by Moira Buffini
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Genre: Dystopian, Sci-fi, YA
Number of pages: 384
ISBN: 978-0063358218
Format: Hardcover, Audiobook (Audible, CD), eBook (Kobo, Kindle, Nook)
Publication date: September 3rd, 2024
Publisher: HarperCollins
Type: Book, Novel, Series
Series: The Torch Light
Huge thanks to HarperCollins CA for a physical ARC of this book. I offer this review willingly and without any compensation whatsoever.
This review contains MILD SPOILERS.
This book caught my eye because of the title which I find beautiful and positive, as well as the stunning cover. But what really decided me to give it a read was the strong female friendship promoted! I’m always on the lookout for more female friendships that are great, positive, and not toxic or mean. So, I had to request it, and I’m so thrilled HarperCollins Canada granted me a copy!! It was one of my most anticipated reads of the YEAR, and it did not disappoint.
Care to know why?
Come with me for an excursion into Songlight’s world and my love for it.
The Positive Points
I HAVE to start with what surprised me positively when I started reading this book. It clearly mentions a girl’s menstruation and I couldn’t be happier for this! Oftentimes, the YA genre overlooks this simple fact, like it’s taboo or bad when it’s only natural. However, I love when it gets acknowledged, because most of us readers and writers agree that literature should speak the truth… Well, menstruation is a girl’s truth, specially taking into account we start our periods as young teens. I always find it ridiculous and unbelievable when the girls are NEVER on their periods, and can go fight or go out on quests like there’s no worries about that… I’m sorry, are you a teenage girl or a cardboard character made to fit the plot? Yeah, that’s what I thought. So, thank YOU, Miss Buffini, for writing a teenager’s menstruation into your book. It pleased me, as it needs to be more talked about if we’re to reflect reality in truthful ways in our literature. Thus, teenage girls can see themselves and their reality in the books they read.
Now, on another topic, I must admit this book ALWAYS has action. There’s always something happening. The characters are complex, determined, and all intriguing in their own way. I never figured out if I sensed them in the room with me while reading or if I felt transported next to them. Either way, that’s some powerful character creation right there.
Moreover, I love that there are many points of view. We can explore more of this dystopian world as well as grasp diverse perspectives.
While I do love both Nightingale and Lark, I am rather fond of Lark (Elsa Crane) for her boldness, her caring, and her strength of character. I really like Heron Mikane as well. They have a similar way of caring about people and situations. They’re also very interesting and complex, multi-layered. However, Nightingale is as sweet as a dove. In my mind, that’s how I picture her. I nicknamed her “Dove”. 🙂
And I have a suggestion for renaming this book! How about The tale of twists? Because honestly, I’ve never read a story with so many twists that twist into subtwists and so on. It’s wonderful and mind-blowing! It’s like each and every twist is twistin’, and I love it!
Plus, when you think the characters’ situations can’t get any worse, it DOES! It’s incredible, wow. I had a few doubts sometimes but I didn’t think the author would dare take it into those directions… yet she did! This a book that just keeps on giving you twists and situations, as well as a few, heartfelt and hopeful moments. Miss Buffini doesn’t shy away from any difficult situations or decisions; she tackles heartbreak, betrayal, feels, pitting family and friends against each other, good and society against evil and selfishness… It’s all so beautiful and wow, the feels I had! I’m thoroughly impressed!
Honestly, this book is a thrilling read! It’s been a very long time since I haven’t read a book as thrilling and entertaining as this. I love the books I read, but while they’re thrilling at certain moments, Songlight is thrilling on every page! Such a feat, wow. Like, I. could. NOT. put. it. down! Impressive!
Lastly, I never thought I’d feel for this character, Piper Crane, but I did at some point. I hate him generally because he betrayed someone important to him and his views are very narrow and limited… However, he hasn’t it easy either. It’s actually quite terrible, because he’s gay in a terribly brutal society that treats gays as less than sh!t and he believes deeply he’s unnatural… Poor Piper is a typical example of what it’s like being brainwashed and afraid to be gay because of society. He wants to prove himself, to be important, and everything. But where he lives, being gay means the exact contrary… So, I have compassion for him and I think that’s a feat, because like I mentioned, his betrayal marked him irredeemable to me, as well as his bootlicking behaviour (although I can see why, he’s been brainwashed and he wants to fit in but he’s really blind and deaf to everyone who loves him, urgh). Yet, I feel strong emotions and sadness for him. Well done, Miss Buffini!
The Negative Points
There are many point of views, but they follow no order whatsoever, which is really confusing. For example, the first character has three chapters, after which the second character has one chapter, and then it’s one we didn’t know before that has two chapters, then it’s back to the second one, and right after the author introduces us to a fourth character, then it comes back to the first point of view…
It’s slightly annoying and very confusing, which diminishes a bit the reading experience. I love that it has many point of views, but the lack of order to them mind boggled me a lot of times.
In Conclusion
Songlight is a marvelous, thrilling and feelsy read! I recommend it whole-heartedly to lovers of dystopian books, of female friendships, LGBTQ+ readers, and those who crave feels and thrills and drama in their books like I do. I will genuinely read the two other books in the trilogy; it’s now high on my dystopian book list. For all these reasons, despite the point of views that are a bit messy and confusing due to their order, and for all the sheer fun and thrill I had reading this book, I give Songlight a bright rating of 5 stars out of 5. I hope this will be a big sensation, because I feel like it deserves to be!
Thank you for reading, as always.
If you want to learn more about the author, Moira Buffini, you can visit her HarperCollins Canada's author page, her Goodreads author page, as well as her IMDb page. Don't forget to add Songlight to your wishlist or your cart as well as your bookshelves!
Ad Librum Aeternam 