mistakes without being info-dumpy. I loved seeing how they (more specifically, the dad, the mom, the grandmother, and Eli herself) each had their own sides of the story that made up Eli’s life and how they were all ultimately trying to help the situation in their own ways—but instead making it worse. I especially loved how this book explored the themes of family love—definitely something that I believe needs to be explored in YA fiction nowadays.
And the ending. . . oh my goodness. I’m not lying when I say I cried multiple times at the end. But how the author tied everything together from the first half together and made it all make sense was just gorgeous and yes, heartbreaking.
As for what I didn’t like. . . honestly, not much. The first half of the book was a bit slow. The princesses’ motives were slightly unclear. There was some profanity that was pretty unnecessary (more on that below), but it wasn’t repeated. The book also delved into hard topics—depression, mental illness, and broken family dynamics, but in my opinion, the author handled them extremely well.
CONTENT WARNINGS : Profanity, including sh**, bl**d*, h*ll, d**n, bu**s*i*, usage of God’s name in vain, and hard topics (see above).
Overall, despite the profanity, I loved the overall feel this book carried, and the author’s writing style fitted beautifully with the settings and characters. This book packed a heartfelt impact with the themes, and the magic wasn’t super dark or sinister, instead carrying a light fairytale vibe. With all that said, I may have found my new favorite fantasy read—and that’s saying a lot. 😉If you're a fan of heartfelt light fantasy fiction and don't mind a bit of profanity, I highly, highly recommend this book.
4.5/5 stars (very wow-worthy).
I loved this book so much the first time that I had to read it again. And I KNEW what was going to happen. But at that scene in Chapter 51, I completely lost it. 😭 💔
Now that I read this book again, I can see there are some things that could've been better developed. For one, the characters. And I'm not 100% sure how the magic worked or what its limits were. But maybe that was intentional, and maybe knowing the magic system might ruin the mysterious aesthetic of this story.
But I especially love how Lesperance wove Eli and her mother's story in such a subtle and gradual way while not sacrificing the suspense element. Their stories interwoven create a backdrop for beautiful themes—the most prominent being forgiveness, and the love a mother and daughter share.
One thing I pulled from this story was the message that familial relationships are messy and beautiful all at once. They're filled with tears and laughter and mistakes and pain. But amidst all that, love for one another holds us together—bonds that actions and circumstances can't sever.
So in all, still a beautiful story. While not perfect by all means, the themes in this book resonated with me on a much deeper level this second time around. It's definitely a book that tackles the topic of mental health, but it's not JUST about mental health.
In conclusion, this book isn't for everyone. But for the select few like me, this is a read that will cause them to tear up and savor every word.
Original review | April 25, 2021
I loved this book SO much. Spun of Norwegian fairy tales, magical realism, and the northern lights, it delves deep into family relationships, forgiveness, loss, and moving on despite everything, this book really was right up my alley.
While I’m not a big fantasy reader, Lesperance wove the magic into the story in a way that didn’t distract from the main plot. Right away, I was pulled in by her vivid prose.
The story was told in three parts—seventeen-year-old Eli’s life, a diary of sorts from her traumatic childhood (written in fairytale style), and the diary her mother left her (also written in fairytale style). While the beginning was a bit slow, the second half of the book made sense of it all. When Eli wasn’t actually just reacting to events—but doing something to get back her lost mother.
I personally sympathized a lot with the main character. In the story, she lives a life with her father, trying to forget her broken past. But she wakes up with nightmares every night, usually ones with her lost mother (who was taken by the northern lights when she was seven). She tries to appear fine. But no—inside, her memories that she’s tried to erase come back to haunt her, and they’re tearing her life apart. But the one thing she does do is write a story—the story of her childhood and the time when she was with her mother.
Most of the characters had such depth. The author managed to weave the way they viewed life and how they were trying to fix their mistakes without being info-dumpy. I loved seeing how they (more specifically, the dad, the mom, the grandmother, and Eli herself) each had their own sides of the story that made up Eli’s life and how they were all ultimately trying to help the situation in their own ways—but instead making it worse. I especially loved how this book explored the themes of family love—definitely something that I believe needs to be explored in YA fiction nowadays.
And the ending. . . oh my goodness. I’m not lying when I say I cried multiple times at the end. But how the author tied everything together from the first half together and made it all make sense was just gorgeous and yes, heartbreaking.
As for what I didn’t like. . . honestly, not much. The first half of the book was a bit slow. The princesses’ motives were slightly unclear. There was some profanity that was pretty unnecessary (more on that below), but it wasn’t repeated. The book also delved into hard topics—depression, mental illness, and broken family dynamics, but in my opinion, the author handled them extremely well.
CONTENT WARNINGS : Profanity, including sh**, bl**d*, h*ll, d**n, bu**s*i*, usage of God’s name in vain, and hard topics (see above).
Overall, despite the profanity, I loved the overall feel this book carried, and the author’s writing style fitted beautifully with the settings and characters. This book packed a heartfelt impact with the themes, and the magic wasn’t super dark or sinister, instead carrying a light fairytale vibe. With all that said, I may have found my new favorite fantasy read—and that’s saying a lot. 😉If you're a fan of heartfelt light fantasy fiction and don't mind a bit of profanity, I highly, highly recommend this book.
4.5/5 stars (very wow-worthy).
December 3, 2020
Inspired by Norwegian folklore about the Northern Lights (so, you know, I automatically love it), this book follows Eli, a Norwegian-American girl searching for her mother, who was snatched up by the Northern Lights in Norway when Eli was only six. The writing is gorgeous, lyrical, and poignant with Eli’s longing for her mother and her efforts to reconnect with her broken family. And woven into Eli’s story are gorgeous, folktale-esque memories of Eli’s mother when she was a child, and every step of the past that led to Eli’s mother disappearing into the sky. Highly recommend this book!
September 17, 2021
This was such a beautiful book. I always love books that weave together magic and reality, and the author did such a lovely job with this one. The use of the fairytales to highlight the very real grief and loss was just breathtaking. The imagery was gorgeous and the language was poetic. I've been recommending this one to friends for moths. It's one that will stay with me for a long time. I love that it leaves the reader with lots of questions and things to think about. Just a truly wonderful story, all the way around.
August 5, 2021
3.5 stars
I read this a couple of months ago but forgot to add it here. So I don't remember much (actually, I remember a lot compared to what I normally do about books, which is extra points for this book). But it was pretty good. I didn't love the ending (sad endings drive me nuts) but other than that it was good.
I loved the Norwegian aspect of it, especially since I have some friends with Norwegian roots. I haven't read many books set in the colder regions of Europe so this was a nice adventure. The fairy tales were really fun, too, and I love how this story was told.
The mental health part left me confused. It felt incredibly real and believable. The protagonist Eli's struggles also felt so believable and realistic. Mental health when left without help has a real and huge impact on the lives of those around the struggling one. But something about the ending left me wondering.
All in all, I really enjoyed The Wide Starlight. But as to whom I'd recommend it to... maybe 13-14+ YA readers. Watch out, there's a lot of heavy topics in this one!
I read this a couple of months ago but forgot to add it here. So I don't remember much (actually, I remember a lot compared to what I normally do about books, which is extra points for this book). But it was pretty good. I didn't love the ending (sad endings drive me nuts) but other than that it was good.
I loved the Norwegian aspect of it, especially since I have some friends with Norwegian roots. I haven't read many books set in the colder regions of Europe so this was a nice adventure. The fairy tales were really fun, too, and I love how this story was told.
The mental health part left me confused. It felt incredibly real and believable. The protagonist Eli's struggles also felt so believable and realistic. Mental health when left without help has a real and huge impact on the lives of those around the struggling one. But something about the ending left me wondering.
All in all, I really enjoyed The Wide Starlight. But as to whom I'd recommend it to... maybe 13-14+ YA readers. Watch out, there's a lot of heavy topics in this one!
January 14, 2021
“Once upon a time, far from the green house at the top of the world, a girl stood alone on a frozen fjord under an empty night sky, clutching a ring that had turned from gleaming gold to dull silver. ‘I wish for my mamma to come back.”
Ah, were do I start with this beautiful story. The Wide Starlight is magical and dreamy and so gorgeously written. The kind of book that makes you feel like anything is possible when you’re reading it. That maybe, just maybe, there’s some magic in the world that the rest of just can’t see. The Wide Starlight by Nicole Lesperance is the book that kept me up reading well past 2 am on a Sunday night making for the Mondayest Monday ever and I have zero regrets.
Eline was only a child when her mother disappeared, snatched up in to the sky by the Northern Lights, leaving her alone on a frozen fjord far from her home. At sixteen, Eline, or Eli is living in Cape Cod with her father, far from her Norwegian roots when a series of unlikely events occur. First the arrival of the Northern Lights which are rarely, if ever, seen in the Cape. This, along with a cryptic note found in a bush, leads Eli to remember the night her mother disappeared; the night she whistled down the Northern Lights and was swept up into the sky. Thinking she can bring her mother back, Eli whistles at the sky and her mother returns but she’s a mirror image of her former self and she’s brought with her a spot of trouble.
There’s so much I loved about this story! There is a sense of magic incorporated in to every page; the lyrical stories and Nordic fairytales told by the characters are poignant and wistful, captivating and compelling. And then there’s the setting! What a setting Ms. Lesperance created! Atmospheric and richly detailed; an absolute joy to read and discover. I loved how she examined the love between a mother and daughter; the rose-colored glasses we wear as children when we see only the perfection of our parents. She explores the bitter heartache that comes with loss, explored in vivid detail and all wrapped up into one painful ball of raw emotion. My words can’t really do this book justice.
Most of us who read a lot will say ‘this is a story that will stay with me for a while’ after reading a book that’s really touched us. This is how I feel about The Wide Starlight; it’s a story that will come back to me again and again, long after I’ve finished the last word.
Ah, were do I start with this beautiful story. The Wide Starlight is magical and dreamy and so gorgeously written. The kind of book that makes you feel like anything is possible when you’re reading it. That maybe, just maybe, there’s some magic in the world that the rest of just can’t see. The Wide Starlight by Nicole Lesperance is the book that kept me up reading well past 2 am on a Sunday night making for the Mondayest Monday ever and I have zero regrets.
Eline was only a child when her mother disappeared, snatched up in to the sky by the Northern Lights, leaving her alone on a frozen fjord far from her home. At sixteen, Eline, or Eli is living in Cape Cod with her father, far from her Norwegian roots when a series of unlikely events occur. First the arrival of the Northern Lights which are rarely, if ever, seen in the Cape. This, along with a cryptic note found in a bush, leads Eli to remember the night her mother disappeared; the night she whistled down the Northern Lights and was swept up into the sky. Thinking she can bring her mother back, Eli whistles at the sky and her mother returns but she’s a mirror image of her former self and she’s brought with her a spot of trouble.
There’s so much I loved about this story! There is a sense of magic incorporated in to every page; the lyrical stories and Nordic fairytales told by the characters are poignant and wistful, captivating and compelling. And then there’s the setting! What a setting Ms. Lesperance created! Atmospheric and richly detailed; an absolute joy to read and discover. I loved how she examined the love between a mother and daughter; the rose-colored glasses we wear as children when we see only the perfection of our parents. She explores the bitter heartache that comes with loss, explored in vivid detail and all wrapped up into one painful ball of raw emotion. My words can’t really do this book justice.
Most of us who read a lot will say ‘this is a story that will stay with me for a while’ after reading a book that’s really touched us. This is how I feel about The Wide Starlight; it’s a story that will come back to me again and again, long after I’ve finished the last word.
July 1, 2021
[pt/en]
Se fosse para avaliar o final do livro, a nota seria com certeza 4,5. O final me deixou muito entretida e curiosa para o que iria acontecer, MASSSSS, até chegar nos 60% tudo foi muito confuso. Me sentia perdida todo o tempo e pensei inclusive em desistir várias vezes!! E mesmo quando decidi continuar pensei “com certeza vai ser 2 estrelas”. Porém o final me surpreendeu, não pela revelação em si, mas pela explicação de como o fictício se misturou com a realidade e etc.
Foi uma leitura curiosa, não me arrependi de ter lido, mas pelo o começo confuso não sei se leria novamente.
.
If I were to review the end of the book, it would definitely be 4.5 stars. The ending left me very entertained and very curious to know what was going to happen, but until I reached 60% everything was very confusing. I felt lost all the time and I even thought about giving up several times!! And even when I decided to continue I thought “it will definitely be 2 stars”. But the ending surprised me, not because of the revelation itself, but because of the explanation of how the fictional got mixed up with reality and so on.
It was a curious reading, I didn't regret having read it. But because of the confusing beginning, I don't know if I would read it again.
Se fosse para avaliar o final do livro, a nota seria com certeza 4,5. O final me deixou muito entretida e curiosa para o que iria acontecer, MASSSSS, até chegar nos 60% tudo foi muito confuso. Me sentia perdida todo o tempo e pensei inclusive em desistir várias vezes!! E mesmo quando decidi continuar pensei “com certeza vai ser 2 estrelas”. Porém o final me surpreendeu, não pela revelação em si, mas pela explicação de como o fictício se misturou com a realidade e etc.
Foi uma leitura curiosa, não me arrependi de ter lido, mas pelo o começo confuso não sei se leria novamente.
.
If I were to review the end of the book, it would definitely be 4.5 stars. The ending left me very entertained and very curious to know what was going to happen, but until I reached 60% everything was very confusing. I felt lost all the time and I even thought about giving up several times!! And even when I decided to continue I thought “it will definitely be 2 stars”. But the ending surprised me, not because of the revelation itself, but because of the explanation of how the fictional got mixed up with reality and so on.
It was a curious reading, I didn't regret having read it. But because of the confusing beginning, I don't know if I would read it again.
November 5, 2020
This is one of the most beautifully written books I have ever read. Before I get into the plot and characters, which are just as amazing, I must talk about the prose. The words, sentences, and paragraphs are woven together in a such a way, you feel as if you are floating through the sky. They carry you throughout the entire story, no chapter from beginning to end losing that quality, they take you to the stars, then plant you carefully, yet firmly, back on the ground.
The characters are as deep and intense as the north wind. Each character is a perfect amount of perfection and flaw, calm and intense, and success and failure. They are human. And because of that, you become attached to them all, even the ones you know you should be fearful of.
The story itself is as magical as a fairy tale and as realistic as contemporary lives, and yet the two are tied together seamlessly. This is a story about secrets and misunderstandings. It’s also about family, friendships, trust, and acceptance.
The characters are as deep and intense as the north wind. Each character is a perfect amount of perfection and flaw, calm and intense, and success and failure. They are human. And because of that, you become attached to them all, even the ones you know you should be fearful of.
The story itself is as magical as a fairy tale and as realistic as contemporary lives, and yet the two are tied together seamlessly. This is a story about secrets and misunderstandings. It’s also about family, friendships, trust, and acceptance.
October 3, 2020
I don't know anything about Norwegian fairy tales, but I think I've just read one. And it was magical. THE WIDE STARLIGHT is a beautiful book about the depth and breadth of maternal love, and how a mother and daughter's ultimate task is to let go of one another. The story is ethereal and mournful and so atmospheric. The stark, icy landscape of Norway was vivid in my mind, though I've never been there. Legend and myth are quite literally knit into the story, all peacock blue and white. There was such yearning in these pages, and as a mother, I was wiping away tears at the end. Many thanks to Nicole Lesperance and Penguin/Razorbill for the eARC of this stunning fairy tale. It will stay with me for a long time.
Read
December 23, 2021I’m…… confused.
"......The Hazel Wood meets The Astonishing Color of After in this dreamy, atmospheric novel that follows sixteen-year-old Eli as she tries to remember what truly happened the night her mother disappeared off a glacier in Norway under the Northern Lights." LET'S GOOOOOOOOOO.
"......The Hazel Wood meets The Astonishing Color of After in this dreamy, atmospheric novel that follows sixteen-year-old Eli as she tries to remember what truly happened the night her mother disappeared off a glacier in Norway under the Northern Lights." LET'S GOOOOOOOOOO.
February 27, 2021
“𝙄𝙩’𝙨 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙩𝙧𝙪𝙚. 𝙉𝙤𝙗𝙤𝙙𝙮’𝙨 𝙗𝙚𝙩𝙩𝙚𝙧 𝙤𝙛𝙛 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙞𝙧 𝙢𝙤𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧. 𝙈𝙮 𝙣𝙚𝙚𝙙 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙜𝙤𝙚𝙨 𝙗𝙚𝙮𝙤𝙣𝙙 𝙖𝙣𝙮𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙄 𝙘𝙖𝙣 𝙧𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙖𝙡𝙞𝙯𝙚: 𝙞𝙩’𝙨 𝙞𝙣𝙨𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙘𝙩𝙞𝙫𝙚, 𝙞𝙩’𝙨 𝙥𝙧𝙞𝙢𝙖𝙡, 𝙞𝙩’𝙨 𝙚𝙡𝙚𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙖𝙡. 𝙄’𝙢 𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙨 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙨𝙝𝙚’𝙨 𝙢𝙞𝙣𝙚 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙨𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙗𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙙 𝙪𝙨 𝙩𝙤𝙜𝙚𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙡𝙞𝙛𝙚𝙩𝙞𝙢𝙚. 𝙉𝙤𝙬 𝙞𝙩’𝙨 𝙧𝙞𝙥𝙥𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙪𝙨 𝙖𝙥𝙖𝙧𝙩.”—Nicole Lesperance
Dripping with Norwegian folklore, this magical novel follows Eli as she struggles with the loss of her mother. Ten years later, she tries to remember what happened that fateful night on the frozen fjords in Norway. Her mother whistled at the Northern Lights and vanished. Now Eli lives in Cape Cod with her dad. When the Northern Lights become visible over the Cape for just one night, Eli can’t resist the possibility of seeing her mother just one more time.
This story is beautifully written, its pages filled with magical realism and folklore. Set upon the backdrop of frozen glaciers and stunning northern lights, it speaks of loss and acceptance. The prose is poetic and elegant. And each of the stories woven into the pages are lovely. Its a quick read that was difficult to put down. While it wasn’t the type of book I generally seek out, I immensely enjoyed it. There was just enough magic and suspense to keep my attention.
I loved the deep mother-daughter bond between Eli and her mother. It was heart-wrenching at times to read about Eli’s struggle with abandonment and some of her childhood experiences. I loved the way magic was woven into the events of the story. Just enough to be ambiguous, but clearly there.
“𝙏𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚’𝙨 𝙣𝙤 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙙 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙝𝙤𝙬 𝙄 𝙛𝙚𝙚𝙡. 𝙄 𝙢𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩 𝙨𝙘𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙢 𝙢𝙮 𝙡𝙪𝙣𝙜𝙨 𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙤𝙛 𝙢𝙮 𝙗𝙤𝙙𝙮 𝙤𝙧 𝙄 𝙢𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩 𝙛𝙡𝙮 𝙪𝙥 𝙞𝙣𝙩𝙤 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙘𝙡𝙤𝙪𝙙𝙨 𝙤𝙧 𝙄 𝙢𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩 𝙛𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙢𝙮𝙨𝙚𝙡𝙛 𝙤𝙛𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙢𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙩𝙖𝙞𝙣 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙧𝙤𝙡𝙡 𝙙𝙤𝙬𝙣 𝙞𝙣𝙩𝙤 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙛𝙟𝙤𝙧𝙙. 𝙊𝙧 𝙄 𝙢𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩 𝙘𝙪𝙧𝙡 𝙪𝙥 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙘𝙧𝙮 𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝙖𝙗𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙢𝙮 𝙢𝙤𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧, 𝙬𝙝𝙤 𝙡𝙚���𝙩 𝙢𝙚 𝙣𝙤𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙗𝙪𝙩 𝙖 𝙘𝙖𝙧𝙙𝙗𝙤𝙖𝙧𝙙 𝙗𝙤𝙤𝙠 𝙤𝙛 𝙨𝙘𝙧𝙖𝙥𝙨 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙖 𝙣𝙤𝙩𝙚 𝙙𝙚𝙡𝙞𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙚𝙙 𝙗𝙮 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙬𝙞𝙣𝙙.”
This is first and foremost a story about loss, about healing, about the lengths a daughter will go to find answers and closure. It was emotional at times, and touched on mental health issues too, which were generally in the background. But in short, it was simply a beautiful story.
What I enjoyed most was the folklore and setting. There were some lovely Norwegian stories depicted and woven into the lives of the main characters. I loved the parallels, and the way magic made certain tales come to life. Magic was always there, hiding in the seams of the world. Eli’s mother knew exactly how to tug on these seams and bring the magic to life. Her true love was in books and stories, but her ability meant she was often making the stories come to life, and these stories were her undoing. So Eli’s mother even tried to abandon them.
“𝙎𝙝𝙚 𝙬𝙖𝙣𝙩𝙚𝙙 𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙙𝙖𝙪𝙜𝙝𝙩𝙚𝙧 𝙩𝙤 𝙛𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙫𝙤𝙞𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙩𝙤𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙨 𝙝𝙖𝙙 𝙡𝙚𝙛𝙩, 𝙗𝙪𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙮 𝙬𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙩𝙬𝙤 𝙨𝙚𝙥𝙖𝙧𝙖𝙩𝙚 𝙚𝙢𝙥𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙚𝙨𝙨𝙚𝙨. 𝙃𝙚𝙧 𝙙𝙖𝙪𝙜𝙝𝙩𝙚𝙧 𝙬𝙖𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙪𝙣 𝙞𝙣 𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙨𝙤𝙡𝙖𝙧 𝙨𝙮𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙢, 𝙗𝙪𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙩𝙤𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙨 𝙬𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙜𝙖𝙡𝙖𝙭𝙮.”
The style of writing was unique. It jumped between past and present. From chapter to chapter we get glimpses into Eli’s present, and then Eli’s past based on the book or diary she wrote for herself at a young age to remember everything that had happened as a child. I liked this style, and it fit well.
Overall, this was a gorgeous story. It wasn’t in line with my tastes, yet, I still devoured it in two days. I think for people who like magical realism and connect with stories of loss, it will be ideal. MY RATING: 4/5⭐️
A big thank you to Penguin Teen for the eARC copy in exchange for my honest review.
Dripping with Norwegian folklore, this magical novel follows Eli as she struggles with the loss of her mother. Ten years later, she tries to remember what happened that fateful night on the frozen fjords in Norway. Her mother whistled at the Northern Lights and vanished. Now Eli lives in Cape Cod with her dad. When the Northern Lights become visible over the Cape for just one night, Eli can’t resist the possibility of seeing her mother just one more time.
This story is beautifully written, its pages filled with magical realism and folklore. Set upon the backdrop of frozen glaciers and stunning northern lights, it speaks of loss and acceptance. The prose is poetic and elegant. And each of the stories woven into the pages are lovely. Its a quick read that was difficult to put down. While it wasn’t the type of book I generally seek out, I immensely enjoyed it. There was just enough magic and suspense to keep my attention.
I loved the deep mother-daughter bond between Eli and her mother. It was heart-wrenching at times to read about Eli’s struggle with abandonment and some of her childhood experiences. I loved the way magic was woven into the events of the story. Just enough to be ambiguous, but clearly there.
“𝙏𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚’𝙨 𝙣𝙤 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙙 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙝𝙤𝙬 𝙄 𝙛𝙚𝙚𝙡. 𝙄 𝙢𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩 𝙨𝙘𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙢 𝙢𝙮 𝙡𝙪𝙣𝙜𝙨 𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙤𝙛 𝙢𝙮 𝙗𝙤𝙙𝙮 𝙤𝙧 𝙄 𝙢𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩 𝙛𝙡𝙮 𝙪𝙥 𝙞𝙣𝙩𝙤 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙘𝙡𝙤𝙪𝙙𝙨 𝙤𝙧 𝙄 𝙢𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩 𝙛𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙢𝙮𝙨𝙚𝙡𝙛 𝙤𝙛𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙢𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙩𝙖𝙞𝙣 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙧𝙤𝙡𝙡 𝙙𝙤𝙬𝙣 𝙞𝙣𝙩𝙤 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙛𝙟𝙤𝙧𝙙. 𝙊𝙧 𝙄 𝙢𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩 𝙘𝙪𝙧𝙡 𝙪𝙥 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙘𝙧𝙮 𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝙖𝙗𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙢𝙮 𝙢𝙤𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧, 𝙬𝙝𝙤 𝙡𝙚���𝙩 𝙢𝙚 𝙣𝙤𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙗𝙪𝙩 𝙖 𝙘𝙖𝙧𝙙𝙗𝙤𝙖𝙧𝙙 𝙗𝙤𝙤𝙠 𝙤𝙛 𝙨𝙘𝙧𝙖𝙥𝙨 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙖 𝙣𝙤𝙩𝙚 𝙙𝙚𝙡𝙞𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙚𝙙 𝙗𝙮 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙬𝙞𝙣𝙙.”
This is first and foremost a story about loss, about healing, about the lengths a daughter will go to find answers and closure. It was emotional at times, and touched on mental health issues too, which were generally in the background. But in short, it was simply a beautiful story.
What I enjoyed most was the folklore and setting. There were some lovely Norwegian stories depicted and woven into the lives of the main characters. I loved the parallels, and the way magic made certain tales come to life. Magic was always there, hiding in the seams of the world. Eli’s mother knew exactly how to tug on these seams and bring the magic to life. Her true love was in books and stories, but her ability meant she was often making the stories come to life, and these stories were her undoing. So Eli’s mother even tried to abandon them.
“𝙎𝙝𝙚 𝙬𝙖𝙣𝙩𝙚𝙙 𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙙𝙖𝙪𝙜𝙝𝙩𝙚𝙧 𝙩𝙤 𝙛𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙫𝙤𝙞𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙩𝙤𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙨 𝙝𝙖𝙙 𝙡𝙚𝙛𝙩, 𝙗𝙪𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙮 𝙬𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙩𝙬𝙤 𝙨𝙚𝙥𝙖𝙧𝙖𝙩𝙚 𝙚𝙢𝙥𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙚𝙨𝙨𝙚𝙨. 𝙃𝙚𝙧 𝙙𝙖𝙪𝙜𝙝𝙩𝙚𝙧 𝙬𝙖𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙪𝙣 𝙞𝙣 𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙨𝙤𝙡𝙖𝙧 𝙨𝙮𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙢, 𝙗𝙪𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙩𝙤𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙨 𝙬𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙜𝙖𝙡𝙖𝙭𝙮.”
The style of writing was unique. It jumped between past and present. From chapter to chapter we get glimpses into Eli’s present, and then Eli’s past based on the book or diary she wrote for herself at a young age to remember everything that had happened as a child. I liked this style, and it fit well.
Overall, this was a gorgeous story. It wasn’t in line with my tastes, yet, I still devoured it in two days. I think for people who like magical realism and connect with stories of loss, it will be ideal. MY RATING: 4/5⭐️
A big thank you to Penguin Teen for the eARC copy in exchange for my honest review.
June 10, 2021
Eline’s mother has been missing for years. Ever since she was a little girl and her mother brought her out on the ice in Norway and whistled to the Northern Lights. Eline’s mother disappeared up in the sky before her very eyes and Eline was found alone, stranded on the ice.
Eline is older now and the same Northern Lights have come to Massachusetts Peninsula for exactly one night. Eline takes a chance and whistles to those lights and they bring back her mother. But there is something different about her mother and these ancient girls from old stories have hitched a ride as well and seem to be drawing her mother away. Eline convinces her Dad to take a trip to Norway under the pretense of visiting her Grandmother when in reality she hopes to find her mother on the same patch of ice from long ago.
I think I might be in the minority for this one. It just wasn’t my cup of tea. Don’t get me wrong it has some emotional feels and I definitely had a lot of empathy for Eline but that was it. I didn’t really feel a connection to her otherwise. And that is very important to me while reading a book. Also she was a terrible friend. I understood she was going through a lot with her mother missing but she was really horrible to Iris her best friend.
I loved what the author was trying to do with the story itself, mix Norwegian Folk Lore with magical realism but it just didn’t sit well with me and it was a bit confusing and kind of weird to me at times.
I also felt more invested in the past timeline and not enough to the present because of the way it was told.
Thank You to Penguin Teen for this gifted eArc in exchange for my honest review.
Eline is older now and the same Northern Lights have come to Massachusetts Peninsula for exactly one night. Eline takes a chance and whistles to those lights and they bring back her mother. But there is something different about her mother and these ancient girls from old stories have hitched a ride as well and seem to be drawing her mother away. Eline convinces her Dad to take a trip to Norway under the pretense of visiting her Grandmother when in reality she hopes to find her mother on the same patch of ice from long ago.
I think I might be in the minority for this one. It just wasn’t my cup of tea. Don’t get me wrong it has some emotional feels and I definitely had a lot of empathy for Eline but that was it. I didn’t really feel a connection to her otherwise. And that is very important to me while reading a book. Also she was a terrible friend. I understood she was going through a lot with her mother missing but she was really horrible to Iris her best friend.
I loved what the author was trying to do with the story itself, mix Norwegian Folk Lore with magical realism but it just didn’t sit well with me and it was a bit confusing and kind of weird to me at times.
I also felt more invested in the past timeline and not enough to the present because of the way it was told.
Thank You to Penguin Teen for this gifted eArc in exchange for my honest review.
April 6, 2021
This was not for me to be honest. The cover is AMAZING!!
May 30, 2021
I wanted to like this one but really didn't care for the main character.
Shelved as 'did-not-finish'
June 30, 2021I don’t mind unique books but this one was too weird
February 1, 2021
★★★★☆ 3.5/5
thank you to penguinteen and netgallery for the arc!
absolutely gorgeous and heartbreaking. i felt fully immersed in the story the whole time and felt myself struggling to put it down. a super quick read that feels so much longer and deeper (in a good way) because of all the beautiful stories packed inside
thank you to penguinteen and netgallery for the arc!
absolutely gorgeous and heartbreaking. i felt fully immersed in the story the whole time and felt myself struggling to put it down. a super quick read that feels so much longer and deeper (in a good way) because of all the beautiful stories packed inside
February 21, 2021
What a magical journey this book just took me on. I absolutely loved this book, it captured me from the very beginning. I loved the old Norwegian folk tales, as well as putting Eli's and her mother's stories into fairy tale versions. Five stars for sure!
January 24, 2021
In this beautiful and magical story, we meet Eline (Eli) as she tries to put the pieces together of what happened to her mother. Years ago, her mother whistled at the sky under the northern lights and she disappeared before Eli’s eyes. Afterward, Eli and her father left their home in Norway and reside on Cape Cod. When these same northern lights are visible over her Massachusetts peninsula for one night only, Eli takes a chance and whistles at the sky. And there she is! Her mother is here again but she is different now and she is not alone. While that may seem ominous, in truth, mostly it is, but beautiful and magical, as well.
Her mother’s disappearance from the second time is something that Eli cannot handle, so she convinces her father to go back to Norway, where she knows she will find her mother yet again. There she meets family she has never known of and is constantly visited by the three beautiful but ominous princesses who seem to be up to no good. What they claim is their help will come with a price. But nothing will stand in the way of her reuniting with her mother.
This was a beautiful story, filled with colorful musings and magical tales. This was about the bond between mother and daughter and how wonderful and yet tumultuous it can be. The Wide Starlight was a unique story that pulled me in and lulled me, cocooned in the incredible storytelling and absolute magic like a flame that you are drawn too for its warmth but if you get too close, you will get burned. There was such a sense of urgency in these pages and I found it thrilling and enthralling.
Her mother’s disappearance from the second time is something that Eli cannot handle, so she convinces her father to go back to Norway, where she knows she will find her mother yet again. There she meets family she has never known of and is constantly visited by the three beautiful but ominous princesses who seem to be up to no good. What they claim is their help will come with a price. But nothing will stand in the way of her reuniting with her mother.
This was a beautiful story, filled with colorful musings and magical tales. This was about the bond between mother and daughter and how wonderful and yet tumultuous it can be. The Wide Starlight was a unique story that pulled me in and lulled me, cocooned in the incredible storytelling and absolute magic like a flame that you are drawn too for its warmth but if you get too close, you will get burned. There was such a sense of urgency in these pages and I found it thrilling and enthralling.
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