All The Little Lights
by: Jamie McGuire
Genre: YA Romance
Publisher: Montlake Romance
Release Date: May 29, 2018
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From #1 New York Times bestselling author Jamie McGuire comes a riveting tale of first love that starts young but runs deep.
The first time Elliott Youngblood spots Catherine Calhoun, he’s just a boy with a camera, and he’s never seen a sadder and more beautiful sight. Both Elliott and Catherine feel like outcasts, yet they find an easy friendship with each other. But when Catherine needs him most, Elliott is forced to leave town.
Elliott finally returns, but he and Catherine are now different people. He’s a star high school athlete, and she spends all her free time working at her mother’s mysterious bed-and-breakfast. Catherine hasn’t forgiven Elliott for abandoning her, but he’s determined to win back her friendship…and her heart.
Just when Catherine is ready to fully trust Elliott, he becomes the prime suspect in a local tragedy. Despite the town’s growing suspicions, Catherine clings to her love for Elliott. But a devastating secret that Catherine has buried could destroy whatever chance of happiness they have left.
*Arc received for honest review*
3.5 Stars
Mysterious and Captivating!
Jamie McGuire is an author at the top of my must buy list. She’s the author who unknowingly pulled me out of a six-year book funk with her novel Beautiful Disaster. When I seen All The Little Lights I knew I needed to take a chance as I did a few years ago and request a copy and cross my fingers and hope like hell my request was approved. I was extremely excited when ATLL showed up on my Netgalley shelf!
If you’re looking for a hot steamy novel with loads of sex and passion…..You definitely won’t find that in this novel. But if you’re looking for a novel with mystery, suspense, and a dark vibe, this would be the novel for you.
Okay, Now is the difficult challenge of telling you about this novel without giving away spoilers. Let me first start off by saying, I’m not a huge fan of the YA genre when it comes to romance. I feel like the teenagers portrayed in these novels act older than their age… However, when it comes to ATLL I was all in and completely intrigued by these characters and the struggles and challenges they are faced with. I actually didn’t mind the YA nature of this novel.
ATLL is told in two point of views and spans the time of three years.
Catherine Calhoun and Elliot Youngblood are both unique characters with two things in common. They both live in unstable households and they are both outcasts. One summer is all it takes for Elliot and Catherine to bond and share their lifelong details. The day before Elliot is supposed to go back home tragedy strikes Catherine’s world. He’s pulled away before he can see if she’s okay. I really enjoyed the young Elliot and Catherine moments. From the start I sensed the protective nature Elliot held when it came to Catherine. I cheered when this young man put her biggest bullies in their places.
Two years later Elliot is back and he’s about to face the biggest challenge of all, seeking Catherine’s forgiveness. But he quickly realizes the Catherine he once knew is no longer the Catherine that stands in front of him. He’ll do everything in his power to uncover her secrets and protect her from any threat. Some secrets though are to big to uncover without help.
And…. that is where I’m stopping the ‘about the novel’ portion of this review. Honestly it took me a few hours to write that small section and then rewrite it several times so it didn’t contain little glimpses of spoilers….. Writing this review has been a nightmare for me!
There were two things I found compelling when it comes to ATLL. First is the Secret. This novel centers around a huge secret that nobody knows but everyone wants to find out. At 20% I had two theories in mind (theories that will not be added in this review due to spoilers). By 40% I had a feeling I knew how this novel would end and at 62% I knew exactly how ATLL would end. How did I know? well I have a way of picking out bits and pieces that are easily looked over. This is a curse for me when it comes to reading mysteries because I’m hardly ever surprised…. I almost always know the outcome! However, if you are unlike me and don’t analytically try to prove your theories while reading, chances are this novel will honestly shock the hell out of you!
I loved the dark vibe that hovers over this world. The Juniper is a mansion in which Catherine has lived all her life, a mansion that has now been turned into a bed and breakfast in which Catherine and her mother still reside. The Juniper is a huge factor in this novel, this place is where all the mystery is held and because of this, Catherine has closed the door to all friendships refusing to let anyone in. To say The Juniper is creepy is a huge understatement.
I rated this a 3.5 star due to my ability to easily predict the ending. Certain moments felt like they were dragging on. I also had a hard time with the fact that Elliot was Cherokee but I didn’t feel the Cherokee vibes. I wanted to feel more of that cultural vibe and experience it more through his eyes instead of just experiencing it through the bully’s eyes and in a negative view.
Overall, I did enjoy this novel. I was sucked in from the very first page. I loved the young love between Elliot and Catherine. My heart was put through the wringer, I loved the swoon worthy moments Elliott brought to the book and the heartbreaking moments Catherine brought. I also loved the fact that Elliott is a fan of photography…and…he’s a star quarterback! I could go on and on with all the little things I loved about this novel, but you all get the point.
I really did enjoy reading All The Little Lights by Jamie McGuire!
Have you read All The Little Lights? Let me know in the comments what you thought of this book!
Peace Love and Happy Reading,
I ended up giving it 4 stars.
The plot twist really threw me and I thought Elliott was a good love interest.
I loved the young love vibes 💗
I had trouble deciding what to rate it so I settled with a 3.5. I’m glad you liked it! I really liked ATLL but I caught on quick to the twist which was a huge let down for me. I need to stop watching horror movies, they seem to make me analyze everything.
Hmm…I wasn’t sure whether to read this one or not. Now I’m leaning towards it. Nice review!