Book Review: The Lights Will Never Fade by Jackson Paul Baer

*I received a complimentary copy of this book, and I’m leaving a voluntary review*

(As per usual, minor spoilers might be floating around down here)

Plot: 18-year old Peyton Hamilton–after a horrible family tragedy–has her entire life turned around when she’s forced to move in with Aunt Charity.

I tend to elaborate on the plots, but let’s just say there’s trauma, there’s horrible pasts, there’s beautiful futures, and the unfolding of a great relationship between (semi-estranged) aunt and niece.

I’ve read one other book by Baer. I liked it, I really did, but there were things about it that made it difficult to get into, stylistic characteristics that (for me), made me take a while to get excited about.

But this time I came prepared. I knew about Baer, I knew about how he writes (which is bloody beautiful by the way), and I dove in head first, knowing what to expect.

Boy was I wrong.

This book was better. Let’s just get that out of the way. I enjoyed this much more than the first one, no offense to the other one. In fact, I read this book in one sitting (I’m not even exaggerating, I only got up to go to the bathroom once.)

But let’s get back to how wrong I was. The first book was beautiful and horrible at the same time,  but by the end of it, it was all about the relationship between the characters. I could tell straight away this was similar, I recognized the pattern, and waited for the thrilling, exciting, mysterious plot to ensue.

And it scared the living hell out of me. I’m not saying it’s a horror, because, well maybe some would say it’s borderline, but I wouldn’t. It’s not that typical, creepy, horrifying type of scary. It’s just… people-scary.

The first book was a good, semi-memorable read. This second book made me a fan. Baer is a unique writer, able to mix the mundane and the horrible in a… relatable fashion. I recognize things in this writing, in this book, real things. It’s a thriller mystery, yes, but at the same time it’s a drama, comedy and love story.

I don’t know what more to say. I’d love to tell you all about the great plot twists, when Peyton did this and this, the truth about Aunt Charity, and how the ending turned out.

But I won’t

Go read it.