actual rating: 3.5 stars

the lamplighter by crystal j. bell is a haunting, atmospheric read that captures your attention from the first page and doesn’t let go. set in the eerie, fog-filled whaling village of warbler, the story follows temperance, a young woman who takes on the role of the town’s lamplighter after her father’s mysterious death. in this town, the lamplighter is not just a caretaker but a symbol of safety, yet the villagers are quick to question temperance’s ability to fill her father’s shoes, especially when young girls start disappearing under her watch.

the character dynamics are one of the strongest elements of this book. bell does a fantastic job of creating a mix of characters, from the sympathetic to the downright unsettling, keeping readers on edge as they try to figure out who can be trusted. the town itself feels almost like a character, with its misty atmosphere and dark secrets, making it easy to imagine being caught in its web of mystery and danger.

the pacing is great, building up tension and unease as temperance struggles to clear her name and protect her family. the suspense is thick, and the twists keep you guessing, especially when it comes to the fates of the missing girls and the true nature of the infamous warbler figureheads.

as for the ending, i’m torn. after finishing it, i had to go back and reread the final chapters a few times to process what had just happened. while it’s definitely shocking, i’m not sure if it felt entirely satisfying or if it left too many loose ends. regardless, it’s one of those endings that will definitely stick with you and spark conversation.

overall, the lamplighter is a gripping and eerie historical fiction novel that’s perfect for fans of suspense and dark mysteries. the setting, characters, and atmosphere are all top-notch, and if you’re looking for a spooky story with a bit of historical intrigue, this is one to check out.

The writing and description in this book was absolutely sensational, however, I did struggle a bit getting through the book but I think it was my mindset at the time of reading the book.

I'll definitely re-read this book again to see if it was my mood because the writing was very good.

While I initially liked the concept of this book, I found the execution to be a little lacking. I felt like we spent too much time with the MC's daily life and not with the actual mystery. The ending was also a let down.

A concisely written novel that rewards the reader for paying attention... which isn't hard in this deeply atmospheric thriller/horror novel. Not my usual genre, but I felt my breath racing right along with Tempe as she navigated a sometimes beautiful, sometimes maliciously dark world that reminded me in parts of Jane Eyre (a personal fave.) Will be returning to this one when the spooky season rolls around once more.

I liked this book, but did not love it... the writing was exceptionally good and it's probably what kept me going. The topics it dealt with (mentioned in the TWs) were sometimes too in your face and they were heavy, but the plot was nice and it was an original premise which I liked.

I unfortunately did not enjoy this book enough to finish it. I appreciate the opportunity that was given, thank you!

A seaport Town where whalers come to purchase “lucky” figureheads. A female lamplighter haunted by her father’s suicide and burdened with the care for of her mute mother and younger sister. A fog that creeps in nightly to this town and hides the sinister disappearance of townsfolk and sea folk alike.

I’m not sure how to start this review. I enjoyed this book and also it was too much.

The similes in the writing were over the top. Everything had to be or feel like something else. I don’t mind similes used sporadically, like seasoning. But these were on every page.

Also, I am assuming the time period was In the 1800’s New England and I just did not felt like the dialogue was way too modern for that time period. It wasn’t authentic. The atmosphere. Yes. The language as well as some of the interactions with people, no.

I did enjoy the main character, Temperance as well as the mystery although I figured out part of it early on. This book went somewhere I didn’t expect it toward the end and was darker than I thought. I liked that. But also didn’t since it didn’t end how I expected or wanted it to. But I suppose it ended how life ends much of the time. Inevitably and without happy endings.

Since this is the authors first work, I will watch for more from her and read more from her. She has promise.

I rated this 3.5 stars. I can’t give it a four so will be rounding down to a 3.

QUOTE: “Regret and guilt are fierce scavengers”

What a dark, dark young adult novel. This will not leave you feeling good at the end.

Tempe and her sister Pru are two teenage girls in an era when women weren't allowed much of anything. After their father dies and their mother goes into a fugue state, the two girls are left to pick up the pieces, with Tempe given the unusual allowance to take over her father's job as the town lamplighter each night, saving her family from destitution.

Her role is immensely important as there is an unusual fog that takes over the town every night, and over the years many people have disappeared in it.

I can't say much more without giving it away, but Bell does essentially reveal all halfway through, making the rest of the story a tense cat and mouse hunt as poor Tempe does everything she can to prove what's really in the fog - not that anyone will believe a silly girl.

The ending is rough, emotionally. I was not prepared for how dark this book would be, there are no happy endings in this world. But wow, what a well-written story. Seriously, well done in atmosphere and characterizations. I really enjoyed it, even if I need to surround myself with fluffy puppies and kittens for the next week after finishing it.

this artwork for the cover is absolutely stunning. Though I'm not sure I'll ever get around to reading it.

You *need* this story in your life! Imagine a moody, 19th-century village called Warbler, where Tempe’s job is to keep the lamps burning and protect everyone from a creepy fog—something her father used to do, but it's rare for a woman. When villagers start vanishing, everyone turns on Tempe, and now she’s got to prove her innocence, keep her family safe, and figure out who (or what) is behind it all. Crystal spins this dark and twisty tale with characters you’ll love and a setting that’s somehow cosy *and* spine-chilling. You’ll be hooked and flipping pages till dawn.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Flux for access to an eARC in exchange for my honest review!!

what's it about? ⬇️

When Temperance found her father's body, the small whaling town of Warbler was left without a lamplighter to light up the inky darkness of the night, and so Temperance took over the position, keeping in mind her father's old saying: "It's an honor to bring light to the dark." And though the town has it's doubts about trusting a woman, let alone a teenage girl, with this responsibility, she is good at her job and takes it very seriously.

The darkness of the island has long been known to lead outsiders astray in the mist that travels down from the depths of the woods, but one night when two lamps have gone out on her second check of the town, Temperance chooses not to report the outages and her ability to perform in her position is brought into question by the town council when a local girl is discovered to have gone missing in the mist as well--a far more rare curse that hangs over the island. And as she is dragged deeper into the dark history of the island, Temperance begins to question the suddenness of her father's death and to look at his old teachings and advice much more closely.

Between searching for evidence that the missing girl is still out there somewhere, proving her own innocence, solving the mystery of her father's death, researching the haunting 'lucky' figureheads that have been Warbler's greatest staple, and continuing to care for her mother who has not spoken since her husband's death and her little sister who is unknowingly stepping deep into the dangers of the island, can Tempe juggle it all and still come out on top? Or will she end up six feet under?

my thoughts? ⬇️

The Lamplighter has got to be one of my favorite examples of slow burn creeping horror that I've come across in a long time. Warbler is a truly terrifying town to call home between the thick, cloying mists and the heavy darkness, and it has always been the lamplighter's job to bring light to the dark, to be sure the lanterns are there to guide the people of Warbler safely back to their homes in the night. And despite her grief and her trauma, Temperance is determined to save not only herself and her family, but also the rest of the town from whatever darkness haunts them.

She was a brave, kind, responsible character, and at the same time had real flaws that were allowed to be showcased front and center, and there's nothing I love more than a flawed heroine. And speaking of flawed characters with the right intentions, Tempe's father's story as well as her mother's and her little sister's were so incredibly written and well incorporated into the story, and Tempe's love story was so heart wrenching and beautiful.

The book also had so many crazy twists and turns and played so much with gross, terrifying body horror while never becoming too grotesque or outlandish, and all of the magic made perfect sense with the world Crystal J. Bell worked so hard to create.

Honestly, I think this book is one I'll revisit in the future and that will stick with me for a long time to come. I will take 10,000 more historical horrors just like it, please.

trigger warnings ⬇️

death of a parent, murder, violence, death, blood, gore, body horror, plant horror, fire/fire injury/fire death, grief, misogyny, sexism, gaslighting, sexual harassment, sexual assault, pedophilia, adult/minor relationship, mental illness, grief, suicide, suicidal thoughts, child death, confinement.

Okay so this is a complicated one. I’m going to give this one a 3.5 with the 0.5 deducted for the ending. I hate an open ended ending and this one just was unsatisfying. I feel like we never learned if the objects in the story could be recovered (I’m being vague because of spoilers). That was such a huge question that I NEEDED answered. I also don’t love a story where it relies on women constantly being gaslit by every single person they know including other women. I wish Tempe had at least someone on her side.

That being said, I really did like this book. I would classify this as folk horror which is some of my fav horror. I loved the small town whaling village setting with the constant in the story being the lamp posts. The characters were all pretty vibrant and each one unique. I liked Tempe even if she made some very questionable decisions sometimes. I would recommend this to people I like Small Favors by Erin A. Craig. Very similar vibes from the story.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC of the book so I can provide an honest review.

I thought this was very good and I will have to add this to the shop shelves. Thank you for the chance for us to review.

I got this to do a book review on my blog, I ended up DNFing this book, it sadly was not for me. The blog went up as a promo.

this whole book is a gaslighting metaphor, but i wasn’t expecting the main character to be gaslighting herself the entirety of this book! i really enjoyed this aspect.

i would have liked to see a bit more of pru and gideons exchanges prior to her figuring out he was her secret admirer, or at least some development that explains why pru was so eager to jump head first into a relationship with a man her sister (and late father) warned her against.

tempe constantly makes bad decisions and while this can be quite aggravating, i live a flawed character. that said, i felt like i knew where each bad decision would lead instead of being on the edge of my seat with worry.

the atmosphere of this book was brilliant. each night the town is overcome by a dense fog that seems alive. it embeds fear in the towns folk and it's been blamed for several disappearances and deaths in the area, including tempes father who is said to have gone mad from the fog and as a result dies by suicide. while i foresaw the truth of this, i thoroughly enjoyed the journey of tempe coming the realisation.

There are elements of this story that I absolutely fell in love with. It's very creepy and atmospheric, and for those elements I would recommend this. There was a nice twist but overall, the story was a mix between a slow burn and a drag. There was some repetitiveness in the action, dialogue, and monologue that took me out of the story. It’s not a very long story but I feel like it could have been shorter for the sake of pacing.

It's a three star for me but I'm going to round it up because I feel like it deserves four star, it's a pretty good book and I don't want to deter anyone from reading it.

I simply LOVE this book. An atmospheric, haunting tale of one woman's fight to have her voice heard and protect what she loves in the face of truly chilling evil forces. Spooky as it is, I adore the setting of historic Warbler and wish I could just sink into it forever (maybe without the threat of missing women, though). This is a must read !

ARC provided via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

CWs/TWs: Sexual Assault, Suicide, Depression, Mental Illness, Adult/Minor Relationship, Pedophilia, Misogyny, Sexual Harassment, Sexism

I really wanted to like this book but i felt that the characters were dull and i was unable to get into the plot.

the cover was absolutely lovely, but the way that abuse and assault were dealt with and mentioned bade it really hard to continue reading.

I absolutely loved the vibes of this book!
But I have to say that it took me a while to get into it. I dropped it once cause it was a bit slow, but then after a few months I managed to get into it and enjoy the reading.
The writing is okay, nothing crazy, but good enough to keep me entertained.
Maybe the book could've been a bit shorter, cause I feel like the protagonist just kept going on and on about the same things, same thoughts and feelings.
I do like the mystery of the plot, it was the main reason I kept reading.
Overall I think it was an okay book, I kinda enjoyed, kinda got tired of it.

The author did a great job creating the creepy feel of this Victorian seaside town. It definitely creating an unsettled feeling. I struggled to keep reading, but I was invested in learning what was behind everything. Unfortunately the payoff was, for me, not worth sticking with the book. I was hoping for something less supernatural.