Monday, June 22, 2009

Review: A Certain Slant of Light by Laura Whitcomb


Book Info:
A Certain Slant of Light by Laura Whitcomb
Paperback: 288 pages
Publisher: Graphia (September 21, 2005)
ISBN-13: 9780618585328
Genre: Young Adult
Rating: 4/5


In the class of the high school English teacher she has been haunting, Helen feels them: for the first time in 130 years, human eyes are looking at her. They belong to a boy, a boy who has not seemed remarkable until now. And Helen—terrified, but intrigued—is drawn to him. The fact that he is in a body and she is not presents this unlikely couple with their first challenge. But as the lovers struggle to find a way to be together, they begin to discover the secrets of their former lives and of the young people they come to possess.




I don't usually like, or even pick up, ghost stories, but for some reason this one sounded interesting, and I was not disappointed. I would almost call this more of an afterlife story, than a ghost story...

I always thought the cover on this book was interesting. The bathtub is a shiny material so it really does catch and reflect the light. Now that I've read the book, I think the cover makes much more sense. I also think it's kind of creepy, but in a good way.

The characters in the book, Helen especially, grabbed my attention right from the start. I thought she was fascinating, and very worldly and well-read for a ghost. James was also interesting, but he didn't captivate me the way Helen did. Even the minor characters were colorful and believable.

The language in the book is descriptive without being sappy. There is also an amazing amount of tension in the book. I couldn't read fast enough to find out what was going to happen next. I wasn't completely thrilled with the ending though. Part of it I really liked, and part seemed all wrapped up a little too neatly. Even with that, I can't really think of another ending I'd rather have seen instead.

A Certain Slant of Light is Laura Whitcomb's first novel. Her second novel, The Fetch, was just released in February and I will definitely be checking it out. 4 stars

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

This sounds like a really good book.. And great review on it!!

Heidi V said...

Sounds like a great read! Thanks for reviewing this book...

Ceri said...

Aww, this sounds really sweet and interesting.

Anonymous said...

I read it last year and definitely loved it! It was really different from the usual ghost story.

Jess said...

Great review... I keep forgetting to put this book on my TBR list, it sounds fantastic.

Zibilee said...

I love ghost stories, but can't even remember how long it's been since I've read one. I think the last one I read was The Ghostwriter. After reading your review, I am anxious to get my hands on a copy of this one.