Reviewed by nightingalereads on
4.25 stars. I'm going to start right off by saying that this book broke my heart, but in the best way possible. The Light Between Worlds is about three siblings who cross over into another world called the Woodlands, and then are thrust back into our world a few years later. Specifically, we follow Evelyn, the youngest, and Phillipa, her older sister. This story in many ways feels like a darker Narnia, as it explores all the thoughts and feelings I've always believed I would feel, were I one of the Pevensie children. Laura nails the weight of loss and long-term grief, and how people grapple with those feelings in different ways and in varying degrees.
While I grew attached to both sisters, I connected most with Evelyn, who takes her exile back to reality the hardest. If you're someone who hasn't experienced/witnessed long-term grief or loss, you may get irritated at how many times Evelyn relapses into depression - but her cycles of brief light and utter darkness struck deep for me. I saw myself in her character so many times. One trigger warning I feel I should mention (which I'll list at the end) is for self-harm. There are a few scenes and references to the fact that Evelyn goes through episodes where she intentionally hurts herself. None of these scenes are graphic, but I do think they could be potentially triggering if you're in a bad place. I think anyone who's suffered any kind of personal trauma will relate to the themes in this book.
The Light Between Worlds also does a beautiful job of incorporating poetry and art into the story, as they are the interests of Evelyn and Phillipa respectively. One bump I will mention is that it took me a bit of time to feel connected to the story, as the characters and the world-building felt very surface-level at first. As I continued reading, though, I became more invested, and now I'm just left with the bittersweet heartache of witnessing something both beautiful and painful.
TW: self-harm
Release Date: October 23, 2018
Reading updates
- Started reading
- Finished reading
- 10 April, 2018: Reviewed