“Alethia Tailor has lived a dark and drab existence all fourteen years of her life. She’s torn between her violent father’s hatred of light and her ailing mother’s secret longings for light, along with the brighter colors that can only be seen in the light. But the light laws of her town have done a good job at keeping everything dark.
That is, until Armando Potts, a boy only a few years older than Alethia, returns home with the brightest light shining from him. Like the rest in her town, Alethia can’t look directly at Armando without intense pain. But she might not have to worry about it, as Armando is arrested and found guilty of violating the light laws of the town—a crime punishable by death. Once he is gone, the light would go with him, light that Alethia’s mother would love to see yet may never get the chance.
When his execution is botched, Alethia has a Will she help him escape? Or will she let him die?”
Series: As of now, seems to be a stand-alone novel.
Spiritual Content- God or Jesus in this world is called the “Light-Bringer” and those who do not follow him are unable to see colors and live in the dark (physically and spiritually); Many talks about the Light-Bringer, trusting him (even when bad things happen), him listening to us, talking to him, & feeling peace from him; ’H’s are not capital when referring to the Light-Bringer; Talking to & Thanking the Light-Bringer; Alethia is told that the Light-Bringer is like a person and “can be anywhere he wants to be at any time”; Those who follow the Light-Bringer will have a light that shines inside of them at a certain body part (such as their hand or foot) and is shown to others (those in the darkness will be blinded by the light); Alethia talks to the Light-Bringer (at first she wonders if she has run out of requests she is allowed give to him) and hears him speak to her (not always Scripture and *Spoilers* some are direct orders that she does not follow, but it works out to the Light-Bringer’s way anyway; One sentence is telling her that her mother is dying *End of Spoiler*; this is described by someone as a thought in someone’s head); Alethia wants to see the light and colors, but has times of doubt about the Light-Bringer; *Spoiler* Alethia talks to the Light-Bringer and apologizes for the times she preferred darkness to light and asks him to help her trust him; After this, the wind picks up and the mud that has been on her skin comes off; Alethia later hears from the Light-Bringer and feels peace from him; She still has moments of doubts and wondering if she can trust him; Towards the halfway point, her father offers Alethia to come back home if she turns away from the light; *Major Spoilers* Towards the end, Alethia witnesses to her mother on her deathbed and her mother sees the Light-Bringer; Because of witnessing to her mother, Alethia is called a traitor of the town and is executed; The Light-Bringer gathers her and she spends the last chapter with him and seeing others when their lives are done come to him as well (which is noted that their transition to being with him was “easy or hard based on what they needed to let go of and if it took a while for them to release it.”; At the very end, the Light-Bringer asks Alethia if she’s ready for what he has planned for her now *End of Spoilers*; Grig says that the Light-Bringer protects and keeps his followers safe from harm, but Grig struggles with the idea of doing something that could be dangerous because he thinks the Light-Bringer wants people to be wise; Grig and Armando are at odds with the thought of the Light-Bringer letting harm come to his people (Armando believes that the Light-Bringer will allow bad things to happen for a reason and the Light-Bringer doesn’t own him anything; Grig believes that you can’t trust the Light-Bringer if you’re going to do crazy things; *Major Spoilers* Towards the end, Grig asks what good it is to be in the light if he doesn’t keep his followers from getting hurt and eventually starts to fade in his light; When his father dies, Grig is angry towards the Light-Bringer and when his time comes, Grig fights against the light but ultimately accepts it *End of Spoilers*); Armando tells Alethia about the Light-Bringer, living the way he wants, and being willing to give everything up for him (He also tells her once that the Light-Bringer “will test you to see if you are willing to keep trusting him even when things look bad. So sometimes he will hold off on giving you an answer until the last second, or even after the last second, so that he will know if you are still going to trust him or if you will give up.”); Two side characters & Grig talk about covering up their light so they do not break a town’s light rules (believing this to be the best route to not offend the others and be able to eventually witness to them little by little), but Armando doesn’t think it is right to cover up one’s light (Alethia covers up once, but feels wrong about doing it again); Another side character talks about the light being perfect so the followers of the light should reflect the light perfectly (Alethia struggles with the thought of being perfect and doesn’t think she can do it; *Spoiler* At the very end, the woman has to give up being perfect to be with the Light-Bringer *End of Spoilers*); Mentions of the Light-Bringer, the Light-Maker, trusting him, having light, & witnessing with the light to others; Mentions of talking to the Light-Bringer (not called praying or prayers) & thanking him; Mentions of light gatherings (implies like church services with singing) & those who don’t believe also feeling included (such as a gathering to “affirm” those who come); Mentions of those who go to other towns to share about the Light-Bringer; A few mentions of being blessed;
*Note: Alethia’s father says the light is evil and can make people foolish or dangerous; Her father also adds that the light doesn’t make anything better, but worse because it’s “sharp and painful” to look at; *Major Spoiler* At the end, Alethia’s father says he loves the dark and when he dies, his soul disappears into the darkness *End of Spoiler*; Another character says that the darkness is beautiful; In Alethia’s town, there are light laws and no can shine an uncovered light in public; Those with the Light-Bringer’s light in Alethia’s town are treated as criminals, covered in mud to dim their light, and face execution; Mentions of luck & not believing in luck.
Negative Content- Minor cussing including: a ‘stupid’ and two ‘idiot’s; A bit of sarcasm; Being attacked, Being chased, Pain, Grief, & Two Deaths (up to semi-detailed; *Major Spoilers* At the end, Alethia witnesses the light to her mother before her death & then Alethia is executed for having the light by her father (up to semi-detailed in describing the beating and pain she faces before being gathered by the Light-Bringer) *End of Spoilers*; Seeing someone beaten (up to semi-detailed); Alethia follows a crowd to an execution & sees someone beaten (but not killed, up to semi-detailed); Many mentions of executions, planned and almost executions, crimes (including the “crime” of having uncovered light in Alethia’s town), & criminals; Mentions of murders & some others thinking they are going to be killed; Mentions of deaths, near deaths, injuries, pain, & blood/bleeding (barely-above-not-detailed); Mentions of lies, lying, liars, & deceit; Mentions of hatred; A few mentions of breaking and entering; A couple mentions of pubs & drinking;
*Note: Alethia’s father is cruel (not just to her, to everyone; He only calls her “girl” instead of her name and she recalls how he made her feel small and worthless); Alethia is the caretaker for her ill mother (*Spoilers* Because of her mother’s condition, Alethia’s heart feel heavy when she’s chased out of town; Alethia hopes to come back to share the light with her mother; *Major Spoilers* Towards the end, Alethia goes back and witnesses to her mother before her death (up to semi-detailed) *End of Spoilers*).
Sexual Content- N/A;
*Note: A couple mentions of a seamstress refusing to make other women’s dresses that had “less fabric than they had decency” and that she believes “longer dresses are better” because the Light-Bringer would approve of them.
- Alethia Tailor, age 14 (?)
P.O.V. of Alethia
254 pages
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Pre Teens-
New Teens-
Early High School Teens-
Older High School Teens-
My personal Rating-
I wasn’t quite sure what to expect with this book, so I went in with an open mind about the plot. I think that Alethia is younger (14?) which gives the book a better-suited-for-younger-YA-readers feel, but I liked that element some of the time because I’m always trying to find more books for 13/14 year olds. She reminded me at times of Mandie from the “Mandie” series by Lois Gladys Leppard because of the rural setting, the childlike faith moments, and how she spoke. Alethia sometimes felt a little young to me, personally, but I think readers around her age might like her better.
I did find some of the conversations to be a little stiff at times (particularly from two teenaged boys Alethia meets as they felt like very formal explanations) and there was a lot of recapping of events and conversations to explain them to characters that weren’t apart of those scenes. The reader has just read those parts, however, so it felt a little redundant to recap so much. Despite this, I did have some questions that were never answered such as where a follower of the Light goes when they die (once, there’s a mention of being with him “wherever he is” and later a comment is made about the “next” life which could imply reincarnation, but I don’t think the author meant it that way) and there was also three random mentions of “the Light-Maker” (who we are never really told about).
I’ll admit I’m not quite sure what to think about the ending as I didn’t love it. I think some readers may enjoy this book, but it was ultimately not really my cup of tea. There were a few parts about the theology distracted me from the story and I didn’t fully agree with what was said, personally (which I think that may have been the point of some side characters). I have to be very detailed for these reviews, though, so I think some readers might not even notice those parts.
See y’all on Friday with a new review!
*BFCG may (Read the review to see) recommend this book by this author. It does not mean I recommend all the books by this author.
*I received this book for free from the Author for this honest review.
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