Review: "The Light We Lost", by Jill Santiopolo

 

Lucy and Gabe's love story begins on September 11th, 2001, and spans a little over a decade. The Light We Lost is about first love. It's about the choices we make and the what-ifs. It's about love and regrets. The novel is written as a love letter to the one that got away. While I enjoyed Jill Santopolo's compelling storytelling, I did not find the main characters very likable. Maybe at a different point in my life, I would have loved the characters. As a 40 something-year-old married mother of two using my own personal experience as a lens, I could not sympathize with Lucy and found both men in Lucy's life irritating. As an intelligent, driven young woman, she took no control of her love life. The novel discusses love as a raging wildfire, a bonfire, or a steady hearth. The men in her life were the two extremes and in my opinion, what she needed was a bonfire. Not sure if all books have this, but my edition included some fun features at the end of the book. Book references are a trademark part of their relationship, so Santopolo includes a list of literature mentioned in "Lucy and Gabe's Reading List." Also included are a discussion guide, an interview with the author, and a playlist to listen to while discussing the books. I happen to be listening to it as I write this review. It's a good list of music and can be found on Spotify. 🕮🐛🐛🐛