From the Bookshelf of Pop Sugar's Annual Ultimate Reading Challenge…

The Light We Lost

Jill Santopolo

Why we're reading this: Reese Witherspoon's Book Club Choice for February…more
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Jan 12, 2019 Kelly rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: new-york, 2019-read, cover-me-blue, 4-star, travel, americana, israel-jewish

How many people have met someone who causes them to think, at both high points and low points in all of the years to come, what if I had chosen differently and I was with him/her instead?

Gabe is that person for Lucy. Throughout the narrative, Lucy is speaking with Gabe, telling her story; we know that something bad has happened to him. Because there was so much foreshadowing, I wasn't surprised by the end, which is probably why this story didn't move me to tears like it did other reviewers. The How many people have met someone who causes them to think, at both high points and low points in all of the years to come, what if I had chosen differently and I was with him/her instead?

Gabe is that person for Lucy. Throughout the narrative, Lucy is speaking with Gabe, telling her story; we know that something bad has happened to him. Because there was so much foreshadowing, I wasn't surprised by the end, which is probably why this story didn't move me to tears like it did other reviewers. The end was inevitable; I was resigned to it, and - based on Lucy's tone throughout the entire novel - it was clear to me that Lucy was, too.

I loved reading about how Lucy and Gabe fell in love, and about the choices they made which led toward, and then away, from each other. I wasn't bothered by Lucy's choices toward the end of the book (view spoiler). Like the fact that (view spoiler)

This is not just about the light that Lucy and Gabe lost, but about the light we all lost on 9/11 when a little more fear seeped through the edges of our world and left bloodstains that will always haunt us. I felt so connected to the timeline of this novel. I wasn't in college during 9/11, like Lucy and Gabe were, but I was a senior in high school. Moving forward through time, with the events of Iraq and Afghanistan in the backdrop of the book, and all the way up until the summer of 2014, when the book ends, Lucy and Gabe's backdrop was my backdrop, was the backdrop to all of our stories, those of us of a certain generation. We fell in love, we started careers, and then families - we chose light. I live in Tel Aviv; the summer of 2014, at the time of the events at the end of the novel (Tzuk Eitan, war with the Palestinians when the Iron Dome was used to prevent thousands of rockets from falling on Israel), was one of the most frightening times of my life. It was a horrific time. So, so, so many people died. And it made sense to me that (view spoiler).

What I do really want to know is - how does it end? (view spoiler)

Overall this was a really compelling and satisfying read, if not as heart-wrenching as I thought it would be. ...more

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Jun 02, 2017 Peebee rated it it was ok

I can see some people liking this book very much, and I can already envision the movie in my mind. One of the Chris's, one of the Emma's....But I didn't really care for it at all. Lucy felt very immature, and like one of those people who always wants what they cannot have, even though they've supposedly chosen what they want. The entire book reeked of privilege and selfishness, and I didn't really relate to it at all. Maybe the movie will be better (but probably not). ...more

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