Dona's Books's Reviews > The Luminaries

LUMINARIES by Susan Dennard is an entertaining, captivating story about how one girl shoulders and finally contends with the heavy yoke of family legacy, while also literally fighting for her place in a world full of monsters. The creatures, as a collective, are rich and varied, representing a terrifying villain powerful enough to put pressure on the characters and the story itself.

The main character, Winnie, is the sort who is too worn out by life to stand up to the challenges represented by the book's conflict. She also changes and, inch by inch, rises above what holds her down, her and her whole family. I found Winnie deeply relatable, even heroic by the end of the book.

Besides Winnie though, I was a little disappointed with how Dennard developed the rest of the characters. Or rather, didn't develop them quite enough-- only the twins, Emma and Bretta, have the depth to make them interesting. Similarly, I felt that Dennard somewhat neglected the narrative in this book, likely as she planned to make this the first in a series and carry it forward. I would have enjoyed it more if it had been a bit more cohesive.

I listened to an audiobook, and the narrator, Kaitlyn Davies, was not my favorite for this manuscript. I've heard her work before and liked it; but she's breathy in the beginning of this one and I think it affects her articulation. Still a good audiobook, lots of fun and creepy as heck, I recommend it.

Rating 3.5 star rounded up
Finished November 2022
Listen to this book if you like:
🐲 YA Fantasy series
♟️ Dark academia
🎂 Coming of Age stories
👹 Monsters and monster hunting
👩‍👦 Family drama
🕶 Mean kid cliques