The story was interesting but the pace was slower. You could feel the humidity of Florida based on the pacing. You need to be in a good space to read this though. It can be heavy at times.

I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Name of Book: The Light Pirate
Author: Lily Brooks-Dalton
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
Genre: Sci Fi
Pub Date: December 6, 2022
My Rating: 2.5 Stars!

When the blurb stated for fans of “Where the Crawdad Sings” ~ it got my attention!

This climate change story takes place in Florida in the near future.
Wanda is the main character. She was born in the middle of a hurricane named ‘Wanda’; which is one of the worst hurricanes in Florida's history.
Wanda’s father Kirby is the central person in her life as is her neighbor-turned-caregiver Phyllis.

Story is told in four parts ~power, water, light, and time.
We become involved in Wanda’s world ~ and follow her through these 4 themes.

Yikes! We are having the hottest summer ~ normal is a few hot weeks in August but this summer got started off hot and hasn’t cooled down yet! There is no doubt that this is the result of climate change.
Additionally while we are in our third year of severe drought conditions' many parts of the country are under water from excessive rain and flooding.
I know climate change is real.
I believe the comment ~“fans of “Where the Crawdad Sings” would like this”! ~> was misleading to me 🤔 I really enjoyed that book. I am guessing it is the correlation of Wanda and Kya’s personalities that the blurb r linking the two.
Unfortunately but this was only okay ~ I am sure ~ it was bad timing on my part.

Want to thank NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for this early eGalley.
Publishing Release Date scheduled for December 6, 2022

The Light Pirate is a book that chronicles decades. From the day that Wanda is born until nearly her death, the Light Pirate shows example after example of perseverance and growing where you're planted and surviving after life throws almost everything it can at you.

This book feels like several books in one, each featuring a different member of the family. Each section takes us deeper and deeper into Wanda's life and shows us how she grows and survives against all odds. As climate change takes Florida, Wanda fights back and shows the adaptability of the human race.

The writing reminds me of Where the Crawdads Sing, with the vivid depictions of nature.

Thank you NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for this ARC!

This pains me since Good Morning, Midnight is a favorite book. I read almost half this story last night and couldn’t bring myself to do more than skim the rest this morning. The Light Pirate is depressing and boring. I didn’t feel a connection to any character, and although climate change is happening, this takes it to an unreadable telling of events. This happened, that happened, she said.

I read an ARC of this book provided by the publisher, Grand Central, through Net Galley.

WOW! Short-list for best book of 2022. Fantastically well-written dystopian novel that takes place in near-future Florida. This climate apocalypse has action, lyrical language, and all the feels — without ever getting too mired in sentimentality. Think “Where the Crawdads Sing” meets Margaret Atwood’s “Oryx and Crake”/MaddAddam Trilogy.

I am absolutely thrilled that I was able to receive a free digital galley of this outstanding book in exchange for my honest review. Thank you #netgalley, #grandcentralpublishing, and #lilybrooksdalton for letting me review #thelightpirate!

People talk about climate change. But it was not until I read this novel could that I could visualize the terrifying ramifications for future generations. The story of Wanda, named at birth for a frightening and devastating hurricane, is told through four portions of her life -- Power, Water, Light and finally Time. There is always an undercurrent of tension and worry as she grows up and navigates the dangers necessary for survival in a continually changing environment amid the sunken ruins of her hometown. This is a haunting story of the breakdown of humanity when faced with what could very well be the ecological end of our civilization.
Reviewed from an ARC.

I'm not sure this is the best book I've ever read, but it's certainly going to be one of the more memorable ones--a reminder that "when the world ends it will not be with a bang, but a whimper."

It's easy to get wrapped up in the immediacy of the first section of the book "Power," and think that this is a pretty straight forward drama about people living in a time like our own experiencing the direct hit by a hurricane. They vaguely worry about the future, but their concerns seem very normal. Who, (that is paying attention these days) ISN'T unsettled about the direction our climate is taking?

The book then quickly transitions into a post-apocalyptic tale in the "Water" section. But it's one rooted in the everyday bureaucracy of how exactly this might go down. For me, this was utterly more terrifying than any zombie/plague/nuclear bomb story I've read. It all felt so very ordinary and logical. You can't help reading this story and thinking, "duh...this is exactly how it will happen." It was a storytelling approach that haunted me.

Additionally the characters in this story (Phyllis!) are lovely and the easy to root for. At first, I wasn't loving Wanda's light skills. What does it mean? Where did they come from? Is this a supernatural story?

But I felt like I received some reassurances in the ending of the book, when her powers are described this way "They do not call these gifts magic and they do not call them science. They call them what they are: change."

In the end it does not matter that Wanda is unique or why. This is a story about how evolution is a continuum with science on one side of the spectrum and magic on the other. As we explore a rapidly changing planet, our understanding of that experience will likely fall all throughout that continuum. There is ultimately hope to be found in that approach. We will not know all the answers. But we will find our way.

Thanks to the author and NetGalley for granting me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

Wonderful story. Well developed characters and beautifully written. As much as it was a story of how our Earth is changing and frightening it is to think that a few storms can create such disasters. I liked how the main character Wanda is connected to nature in particular water.

Prepare yourself for an Odyssey like no other.
In the light pirate you will meet Wanda, names after a hurricane that destroyed much of the home she was born to in Florida. It's a time in the future, where much of Florida and other parts of the world have started to sink and be reclaimed by nature. In a four part 'beautifully written book (power, water, light, and time) you will grow up with Wanda, immersed in her world, the end of the world. You will be forced to make choices that you do not know the correct answers too, and forever wonder if you made a good choice.

One thing is for certain, you will never forget this gorgeously uniquely sad and joyful book. If you like adventure, dystopia, family dysfunction or just want a tale to sweep you away, The Light Pirate is for you !
#GrandCentralPublishing #TheLightPirate #lilyBrooksDalton #NetGalley

In a Florida already wracked by climate change, Frida gives birth to baby Wanda in the midst of a deadly hurricane. As the world continues to disintegrate, Wanda grows and adapts to an ever-changing world. Living in a community abandoned by society, Wanda seeks adventure, community, and love in a place remade by nature.

You would expect nothing less than gorgeous writing from Lilly Brooks-Dalton, author of Good Morning, Midnight. Her lyrical prose gives an added force to climate fiction, painting the end of the world with such beauty you can't look away. The Light Pirate starts with a compelling section about the hurricane surrounding Wanda's birth, and you are immediately drawn into the family's struggles. As Wanda grows, you are drawing in as the world that we know vanishes, replaced by a wild future.

I think this will get a lot of hype once it's published! A girl with remarkable powers navigates a climate crisis. This took me about 15% to really get invested, but I did enjoy the story. This one has staying power!

This is the story of Wanda, named after the huge hurricane that came to symbolize the beginning of the end for the people of Florida. Over time, waters rose, storms grew stronger and, little by little, people abandoned the state. Wanda’s family hung on, but eventually Wanda ended up with a family friend and the two of them spent time documenting Florida’s changing ecosystem..

This book was scary as hell because it describes Florida, and a nation, besieged by climate change. Unfortunately the second half of the book was weaker than the first. It’s hard to carry on when you keep losing strong characters, but new characters and situations need to come along to keep the plot moving. It’s a delicate balance in a book with no happy ending, but I do feel like the ending could have been stronger.

Still, I think this book deserves a place in every collection. It is a realistic description of climate change with characters I cared about deeply.

The Light Pirate follows the Lowe family as Florida sinks into ruin due to the lasting effects of climate change. During one devastatingly brutal hurricane, a child is born and named after it. Wanda grows up with a special gift that begins a change with her generation as they fight to survive the dying world they know.

This tale consistently deals with loss as it imagines a world that no longer tolerates the abuses humanity has consistently given it unleashes its fury. I thought the characters were written well, and this new dystopian environment written very believably/realistically. The pacing of this novel was spectacular, I only wish Wanda and her gift would have been used a bit more. For the book being named after her and this gift, it was more subdued than I expected.

Otherwise, a beautifully told story and one I will be thinking about for a very long time afterward.

*Full review to be added closer to publication in December!*

The Light Pirate is a captivating story of the potential fallout and effects of extreme climate change and how it affects the world. Specifically, however, it follows the life of Wanda, a woman named after a hurricane that struck Florida on the day she was born. I have really enjoyed books like The Light Pirate that discuss different possibilities regarding climate change and how the world could be affected, and I think Lily Brooks-Dalton did a really wonderful and careful job of telling a story that was both captivating and somewhat haunting. The story is broken into four parts and follows a few POVs, which really allowed me to get to know and enjoy hearing about experiences from multiple characters. Overall, a great choice for someone interested in futuristic fiction with a strong protagonist.

Thank you NetGalley for the advance opportunity to read The Light Pirate!

This was not what I expected and honestly not my normal genre. With that said I loved it! This book strs with a pretty devastating death, then 2 more under similar circumstances. Wanda is something of an outcast with her peers and is actively bullied. After breaking her fathers rules she is required to go to a babysitter, who happens to be a survivalist. Then tragedy strikes again and Wanda’s life is yet again turned upside down.

How have the skills as a survivalist she learned served Wanda when the unthinkable happens? Can she survive alone? Or will she need to align with her biggest bully’s twin and others?

The Light Pirate took a dystopian turn that I wasn’t expecting, though maybe should have. I really enjoyed the Light Pirate

I received an email from NetGalley that THE LIGHT PIRATE was marked as "read now" for a limited time. I read the synopsis and jumped on the opportunity to read, rate and review this December 2022 release. Thank you NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for the opportunity.

THE LIGHT PIRATE is a dark, emotional, climate disaster dystopian novel that takes place in near future Florida. Wanda is the main character and the book tracks her life from in the womb until old age. This book is heavily character driven (which I love), but if you're more of a plot driven book lover, I'd say skip this one.

Wanda is born in the middle of (and named after) one of the worst hurricanes in Florida's history, Hurricane Wanda. From there, the reader sees how her life in Florida changes as the climate and weather continue to threaten human existence in the state. Her father, Kirby, is a main figure in Wanda's life as is her neighbor-turned-caregiver Phyllis.

This book was difficult to read at times, especially as the summer weather of 2022 continues to wreak havoc throughout the United States (from floods in Indiana to severe droughts in south Texas). Even though it was difficult, it was an impressive story and worthy of the read.

I settled on four stars for this book because the pace felt exceptionally slow at times. I know character driven books tend to move slower than a plot driven or character AND plot driven book, but there were sections of this story that I felt could have been cut or enhanced. Overall, a solid novel that I hope receives the love it deserves come December 2022.

The Light Pirate is an enlightening novel that heightens the awareness of our threatened environment being devastated and constantly changed and eventuality destroyed by hurricanes, floods, tornadoes, fires, and other acts of nature. Wanda and Phyllis' survival amongst the destruction was amazing and frightening in our age of lifestyles of plenty and wastefulness. Hints of the supernatural and science fiction creep in as this novel makes you ponder what the future could bring.

"Humanity was an ecological disaster. A misstep made by an otherwise magnificently intelligent system of life and death. Evolution could do so much better. Someday, it would."

Prescient and poignant, The Light Pirate by Lily Brooks-Dalton traverses the life and circumstances of a child born into a world being reclaimed by nature herself. Named for the hurricane that slammed against the coast of Rudder, Florida on the day that she was born, Wanda Lowe will watch the world as she knows it slowly unravel around her as she grows from childhood to adulthood. The cause? Humanity's hubris and insatiety, fueling climate change wrought with devastating weather patterns and rising sea levels.

The Light Pirate is told in 4 parts - power, water, light, and time - each with a differing perspective as fleeting yet forceful as the elements themselves. The untamed and rugged wilderness is used as a backdrop to explore the very human themes of loss, grief, guilt, community, and survival. Brooks-Dalton is a gifted writer and is able to effortlessly interweave alluring imagery and lyrical prose to create moments of aching beauty, despite the bleak, apocalyptic world that she's created. I think what made The Light Pirate so remarkable is that Brooks-Dalton invites her readers to observe the slow demise of Wanda's world, eventually forcing us to confront that we are all active participants in a parallel situation.

This book is a 4.5 rounded down to 4 stars. I felt that there were some loose plot points that were not addressed and the pacing in the middle was a little off, but overall found myself enthralled with the story.

Thank you to NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for the chance to read this ARC in exchange for my honest review. The Light Pirate will be published on December 6, 2022.

The Light Pirate takes place in Rudder, Florida where Hurricane Wanda makes landfall. I really wanted to like this book and it pulled me in at the beginning but it dragged so much that I had to thrown in the towel at 44%. I’m in the minority with this rating and I’m sure it’s just me. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this early release in exchange for my honest review. To be published December 2022.

Hurricane Wanda is coming in because Freda just lost her mother to hurricane poppy she wants to leave and go somewhere safe. Kirby Lowe grew up in Florida and says he knows hurricanes and they’ll be fine. So when the hurricane bears right on top of them his sons go missing and he must leave Freda alone and nine months pregnant and eventually she’ll go into labor and have a baby girl she’ll name Wanda. Yes want to grows up the water gets further and further inland as others leave Wanda adapts. I don’t want to get any more away because I don’t want to give any spoilers, but let me say this book has a lot of inner dialogue first with Wanda’s mom then her dad then Wanda. I felt so sorry for her. She lost her mom she was bullied ET see I do think this was a good book I just can’t get into the story with so much inner dialogue. But once you get past all that it really is a good book. I received this book from NetGalley and the publisher but I am leaving thisreview voluntarily please forgive any mistakes as I am blind and dictate my review but all opinions are definitely my own.