
[A quick note: This was an intriguing title when I read the synopsis, but it was the cover that captured me. I love Northern Lights and the colors were just gorgeous. I went out on a limb and requested it from Penguin Teen. Itโs slightly outside my usual reading but I really enjoyed it. Itโs fun to branch out every so often.]
โ๐๐ฉโ๐จ ๐ฃ๐ค๐ฉ ๐ฉ๐ง๐ช๐. ๐๐ค๐๐ค๐๐ฎโ๐จ ๐๐๐ฉ๐ฉ๐๐ง ๐ค๐๐ ๐ฌ๐๐ฉ๐๐ค๐ช๐ฉ ๐ฉ๐๐๐๐ง ๐ข๐ค๐ฉ๐๐๐ง. ๐๐ฎ ๐ฃ๐๐๐ ๐๐ค๐ง ๐๐๐ง ๐๐ค๐๐จ ๐๐๐ฎ๐ค๐ฃ๐ ๐๐ฃ๐ฎ๐ฉ๐๐๐ฃ๐ ๐๐๐๐ฃ ๐ง๐๐ฉ๐๐ค๐ฃ๐๐ก๐๐ฏ๐: ๐๐ฉโ๐จ ๐๐ฃ๐จ๐ฉ๐๐ฃ๐๐ฉ๐๐ซ๐, ๐๐ฉโ๐จ ๐ฅ๐ง๐๐ข๐๐ก, ๐๐ฉโ๐จ ๐๐ก๐๐ข๐๐ฃ๐ฉ๐๐ก. ๐โ๐ข ๐๐๐ง๐จ ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐จ๐๐โ๐จ ๐ข๐๐ฃ๐ ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐จ๐ค๐ข๐๐ฉ๐๐๐ฃ๐๐๐ค๐ช๐ฃ๐ ๐ช๐จ ๐ฉ๐ค๐๐๐ฉ๐๐๐ง ๐๐ค๐ง ๐ฉ๐๐๐จ ๐ก๐๐๐๐ฉ๐๐ข๐. ๐๐ค๐ฌ ๐๐ฉโ๐จ ๐ง๐๐ฅ๐ฅ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐ช๐จ ๐๐ฅ๐๐ง๐ฉ.โโNicole Lesperance
Dripping with Norwegian folklore, this magical novel follows Eli as she struggles with the loss of her mother. Ten years later, she tries to remember what happened that fateful night on the frozen fjords in Norway. Her mother whistled at the Northern Lights and vanished. Now Eli lives in Cape Cod with her dad. When the Northern Lights become visible over the Cape for just one night, Eli canโt resist the possibility of seeing her mother just one more time.
This story is beautifully written, its pages filled with magical realism and folklore. Set upon the backdrop of frozen glaciers and stunning northern lights, it speaks of loss and acceptance. The prose is poetic and elegant. And each of the stories woven into the pages are lovely. Its a quick read that was difficult to put down. While it wasnโt the type of book I generally seek out, I immensely enjoyed it. There was just enough magic and suspense to keep my attention.
I loved the deep mother-daughter bond between Eli and her mother. It was heart-wrenching at times to read about Eliโs struggle with abandonment and some of her childhood experiences. I loved the way magic was woven into the events of the story. Just enough to be ambiguous, but clearly there.
โ๐๐๐๐ง๐โ๐จ ๐ฃ๐ค ๐ฌ๐ค๐ง๐ ๐๐ค๐ง ๐๐ค๐ฌ ๐ ๐๐๐๐ก. ๐ ๐ข๐๐๐๐ฉ ๐จ๐๐ง๐๐๐ข ๐ข๐ฎ ๐ก๐ช๐ฃ๐๐จ ๐ค๐ช๐ฉ ๐ค๐ ๐ข๐ฎ ๐๐ค๐๐ฎ ๐ค๐ง ๐ ๐ข๐๐๐๐ฉ ๐๐ก๐ฎ ๐ช๐ฅ ๐๐ฃ๐ฉ๐ค ๐ฉ๐๐๐๐ก๐ค๐ช๐๐จ ๐ค๐ง ๐ ๐ข๐๐๐๐ฉ ๐๐ก๐๐ฃ๐ ๐ข๐ฎ๐จ๐๐ก๐ ๐ค๐๐ ๐ฉ๐๐๐จ ๐ข๐ค๐ช๐ฃ๐ฉ๐๐๐ฃ ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐ง๐ค๐ก๐ก ๐๐ค๐ฌ๐ฃ ๐๐ฃ๐ฉ๐ค ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐๐๐ค๐ง๐. ๐๐ง ๐ ๐ข๐๐๐๐ฉ ๐๐ช๐ง๐ก ๐ช๐ฅ ๐๐ฃ๐๐๐ง๐ฎ ๐๐ค๐ง๐๐ซ๐๐ง ๐๐๐ค๐ช๐ฉ ๐ข๐ฎ ๐ข๐ค๐ฉ๐๐๐ง, ๐ฌ๐๐ค ๐ก๐๐๐ฉ ๐ข๐ ๐ฃ๐ค๐ฉ๐๐๐ฃ๐ ๐๐ช๐ฉ ๐ ๐๐๐ง๐๐๐ค๐๐ง๐ ๐๐ค๐ค๐ ๐ค๐ ๐จ๐๐ง๐๐ฅ๐จ ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐ ๐ฃ๐ค๐ฉ๐๐๐๐ก๐๐ซ๐๐ง๐๐ ๐๐ฎ ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐ฌ๐๐ฃ๐.โ
This is first and foremost a story about loss, about healing, about the lengths a daughter will go to find answers and closure. It was emotional at times, and touched on mental health issues too, which were generally in the background. But in short, it was simply a beautiful story.
What I enjoyed most was the folklore and setting. There were some lovely Norwegian stories depicted and woven into the lives of the main characters. I loved the parallels, and the way magic made certain tales come to life. Magic was always there, hiding in the seams of the world. Eliโs mother knew exactly how to tug on these seams and bring the magic to life. Her true love was in books and stories, but her ability meant she was often making the stories come to life, and these stories were her undoing. So Eliโs mother even tried to abandon them.
โ๐๐๐ ๐ฌ๐๐ฃ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐๐๐ง ๐๐๐ช๐๐๐ฉ๐๐ง ๐ฉ๐ค ๐๐๐ก๐ก ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐ซ๐ค๐๐ ๐ฉ๐๐๐ฉ ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐จ๐ฉ๐ค๐ง๐๐๐จ ๐๐๐ ๐ก๐๐๐ฉ, ๐๐ช๐ฉ ๐ฉ๐๐๐ฎ ๐ฌ๐๐ง๐ ๐ฉ๐ฌ๐ค ๐จ๐๐ฅ๐๐ง๐๐ฉ๐๐๐ข๐ฅ๐ฉ๐๐ฃ๐๐จ๐จ๐๐จ. ๐๐๐ง ๐๐๐ช๐๐๐ฉ๐๐ง ๐ฌ๐๐จ ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐จ๐ช๐ฃ ๐๐ฃ ๐๐๐ง ๐จ๐ค๐ก๐๐ง ๐จ๐ฎ๐จ๐ฉ๐๐ข, ๐๐ช๐ฉ ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐จ๐ฉ๐ค๐ง๐๐๐จ ๐ฌ๐๐ง๐ ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐๐๐ก๐๐ญ๐ฎ.โ
The style of writing was unique. It jumped between past and present. From chapter to chapter we get glimpses into Eliโs present, and then Eliโs past based on the book or diary she wrote for herself at a young age to remember everything that had happened as a child. I liked this style, and it fit well.
Overall, this was a gorgeous story. It wasnโt in line with my tastes, yet, I still devoured it in two days. I think for people who like magical realism and connect with stories of loss, it will be ideal. MY RATING: 4/5โญ๏ธ
A big thank you to Penguin Teen for the eARC copy in exchange for my honest review.
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