A Sudden Light by Garth Stein… A Review

From a master storyteller comes another book that will have you reading late into the night and loving it! What else would you expect from a book written by Garth Stein?! Nothing less, especially if you enjoyed The Art of Racing in The Rain...

Oh how I love a good ghost story and A Sudden Light definitely makes the grade! Mix in a family curse, quirky characters, a spooky house, a beautiful setting, and a love story that goes beyond the grave and you have the beginning of the page turner this is. But what really makes this so good is the wonderful writing! Garth Stein sweeps the reader into the story as our young 14 year old protagonist recounts the summer he spent at his grandfather's house in the woods, where he discovers that the universe is connected in many ways and that the spirits of our ancestors live on in us.

Trevor Riddel is 14, his parents are on the verge of divorce, due mostly to Trevor's Dad losing his job and the family home, and life as Trevor knows it, is about to change forever. As part of a "trial" separation, Trevor's Mother goes back home to England to her family and Trevor is whisked away with  his Dad to his family, in a remote woodsy retreat in the woods. There Trevor meets for the first time his Aunt Serena, who is a bona fide "hippy", and his ailing Grandfather, Samuel, who his Aunt and Father want to commit, so they can tear down the family house and sell the land that is worth millions. But could it be that simple? No…

The falling down mansion in the woods, is the legacy of Timber barren Elijah Riddel, whose fortunes were amassed at the sake of many people and of the natural world itself. As we learn of the history of the Riddel family and fortune, we are swept back in time, through the spirits of the house and in journal passages & dreams, to when Elijah Riddel's power and money knew no bounds to devastating the natural beauty of the land around him. Tragedy soon follows, which is a wake up call for  Elijah, who then begins desperately trying to make amends to redeem himself for his eternal soul and the souls of his descendants.

Strike a match if you dare and walk through the secret passages of A Sudden Light… You won't be able to stop yourself from moving forward… or turning those pages as fast as you can! I received this as an eGalley from Simon and Schuster and could not stop reading it! But you'll have to wait until Sept 30th, 2014 to devour it! Make sure you put in on your TBR list now! Thank you Simon and Schuster for the eGalley! I loved it!