Oooh boy.
I read a LOT of books. A LOT. And this one fell really flat for me. Here are the big holes in this book for me:

Dana and Lisa, especially, but this goes for every character, never grow. They use the same vocabulary, the same short sentences, the same silly slang as they did when they were kids. You mean to tell me that Dana says “having teens ain’t for the weak” or whatever when she’s in her 50’s and a multi-millionaire? No. If she would have been a developed character, Dana would be going to benefits and meeting with politicians and refining herself. Same goes for Lisa. She was still using the same slang when running for council? I don’t think so.

None of these characters were intriguing, fully developed, or really engaging. Dana goes to prison, finds a guy, gets married, has two kids, becomes an alcoholic, funds a ton of stuff including Kennedy’s law degree (from her personal account, nonetheless) and we are supposed to buy into all these things happening to her when it reads like a to-do list?

I honestly thought this book was a YA fiction until the middle when I looked it up. I’ll do everyone a favor and not post to goodreads, but come on. This isn’t a debut novel, but it definitely reads like a junior draft of one.

Met Vanessa at a local book store and she was super nice! She told me her book was on NetGalley and to check it out! I wish her nothing but the best with her future as an author!

I struggled with this book and normally I really enjoy this author. I felt like there was too much drama. Every time I turned the page something worse was happening.



Thanks so much to netgalley and the publisher for the arc. The opinions are my own.

2.5 stars

I thought the premise sounded very interesting, but the book missed the mark in some ways for me. There is so much telling vs. showing, and that made it hard for me to stay engaged, and there was a lot of overdetailing. The writing style made it difficult to really feel connected to Lisa or Dana. The pace was slower than I expected. I did enjoy the mural. Themes of friendship, forgiveness, and love are key.

"The Light on Halsey Street" has officially become one of my favourite books. It touched me on so many levels, I don't even know where to begin.

I saw good men and I believed again in the saving power of Jesus.

I believed again in God being in charge of the world no matter how bad things still happen all over.

I fell in love with Lisa and Dana, like they were real women I could touch and share in their joys and sorrows. They exemplified the lives of ordinary women like me full of mistakes, driven by passion even when hope seemed far away.

Vanessa Miller has become one of my best authors in the whole wide world. Her books are going to be one of the collections I pass down to my next generation if I get the chance and lay hands on them.

An amazingly awesome read!!!!

I was sent a complimentary copy of "The Light on Halsey Street" by Vanessa Miller,and the opinions expressed are my own.
This was a beautiful story about forgiveness and redemption. Regardless to what you face in life, how you may have been wronged or felt life hasn't been fair, this story brings a message of hope. God is always in control and is just waiting for us to submit, surrender and give him authority over our lives. I loved this story and I'm sure anyone else who reads it will feel the same way!

This book delves into themes of forgiveness, friendship and love. Took me through a lot of emotions, lots of tears. I'm so happy I read this book and would recommend it.

This book has a slow introduction that didn't help foster the overall plot. I DNF'd but I'm definitely going to revisit a physical copy.

I didn't hate this book, but I am not sure exactly how to feel about it.

Following the lives of two girls, The Light on Halsey Street showcases the changes to a community over several decades and illustrates the effects that can sprout from the choices people make.

The story was pretty slow paced, so it was easy to read on and off over a few days. I was not struck with a can't-put-this-book-down feeling, but I was genuinely curious to see what would happen and how it would end. I also went into reading it not having read any sort of description or summary so I had no idea what to expect at the turn of every page.

My biggest disappointment in the book was that God's name is taken in vain at least twice. The first time I saw it I wanted to give them the benefit of the doubt. I could almost see how someone would feel like it was appropriate. The second was a blatant "Oh my ***!" when the character received bad news. For a book presented as Christian and coming from a Christian publisher I found this very disappointing. I would rather see cuss words to be honest.

Nothing wrong with this book, it just didn't hold my attention. It didn't grab me from the beginning and I wasn't compelled to stick with it.

As a writer I hate to give any book a bad review because I know the author put his/her heart and soul into the work. But this one totally missed the mark for me. I think the main problem was the story was almost complete telling. Instead of showing the reader through action, dialog, etc. how a character was feeling we were told. I never got emotionally involved with any of the characters. It was like I was reading a newspaper account; this happened and then this and then, etc. And the back and forth sections between Lisa and Dana were frustrating. Just as I was getting interested in what was happening with one, the narrative switched to the other. This writing style made it difficult to get to know or relate to either of them. And in several places there was too much extraneous information that added nothing to the story but in fact slowed it down and made it extremely tiring to read. For example, when Lisa helped at the homeless shelter we not only learned that she was making up the beds for the residents but we also read how she used a fitted sheet, a flat sheet, a pillowcase and a pillow. Well, Duh. I had to force myself to keep reading and it did get a bit more interesting in the last 20% or so of the book, but sadly I can’t give it more than 2 stars out of 5. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A heartfelt , poignant journey of friendship , love ,loss and forgiveness between two women in Brooklyn ,nyc . True friends may drift a thousand miles away but even a thousand miles cannot keep them apart .

I really enjoyed this story. In fact, it was hard for me to not keep reading, and I finished it in a day!
The story is so well written and flows easily. The descriptions of the characters and the actual city are well done and I could visualize myself on the streets at times.
It begins in 1985 and actually spans through over twenty years, taking place in Brooklyn, NY.
There are many different subjects throughout the chapters that were dealt with during these years.
Addiction, alcohol, hatred, friendship, neglect and death were amongst the many horrors that Dana and Lisa as well as their tribe of friends were witness to.
This is simply just a wonderful, emotional read that I believe will be a definite favorite among many!
Thank you to @NetGalley and @Thomas Nelson--Fiction for this ARC and allowing me to read and provide my own review.

This book started out slow for me but I am glad I continued reading this story. This book will have you experiencing so many emotions. You were able to connect with both of the main characters in so many ways. I love the mural that was mentioned in this story. I commend the author for bringing out how we can hold on to stuff that can make us bitter, it can effect your health and others around you. This is a struggle for many today. This book shared about forgiveness, friendship, love and so much more. I look forward to reading more books by this author.

'The Light on Halsey Street" is a phenomenal read! This book is a story of two girls moving through life and growing through challenges that many people worldwide face. Vanessa Miller did an excellent job illustrating each character, and they were developed so well throughout the book- I felt angry at them, cried with them, and wanted to hug them and by the end of the story I felt like I knew these women personally.

The Light on Halsey Street is set in Brooklyn NYC, and does a great job of explaining problems that minority populations faced in 80's NYC in a very clear and relatable way. There are strong Christian themes throughout it, I really enjoyed this aspect, but if you aren't religious I don't know if this book would hit quite as hard. And the title of this book was tied in so well! Sometimes I finish a book and am unsure why the title was chosen, but it was so clear and heartwarming.

The only problem I had with this book were formatting and editing errors. To be fair, this could just be an arc problem and not there on the published book, but as it is now it was hard to read. There was a random logo for the publishing house on almost every page, the author's name included randomly in a few locations, the text skipped mid-word down several lines forcing the writing to come off as very choppy and hard to read, as well as a few misspelled words here and there.

Thanks to Thomas Nelson and to NetGalley for allowing me to read an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review! 'The Light on Halsey Street' is published on September 5th, 2023.

This book would make SUCH a good limited series. I had such a hard time fan-casting because there's so many good actors that could do it!
⭐️Young Dana: Whitney Peak
⭐️Old Dana: Iyana Halley
⭐️Young Lisa: Greta Onieogou
⭐️Old Lisa: Gabrielle Union
⭐️Jasmine: Letitia Wright
⭐️Derrick: Daniel Ezra
⭐️John: Tyler James Williams
⭐️Jeff: Winston Duke

Absolutely fantastic plot! Could not put the book down once I began reading it. Cannot wait for it to be released. Will recommend it to everyone I know!

The summer that Dana and Lisa graduated from high school, Lisa has plans to attend college and Dana is looking for a job. Dana and Lisa met in elementary school when Lisa shares her lunch with her because Dana does not have a lunch or any way to buy one. As the years go by, they remain friends although Lisa has two parents who are involved in her life and care about what she does. As a family they attend church each week. Dana lives with only her mother who is an addict and has various men in and out of their apartment. She does not pay much attention to Dana, who comes and goes as she wants. Lisa’s parent’s caution her about hanging out with the wrong crowd and in questionable places. Dana who lacks any sort of parenting makes some unfortunate choices that affects her for many years to come.
This is story that touched my heart from the very beginning. It follows the path of two young girls into womanhood with families of their own. In some places I read through the tears in my eyes and in other places my heart filled with happiness, and I even laughed out loud. Dana and Lisa’s lives took different paths, however, both learned the value of forgiveness and learning that no matter what they have done, God loves them.
The characters are unforgettable and so very relatable. There are many ups and downs, along the path of life for both Dana and Lisa. In the end, they once again come back together on Halsey Street, where the light is bright, and their relationship began years earlier. When I turned the last page of this beautiful, heartwarming story, I continued to think of Dana and Lisa and God’s redemptive, healing power in our lives when we let Him in.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.