Temperance lives in Warbler, a small whaling village on the water, with her mom and sister and a cast of townsfolk. After her dad dies tragically she is devoted to continuing his trade as a lamplighter, keeping the town safe, but circumstances change when townsfolk start to go missing and Temperance is the only one who knows what happened to them and how to prevent it from continuing to happen.

This might be one of the best YA novels I’ve read in years, possibly ever! Atmospheric and so well-written with beautiful language evocative of some of my favorite historical novels, this was a pleasure to read. I spent the first 60% or so waiting for the horror to kick in, and when it did I wasn’t disappointed. I’d consider that a slight pacing issue since the last 40% was significantly different in tone, with the beginning half reading like a small town mystery and the latter half a supernatural horror with a twist ending and unreliable narrator. I LOVED the ending but other readers be warned: this ending is a little more open-ended than most traditional books in the genre, so that may affect your enjoyment.

Tempe herself was a fantastic, well fleshed out protagonist, one who sometimes doubts herself, makes mistakes, and is sometimes frustrating to read while acknowledging her circumstances, staying steadfastly devoted to her family and job, and sticking to her values. The theme of female friendship and the foil between the sisters was subtly alluded to throughout and made the epilogue that much more satisfying. I’d highly recommend this book, especially for fans of YA horror like Small Favors and House Of Salt And Sorrows, or even adult horror like Mexican Gothic. I’m so glad I got this book as an ARC so I can be on the lookout for a special edition to buy when it’s published!

Huge thanks to Netgalley, the publisher, and author for this Advanced Reader Copy! This review is my honest opinion and offered voluntarily!

•The Lamplighter•
Crystal J. Bell
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

„Hopelessness is exhausting.
And lonely.“

I don’t know where to begin… this book was stunning in every way. First of all the Cover ist so gorgeous 🥹 the writing was sooo good and atmospheric. I was hooked the second I started! It’s not often that I’m loving just everything about a book. With every plot I sat there with my mouth open… I just didn’t see any of this coming 😅

We follow Tempe who becomes the lamplighter of the village after her Dad killed himself. Now it’s on her to keep the villagers safe and the lamppost’s alight. But what happened to those who couldn’t find their way home?

Pls pls pls give this book a chance it’s absolutely worth your time! It’s coming 21th of may 2024 and I will immediately buy a physical copy because I need this book in my shelf 🙆🏼‍♀️

Thank you NetGalley and North Star Editions for the electronic advance copy of "The Lamplighter" by Crystal J. Bell.
What a great atmosferic read with a fully fleshet-out heroine.
I loved Temperance. She had a great work ethic and cared a lot about her family. She was not the cliche YA heroine that feele "too special for the hard work". I respected that the most about this book.
"The Lamplighter" was a solid debut with great atmosphere.
Now here comes the part that broked my heart: the ending. I'll try my best explaining without spoillers, but I felt that all the hard work and all the suffering endured by Temperance had no payoff, no impact to the conclusion.
I understand that a lot of Horrors have some sort of open ending, but here it made me question what was the point of everithing if it did not affected the outcome?

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I couldn’t put this book down! The Lamplighter was a really great YA horror story. It was just spooky enough without taking away from the actual plot and themes - which was well thought out and very interesting. This book had me hooked and I can’t recommend it enough!

The Lamplighter is so stunningly visual and atmospheric I felt like I was right in the action. I couldn’t help but think what a great movie it would make! As the town’s lamplighter, Temperance sheds light and bears witness to the creepy, unexplainable happenings of the night. The foggy mystery will keep readers hooked, but the real story lies in Temperance’s unfailing determination to find lost girls and solidify her place in a world where women’s voices go unheard, even when it means making dark choices. The twists and turns in the second half had me gasping and flipping pages while following Temperance’s stunning realizations to a bold and shocking end. With a talent for rich character development, creative fantastical world building, and tight suspense, Crystal J Bell establishes herself as an author to watch.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐.5 (rounded to 5)

As soon as I read the synopsis of this book, I knew I had to read it. And I was not disappointed. The Lamplighter is a captivating tale that successfully earns its 4.5-star rating, weaving a narrative full of intrigue, fascinating characters, and unexpected twists.

Right from the beginning, the book hooks you with an intriguing setup that immediately sparks curiosity. The premise, as outlined in the synopsis, is equally fascinating, promising a unique and compelling story. The author skillfully delivers on this promise, keeping readers engrossed throughout the whole story, revealing little details that enrich the narrative in a truly masterful manner.

The plot twists in The Lamplighter are nothing short of remarkable - besides one, I was unable to figure out any of them; and many they were. With our main character I grieved and lost and felt viscerally - the narration is enough to bring out powerful emotion. Each twist adds a layer of complexity to the narrative, leaving you guessing until the very end. The story unfolds little by little, creating a sense of uncertainty that keeps you questioning what is real and what isn't—an element that adds depth to the overall reading experience.

My only criticism was that it slowed slightly towards the middle. However, this did little to detract from the story's overall value. The moments of respite allowed for more time to reflect on the story.

Tempe and Pru stand out as characters that readers can easily adore - I grew fond of Pru more towards the end, I must say. Their personalities add depth and relatability to the story, making the journey all the more enjoyable. The dynamic between them contributes significantly to the overall charm of the narrative and the ending just rounds this off perfectly.

Speaking of the ending, the conclusion of The Lamplighter is satisfying and maddening both. You want to know more, but must construct that yourself.

In conclusion, The Lamplighter is a must-read for those who appreciate a narrative with fascinating characters, and plot twists that keep you on the edge of your seat. Congratulations to Bell for writing such a compelling novel!

The Lamplighter by Crystal J. Bell is a haunting historical fiction tale.
Tempe is a stubborn and ambitious character who has plenty on her shoulders. We join her just as Warbler starts experiencing more missing locals and other incidents that shake the community.

A highlight of this debut YA novel is the way the narrative crescendoes as we follow Tempe's efforts to untangle Warbler's strange past and present. As the truth is uncovered, I found myself unable to put the novel down – I simply had to know what was going to unfold.

I would recommend this novel if you enjoy entry level horror, something a but spooky, and a strong female lead.

This story hooked me from the beginning. Temperance (or Tempe for short) is a young woman who works as the lamplighter for her small whaling community after the previous lamplighter, her father, committed suicide. As a working woman in the 1800s, Tempe deals with constant misogyny and scrutiny of her work, and this is not helped when strange disappearances begin to occur.

The writing was incredibly beautiful and haunting. It was slow paced, but there was always something going on to keep me invested in the story. There was a ton of world description and details, but it didn’t seem overbearing or unnecessary; every word genuinely helped to paint a picture or keep the story moving.

The characters sometimes had me frustrated and wanting to shake some sense into them for making dumb decisions, but that’s pretty realistic for 16-20ish year olds, so I can’t complain about that. I did enjoy the relationship between Tempe and her younger sister. It felt very reminiscent to real life sibling relationships; they bickered constantly but you could tell they really cared for one another.

I’m a sucker for a story with a bleak ending, and this was certainly one of the bleaker ones I’ve read. It was extremely well done, leaving the message that sometimes despite your best efforts things can go wrong. There was a small sliver of hope at the end, however, leaving it open to interpretation.

Overall, I definitely enjoyed this book and will be recommending it to anyone who enjoys spooky, dark mysteries. 4.5/5 stars!

Atmospheric and haunting. This book -- and the horrors of Warbler -- will stick with you long after you turn the last page.

This review was posted to my Goodreads account (see link) on December 10th 2023.

Intrigued by the cover and the interesting blurb I was let down, I’m sad to say. I was envisioning a gothic, autumnal horror story and I did not get that. I’m sure this has its audience who maybe got these themes I didn’t but it wasn’t the story for me.

I can say, however, the book is well-written and even though I did not get what I hoped, Bell has managed to create an atmosphere I could enjoy even if I didn't connect entirely with the story as a whole.

Received an ARC, and it was well worth it. A YA horror (light) novel, The Lamplighter's world is wonderfully and carefully constructed. The small port town of Warbler and it's internal politics and personalities feel as real as any small town in North America.

The book starts slow, and takes a while to find it's feet, but once it gets going the story is hard to put down.

The Lamplighter follows Temperance, a girl whose job is to light the town Warbler’s street lamps each night to guide the residents through the treacherously thick fog.

This book had such a cool concept and I loved the pros. It’s also a study in misogyny and the dangers of automatically dismissing someone’s warnings because they are a young woman.

While it’s more of a slow burn horror it packs a punch at the end. My god. The ending absolutely shocked me but after I took a minute to absorb what I’d read I kinda loved it. It was chilling and haunting but with a touch of hope. It also left an opening for a cool potential sequel if the author ever wants to revisit Warbler. (I need Pru and her book club to have their own story after that epilogue)

The Lamplighter is a great introduction to horror.

Title: The Lamplighter
Author: Crystal J. Bell
Genre: YA Horror
Rating: 5 stars

Review:

I can honestly say that I don’t give too many YA Horror novels 5 stars anymore - but THE LAMPLIGHTER has earned ALL of them! I LOVED this book. It is atmospheric, and spooky, and you think you know what is going to happen, but even if you can guess a part of it, you don’t guess the full extent.

The main character, Tempe, is the perfect heroine for this book. She’s tough, determined, and still has flaws that all make sense with what has happened to her in her life, and what is continuing to happen. I rooted for Tempe. I wanted her to win, and while her choices were sometimes not the best, you can understand them. I also felt like the author did a great job showing her weaknesses, showing when and how Tempe discovers and acknowledges them, and how she deals with them (or doesn’t). She is not a perfect character, and she doesn’t always make the right choice. But she tries her best, and you can see exactly where she’s coming from.

Warbler is a town that strays just shy of being a real historical town. It’s the kind of place you can imagine visiting on vacation, but once night falls, you can also imagine that’s its a little bit of a realm unto its own. The secondary characters, from the constable, to the town drunk, are all fully realized as well. And the villain is exactly what you’d want. He’s not particularly villainous on the outside. He isn’t the obvious choice. Except when he is. And it still won’t end like you think.

If you want something new to read in the YA horror without gore but with plenty of atmosphere and personality, this is a definite yes. I will be watching for Crystal J. Bell’s next book for certain!

Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for allowing me to read this book in advance!

“Do monsters have reasons for the things they do?”

Temperance asks that question as she unravels a mystery in the whaling village of Warbler. The setting and description took me to a place that I could see as clearly as the fog would allow. The author does a great job describing the figureheads and unveiling the horror behind the village disappearances.

The underlying message of women choosing to work in the nineteenth century rather than marry is a fantastic secondary storyline, as Tempe is forced to take over her father’s occupation as lamplighter after his death. The YA passion, mystery, intrigue, and horror come together nicely in this young adult novel.

Thank you #NetGalley for the ARC! #TheLamplighter

Lamplighter review

An atmospheric debut about a girl who tries to protect her family and be heard in this historical fiction novel.
Temperance is a lamplighter, in a town where the fog is dangerous because people go missing. She’s tough, having to grow up quickly over her father committed suicide and her mother in a fugue state, she had to grow up to take care of her younger sister.
When she comes under scrutiny for unlit lamposts(through no fault of her own) and her position in town becomes precarious, she has to navigate saving her family. The ending, oof. Dont skip the epilogue!

This is creepy and compelling, though a slow paced read. Dont go in thinking it’s going to hit the ground running. It is a nice standalone read.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for providing this arc in exchange for an honest review.

The atmosphere in this book was very interesting, with lots of descriptive words and imagery, but just as intrinsic as it was, I felt like the author’s writing could get *so* descriptive with so many details that it pulled me out of the story. I could skim over the paragraph and wouldn’t have missed anything but description and description and description.

I wish I could have enjoyed this book more but it fell flat for me with its characters and their decisions. I couldn’t connect with them and I’d end up mad or angry with their choices rather than rooting for them. I didn’t care for the plot or for the ending. Still, I can see many people loving this book, but unfortunately I wasn’t one of them.

I actually tend to shy away from horror simply because I desperately need to sleep at night, but I was so drawn to this book for its description and cover (literally absolutely stunning—one of the best I’ve seen), and Crystal J. Bell did not disappoint! The writing and world-building were just perfect for the story of Temperance as she navigates a world that tries to silence her at every turn. I so wish that I had read this in October, because the vibes and atmosphere worked to create this gruesome yet gothic reality that just immersed you in the world of Warbler. I especially loved the town lore and its direct role in creating that horror-like feel for the plot and environment. I felt this sense of creepiness and sort of quiet haunting even in the tame parts of the story. As for the character of Temperance, man, oh man, this girl went through A LOT, and I think Crystal J. Bell did a great job in navigating topics of SA and mental health given the nature of horror. And while Tempe is stubborn at times and has a pattern to her mistakes, her tale is enigmatic and brave. I also was not expecting that ending and had to go over it a couple of times, and even after writing this, I’m still thinking about it. Overall, I think Crystal J. Bell’s The Lamplighter is a great read for anyone looking to get back into horror that will leave you reeling and questioning what you just read.

Thank you to North Star Editions, Flux and Crystal J. Bell for this ARC of The Lamplighter. This review was published on both Goodreads and NetGalley (12/5).

Enjoyed this story very much. Kept me reading into the night. Look forward to more from this author.

This book captivated me from start to finish. It skillfully weaves an eerie yet compelling narrative, portraying the protagonist's resilient battle against malevolent forces. The historic backdrop of Warbler adds a unique charm to the story, making me yearn to be immersed in its atmosphere indefinitely—minus the unsettling disappearance element. The author masterfully balances spookiness with a heartfelt tale of courage and love. I wholeheartedly recommend this book for those seeking a captivating and haunting experience.

I absolutely loved the writing of the debut author Crystal J Bell, when I started reading about the author I was quite surprised to find this book is her debut work. Because it was more than impressive comparatively.

The story was an absolute masterpiece, the description was so good and easy for me to visualise. I felt the terror in the midst of fog and felt comfort with people around Temperance (the main character of the book). Loved the sentiment, love, sisterhood, every relationship mentioned and non mentioned in the book.

I know the twist was coming all along, but the ending it was totally unexpected and most thrilling for me.