Whew! This was an emotional read. I liked the uniqueness of the book - the whole story is told via letters. You could feel the sense of community/small town when a few people came to help each other maneuver through the awful tragedy. It is hard to read at times because of this, but the grief process is very real. This book also shows hope. A very worthwhile to read. Thank you to NetGalley and Avid Reader Press for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

This book made me remember being in college in my English classes, talking about unreliable narrators. Lucas Goodgame really came off as an unreliable narrator, and he has a really good excuse: trauma.

The community of Majestic has experienced a tragedy, and the whole town is affected – especially the people with loved ones who perished in the tragedy.

In short, there’s been a shooting in a movie theater, and Lucas’s wife was shot and killed. The whole book is told in letters after the tragedy that Lucas writes to his therapist, who doesn’t answer any of the letters. So, it’s a narrative from a man in a deep depression who’s seeing his wife appearing to him as an angel.

The best part of this book is Lucas’s relationship with Eli. They’re two people who clearly need camaraderie and somewhere to put their weird grief energy (which really is a real grief thing).

The grief and mental health stuff in this book was really well done, which I definitely expected from the author of The Silver Linings Playbook. Quick has a way of getting so deeply into the minds of his characters, and somehow conveying the complexity of their emotion to the reader.

I’m not sure how far I want to go into what happened in this book, because it could be spoiled pretty easily. What I will say is that I really appreciated the way the author was able to use a rather unreliable narrator to help show how utterly confusing grief is, and how it can completely change a person.

The only thing that really sticks out that I didn’t love about We Are the Light is the emphasis on Jungian analysis. The therapist Lucas is writing to the whole time is his “Jungian analysist” and he goes a little bit too far into Jungian philosophy for me. It was just mentioned so many times, it started taking me out of the story and was distracting.

All-in-all, though, this really was a good book, and I loved how it ended. It takes such tragedy and gives you a glimpse of all the humanity in it, and shows how it’s possible for humans go on when nothing is right.

For something similar that I loved, see No Hiding in Boise.

This was a very emotional book to read. The story is about Lucas, who has lost his wife in a mass shooting, and is writing letters to his Jungian analyst (who is no longer seeing patients because he was also affected by the shooting) about his grieving, in hopes of healing. His community is also grieving what has happened. When an 18 yr old boy shows up in Lucas' yard, his wife Darcy who visits him as an angel, tells him he needs to help this boy.

This book pulled at my heartstrings. This book is about how people in a community cine together to pull through the hard times. I understood more about this book as I read the epilogue, and I would definitely recommend this one!!

thank you to the publisher and netgalley for the gifted copy. All opinions are my own. Out Nov. 1

Wanting to expand my reading horizons and also try a new-to-me author’s book, I felt prompted to read this one.

It’s different.

In a nutshell, it’s about a grieving widower who befriends and takes in an ostracized and grieving teenager and together they inspire a revival in Majestic, Pennsylvania. Driven to control his own deteriorating mental health and anxiety, the author wrote to explore the emotions of grief, love, and empathy through art. The solace he found in Jungian ideas is reflected in this novel.

It would be wrong of me to judge another’s efforts at overcoming a dark period in life, so I’ll simply say that I commend the author for his perseverance and hope that the success he wishes for this novel brings wind beneath his wings.

I’m struggling with this review. I think it’s a combination of a few things I’m unfamiliar or uncomfortable with: the subject matter (mass shooting), the format (epistolary) mixed with the injection of reason and philosophy. The message was clear, and I am in agreement: we are the light. This knowledge requires action. We need to shine that light for others - a lighthouse in a storm can save a ship. I did appreciate the reminder that despite how downtrodden we feel or how insignificant we may see ourselves, there’s still hope and help for us.

I was gifted this advance copy by Avid Reader Press, Simon & Schuster, and NetGalley and was under no obligation to provide a review.

Thank you Netgalley and the publishers for an eARC of this book.

I have waited five years for this book and Matthew Quick did not disappoint.

We Are the Light is a story about Lucas and his community overcoming a mass shooting tragedy in their town. The story is told through letters Lucas is writing his Jungian therapist, who was also a part of the tragedy and stopped seeing patients afterward.

Emotional and heart-wrenching, this could be a challenging read for many people. However, the payout (with a couple of guessable twists and one I didn't see coming) is worth it. Definitely brought tears to my eyes.

TW: mass shooting, death of a spouse, suicide

This author of “The Silver Linings Playbook” has given us a very Mitch Albom-esque book which centers around a mass shooting at a movie theater. It’s hard to believe, saying those last words, that I could have highlighted this book as a not-to-be-missed, but it is an incredible book.
The story is told via letters to Karl, Lucas’ Goodgame therapist, though he no longer sees Karl, nor will Karl answer his letters.
Lucas was a school counselor, so he knows about mental angst, but nothing prepares him for his own when his wife, Darcy, is one of 14 people murdered at a local theater. Darcy, however, continues to visit him in the form of an angel and she speaks to him about healing. When Eli, the 18 yr old brother of the murderer, sets up a tent in Lucas’ backyard, Darcy tells him he needs to help Eli.

We Are the Light is an emotive and quirky novel that uses the supernatural to advance the grief of a small town destrought by a mass shootoing. The novel is written in epistolary form, with letters from Lucas, the husband of one of the victims who now follows him as an angel, to his Jungian analyst Karl. I admit that I struggled to connect with Lucas' voice. He wrote with a kind of child like tone that made it difficult to enter in the pathos of the story. Still a unique idea and execution by Matthew Quick.

This book was great, but I think it's also going to be hard for people to read. Not only does it deal with a mass shooting, it goes into detail about the aftermath and how people deal with what's happened. With how many mass shootings there have been, it's bound to be triggering for some. On the other hand though, I think it's a subject we have to talk about simply because of how much it happens.

I actually wasn't sure I was going to like this at first. The writing style is a little odd; the main character, Lucas, is writing letters to his former Jungian analyst about the tragedy and the aftermath and how he is dealing with it. At first Lucas seems like he's got a lot of toxic masculinity going on. It's hard to connect with him because of it. But as the story goes on, he moves from those characteristics to more of wanting to help Eli, the brother of the shooter, and also to help heal the town and the families of those who were killed in the shooting. It goes through the actions Lucas takes to make this happen, the struggles he has with coming to terms about his wife dying in the shooting, dealing with his wife's best friend who is also struggling, and wondering why he never hears from Karl, his analyst. It shows that people deal with trauma and healing in different ways, and bringing people together can help them overcome their shared grief. However, it was the epilogue that really got me. No spoilers there, but it's what really brought the book together, and was not what I was expecting.

Matthew Quick remains one of my favorite authors, and I would certainly put this towards the top of his best works. It may be hard to read, but at the same time it may be exactly what someone needs.

We Are the Light by Matthew Quick is a story told through letters from a traumatized school counselor to his analyst. Much like reading The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, the reader learns about the events and people one letter at a time. In this story, the letters communicate Lucas Goodgame’s struggle to come to grips with his wife’s death at the Majestic Theater where a tragedy killed 18 people in the small town.

Through deep reflection and observation, Lucas describes his desperate need to speak with his Jungian analyst Karl Johnson. Bit by bit, the horror of that night at the theater unfolds, and with each new detail, we learn more about Lucas, whom others call a hero.

Lucas finds comfort with the other survivors and believes his angelic wife is sending him messages. The story evolves from tragedy to inspiration when Lucas finds a surprising and unique project to unite the town and help them heal.

Lucas was a wounded soul long before the tragedy. Despite his peculiar manner and his tendency to withdraw from life, he finds a purpose to continue his journey of growing into the person he longs to be.

Ultimately, this story is about the power of a community to take care of its own. I highly recommend this book. Matthew Quick is the New York Times bestselling author of The Silver Linings Playbook, which was made into a movie.

Thank you to Matthew Quick, Simon & Schutser, and NetGalley for an advance reader’s copy. The book debuts October 1, 2022.

WOW! This book was a total surprise! I was not expecting to be touched by this.. I can't stop thinking about this beautiful book.

Damn. That's the first thing that comes to mind when I think about We Are the Light. This is a story that should be depressing, but it isn't. It is a story of healing and hope, done in the best way possible. It is clear Matthew Quick put his heart and soul into this novel, and it is one that will stick with me long after I've finished it and moved onto the next novel on my to be read list. I will not soon forget this one.

I love Matthew Quick's use of dry humor mixed with a lot of character "heart". He puts lovable quirky characters into highly uncommon circumstances. For example, his most well known book "Silver Lining's Playlist" features two people struggling with their mental health while training for a ballroom dancing competition. "We Are The Light" follows main character, Lucas Goodgame, as he grapples with PTSD while working on creating a movie with actors in his small town. Quick mixes heartfelt characters and personal stories with humor to create an incredibly impactful story.

The setting of this novel is a small town named Majestic in Philadelphia. Matthew Quick did an amazing job establishing this imaginary location and making it seem incredibly real. Majestic definitely had a Stars Hallow-y vibe with it's quirky inhabitants and iconic locations. The importance of the town to the story also reminded me of "Beartown" by Fredrik Backman - a tragic event occurs and the town comes together. The townspeople become their own main character which adds to the hope and investment you have in the characters and storyline.

Have faith in the process of reading this book! I struggled with the voice of Lucas, the narrator, see comments below, but once I got used to the writing style the story really paid off! Tears were shed several times after the 70% mark.

I would absolutely love to see a film adaptation because I think the format change could work to correct the things that I struggled with in the book. Mostly the constant singular perspective and voice was a little tiring but a movie would correct that as you would see and hear other characters.

Early into reading "We Are The Light" you learn that the main character, Lucas Goodgame, recently lost his wife and now sees her as an angel. Lucas's wife visits him at night and sometimes throughout the day acting in part as his subconscious but also still very much as a partner who he is physically intimate with - which is heartbreaking but also after a while the repetitiveness of his interactions regarding the angel were frustrating. In addition the main character's voice and choices are also grating. The entire story is told in letters from Lucas's perspective and they come off as incredibly childish and inappropriate. While some of this makes sense as you read the book, it ultimately did take away from my reading experience.

I do not know if this book accurately portrays mental illness, but the way it is portrayed at times felt a little too convenient. The main character was just ill enough to show how difficult the circumstances were and how deeply they were affecting him, but not enough that he was unable to go about his life in some other practical ways. Lucas is obviously experiencing a dangerous mental health crisis that in reality would likely be incredibly debilitating, however, in the book he is able to to function fairly well and moves the plot forward frequently.

The novel is told through letters that the main character is writing to his analyst. I think "We Are The Light" would've benefitted from several more scenes where we got a peak into how the main character was actually doing in the eyes of his friends, other members of the town etc. The moments that we saw the difference between Lucas's perception of reality and the actual truth were incredibly enlightening. I think if more perspectives had been added to the story they'd give the context needed to appreciate the perspective of the singular narrator more.

Loved it!!! I would give the book 4.5 stars. I loved The Silver Linings Playbook, so I was excited to read this book. It definitely didn't disappoint. It was magical and made me want to live in Majestic and have all the people as my neighbors. I'm a sucker when I see a book takes place in a small Pennsylvania town. This book causes many emotions, especially after you find out the tragic event that took place. It's sad. The worst part is this event keeps happening more often. The town sees Lucas as a hero, but Lucas doesn't see himself that way at all. He's struggling with what happened at the theater. Lucas has wonderful people around him. Jill and Isaiah are always there for him. Love how Bobby the cop is always there to bring him home. The whole town is wonderful. Lucas was exactly what Eli needed. Both experienced horrible mothers and were dealing with the tragic events at the theater. Unfortunately, Lucas was seen as a hero while Eli was a monster. Loved how Jill defended Lucas to his mother. She was such an awful person and only thought of her self. There was definitely some humor in the book.

Definitely recommend the book. Loved the characters, story and writing style. There are parts that will make you smile and some that will make you cry. This book showed how a community can come together after a tragedy and help the people that need it the most. Look forward to reading more books by the author. Loved the cover of the book.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Avid Reader Press through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

In a small suburban town outside of Philadelphia, seventeen people are shot and killed in a movie theater. Some of the survivors are broken and seek healing. Some are angry and turn their anger into activism. Luca, who ‘saved’ the day, saw his wife killed first. She visits him nights as an angel. His analyst lost his wife that day and has withdrawn. So, Lucas writes letters to him.

We Are The Light sounds like a real downer of a novel, right? It looks at America’s all too common experience of a mass shooting, the dysfunction that spurs a teenage boy to do the unimaginable. How the survivors don’t always survive.

The story is all too similar to that of Ethan Crumbley, the Oxford High School shooter, which took place in my county of Oakland, MI. The more we learn of the Crumbley family, we can connect the root of violence to dysfunctional family dynamics and systemic failure.

Matthew Quick does not sugar coat tragedy and suffering. What he does is show us how his characters struggle to reclaim wholeness. For Lucas Goodgame, Jungian analysis has given him the tools to understand. Lucas’ own dysfunctional family had disastrous effects, but the love of a woman saved him. He could not save Darcy on that fatal day.

Darcy’s best friend moves in to care for Lucas. She is loving and beautiful, but Darcy visits him at night and wraps her feathered wings around him and he is not ready to move on. One morning, he discovers a tent in his yard, a former student living there. Darcy tells Lucas that the boy is the way forward, and Lucas takes Eli under his wings, helping him to heal.

Using a epistolary novel form, Quick allows us to see through Lucas’s eyes, which gives us deep insight into his experience and how he is learning to cope; it also paces revelations and hides what Lucas is hiding from, which allows a big reveal at the end.

How Lucas and Eli draw the survivors and the town together is a gift of hope, demonstrating what it means that ‘we are the light,’ and the importance of community.

I first encountered the work of Carl Jung while auditing classes at the seminary where my husband was a student. I later wrote a Jungian interpretation of Bloom in Nighttown for my class on Ulysses. It boggles my mind that I was so brazen. But I did get an A for the 50 page paper. But Quick’s Jungian focus goes into aspects of individuation I was not as familiar with, the story of Iron John and male archetypes. Lucas struggles with the legacy of a belittling, self-centered mother and a distance, dismissive father who abandoned him. Lucas’ story is the story of individuation–the process of growth into our full potential,

The epistolary form of the novel and the frequent discussion of Jungian analysis may put some readers off, but the novel will bring rewards to those who read it. It is a story of light and hope beyond tragedy.

I received a free egalley from the publisher through NetGalley. My review is fair and unbiased.

We Are the Light was so deftly written that I had to continuously remind myself it was a work of fiction. The depth of pain, loss, and eventually redemption that Matthew articulated was surreal. I was drawn into this quaint little town that had suffered a monumental tragedy. I too felt hope, joy, and reception through the thoughts of the various survivors

4.5 rounded up
Excellent narrative of a school shooting and the aftermath. Well developed characters and interactions. It was an emotional read. Thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book

The town of Majestic, Pennsylvania, has been devastated by a mass shooting in the community cinema- ironically during a festive showing of “Its a Wonderful Life.” Lucas Goodgame, tormented by not only the loss of his wife, Darcy, but by his own role in the events of that day, writes letters to his former Jungian analyst, Karl, who was himself widowed in the attack, desperately seeking help in coming to terms with what happened. When Eli, a disturbed teenager who Lucas had been counselling in his job at the local school, starts to camp out in Lucas’s garden, and an angel version of Darcy repeatedly tells him that Eli represents the way forward, he begins on a journey that will bring hope and healing to the grief-stricken inhabitants of Majestic. Quick is excellent at chronicling the many different responses to bereavement, and here he looks at the different reactions in the community, from despair and deep sorrow to anger and condemnation. The insight into Jungian psychology is interesting- mothers as usual seem to get the blame!- and the details of what happened on that fateful day unfold slowly and very sadly, building up suspense and a longing in the reader for those characters who have lost someone to find comfort and the hope of future happiness. A bittersweet story told with warmth and compassion.

I had a hard time getting into this book--possibly because of the recent shootings that are happening all over the United States. Most recently this book follows on the heels of all the tears that have been shed over the Uvalde tragedy. This book is about a shooting at a movie preview. Lucas, whose wife was killed, believes that she comes to him at night as an angel. Eli, a young man very close to the tragedy, is found camping in Lucas's backyard. Lucas and Eli work together to bring healing to the community. The story is told in letters that Lucas writes to his previous therapist. As he works to unravel his grief, psychoanalytical reasoning is given, alot. This caused me to skim through large parts of the book. I believe from things I have read about the author, this book is not written to capitalize on sensationalism but in a true need for him to bring awareness to mental health issues. I give kudos to him for that.
I received this digital ARC from NetGalley and Avid Reader Press/Simon & Shuster Publishers. This review was written honestly and is my own opinion.

Thanks to Netgalley for giving me a chance to read this in advance.
Having read and loved all of Matthew Quick's books, I think of myself as a fan. "We are the Light" was one of my most anticipated books of 2022 and I couldn't wait to start reading this. Unfortunately my motivation quickly vanished. Already at 10% I was so indifferent towards the story and the characters that I had to force myself to keep reading. I can't even explain what the reason is for the detachment. The more I read the less I care. I got to the point where the main character takes in a youth and wants to mentor him, so basically still at the beginning, but I preferred to do laundry than to continue reading. I'll update my review if I ever get around to finish this.

A sweet, sad, quirky, and unique novel about a small town, and its citizens, dealing with the aftermath of a mass shooting and the mental health issues related to the event. A poignant and hopeful read.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/60321061