The Light Between Oceans, by M.L Stedman

Hey guys, this is Abi here,

And I finished this book a couple of hours but I need somewhere to express my thoughts because of how this book made me feel.

So I thought this to be the perfect place.

I might watch the film too. Let me know if I should!

Enjoy!

Title: The Light Between Oceans

Author: M.L Stedman

Genre: Fiction

Release date: 20/3/12

Status: Standalone

Pages: 461

Blurb: "This is a story

                                              of right and wrong

and how sometimes

                                             they look the same... 

A boat washes up on the shore of a remote

lighthouse keeper's island. It holds a dead man

and a crying baby. The only two islanders,

Tom and his wife, Izzy, are about to make a

devastating decision...

They break the rules and follow their hearts.

What happens next will break yours."

My Thoughts

It's been a while since I've done a review so bear with me guys.

So, I was definitely not expecting to love this book as much as I did. I knew little to nothing about it, other than what it said on the blurb, which wasn't much. But it turns out that that was all that was needed because the book starts at the exact same point that the blurb describes.

That was actually a big part of what I enjoyed about the story, how everything felt important to the story, like a little key to what happens next. None of it felt like it didn't need to be included, and I think that was either down to the writing style (it wasn't flowery at all, it was descriptive without any wallowing, which was something that I liked), or because it was a very plot driven story.

One negative that I have for The Light Between Oceans is that it did get very slow towards the middle, which is the reason that I decided to give it 4.5 stars instead of 5. It was actually only the middle part, it just seemed to go back and forth from Tom's POV, to Izzy's, with no conclusion, no decision.

Another point I will mention is that even though this wasn't my usual choice in usual person (I tend to pick up books with 1st person characters), I honestly didn't have any problem with connecting with the characters and merging into the story, despite the fact that it's a 3rd person read. It was honestly just so easy to sympathise with these characters, even though my brain was telling me that what they were doing was wrong.

It reads on the blurb of the book: "what happens next will break yours" (heart, like it'll break your heart because of what happens next.) He honestly wasn't kidding when he put that on the blurb. You definitely feel torn in two directions between what you wish could happen but also knowing that it never will, and the consequences awaiting Izzy & Tom, (the characters that the story focuses on.)

And finally, although it was technically a historical fiction, because it was set between WWI & WWII, it honestly didn't feel like one, except when it was relevant to the plot. It was noticeable on certain points, like in the third part of the book, what happened in the book would not happen in today's time, so it was quite noticeable at that point, and that suited me just fine.

So overall, this was such an amazing book. I definitely didn't expect to like this as much as I did, especially as I don't read much fiction, but of course I was very happy that loved it as much as I did. I highly recommend this if you're in the mood for a book that questions your morals and plays with your emotions because this is for sure a book that will do that to you.

Okay! My review is complete! I hope you enjoyed it, and feel free to comment what you thought if you've read The Light Between Oceans, or what you thought of my review!
I hope you have a wonderful day and I'll see you all next week!
Byeeeeeee!

-Abi xxxxx