ARC Review: Where the Light Goes by Sara Barnard
10:00
Series: None
Author: Sara Barnard
Published May 4th 2023 by Walker Books
Goodreads Synopsis
A heart-wrenching exploration of grief, set in a landscape corrupted by fame and the scrutiny that comes from living in the shadow of a star.
"Lizzie Beck" is one quarter of British pop sensation The Jinks, who launched their career via a reality TV talent show and rose straight to fame – and in Lizzie’s case, infamy, for her tumultuous relationship with her boyfriend, stints in rehab and candid confessions about her mental health on Instagram.
To Emmy, though, she will always be her older sister, Beth, the person whose footsteps she intends to follow.
Except now she can’t. Because Beth, Emmy's beloved sister, has died by suicide.
Forced to face a world without the guiding light of her bright, brilliant big sister, Emmy must wrestle with the impact of private grief, public scrutiny and discover who she once was and who she will become, now that Beth is gone.
Goodreads
Review
I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher. This in no way impacted on my view.
For Emmy, she may be the sister to the superstar Lizzie Beck, part of The Jinks, but her sister has never been 'Lizzie' to her; instead, she is Beth, her wonderful older sister, who she loves more than life itself. So when Lizzie's life starts to unravel, and she commits suicide, Emmy is left floundering. Forced to deal with her grief in public, Emmy doesn't know how she will manage with her beloved sister to guide her. Can she carry on, without Beth guiding a light for her?
I knew when I was sent my review copy of this book that it would be heartbreaking, but my god, did it break me while reading it. Sara has created a book here which is the perfect mix of teenage angst and grief, with no sugar coating, and in such a caring way. I'm an only child, and could never imagine how it must feel to lose a sibling, and it's in no way the same, but when I was the same age as Emmy, my grandpa died, and it broke me. I was going through my GCSEs, and it was only thinking that he wouldn't want me to fall apart that kept me going, if I'm honest. To be in Emmy's shoes, when she was unable to grieve quietly, when she had to be strong for her parents, it is unimaginable. Her father was the manager for Beth's band too, so he had to balance losing his daughter and rebuilding the band as a trio, so they didn't lose fame or money. I wanted to slap him so much, because he could be so insensitive at times.
Emmy was not a perfect character. She was messy, and she made mistakes. She didn't know what to do, or who to trust, and pushed her friends away. She acted irrationally at times (but when you read it, you understand), and made some questionable decisions. Sara has created a character who is so real, I honestly wanted to hug Emmy, and help her. Considering how heavy the book is, it was such an easy read, if that makes sense. Everything flowed naturally, and the mix of prose, texts, articles, and all other forms of media, wove a story that seemed to happen in real time. I had disliked one of Sara's past releases, but I'm so happy I was willing to give her books another try, because Where the Light Goes is her best work!
Dates Read:
July 1-2 2023
Rating
4 Stars
Dates Read:
July 1-2 2023
Rating
4 Stars
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