3.5 out of 5 stars

The plot of the book was very entertaining and a reason why I was entranced for it upon reading it initially. The meaning of the book is very much need, many of the hurdles the protagonist goes through is similar to the pains that women in our modern society go through too.

The main character is a good heroine, her fears, concerns and wants are believable and understood by the reader. She was my favorite character and the one I think was the most developed.

The villain on the other hand, I understood its motivations but towards the end of the book I did not feel as there was enough depth to his character other than a few paragraphs that despite informative, fall short.

The side characters were enjoyable but sometimes there were too many to keep track off, their motivations and feelings.

As far as writing goes, it was very good prose. Evoking emotion where it needed but sometimes there was some repetition that at first I thought, okay nice but after a while it seemed unnecessary.

Overall, a very good and thought out story where the plot and the protagonist make it a worthwhile read but there is not enough development at times and it leaves the book feeling like it's missing something.

This book tells the story of Temperance Byrne, who works as a lamplighter in the whaling town of Warbler, where fog covers everything at night. Temperance's job is vital as she guides people through the mist. Warbler is known for people disappearing in the fog, along with the famous siren figureheads owned by Gideon.

Temperance's sister, Prudence, receives attention from an admirer, who is none other than Gideon himself. However, Temperance is hesitant as she receives a warning about him from her late father before his tragic death. As if that's not enough, the disappearance of one of the girls from town, makes people doubt Temperance's capabilities to do her job.

What's really enjoyable about this book is the vibe it gives off. You can practically feel the creepiness of that fog and sense someone's eyes on you through it. Temperance is all about family, stepping up as the main provider since her mom's lost in her own head. She's a character torn between wanting to be independent and dealing with the times dragging her down. Sometimes, her choices seem off, but it's grief and responsibilities talking, or at least it seems that way. In summary, she is carrying the weight of the world on her shoulders.

There are some aspects of a love story, but it is not the main plot She is in love with Josiah and wants to spend the rest of her life with him and that is all I am willing to give. I think I did see the twist coming but it's so good that I didn't mind at all.

Overall this book will break your heart, make you scream, roll your eyes, feel a hundred different emotions and that ending is just too good. I definitely recommend. Wait for it! May 2024

The Lamplighter is a thrilling and beautifully written young adult debut. It is set in the fictional whaling town of Wharbler, Connecticut and follows Tempe, the lamplighter of the town, whose job is to keep the treacherous fog at bay. As girls begin going missing across the town, Tempe takes it into her own hands to uncover the dark and sinister mystery. The main character, Tempe, is headstrong and is the breadwinner of her family, taking over her father’s job after his untimely passing. She faces many challenges over the course of the novel, including misogyny and PTSD symptoms. Tempe navigates these obstacles as best she can, but often makes dangerous choices, leading her to be quite the complex character. Tempe’s past as well as her present struggles help the book embody the overarching themes of healing, familial trauma, and finding self worth in a world that is set up for you to fail.
The writing style was excellent and engrossing. Vast and expansive world building and imagery helped this book really shine as well. The dialogue was crisp and flowed smoothly during conversation, never making it feel as if it were flat or forced. The characters were all fully developed and intriguing in their own ways, leading the novel to feel organic and realistic in a certain way.
This book would be perfect for H. P. Lovecraft fans, or enjoyers of horror in general. While it still remains a young adult novel, Crystal J. Bell does not shy away from gore, death, and mental illness.
I truly did love this book, as a Lovecraft reader myself. This book reminded me of all of the great gothic horror novels from the 19th and 20th centuries, such as Frankenstein. Using horror to achieve a theme dealing with trauma, loss, and femininity is an expert way to execute your concept, and that is what I believe The Lamplighter did. This book explored the innate terror and bloodshed that coincides with being a woman in a way that exuded poise and eloquence.

A cozy and hauntingly beautiful historical fiction novel, The Lamplighter is the perfect book to read on a rainy day with a cup of tea. It is a study in the life of a woman in the 1800's, who deals with misogyny and oppression from those around her, but just wants to live her life and provide for her family. Temperance gets dragged into the mysteries of her small town as her life unravels and the reader gets to follow her go down a dark path. The ending was entirely unsuspected, but perfect for this book. I highly recommend reading The Lamplighter.

Temperance assumes the job of lamplighter in the foggy whaling village of Warbler after her father’s suicide, a job she takes very seriously. The fog that covers the village is deadly: many of the visitors who come for its renowned ship figureheads (and a few villagers) go missing in the fog. Temperance is determined to hold onto her position: not only is it part of her family’s history, but she needs to provide for her grieving mother and sister at a time when employment opportunities for young women are few.

When a young woman from the village goes missing and Temperance fails to report that several lamps had gone out that evening, her job is in danger. That is, until town leader Gideon steps in to give her another chance. But Temperance is suspicious of Gideon: her father warned her to stay away from him, and she had a troubling encounter with him several years ago. But Gideon seems to be her family’s benefactor, he’s well-respected in the village, and now he wants to marry her younger sister.

As Temperance begins investigating the young woman’s disappearance, she discovers shocking evil lurking within her village, an evil that makes her question everything she knows about her family and that places her in danger, especially when no one believes her suspicions.

We really enjoyed this novel—the fog lends the perfect creepy atmosphere to a pretty creepy story—and we think many students will enjoy it as well. It’s probably better suited for high school than middle school students, as it does have a scene of sexual assault, the father commits suicide by hanging, and there is plenty of violence, all things to keep in mind when recommending the book to students.

Thank you NetGalley, North Star Editions, and Flux for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are our own.

Will be posted on https://threeheads.works on April 8.

Thank you Netgalley & Flex Publishing for an eARC ♥️

Picture a creepy whaling village shrouded in fog, where the lamplighter is supposed to keep everyone safe. But what if that lamplighter, Temperance, is a woman in a man's world? And what if she's got a dark family secret to contend with?

As Tempe tries to prove herself, girls start vanishing and the village authorities are more interested in silencing her than solving the mystery. But our girl Tempe won't back down! She uncovers some seriously eerie stuff about those famous ship figureheads and her own father's shady past.

Here's the thing: this book is like a slow-burning fire that builds up to a terrifying crescendo. You'll feel the chill of the fog seeping into your bones as Tempe navigates a world that's against her. It's a story about breaking free from expectations, facing the darkness head-on, and finding your own strength.

Just remember: don't trust the fog...

What hides in the fog that covers Warbler? Tempe holds the mysterious fog at bay by being the Lamplighter. As she cares for and lights the lamp posts, she ends up being drawn into a mystery. I was on the edge of my seat, hoping that Tempe could uncover the mystery… a wonderfully written, gripping book! I enjoyed it greatly!

The Lamplighter by Crystal J. Bell is a captivating novel that transports readers to a foggy nineteenth-century whaling village. We follow the story of Temperance, a determined young woman who takes on the responsibility of being the lamplighter after her father's tragic death. However, as mysterious disappearances plague the village, Temperance must navigate through a thick haze of doubt and suspicion. Her determination to provide for her family and uncover the truth leads her down a dangerous path, where she discovers dark secrets that threaten her own safety. With hauntingly beautiful prose, this is a powerful feminist tale of a woman's struggle to be heard.

ARC was provided via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you NetGalley.
This is my first collaboration and I am really delighted that Flux gave me the chance to read and review this book. And I’m really sorry that I did not like this book as much as I wanted to.
It is a horror novel targeted to young adult. The events take place in the small town of Warbler, a very bleak and dreary whaling village. Here lives the main character, Temperance, who is in charge of turning the streetlights on and off in the public streets and squares so that the residents of Warbler can live safely and avoid getting lost when a dense, impenetrable fog rises from the forest in the evening, punctual and inclement. Temperance's is a prominent position in the town's community, which the young girl inherited from her father after he committed suicide. The lamplighter is a respected profession; in addition to lighting, along the way he oversees and reports to the authorities possible oddities that occur along the way. There is no shortage of oddities in Warbler; a girl has just disappeared, and hers is just yet another in a series of disappearances. Only this time the girl has disappeared right on a street where the lamps were off. And so, the villagers will begin to question the validity of Temperance, a woman handling so much responsabilities.
Temperance will face accusations of incompetence and will have to deal with the prejudices and hesitations of her villagers all while trying to hold together and financially support her family namely her mother and sister and while still trying to get over the grief of her beloved father.

Temperance’s desire for redemption and pride, as well as her civic sense and empathy, will drive her to try a and solve the mystery shrouding Warbler until she brings to light a bitter truth that is inconceivable in its cruelty and absurdity.
One of the strengths of the book in my opinion is in the way the main character’s feelings are described. Yes, she is a bit repetitive sometimes and I guess she takes some terrible decisions. But I think the author succeeds in describing Temperance's feelings of abandonment, the difficulties in dealing with the loss of her father, longing for the past and wanting to move forward. Her desire for self-determination and independence.
I had some issue with the pacing of the story, the first plot twist occurs at about 60 percent, also the mystery was quite understandable from the beginning. On the other hand, I found the writing style stunning and it is a very atmospheric read, you can almost see the fog rising from the ink and papers. The book somehow reminded me of Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno Garcia and Gallant by V. E. Schwab, even those did a better job at handling the suspense. As it happened with Mexican Gothic and Gallant, The lamplighter unfortunately left me a little unsatisfied.

I was hooked during most of the book, the writing and the aesthetic are beautiful however im not sure if i am satisfied with the ending.. might change with time tho

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review

Recieved an arc in return for a honest review via NetGalley
This book reminded me of The doll factory, which i loved for its mistical vibe

I honestly felt a lot of feelings while reading this, I was confused, scared excited and sad This is an amazing story, it intertwines the stories of family of society and of one poor girl trying to hold it all thogether, taking too big of a burden on her shoulders
I loved Tempe soo much
I enjoyed reading it immensly, I read it in aday

Thank you to NetGalley and Fluxnow for providing me with a copy of this book. ARC was provided in exchange for an honest review.

This story focuses on Temperance Byrne. She has taken up the mantle of the town Lamplighter for the small town of Warbler after the sudden death of her father. Having big shoes to fill, Temperance feels the pressure of keeping her neighbours safe from the invasive fog that fills the streets of the town at night.
After a young girl goes mysteriously missing after hearing a scream that rattles the fog, Temperance's job as the town Lamplighter is on the line. To save her father's legacy and keep her family from losing everything, she decides to get to the root of these disappearances in Warbler.

There is so much about this book that felt intriguing to me. The atmosphere sounded like it was going to be so deep and I was hoping the characters would also have depth and complexity.
Lots of these things that I was looking forward to about this book completely missed.
- The characters were so frustrating to me, especially Temperance.
- I understand that the author wanted to weave some feminism into this book, but it distracted me as the audience member so much from the plot and the characters
- The characters were so surface-level

If you're looking for something dark, atmospheric and intriguing then definitely keep an eye out for this book on May 21 2024!

A very different and interesting book I have ever read in my opinion. It was a wonderful read and I would definitely recommend it to anyone.
10/10

Nice prose and interesting ideas, but the pace was too slow for my taste and I didn't feel connected to the characters. I also didn't really understand some bad choices made by the heroin, the explanations dit not make sense to me.

thank you for letting me read this before the publish date for an honest review (:

if im honest, I REALLY liked the book!! I was worried I wouldn't like it because I didnt hear much about the book, and i usually read booktok books - however, I was HOOKED.

I loved the plot for the story, and tempe's character. For me, I struggle to like a lot of female characters however, I really liked Tempe and her love for her job, her late father, Pru and her mother. She was an amazing character that made me enjoy the book even more.
as for the story as a whole, I always push through to give the book a chance for me to enjoy it - and im glad it did, I felt like I knew who the bad guy was but plot twists happened which I DID NOT expect and made my jaw drop.

this was my first horror and I cant lie at the beginning when something went wrong, I had goosebumps. I am definitely going to read more horror books!

I recommend this book so much! and thank you again for letting me read this early (:

I LOVED this book. Absolutely flew through it. The characters were well fleshed out. It makes logical sense, but I couldn’t predict what would happen next. A dark and dreary story, but it was enjoyable to read. I enjoyed the characters a lot and appreciated that everything they went through was reflected in them as characters. I look forward to more by this author.

A glorious debut, dark, haunting and chilling on so many levels

Temperance (Tempe) is a lamplighter, providing for her mother and her sister by lighting the dark and murky streets of Warbler after the mysterious demise of her father.

The village makes figureheads for ships, great carvings affixed to the bow of the ship which held great significance for seaman on their voyages. Often female, often mermaids, sailors believed these figureheads to appease the sea, enabling the avoidance of bad weather and subsequently, a safe return home. Likewise, the lamplighter provides safety for those who will walk the dark and desolate streets at night, if they ensure the lamps are all lit.

However, the era is not kind to women, and the village contains a threat that is a danger to women and girls. When a gilr disappears after two of the lmps Tempe has lit go out, the town council bray for her dismissal. Tempe knows more about the night than most in the town and to protect her job, investigates the disappearance, discovering more and more as she delves deeper, but can she get the twon to listen if even her Mother and sister will not?

Horror and YA are not my usual genres, but I adore historical fiction and gaslamp mysteries, so I had to give this book a try and I am so very glad I did.

The lamplighter is stunning. STUNNING. It is authentic to gothic horror/ gaslamp mysteries and has a dark ambience that envolps the reader in the murkey underbelly of Warbler. Bell writes at a pace to match the atmosphere, lulling the reader into a false sense of security and then reels in, hooked and unable to put the book down.

There are a lot of themes in this book that require trigger warnings and these are clearly laid out at the beginning. Bell does not hide these events or sugarcoat them and this is to be applauded as these were a stark reality of the 19th century and sadly, still are

Bell is very talented at creating an atmosphere, describing the depths of a characters soul and illustrating an era with well-researched narratives. An exceptional read and certainly one to be recommended

Thank you to Netgalley, North Star Editions, Flux and the author, Crystal J Bell for this outstanding ARC. My review is left voluntarily and all opinions are my own

This was really well written, lyrical and poignant.

The whole novel was atmospheric, very character driven with mysteries moving the plot along. Some themes that are addressed are sister dynamics, asking for help, responsibility and misogyny. I love how much insight we got into the main characters motivations. She definitely makes difficult choices with real consequences and grows throughout the novel, while staying true to who she is as a person.

I don’t see a lot of reviews mention the mystery throughout this book, which for me would be one of the predominant genres (besides fantasy). It’s very well paced and enough moments for you to doubt what you know and who you can trust. So engaging!

I wouldn’t necessarily classify this as young adult, since some of the content is quite heavy. Please check trigger warnings.

All in all, would definitely recommend if you want an eerie, magical realism, character driven story.
4.5 stars!

“I will not deny, though, that the fog does love to play tricks. It trails my every step. Encouraging me to tread where I should not.”

Warbler, a 19th century whaling village, is infamous for people mysteriously disappearing into the thick fog that envelops the town at night. Temperance is a young woman who assumes the role of the town’s lamplighter after her father is found dead, hanging from a lamppost. When young women start going missing, Tempe must confront her traumatic past and choose between maintaining her silence and speaking out, risking her livelihood, her safety, and the safety of her younger sister in the process.

Beautifully written and deeply atmospheric, this book absolutely delivers on the horror elements and takes some very dark twists and turns throughout. The choice of first-person narration immerses the reader in Temperance’s loneliness, grief, fear, and paranoia and serves to create a sense of oppressiveness, becoming claustrophobic at times. She’s an unreliable narrator and is quick to jump to conclusions as the mystery unfolds, and I was thoroughly engaged by picking apart what Tempe thought happened vs what might have actually happened.

I was frustrated by Tempe’s apparent inability to learn from her mistakes, however this definitely feeds into the mounting feelings of isolation and loss of control because of the choices she’s made.

I found the ending unsatisfying, and I would have rated it higher if it had ultimately all come together in a different way.

Overall, The Lamplighter is an impressive debut by Crystal J. Bell, and I would gladly recommend it to anyone who enjoys gothic horror. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for sending me an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

The author crystal bell creates a dramatic scene with ominous fog and figureheads representing the village's misfortune. In tempe's journey she is enriched by her loneliness and societal expectations, making her an intriguing protagonist. The Lamplighter is a captivating historical mystery with an engaging female character.

Thank you netgalley and flux for the ARC