I really enjoyed this book. It was the perfect mix of dystopian and it definitely did have "Where the Crawdads Sing" vibes. I loved Wanda and her fierce spirit and the themes of found family. I did feel like the timeline was a bit confusing and would have love a linear timeline. Though this book was dystopian, I did not find it as scary as traditional ones that really made me anxious.

What a beautiful masterpiece. I can’t believe how well the mood of this story changed and morphed. As we got into the “after” I started to realize the difference in the two “halves” of the story and how they felt like two different books but it was meant to be because the world had changed that much. The writing was beautiful and I was riveted from start to finish. The character building felt so real, I *almost* cried near the end at a tender moment between two characters.

I feel like I need to immediately start this book over just to absorb it all some more. And I’m also terrified that I’ll never make it if the world ends. Such a great book.

Both devastating and hopeful, this novel is set in the (near?) future when weather patterns have irrevocably changed the world. Florida is gone, abandoned by its people and country. Yet some stay behind, learning to adapt. Wanda is one of those people. What an amazing character, full of intelligence, despair, longing and hope. This novel is a meditation on a changing landscape, changes that perhaps we would prefer not to greet, and the beauty of adaptation to a new world.

"Florida is slipping away. As devastating weather patterns and rising sea levels gradually wreak havoc on the state’s infrastructure, a powerful hurricane approaches a small town on the southeastern coast. Kirby Lowe, an electrical line worker; his pregnant wife, Frida; and their two sons, Flip and Lucas, prepare for the worst. When the boys go missing just before the hurricane hits, Kirby heads out into the high winds to search for them. Left alone, Frida goes into premature labor and gives birth to an unusual child, Wanda, whom she names after the catastrophic storm that ushers her into a society closer to collapse than ever before.

As Florida continues to unravel, Wanda grows. Moving from childhood to adulthood, adapting not only to the changing landscape, but also to the people who stayed behind in a place abandoned by civilization, Wanda loses family, gains community, and ultimately, seeks adventure, love, and purpose in a place remade by nature."

Thanks to NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for the free ARC in exchange for my honest review. All opinions expressed herein are my own.

This story left it's mark on me and really made me think so I think it was wonderful for that! I really enjoyed the descriptions of the changing landscape and it's affects. I enjoyed reading about the ways people came together and the bonds they made. I also enjoyed the unique was this book was written and broken up into.

An unexpected story that changes like the marsh as the story unfolds in separate parts. I was engulfed at each chapter as it unfolded and really enjoyed the short chapters. This is one of those stories that stays with you as well as the characters. Their stories told and coming to the end was beautiful. The blurb to pull readers in is true to fans of Where the Crawdads Sing, a nod to the writing style as well as the atmospheric setting.

This is a truly beautiful book. Marketed as "Station Eleven meets Where the Crawdads Sing" perfectly describes this book! Separated into four parts and approximately a decade apart for each one, it centers around Wanda (named after the hurricane she was born during) and her life in rural Florida as it has been overcome with the results of climate change. Devastated by record-breaking hurricanes and abandoned by the rest of the country, those that remain learn to survive in a new area. This book was a look to a not so unrealistic future due to the effects of climate change and leaves the reader with a sense of fear and desire to do something about it. Wanda was so beautifully written & despite her constant loss, her adaptability to the ever changing environment and condition is truly commendable.

4.5 stars rounded up.
This was not the book I was expecting. I didn’t read much about this and somehow assumed it was this sci dystopian book a la Waterworld. It is not. The book is in 4 parts (power, light, time…) and begins with a catastrophic series of events in the lower US. As climate wreaks havoc on the land it also destroys the lives of our main characters. We follow young Wanda as she grows up in abandoned Florida among changing landscape and ways of life. She find family amongst neighbors and those trying to survive. The book is written with similar feeling to Joyce Maynard’s Count the Ways in an almost observant set back manner but so touching and affecting. I loved the characters, the story and the atmosphere. It’s all beautiful and heartbreaking. In the end this is a book about adaption and change in the face of constant unpredictable chaos. It’s definitely a warning cry as well and heartbreaking to imagine this as our future.

A sad tale with much loss and devastation, but I loved it. The story of an overwhelming eco disaster and the perseverance of human love and determination. Beautifully written with both a threatening and emotional atmosphere. Wonderful main characters with courage, depth, and intensity to them.

This book is great! Would definitely recommend. Thanks so much to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

This is an incredible book.I don't normally enjoy apocalyptic fiction, but this book is so much more.Yes, it does portray a landscape on the edge of extinction. However, it takes on important themes ...coming of age, grief, redemption, love that takes many forms, and so much more. It imagines a future in which the Florida wilderness takes itself back from the humans who have devastated it. It is beautiful, scary, haunting, powerful, and unforgettable. It is also timely as it addresses the effect of storms and climate change on the southwest Florida coast.

Brooks-Dalton's writing is superb. The setting is so vividly described that the reader can easily visualize the encroaching destruction. Characters are developed through shifting narratives so skillfully that you know them all well by the end of the book. I have sometimes felt that the varied perspective narrative approach is confusing. Not here. The author makes subtle references and connections that help readers understand each character's development and connection to the overall narrative.The threading together of Phyllis and Wanda's lives was particularly well done.

The narrative seems very original to me. While plausible,the book presents an original take on climate warming and ecological disaster.

The four section titles, Power, Water, Light and Time beautifully captured the essence of each section. The words stand for events that guide the events of a section. Encapsulating a section's heart with one word was pretty amazing.

Grief and loss permeate the entire story. Some days I actually had to stop reading because I became overwhelmed by all the death and destruction. However, the beautiful writing ultimately buoyed me up and carried me through to the positive resolution at the end of the story.

This is an unforgettable novel that will resonate with me for a long time. It is one of the best books I have read all year.





aamcclur@owu.edu

Even though I’m not done with my 2022 reading, I expect this book will show up on my favorites from the year. When I was finished I was unmotivated to start anything new because nothing can compare to what I just experienced. (Actually now I am back into reading but I felt like that for a couple of days!)

This book is in emerging genre of climate fiction which is basically dystopia of what the world may look like as the weather gets crazier and life as we know it is no longer sustainable. Floods along the coasts, droughts on land. This is not hard for me to imagine, sadly.

Set in Florida after many hurricanes, the surviving characters make their way in a new “land” where there is not much actual land.

Wanda is an infant born in a hurricane to a family of line workers, who keep the electricity on as they can, until it goes out again. When there is no power, the government can’t keep running. Then businesses fold, money is worth nothing, houses are worth nothing. This is a book of survival about those who stay, and how the survivors forge new relationships to survive together.

I’ve seen comparison to Where the Crawdads Sing (my thoughts on this here), and I can see that.

Thank you to NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for the advanced copy for review.

The Light Pirate is set in a time when the United States and the world are experiencing the crumbling of everything. It's set in Florida that continues to get hit with hurricanes more and more every year. It's starting to be taken over by the sea and the citizens either have to flee north to higher ground or adapt. Very few can adapt.

The story focuses on a family who weathers the storms as well as they are able. They lose people and find new ones along the way that become family. Their main goal is to survive.

It's beautifully written and I could feel the descriptions the author wrote. The detail and storytelling is just remarkable. I truly hope that she writes more books. I've already preordered this one and purchased an older book of hers. I'm in love with the writing and storytelling.

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Man, this was just not for me and I think it's time I admit that Climate Fiction and I are not friends. This whole genre feels to me like Literary Fiction authors decided to take up SFF but just couldn't help taking all the fun out of it.

The Light Pirate follows a girl who was born in a storm and sort of has powers? Oh and the weather gets pretty bad. That about sums it up, anyway.

I think this will be popular among people who love depressing characters, but I did not connect with one of them and was just annoyed the whole time. Oh, and you'll be kept at arm's length from them as you're just sort of told how they're feeling all the time.

The Light Pirate is an amazing story about how weather patterns and rising sea levels wreak gradual havoc on Florida. It is told in sections and starts with Kirby and Frida in a hurricane and the birth of Wanda. It then moves on to follow Wanda through her life in Florida and the disasters and weather events that change her life. It really is a heartbreaking story of loss, strength, and hope. How do you live when your world is falling apart and your family is disappearing? How do you go on when the life you knew is gone? The climate crisis is very real and this book shows one future that may come. The characters are well written and the story is phenomenal.

The Light Pirate by Lily Brooks-Dalton was a fascinating read for me. I enjoyed it so much more than I ever anticipated I would. It’s a story of loss, lots of loss but it’s also about survival. The story centers around Wanda. She is born during a Hurricane and that’s where she gets her name from. I believe this story is set a little into the future and it tells what it might be like with all these crazy weather patterns that we have. Wanda and her family live in Rudder, Florida. With all the storms and the rising waters, it just might be the end for this state. The same is true for California, only they are dealing with fires. The authors amazing job with her descriptive writing made me feel like I was right there experiencing everything the characters went through and it all seemed so believable. What the characters did and what they went through just to survive was a real eye-opener to me. It really made me think and appreciate what we have now and I pray nothing like this ever really happens. This is a book I think everyone could benefit from reading just to raise awareness of what could happen. The addition of a little magical realism only added to the stories appeal. I’d like to thank NetGalley for the arc that I received off the Read Now section. I enjoyed this so much and highly recommend it to others. I’m giving it a 5 star rating!

WOW! I didn't know much about this book going in but I saw a positive review from a trusted reader and I went in blind. This is the best climate fiction I have read in YEARS. This is a book I honestly will press into the hands of everyone I know since it has that wide of appeal.

I loved this story. I loved the beautiful writing.

It’s told in four parts- Power, Water, Light, Time and follows our MC, Wanda, throughout her life. She’s a quirky, lovable misfit. With everything going on in the world these days, this felt very near future dystopian with a dash of magical realism.

I can’t wait to check out more of Brooks-Dalton’s books!

Thank you NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for the #gifted ebook!

Pub Date: 12/6/22

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⚡️

I am so glad that I went into this book completely blind. The story I thought was being set up was turned on it’s head at 20% in, and the novel became someone else’s story—-and a different kind of book. The Light Pirate tells the story of our planet, specifically Florida, if we continue on our current path of horrific annual hurricanes and worsening climate change. The world becomes unrecognizable and the impacts span across the globe. The novel feels like science fiction at moments because of this, but…it’s not so far from reality if we don’t take action. This could all happen, and that is terrifying. We follow a family, but specifically, the youngest daughter Wanda, as she attempts to survive this reality and maintain her sanity while also coming of age. It’s harrowing, and upsetting, and scary. The writing is beautiful, however, and the story is absolutely unforgettable. I can’t wait to sell this one.

Thank you NetGalley, Lily Brooks-Dalton, and Grand Central Publishing for this Advanced Reader’s Copy in exchange for an honest review of The Light Pirate (coming out December 6th!)

I loved this book. I'm not one who tends to love dystopian, but I read it from time to time. If it's too dark, I drag my feet reading it. For example, Parable of the Sower/Talents by Octavia E. Butler - loved it but took me awhile to get through because it's disturbing! Versus something like The Bear by Andrew Krivak, which I loved, Both Krivak and Brooks-Dalton balance the theme of man vs. wild while relishing in nature's beauty, and man's return to nature. I'd venture to say that The Light Pirate is like The Bear meets Where the Crawdads Sing.

I found this story to be captivating, harrowing, and perfectly paced. I'm not used to a story with an omniscient narrator, but Brookes-Dalton successfully does this without causing confusion or the feeling of head-hopping. When the characters felt joy, or grief, or dread, I felt it all along with them. Brookes-Dalton makes it easy to connect to the characters, and to heed this book's warning.

A beautiful, gripping, haunting book, and an absolute must-read.

The light Pirate is an imaginative novel about climate change and how it affects the state of Florida when hurricane after hurricane hits. The coastline is eroding and the sea level is rising. The governments and infrastructure of cities across Florida are failing and people are starting to move to other states in order to survive. The story follows the Lowe family in the town of Rudder as life there slowly becomes obscure. This is a very suspenseful book. You won't be bored, it will keep you turning pages until the end. Thanks to author Lily Brooks-Dalton, Grand Central Publishing, and NetGalley. I received a complimentary copy of this ebook. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.