Review: On the Shores of Darkness, There Is Light: A Novel

On the Shores of Darkness, There Is Light: A Novel by Cordelia Strube
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

When I started reading this book I wasn't sure if I was going to like it. I had read several reviews that raved about it, but for me it was a slow start. I wasn't sure about any of the main characters: Harriet, her mother, her father, her brother, the seniors...
But there was something that made me keep on, and I'm grateful I did.

Harriet is 11 years old. She lives with her mother, her "stepfather" and her little brother, who is ill. All around her are adults that deep down are more immature than she is. They share too much information with her and don't realize she is only a little girl that needs love and comfort. And hugs!

She lives in apartment building full of seniors, and only one girl her age (who is a horrible character in the beginning), she makes very dark art out of dumpsters and she takes care of everybody. But who takes care of her? Maybe her grandmother, who is one step away from having Alzheimer's.

But the book takes a major twist and what happens first is not what we see in the end.
I have seldom seen such a beautiful book with so many unlikeable characters. Harriet is a very complex little girl, and her brother Irwin is on the top of my list.

And what about the title? Isn't it amazing?
But be warned, this isn't an easy book. I wanted to scream at each and every one of the adults (if they can be called that) that appear here. And even if there was not much hope for Harriet, there is a light for Irwin and Heike.

I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

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