First, let me say I requested this book solely for the beautiful cover art. It's beautiful! A sky could be so boring and one-dimensional, but the illustrator created a work of art with layers and meaning.
Smucker gives us a great character in Conor. He is a child of divorce with conflicting feelings about his father and the betrayal that caused his family's split. Conor carries around so much guilt that many scenes of the story find him in a confessional.
The situation in Light from Distant Stars is unique. That alone is hard to do, so kudos to Smucker for his originality. That said, I wanted to be more surprised by the situation that starts with the terrible sight Conor sees on his father's worktable and culminates in the chapel. I told a friend early on how I assumed that storyline would roll out. Another piece of the story that disappointed me was Conor's mother. While the "fathers and sons" theme was apparent, Conor does spend time with his mother during the story. I was hoping for some insight into why she left Conor to her ex-husband while taking her daughter with her.
I received a copy of the book from the publisher. My review is voluntary and completely my own.
Smucker gives us a great character in Conor. He is a child of divorce with conflicting feelings about his father and the betrayal that caused his family's split. Conor carries around so much guilt that many scenes of the story find him in a confessional.
The situation in Light from Distant Stars is unique. That alone is hard to do, so kudos to Smucker for his originality. That said, I wanted to be more surprised by the situation that starts with the terrible sight Conor sees on his father's worktable and culminates in the chapel. I told a friend early on how I assumed that storyline would roll out. Another piece of the story that disappointed me was Conor's mother. While the "fathers and sons" theme was apparent, Conor does spend time with his mother during the story. I was hoping for some insight into why she left Conor to her ex-husband while taking her daughter with her.
I received a copy of the book from the publisher. My review is voluntary and completely my own.