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A Certain Slant of Light (Light, Bk 1)
A Certain Slant of Light - Light, Bk 1
Author: Laura Whitcomb
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 un...  more »
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ISBN-13: 9780618585328
ISBN-10: 061858532X
Publication Date: 9/21/2005
Pages: 288
Reading Level: Young Adult
Rating:
  • Currently 3.9/5 Stars.
 159

3.9 stars, based on 159 ratings
Publisher: Graphia
Book Type: Paperback
Reviews: Member | Amazon | Write a Review

Top Member Book Reviews

reviewed A Certain Slant of Light (Light, Bk 1) on + 76 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 10
A YA book but one I would save for my daughter to read til she's at least 14. The story of two "spirits" who find each other... him because he was able to inhabit another body. When they find a body for her to inhabit, it sets off a whole change of events that may end up destroying them, their hosts and innocents around them. Slow starting... faster paced from middle on. Good!
nantuckerin avatar reviewed A Certain Slant of Light (Light, Bk 1) on + 158 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 5
After I read this book, I felt like I had just run an emotional marathon.

Seriously. I was literally drained.

In her novel, A Certain Slant of Light, Laura Whitcomb shows that love doesn't end when life does. Her protagonist is a spirit that hasn't moved on, that haunts people, not places. Over her many spectral years, she inspires writers, teachers and poets. She acts as a muse for many of her "companion" humans, helping them tap into their inspiration.

She thinks she's the only one of her kind -- a soul walking among the living -- until she meets another like her, and finds a love that transcends all the conventional boundaries.

The precise details of her death are a mystery, carefully doled out during the course of the book. This is where the real heartache of this story is revealed. The ending is completely wrenching and although satisfying, I left the book feeling exhausted and didn't start another story for a week. That's how I know a book has gotten under my skin.
reviewed A Certain Slant of Light (Light, Bk 1) on + 45 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 4
I thought this was a wonderful book. It is 282 pages long. I finished it in one day. If you like ghost stories, this is a good book for you. I wouldn't reccommend this book for immature teens, though, because the book does have inappropriate language and such...
reviewed A Certain Slant of Light (Light, Bk 1) on + 38 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 3
A very beautifully told story about love and forgiveness. It is also pretty short- you could read it in a day!
RockStarGirl avatar reviewed A Certain Slant of Light (Light, Bk 1) on + 329 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 3
For lack of better words, all I can say is that this book was unusual. I won't pretend that everything made sense as I was reading it, or even in retrospect, but in the end there was a definite message there....One of hope, healing, and overcoming. While the book was written for young adults/teens, you certainly don't need to be one to enjoy it. If you are looking for a different kind of ghost/haunting story, give this one a try.
Read All 30 Book Reviews of "A Certain Slant of Light Light Bk 1"

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denisemarie avatar reviewed A Certain Slant of Light (Light, Bk 1) on + 16 more book reviews
This is a young adult book, which I typically am not crazy about as I like my books grittier than most books that are classified this way. However, after reading some of the other reviews, I was really intrigued. I finished it in one day, it is a pretty easy read and flows well. It did have enough "grit" to keep me interested and I think it is written beautifully. It is a ghost love story but has much deeper undercurrents. The concept the author has regarding how ghosts move about in our world and can actually claim human bodies that belong to souls that have already given up and left is compelling. Actually, I believe this book could have been twice as long as the world the the author creates is full of so many possibilities. I felt the ending was almost to short after the rest of the book went into so much detail and seemed to flow at a much slower pace. I would have liked to have the end tied up a little tighter, especially with the human characters. I also did not feel the emotional attachment some other reviews spoke of, unfortunately. I typically read series as I fall in love with the characters and want to continue on with them, but I do not care to hear from these characters again. Overall, I would recommend this book to anyone over the age of 14 that enjoys a good romance with a twist. I have ordered two non fiction writing books by the same author as I think she is totally gifted!
reviewed A Certain Slant of Light (Light, Bk 1) on + 380 more book reviews
My Thoughts:
Positives:

* God, this book was good. I was interested throughout the whole thing.
* The romance between the two main characters is gripping. It reminds me of that first pull towards someone that you hope to spend eternity with.
* Interesting take on the living and the dead
* Mixes past and present circumstances, giving life to both with a lot of figurative language that seems literal.

Negatives:

* Drug use, teenage sex, not appropriate for immature readers.
* Abusive families in many extremes makes this a little difficult for the faint of heart.
* Makes religion look REALLY bad.
reviewed A Certain Slant of Light (Light, Bk 1) on + 53 more book reviews
Awesome story!! So creative and intriguing. Definitely one I will remember.


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