If there ever was a novel to describe the growing pains we feel as we transition into adulthood, it would be this one. This story had one of the most nostalgic, melancholy, and at times, philosophical feels I’ve ever experienced from a Romance novel. I really enjoyed those aspects and was interested in the story from the very first page. As the cover says, “Two lives. Two loves. One choice.” When choosing between two good things, life is almost doomed to be spent with a “the grass is always greener” outlook. However, despite how it may seem, this is not a love-triangle romance, at least not in my opinion.
BLURB:
He was the first person to inspire her, to move her, to truly understand her. Was he meant to be the last?
Lucy is faced with a life-altering choice. But before she can make her decision, she must start her story—their story—at the very beginning.
Lucy and Gabe meet as seniors at Columbia University on a day that changes both of their lives forever. Together, they decide they want their lives to mean something, to matter. When they meet again a year later, it seems fated—perhaps they’ll find life’s meaning in each other. But then Gabe becomes a photojournalist assigned to the Middle East and Lucy pursues a career in New York. What follows is a thirteen-year journey of dreams, desires, jealousies, betrayals, and, ultimately, of love. Was it fate that brought them together? Is it choice that has kept them away? Their journey takes Lucy and Gabe continents apart, but never out of each other’s hearts.
My favorite thing about this book was the journal format of the story. It was a unique writing style, making the book feel new and different from anything I’ve read in a while. I greatly enjoyed how sentimental this made the story feel, letting readers grow with the characters and witness their lives in a different way than most books ordinarily allow. Another great aspect were the descriptions of varying types of love we sometimes feel, depending on the particular relationship. I truly understood and felt the magnetism between Lucy and Gabe, while being able to recognize the differences in Lucy’s relationship with Darren.
“Ordinary days sometimes turn into extraordinary days when you least expect them to.”
I’m usually not a fan of choppy chapters, but I think it worked well for this particular book. It allowed me the perfect breaks to read something else in between, without ruining the continuity of the story. An impressive feat by the author, as this is not something that is easily achieved in other books.
“We see everything through the filter of our own desires and regrets, hopes and fears.”
My biggest issue with The Light We Lost was my lack of attachment to the characters. Despite growing up and settling down, they still felt terribly young, making impulsive and oftentimes, selfish decisions. I couldn’t get behind many of the choices they made or relate them to my own life, unfortunately. My detachment kept me from feeling the intense emotions I should have experienced and wanted to experience from this novel. I simply could not feel what I was supposed to and that left me quite disappointed. I also was not satisfied with the ending because it left too many questions unanswered. I don’t mind an implied ending, but certain things were too big to be left open-ended. Despite my lack of feeling, I still enjoyed reading this story. The writing was top-notch, the settings were described well, and I was able to understand the choices made by the characters, whether I agreed with them or not. I decided to give The Light We Lost a middle-of-the-road rating of 3 stars because I didn’t love it, but still found it to be an engaging read.
Ashes Books & Bobs 