Light Beneath Ferns Review

I was lucky enough (again) to participate in a blog tour of the novel Light Beneath Ferns by Anne Spollen, hosted by Liz from Cleverly Inked.



Elizah Rayne is nothing like other fourteen-year-old girls. More interested in bird bones than people, she wraps herself in silence. Trying to escape the shadow of her gambler father, Elizah and her mother move into an old house that borders a cemetery. All her mother wants is for them to have "normal" lives. But that becomes impossible for Elizah when she finds a human jawbone by the river and meets Nathaniel, a strangely hypnotic and mysterious boy who draws Elizah into his world.

Only by forgetting everything she knows can Elizah understand the truth about Nathaniel—and discover an unimaginable secret.
Taken from GoodReads.

Light Beneath Ferns is a very beautifully written book. The author, Anne Spollen, has a definite way with words, stringing together a maze of lyrical, meaningful, and poignant words for a story with a deep and emphatic purpose. I'd have to say the language in this book is really the best part. It's easy to read, and it flows.

The protagonist, Elizah, was a bit unlikeable for me, though I'm sure it's different for everyone. She is extremely cynical, a tad depressing, and completely absorbed in her dark, uncomfortable thoughts. While I liked her sarcasm (probably because it's my forte), I often found her to be almost distasteful and rude. That said, she had a lot of witty, searing dialogue with Nathaniel that I found very entertaining to read. That said, often times, I felt as though the dialogue was strained between both Nathaniel and Elizah, and I'm not sure I saw a true character progression through the novel, which frustrated me.

Light Beneath Ferns is a cross-genre book, merging the paranormal with a tasteful YA story. That, plus the dialogue and the beautiful imagery Anne Spollen wove through the book made it a lovely read, albeit not my favourite. All in all, I think this was a strong book, though I'm not sure I would re-read it. I give it a strong 3.5 out of 5.

Please be sure to stay tuned for the next stop on Anne Spollen's book tour over at My Overstuffed Bookshelf!