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    The Light Fantastic
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    The Light Fantastic
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    The Light Fantastic
    Audiobook7 hours

    The Light Fantastic

    Written by Sarah Combs

    Narrated by Lauren Ezzo and Todd Haberkorn

    3.5/5

    ()

    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    About this audiobook

    Seven tightly interwoven narratives. Three harrowing hours. One fateful day that changes everything.

    Delaware, the morning of April 19. Senior Skip Day, and April Donovan's eighteenth birthday. Four days after the Boston Marathon bombing, the country is still reeling, and April's rare memory condition has her recounting all the tragedies that have cursed her birth month. And just what was that mysterious gathering under the bleachers about? Meanwhile, in Nebraska, Lincoln Evans struggles to pay attention in Honors English, distracted by the enigmatic presence of Laura Echols, capturer of his heart. His teacher tries to hold her class's interest, but she can't keep her mind off what Adrian George told her earlier. Over in Idaho, Phoebe is having second thoughts about the Plan mere hours before the start of a cross-country ploy led by an Internet savant known as the Mastermind. Is all her heartache worth the cost of the Assassins' machinations? The Light Fantastic is a tense, shocking, and beautifully wrought exploration of the pain and pathos of a generation of teenagers on the brink -- and the hope of moving from shame and isolation into the light of redemption.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherBrilliance Audio
    Release dateSep 13, 2016
    ISBN9781522655978
    Unavailable
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    Reviews for The Light Fantastic

    3.5/5

    32 ratings17 reviews

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    • 3/5
      Actual Rating: 3.5/5 stars*THIS BOOK HAS TRIGGER WARNINGS OF SUICIDAL THOUGHTS AND MURDER/SCHOOL SHOOTINGS* Disclaimer: I am working with Candlewick Press for this review and they kindly supplied the book in return for an honest review. This book was a harrowing, realistic read that opens up conversation into a very serious real life issues plaguing the teenagers of today. The plot is not overly original, but it doesn't have to be since it is a dialogue on the issue of school shootings which happen all to often in today's world. Where the book is unique is in the way it was told. I loved the use of different mediums such as hashtags, forum boards, etc. that were used in the book. It created an atmosphere while I was reading and made it connected to the real world, since if it were to happen this is what teenagers would use and how they would do it. It also gave some insight into the mental health of the characters associated. This was more of a character driven book than a plot driven book which is ok and I thought part of the point of the book. I did think at some point that the three main characters would cross paths but they never did which kind of disappointed me. While it was hard to keep track out the multiple POVs, it was interesting to see how different people react in the same situation. Also how they view the situation depending on their situation in life and their own history. One character was connected to another in some way which was the perfect example of six degrees of separation, and how we all may be apart and different people but we are all still connected. ****** SPOILERS AHEAD ******April was by far my favourite character in the book. She has hyperthymesia which is a condition where a person can remember almost every memory in their own personal history. Part of what drew me to April was her condition and how it played out on the page. April's chapters were my absolute favourite to read. Lincoln finds out his crush in an Assassin and tries to save her from her own destruction. Gavin is the typical teenager and victim perspective. The Teacher provided an adult's view on the situation. Phoebe is also an Assassin, but she provides insight on the danger of victims becoming the victimizers. Pal represents the danger of making a mistake and having it broadcasted to the whole world. The Mastermind was the creepiest character for me out of anybody in the book. I think was creeped me out was not so much the character himself, but what he represented. If this was done before the internet, nobody would have taken a child seriously. But behind the anonymity of the internet, people can choose to become whomever they want to be and there are always vulnerable people out there who will listen. At one point in the book something one of the teachers said really hit close to home. "But this thing," Mr. Goodrich says. "I mean, what is this? Nobody can tell me that you kids aren't fighting a war all your own. Jesus Christ, nobody can tell me that." - Page 125 "The Light Fantastic"This really resonated with me, especially because I think it is true. Yes, the current generation doesn't have to deal with a lot of the things that the previous generation did. But now we have our own things, the Internet, online bullying, access to the world and all of its ideals, good or bad. And we battle with ourselves, our peers, and the world with its ideas every day. And when school shooting have become as normalized as the are in the US and the world, we are fighting a war at home as well.I did like how almost anything that happened in this book could happen in real life. It makes the story more believable and grounded in real life. It was unsettling though how realistic and accurate the book was at different points in the story. I also really appreciated that even children who had a support group of friends and family were included because it is not always those who are alone are broken. I didn't like how the story ended with no real conclusion. This is also very realistic in the telling though because in real life there is no neat ending when something like this happens. What I did find very unrealistic though was that April was able to just brush herself off and move on like that. After seeing a friend/acquaintance commit suicide by cop and murdered right in front of her? There is no way that wouldn't leave a mark on her mentally. Or any of the other children involved for that matter. Overall the book talks about the dangers the youth of today face: catfishing, online bullying, sexual harassment, racism, etc. and in my opinion makes a case that more mental health help is needed for kids as well as a need to erase the stigma for using mental health services. It opens up the conversation so we can talk about these issues that most people seem intent on forgetting even exist. So while I do have problems with the book and I didn't love it I do think these are topics that need to be talked about and for that reason this book is something everybody should read.
    • 4/5
      Gorgeously—almost poetically—written and with a cast of characters whose lives intertwine and intersect in sometimes unexpected ways, this novel was very different from the author's first (Breakfast Served Anytime, which I would also recommend) and not what I had anticipated, but compelling and well worth reading.
    • 2/5
      The first 2/3 of the book was great. Interesting, fast, and I loved the multiple perspectives. The last third, though? It seemed like it was written by a different author who was trying way too hard at symbolism or something. I couldn't even make sense out of some of it. Disappointing.
    • 4/5
      When I first started this book I was nervous about how I would feel when the plot really began. With school shootings being so prominent these days, this could be a very touchy subject. I was very pleasantly surprised to find that this book treated the matter very delicately while still telling a very gripping and entertaining tale. Combs found a way to keep the reader interested by telling the the story from the point of view of seven different people from across the United States and how bullying affected them, and in turn how they dealt with it. I praise Combs for such a wonderful rendition, it allows us an opportunity to peer in to the lives of those that are troubled so that we can understand them more. I recommend this book to others.
    • 4/5
      Well-written, devastating. How can I explain this without giving too much away? What connections, common threads exist between the voices in this book? what do teens, and maybe others feel together other than an innate loneliness and vulnerability? The egos, the acts, the faces and put upons are pushed to the side as you enter the fears and classrooms and boasts and parties of the belongers, the wannabes, and the never quite sure.Can I root for you all? The damaged and the damagers? The strong and the weak, taking turns and trading spaces within the tick of a classroom breath? Lincoln, Laura, Pheobe, each indelible.
    • 1/5
      ***This is most likely a temporary review.*** I was really excited to receive this book, and sadly it just has not caught my interest at all. I will say that I have never been a fan of multiple points of view, unless really well written. Though the writing is not bad, I think I was on chapter 6 or 7 when I realized I had been introduced to a new characters voice in almost every chapter. Due to this, I found myself not connecting with any one person, and I found that the character's voices weren't developed enough to really identify when a new person was speaking. I have not been able to finish this book, but I will keep trying and hope to be able to revise my review. Maybe I just need to be in a different mood, but I have been trying to read this for months.
    • 5/5
      "Real isn't how you are made. It's a thing that happens to you."Oh Lord, help me explain how I felt about this book. It made me so emotional I had to take a break a cool down a bit a few times. It does not matter where you are from, you must read The Light Fantastic!The book digs into the brains of people, ordinary and extra-ordinary. And you really get it. You get the feeling of this unimaginable sadness seizing your insides, ruined dreams and despair as if everything is lost and there is nowhere to go, and the only possible way to solve this mess is oblivion. I am being honest here, I have a one-on-one experience with mental issues and Combs' words got under my skin. It felt so real, like my worst episodes were happening to me again. That's how close to truth Sarah Combs was. I would definitely say it can be a mild trigger when it comes to your emotional stability. So, be careful when picking this book up. I pretty much loved everything about the novel but my favorite character of all is Gavin. His witty and funny comments about his future, what he has to give to the world and people in general are the definition of determination and hope. Like,"the world, with its shit-tone of ignorance, has got too much gorgeousness to offer. I've got too much to offer, bitches." The thing is, this should be everyone's motto, don't give up no matter what happens. Gavin will make you want to live, he is not getting any of your sad bullshit.There are many more some sort of mottos or even life philosophies I personally picked up from the Combs' characters. As an example, what an Honors English teacher Sandy said,"We think we want and need so many things in this life, but this, I realize, is the key: just, every once in a while, to feel new again." You see, this is the book for everyone. I believe it can touch everyone's hearts because it not a made-up words of vampires, werewolves or fairies. This is the reality.
    • 4/5
      The Light Fantastic by Sarah Combs is an interesting look at the pain of adolescence. April has a rare memory condition that keeps her focused on the tragedies of her birth month. As April deals with her own issues, Combs weaves in the stories of those in her peripheral-her best friends, classmates, and former friends. She uses teen voice to explain the implications of words spoken, and not spoken. She explores the gravity of fitting in, or being an "other" from the perspective of teenagers. It's a somewhat disjointed read for adults, but should be a big hit with teens. Overall the impact of the story is felt, from personal experience or memory, and it is a lesson that everyone needs to learn. Be kind.
    • 4/5
      ** spoiler alert ** The Light Fantastic by Sarah Combs is a slow page-turner. That is, it is certainly engaging in a "can't put this down" sort of way, yet beautifully written with enough attention to detail and emotional development of characters that it does not at all feel rushed. By one-third of the book, the plot (or the Plan) is pretty clear, though just who will and who won't remains to be determined. Regardless, someone, at least one, is going to do it, that much is a statistical guarantee, if there ever was any. So this is not about hypothetical school shootings, that much is clear.The characters all have distinct voices, well stylized, managing to exact any kind of emotional effect whenever necessary. The teenagers sound like very smart teenagers, and perhaps that's part of the set up, as we are to believe that the Mastermind has hand-picked his disciples to be as smart as him, but let's not forget that not all voices belong to the Assassins. In a way, I finished the novel thinking that perhaps teenagers are much smarter than they sound. They have learned to think, but not to speak. But I know this is not entirely true. I am also yet to meet a teenager who is so mature and sweet and caring, especially when it comes to the sex-of-interest (opposite or same, whichever floats their boat).There are two stories I cannot fathom ever having such a traumatic effect on me: learning that a love interest does not exist (it was a prank) and a letter saying you are now un-accepted due to a (fake, cynical, satirical) interview you gave. The former just does not seem that devastating. And the latter seems like it can be easily fixed; someone in admissions was either too uptight or did not get the joke.That teenagers (and later, college students) do cruel stuff like getting someone drunk and taking off their clothes at a party for everyone to take pictures of is just mind blowing. Not because someone would fall for it, but because someone has so much time and cares so much (hates so much, I guess) to bother doing such a thing... I mean, sure, I had many mean thoughts in my life about other people, but I would never bother. One must have much better things to do with one's time (I had way too much homework, it seems...) Yet, as mind blowing as it is, Combs made it believable, because, hey, things like this do happen.What Combs' story brought home to me, perhaps intentionally, is that all this hate and rage is perhaps because we do not know how to deal with shame. And it's tough. Shame is a relentless, pulverizing, unforgettable thing that can induce madness. But if we cannot keep kids (and people) from being cruel, then we must teach them how to go through shame without doing too much harm (it cannot be eliminated, I don't think, but one can move through emotions.)The Light Fantastic sheds a broader light on the inner lives of not just teenagers, and perhaps the brightest beams fall on the parts that make us very much the same, how we all have shame, guilt, hate, and rage. Ultimately, why some manage to move through it, while others cannot is difficult to say. Combs does not offer an answer, but just a suggestion that distractions, coincidental or not, are important devices that can pull us out of our minds, and perhaps those minute moments are crucial in some cases: a stranger's conversation, someone calling our name, a sister's attention, another person's rage... Of course, no need to point out that the events of this novel would not exist if it were not so easy to obtain fire arms in the world, in the US, in general, or rather this would be a fantasy, not a reality. Combs chooses to focus on one shooter who is more typical: a teenager who feels the weight of the world on his shoulders, who, for the rest of his life, just as before, has to prove himself, succeed though he is "other," represent, be good, do well... Does his case seem the most likely to bring someone to madness? Or is he chosen exactly because of what he points out to be his life-long ball and chain: that he is "other," he is always the one who has to prove himself despite his otherness. Because could we really imagine the white, upper class, rich girl go to school and shoot people? No, we can imagine her maybe shooting herself, and that's it. Yet, the statistics do support the choice of Pal over, say, Pheobe or Laura. We cannot, it seems, ignore our biology (yet, the potential aggression of some boys is cast against the cruelty of girls and the caring love of two other boys; perhaps that's why there aren't shootings in schools every day? Perhaps this is how it should be, this is how it is when things are in some sort of balance?)And one question remains after I finished this novel: how will Pal's parents live with their shame? Regardless if they are responsible (are they?) or not, regardless of any of that, they will live years after such an event, they will have to move, they will have to change their names (will they?)... Will Pal's sister stop acting up and try to console her parents or will she tell them "I told you so! You're so clueless!" Will she feel responsible (wasn't she as clueless?) So, a sequel?Overall, The Light Fantastic is a thought-provoking novel. It's well written and both the story and the plot move seamlessly. The view points are useful in moving the story forward and insightful in various ways that add to the characters. Recommended for those who like grey hounds, Peter Pan, the Glass Menagerie, and Icarus. Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for a digital copy of this novel for my honest review.
    • 3/5
      The Light Fantastic by Sarah Combs deals with one of the most pressing and important issues of our time. Namely, the alienation of young people and the connection with school shootings. April Donovan is turning 18 soon and she can't help rehashing all of the tragedies that have happened during the month of April thanks to her rare memory condition that lets her remember the dates of terrible events accurately. April is not the only main character of the story but she seems to be the one who is at the foundation of the story. There are other characters from all over the country as well but the story flips back and forth between them all. It took me a while to get used to the style of the book but the format is needed in order to tell the coordinated stories of others involved in the crisis.The Light Fantastic is an important examination of teenagers who are feeling desperate enough that they do the wrong thing. There are no easy answers to this issue but understanding why teenagers might feel alienated is a start. All in all, The Light Fantastic is an absorbing and thought provoking read.I received a copy of this book from the publishers via Netgalley for free in exchange for an honest review.
    • 3/5
      Well, I don't think this book was one that should have been read the way I read it. This was my nightstand book, which means I read a chapter or two every night before going to sleep. This is a really fragmented story with lots of different viewpoints, so reading it this way made it difficult to keep everyone distinct in my mind. The story itself is horrifying but realistic. My biggest complaint was the annoying frequency with which the title was repeated throughout the book. I GET IT ALREADY. I received this book as part of LibraryThing's Early Reviewers.
    • 2/5
      Nothing in this story really caught my attention and drew me in (actually, I love the cover, simple and lovely)I thought the multiple narratives just didn't work here, there were too many for the story the flow. Even though the stories are intertwined the sheer number of narrators (7) made the story feel muddled and disconnected.
    • 4/5
      This book scrambled my brain while I was reading it, and I’m still thinking about it. Very realistic, very twisted, very chilling. I wrote a more detailed review for a magazine and will post it when it’s up.
    • 4/5
      Where to begin? There's a lot to say about The Light Fantastic, not the least of which is the fact that Sarah Combs has fairly perfectly captured the voice of a generation in this book. It's important that there are books like this out there. It's tragic that school shootings, and mass bombings, are becoming a more normalized part of our society. What's even more tragic though, are the kids who are caught up in that. The ones who are absorbing it throughout their formative years. We're taught to believe that these tragedies are caused by the "bad people" out there. What happens when they're not though? What happens when the person you least expect, is the one that has the biggest secrets?

      First off, much love to Sarah Combs for so excellently outlining many different teenage personalities. One of my biggest issues with stories told from multiple points of view, is that it's normally hard to tell who is speaking at any given time. This isn't a problem at all in The Light Fantastic. Each character has their own brilliant personality. Combs even goes so far as to have one character who, to the dismay of many readers I'm sure, speaks using hashtags. I admit, I found it completely amusing. Since I know people in my life who do the same thing, I couldn't fault him for it. The bright side was that you always knew when it was a Gavin chapter!

      What's even more impressive though, is how quickly Combs builds up these characters into whole, and realistic human beings. April's consistent inner tension, Phoebe's need for something to cling to, even Gavin's coping mechanism of making light of things, were all given their own chance to shine. Which meant, of course, that I was entirely too invested in these characters. I knew that this book was going somewhere dark, and that I probably shouldn't get too attached, but it was difficult not to care. These are teens. They are living, breathing people with secrets that they are afraid to share. It's both beautiful, and absolutely tragic to see so deeply into their lives. It makes this book all the more poignant.

      Truth be told, this book was actually much less violent than I expected it to be. When you're dealing with school violence on a mass level, it's hard not to anticipate cringing a bit. What Sarah Combs chooses to focus on though, isn't the violence. It's the people behind it. The faces of the lost, blending into the background but are secretly begging for someone to notice them. The faces of those who actually notice the lost ones, and try to reach out them. Even when they don't understand exactly why. By the time this story reached its climax, I was breathless. The tension here isn't built by the violence, but by the events leading up to it and the people who wish to create it. It's such an effective way to tackle this subject.

      At the end of the day, this was a near perfect book. Despite any small issues that I had, I was so amazed at how deftly this story was woven together. I'd highly recommend this to all the teenagers out there, but also to their parents. The Light Fantastic is the type of book that merits sharing, to discussion, and hopefully learning as well.
    • 4/5
      Thank you to Candlewick for the ARC!The Light Fantastic is a complex, thoughtful, and occasionally painful read that carefully delves into the minds of several teenagers caught in crisis (and one adult who is too) without psychoanalyzing or condemning any of them, no matter their misdeeds. It’s rare that a book with more than three points-of-view manages to make each character a distinct person, but Combs pulls it off beautifully through the usage of both first- and third-person voice. She even makes an adult character’s POV in a YA novel compelling, which is not an easy feat. The book tackles despair and redemption in ways that are painful to read if you were ever an emotionally troubled teen, but in a way that never once feels voyeuristic. Even though not every character survives, this is not a book devoid of hope; there are characters here, ones that would be the likely villains of another story, who find redemption (though it isn’t easy or squeaky-clean when they do). With the exception of a few threads left unresolved at the end and a couple of moments that weren’t made clear in the text that may be changed in the finished copy, this is a book well worth reading and recommending. Fans of This is Where it Ends will undoubtedly find this book compelling, but those who enjoyed Read Between the Lines will find a lot to love about this one as well.
    • 4/5
      THE LIGHT FANTASTIC by Sarah Combs tells seven interwoven stories during one day.Told through various perspectives, the story follows the events of a day that involves a series of planned school shootings. Rather than focusing on the violence itself, the story explores the various actions and reactions of the narrators as they experience the events. While the author’s “stream of consciousness” approach will attract some readers, it may annoy others. Librarians will find this work of contemporary fiction to be of interest to teens who seek out books that describe events through multiple perspectives. A number of recent books have explored the topic of school shooting. However this book presents the topic in an innovative way through the eyes of the planners.Published by Candlewick Press on September 13, 2016. ARC courtesy of the publisher.
    • 4/5
      This is the tale of a number of students living in different states but whose lives intertwine for both right and wrong reasons – the most obvious wrong reason being a nationwide plan to bring violence into local schools by the members of this online enterprise. It is an interesting look at what many teens are experiencing and how some choose to solve their problems.