What do you think?
Rate this book
We Are the Light
LIFE IS FULL OF GUARDIAN ANGELS.
Lucas Goodgame lives in Majestic, Pennsylvania, a quaint suburb that has been torn apart by a recent tragedy. Everyone in Majestic sees Lucas as a hero—everyone, that is, except Lucas himself. Insisting that his deceased wife, Darcy, visits him every night in the form of an angel, Lucas spends his time writing letters to his former Jungian analyst, Karl. It is only when Eli, an eighteen-year-old young man whom the community has ostracized, begins camping out in Lucas’s backyard that an unlikely alliance takes shape and the two embark on a journey to heal their neighbors and, most important, themselves.
From Matthew Quick, the New York Times bestselling author of The Silver Linings Playbook, We Are the Light is an unforgettable novel about the quicksand of grief and the daily miracle of love. The humorous, soul-baring story of Lucas Goodgame offers an antidote to toxic masculinity and celebrates the healing power of art. In this tale that will stay with you long after the final page is turned, Quick reminds us that guardian angels are all around us—sometimes in the forms we least expect.
Lucas Goodgame lives in Majestic, Pennsylvania, a quaint suburb that has been torn apart by a recent tragedy. Everyone in Majestic sees Lucas as a hero—everyone, that is, except Lucas himself. Insisting that his deceased wife, Darcy, visits him every night in the form of an angel, Lucas spends his time writing letters to his former Jungian analyst, Karl. It is only when Eli, an eighteen-year-old young man whom the community has ostracized, begins camping out in Lucas’s backyard that an unlikely alliance takes shape and the two embark on a journey to heal their neighbors and, most important, themselves.
From Matthew Quick, the New York Times bestselling author of The Silver Linings Playbook, We Are the Light is an unforgettable novel about the quicksand of grief and the daily miracle of love. The humorous, soul-baring story of Lucas Goodgame offers an antidote to toxic masculinity and celebrates the healing power of art. In this tale that will stay with you long after the final page is turned, Quick reminds us that guardian angels are all around us—sometimes in the forms we least expect.
256 pages, Hardcover
First published November 1, 2022
About the author
Matthew Quick
9 books5,134 followersMatthew Quick is the New York Times bestselling author of The Silver Linings Playbook—which was made into an Oscar-winning film—and eight other novels, including We Are the Light, a #1 Indie Next Pick and a Book of the Month selection. His work has been translated into more than thirty languages, received a PEN/Hemingway Award Honorable Mention, was an LA Times Book Prize finalist, a New York Times Book Review Editors’ Choice, a #1 bestseller in Brazil, a Deutscher Jugendliteratur Preis 2016 (German Youth Literature Prize) nominee, and selected by Nancy Pearl as one of Summer’s Best Books for NPR. The Hollywood Reporter has named him one of Hollywood’s 25 Most Powerful Authors. Matthew lives with his wife, the novelist Alicia Bessette, in Beaufort, South Carolina.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 2,748 reviews
May 16, 2023
I admire Matthew Quick’s sarcastic and extra smart sense of humor, his flawed, broken warrior characters and his sensitive approach to mental health issues.
After reading Silver Linings Playbook ( and watched the great movie adaptation) , I was so ready to go blind for his next work! That’s what I did for this book!
“We are the light” discusses more sensitive issues like death, grief, PTSD, delusions centered on a tragic massacre in Majestic Theater, Pennsylvania where 19 people lost their lives.
Lucas Goodgame is the soul survivor of the massacre, a good teacher, helping the troubled students, also loses his wife Darcy at the tragic incident. But he thinks his wife is alive, she’s not a human anymore just like the other 18 people who lost their lives in crime scene. They all turned into angels, floating in the air with their strikingly gorgeous wings.
Lucas thinks his wife keeps visiting him at his house, giving him advises, helping him to move on to the next chapter of his life!
Jill; Darcy’s best friend already moved to Lucas’ house to take care of him, frightening the press members lurking around his house or any person in town making Lucas uncomfortable.
She also tries to frighten the boy who is camping at the backyard of Lucas’ house.
But when Lucas finds out the identity of the person who is camping out, he lets him enter his house and his new life. That boy is Eli, 18 years old troubled boy, one of his students he’s helped before. Now he’s outcasted by the townies because of his connection with the tragedy. But he has an idea to help the people who lost loved ones to heal their wounds.
Eli and Lucas teams up to help people who suffer from grief. But each person has his/ her own way to deal with his/ her pain so not everyone in town will be pleased about their intentions and some of them may reject their help by taking anger out on them.
Everything in this book is told via letters written by Lucas to his Jungian therapist Karl who also lost a loved one during the tragedy. Lucas has no intention to give up on him, passing by his house, trying to spy on, wishing to restart their sessions.
This book is realistic, intense, heavy drama! Especially after the late tragic incident in Texas, it affected me more than I expected. The positive outcome and bittersweet ending gave you enough hope. And Lucas’ narration was brilliant. But it is really sad, dramatic story shakes you to the core!
I didn’t enjoy as much as Silver Linings Playbook but it’s still good written story with great characterization.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Avid Reader Press / Simon &Schuster for sharing this digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest opinions.
blog
instagram
facebook
twitter
After reading Silver Linings Playbook ( and watched the great movie adaptation) , I was so ready to go blind for his next work! That’s what I did for this book!
“We are the light” discusses more sensitive issues like death, grief, PTSD, delusions centered on a tragic massacre in Majestic Theater, Pennsylvania where 19 people lost their lives.
Lucas Goodgame is the soul survivor of the massacre, a good teacher, helping the troubled students, also loses his wife Darcy at the tragic incident. But he thinks his wife is alive, she’s not a human anymore just like the other 18 people who lost their lives in crime scene. They all turned into angels, floating in the air with their strikingly gorgeous wings.
Lucas thinks his wife keeps visiting him at his house, giving him advises, helping him to move on to the next chapter of his life!
Jill; Darcy’s best friend already moved to Lucas’ house to take care of him, frightening the press members lurking around his house or any person in town making Lucas uncomfortable.
She also tries to frighten the boy who is camping at the backyard of Lucas’ house.
But when Lucas finds out the identity of the person who is camping out, he lets him enter his house and his new life. That boy is Eli, 18 years old troubled boy, one of his students he’s helped before. Now he’s outcasted by the townies because of his connection with the tragedy. But he has an idea to help the people who lost loved ones to heal their wounds.
Eli and Lucas teams up to help people who suffer from grief. But each person has his/ her own way to deal with his/ her pain so not everyone in town will be pleased about their intentions and some of them may reject their help by taking anger out on them.
Everything in this book is told via letters written by Lucas to his Jungian therapist Karl who also lost a loved one during the tragedy. Lucas has no intention to give up on him, passing by his house, trying to spy on, wishing to restart their sessions.
This book is realistic, intense, heavy drama! Especially after the late tragic incident in Texas, it affected me more than I expected. The positive outcome and bittersweet ending gave you enough hope. And Lucas’ narration was brilliant. But it is really sad, dramatic story shakes you to the core!
I didn’t enjoy as much as Silver Linings Playbook but it’s still good written story with great characterization.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Avid Reader Press / Simon &Schuster for sharing this digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest opinions.
blog
November 19, 2022
**Many thanks to Avid Reader Press and Matthew Quick for an ARC of this book! Now available as of 11.1!**
"If you are the light, you cast away the darkness."-ManHee Lee
Though this book was brimming with potential, like a lighter that just won't light...the spark of this one never quite turned into a steady flame for me.
Lucas Goodgame and the small community of Majestic, Pennslyvania, are in full-on recovery mode. A tragic shooting at the local movie theater has turned everyone sideways, and Lucas is regarded as a hero for taking down the gunman after 17 precious lives were lost, including that of Lucas' wife, Darcy. Lucas is desperately trying to work through his grief by Jungian analysis with his therapist, Karl, and writes him a series of letters detailing the goings-on in his life.
When the shooter's brother Eli pitches a tent in Lucas' yard, however, the two hatch a plan to heal the community by creating a monster movie that they plan to screen at the theater where the shooting happened. With Lucas still being visited by his wife (as an angel), and harboring conflicted feelings about a burgeoning romance with Darcy's friend Jill, will the film come to fruition and bring everyone together? Or are these wounds too fresh, too complex, and too deep to EVER be healed?
For such a short novel, this book felt long and took me a week to get through. Here are a few of the reasons why:
1) Quick introduces too many characters and too many story arcs. The list might not be 20 names long, but it seemed as though the minute we took more of a deep dive with any one character, the narration shifted again. I thought the most interesting part of the book was a look back at moments from Lucas' childhood (especially in terms of psychoanalysis) but it was so brief and I wanted to know more! Between Lucas' interactions with his wife "Winged Darcy," working as a mentor of sorts to Eli, his relationships with his friends, and conflicted feelings about a new potential romantic relationship, there was A LOT going on...almost too much.
2) The whole Jungian analysis angle. I appreciate what Quick was trying to do here, and he just went through Jungian analysis himself so it's near and dear to his heart. There is a lot of talk about masculinity and phallic energy that I suppose makes sense if you have the background, but in this case, I don't feel that I had enough prior knowledge to understand and appreciate the methods.
3) The epistolary style. I understand WHY he chose it and how it serves the plot. However, I often struggle with epistolary novels due to the length and detail of the 'letters' and find them hard to follow or a little long-winded at times, and this was certainly the case here. I think in many ways Quick COULD have written this as a first person narrative with SOME letters to Karl sprinkled throughout and this would have made it a smoother and more effective read.
4) A plot that didn't quite gel. This was probably the most frustrating aspect of the book for me. The POTENTIAL for an interesting plot was certainly there, but there was so much of the above bogging it down that I couldn't see the forest for the trees. I think the best way to sum it up is this: this book SHOULD have been a movie, rather than a book. Ironic given the subject manner, but there's something about Quick's stories that seems like it would 'fit' best in that medium. Silver Linings Playbook is a perfect example of this: the film was FAR superior to the book because it was able to expand on certain things and make them visceral. I didn't feel the emotional connection to what was essentially a very sad story, or a sense of hopeful triumph at story's end.
I know Quick has been battling his own demons and this book was very hard to write and the result of a LOT of emotional and mental effort, and in that, he has absolutely succeeded. But while I would give this read an "A" for effort, in terms of my reading experience, I would give it an "I": it was simply incomplete.
3.5 stars
"If you are the light, you cast away the darkness."-ManHee Lee
Though this book was brimming with potential, like a lighter that just won't light...the spark of this one never quite turned into a steady flame for me.
Lucas Goodgame and the small community of Majestic, Pennslyvania, are in full-on recovery mode. A tragic shooting at the local movie theater has turned everyone sideways, and Lucas is regarded as a hero for taking down the gunman after 17 precious lives were lost, including that of Lucas' wife, Darcy. Lucas is desperately trying to work through his grief by Jungian analysis with his therapist, Karl, and writes him a series of letters detailing the goings-on in his life.
When the shooter's brother Eli pitches a tent in Lucas' yard, however, the two hatch a plan to heal the community by creating a monster movie that they plan to screen at the theater where the shooting happened. With Lucas still being visited by his wife (as an angel), and harboring conflicted feelings about a burgeoning romance with Darcy's friend Jill, will the film come to fruition and bring everyone together? Or are these wounds too fresh, too complex, and too deep to EVER be healed?
For such a short novel, this book felt long and took me a week to get through. Here are a few of the reasons why:
1) Quick introduces too many characters and too many story arcs. The list might not be 20 names long, but it seemed as though the minute we took more of a deep dive with any one character, the narration shifted again. I thought the most interesting part of the book was a look back at moments from Lucas' childhood (especially in terms of psychoanalysis) but it was so brief and I wanted to know more! Between Lucas' interactions with his wife "Winged Darcy," working as a mentor of sorts to Eli, his relationships with his friends, and conflicted feelings about a new potential romantic relationship, there was A LOT going on...almost too much.
2) The whole Jungian analysis angle. I appreciate what Quick was trying to do here, and he just went through Jungian analysis himself so it's near and dear to his heart. There is a lot of talk about masculinity and phallic energy that I suppose makes sense if you have the background, but in this case, I don't feel that I had enough prior knowledge to understand and appreciate the methods.
3) The epistolary style. I understand WHY he chose it and how it serves the plot. However, I often struggle with epistolary novels due to the length and detail of the 'letters' and find them hard to follow or a little long-winded at times, and this was certainly the case here. I think in many ways Quick COULD have written this as a first person narrative with SOME letters to Karl sprinkled throughout and this would have made it a smoother and more effective read.
4) A plot that didn't quite gel. This was probably the most frustrating aspect of the book for me. The POTENTIAL for an interesting plot was certainly there, but there was so much of the above bogging it down that I couldn't see the forest for the trees. I think the best way to sum it up is this: this book SHOULD have been a movie, rather than a book. Ironic given the subject manner, but there's something about Quick's stories that seems like it would 'fit' best in that medium. Silver Linings Playbook is a perfect example of this: the film was FAR superior to the book because it was able to expand on certain things and make them visceral. I didn't feel the emotional connection to what was essentially a very sad story, or a sense of hopeful triumph at story's end.
I know Quick has been battling his own demons and this book was very hard to write and the result of a LOT of emotional and mental effort, and in that, he has absolutely succeeded. But while I would give this read an "A" for effort, in terms of my reading experience, I would give it an "I": it was simply incomplete.
3.5 stars
November 28, 2022
This novel is not easy to read as it deals with the clawing grief and the horrific trauma of a mass shooting experienced by survivors . I’ve avoided books about mass shootings, fiction and non fiction. Seeing the real event’s unfold on the news, the loss, the impact on the families is difficult to watch so frequently. So why read this book? I was drawn to it because I loved The Silver Linings Playbook, both the novel and the movie which dealt with mental health issues in a way that touched me with humor and humanity and hope. I was not disappointed with the story of Lucas Goodgame, a survivor of a mass shooting, who writes to his therapist every day, but gets no response and sees his wife again here as an angel. Matthew quick allowed me to feel the humor, humanity and hope here as well.
I received a copy of this book from Avid Reader Press/Simon & Schuster through Edelweiss.
I received a copy of this book from Avid Reader Press/Simon & Schuster through Edelweiss.
November 7, 2022
It must be me. There are many fabulous reviews about this book---please read them. I did not care for the format which is based on letters from Lucas to his therapist, Karl, regarding a horrific tragedy in Majestic, PA.
Each letter drops additional hints of what occurred in town but the pace was too slow for me.
Each letter drops additional hints of what occurred in town but the pace was too slow for me.
November 25, 2022
Oh Mathew Quick, you did it again!! You capture human grief and fragilities masterfully. You crushed me with “Silver Linings Playbook”. With “We Are the Light”, you showed me how love and kindness can come out of tragedy.
For those who saw the movie “Silver Linings Playbook” but did not read the book, the book is emotionally darker and far more despairing and complex than the movie. I loved the movie. Yet it did not showcase Quick’s amazing prose. Quick takes a tragedy, a mass shooting, in “We Are the Light”, and creates a story with an unexpected hero following a horrendous tragedy.
Lucas Goodgame narrates this story in the form of written letters to his Jungian analyst Karl. Lucas is a bit disappointed in Karl in that their therapy sessions have ended (the reader doesn’t know exactly why), and Lucas needs Karl. Since he doesn’t have his sessions, Lucas writes to Karl, providing his daily updates. He does a bit of berating to Karl, disappointed that Karl won’t work with him anymore, at his time of need.
We soon learn that there was a mass shooting at the local movie theater. Lucas lost his beloved wife Darcy in the shooting. Lucas is holding on because Darcy comes to him in angelic form which provides comfort. The story gains complexity when Eli, the shooter’s 18-year-old brother, camps in Lucas’s backyard. Eli is a town pariah, given he’s the brother of the shooter, although an innocent. Lucas see’s Eli as a young man in crisis, and decides to help him heal, even though Lucas is trying to recover over the loss of Darcy. The two concoct an idea to help their community heal from the event.
The letters are endearing, funny, and sad. Quick gets inside the head of a man in crisis bearing his soul. The letter format is an interesting way to tell a story. Through the letters we learn of far more tragedy and sadness. Quick’s hand of peppers humor throughout the sad tale, makes this a charming, hopeful, and healing read. In the same paragraph the reader is heart-broken and then chuckling at some silly circumstance Lucas and Eli get themselves into.
Lucas is an unlikely hero. Quick doesn’t address the nature of gun violence. What he is doing is showing the amazing qualities of survivors. He explores the themes of forgiveness, community, hope, and understanding. I’ll remember Lucas for a very long time. I already miss his letters to Karl…..
I used the audio, narrated by Lucas Kirby. He was excellent. Many times I needed to rewind to listen again. I wished I would have read it in a book with pages. It begs the paper reading for me. Even though I chose the audio, it was amazing. I take in information better if I read it. So, I recommend the written form, although the audio is amazing.....
For those who saw the movie “Silver Linings Playbook” but did not read the book, the book is emotionally darker and far more despairing and complex than the movie. I loved the movie. Yet it did not showcase Quick’s amazing prose. Quick takes a tragedy, a mass shooting, in “We Are the Light”, and creates a story with an unexpected hero following a horrendous tragedy.
Lucas Goodgame narrates this story in the form of written letters to his Jungian analyst Karl. Lucas is a bit disappointed in Karl in that their therapy sessions have ended (the reader doesn’t know exactly why), and Lucas needs Karl. Since he doesn’t have his sessions, Lucas writes to Karl, providing his daily updates. He does a bit of berating to Karl, disappointed that Karl won’t work with him anymore, at his time of need.
We soon learn that there was a mass shooting at the local movie theater. Lucas lost his beloved wife Darcy in the shooting. Lucas is holding on because Darcy comes to him in angelic form which provides comfort. The story gains complexity when Eli, the shooter’s 18-year-old brother, camps in Lucas’s backyard. Eli is a town pariah, given he’s the brother of the shooter, although an innocent. Lucas see’s Eli as a young man in crisis, and decides to help him heal, even though Lucas is trying to recover over the loss of Darcy. The two concoct an idea to help their community heal from the event.
The letters are endearing, funny, and sad. Quick gets inside the head of a man in crisis bearing his soul. The letter format is an interesting way to tell a story. Through the letters we learn of far more tragedy and sadness. Quick’s hand of peppers humor throughout the sad tale, makes this a charming, hopeful, and healing read. In the same paragraph the reader is heart-broken and then chuckling at some silly circumstance Lucas and Eli get themselves into.
Lucas is an unlikely hero. Quick doesn’t address the nature of gun violence. What he is doing is showing the amazing qualities of survivors. He explores the themes of forgiveness, community, hope, and understanding. I’ll remember Lucas for a very long time. I already miss his letters to Karl…..
I used the audio, narrated by Lucas Kirby. He was excellent. Many times I needed to rewind to listen again. I wished I would have read it in a book with pages. It begs the paper reading for me. Even though I chose the audio, it was amazing. I take in information better if I read it. So, I recommend the written form, although the audio is amazing.....
October 12, 2022
2,5 stars
First of all, I realize that most people are posting raving reviews (please read them!) and I must say that the book is very well written. I especially liked the epistolary format, which brings the story to a close and personal level, feeling as if the letters are written to the reader itself.
But what I didn't like was the main character, Lucas. He came across a an arrogant, petulant child. He is seriously stalking his former therapist and forms a dangers to others, yet he is protected by an old police "friend" and also by the rest of the town. I can imaging that he would be extremely scarred by the event that ruined a large part of the community he's living in, but somehow I can only imagine that he was unlikable to begin with and the the trauma just made it worse. Then there is the all encompassing influence of the Jungian analysis, which I must say was weird, selling it off as superior to all other forms of therapy. Especially the fact that if "Psyche" dictates something, it must be done. It just seems like having an excuse to get away with anything. Just like a petulant child indeed: "It wasn't me, it was Psyche". Ach... Another line of thought that I thought was off-putting is that men are supposed to pass on some wisdom or 'phallic energy' to boys, to guide them from boyhood to manhood, either by their father or a father figure. Which then brings me to the only main female character in this book: Lucas's wife's best friend, who is basically just cooking, cleaning and doing laundry, leaving the men to their "philosophy". Ach again...
Once I got invested in not liking Lucas at all, nor his therapy, it was very difficult to appreciate the story itself, which I think was rather bizarre, and maybe something more suitable for a YA book. Seeing all the stellar reviews, I makes me feel like I've read a different book. It's probably me not getting it, I don't know.
Thank you NetGalley, Avid Reader Press and the author for an ARC in exchange for a honest review.
First of all, I realize that most people are posting raving reviews (please read them!) and I must say that the book is very well written. I especially liked the epistolary format, which brings the story to a close and personal level, feeling as if the letters are written to the reader itself.
But what I didn't like was the main character, Lucas. He came across a an arrogant, petulant child. He is seriously stalking his former therapist and forms a dangers to others, yet he is protected by an old police "friend" and also by the rest of the town. I can imaging that he would be extremely scarred by the event that ruined a large part of the community he's living in, but somehow I can only imagine that he was unlikable to begin with and the the trauma just made it worse. Then there is the all encompassing influence of the Jungian analysis, which I must say was weird, selling it off as superior to all other forms of therapy. Especially the fact that if "Psyche" dictates something, it must be done. It just seems like having an excuse to get away with anything. Just like a petulant child indeed: "It wasn't me, it was Psyche". Ach... Another line of thought that I thought was off-putting is that men are supposed to pass on some wisdom or 'phallic energy' to boys, to guide them from boyhood to manhood, either by their father or a father figure. Which then brings me to the only main female character in this book: Lucas's wife's best friend, who is basically just cooking, cleaning and doing laundry, leaving the men to their "philosophy". Ach again...
Once I got invested in not liking Lucas at all, nor his therapy, it was very difficult to appreciate the story itself, which I think was rather bizarre, and maybe something more suitable for a YA book. Seeing all the stellar reviews, I makes me feel like I've read a different book. It's probably me not getting it, I don't know.
Thank you NetGalley, Avid Reader Press and the author for an ARC in exchange for a honest review.
Read
December 28, 20238/28/2023 EDIT: I've moved the MPL over to SUBSTACK, which is now the best place to follow me. My Substack account is called:
THERE WILL BE MISTAKES
THERE WILL BE MISTAKES
November 1, 2022
Perhaps once upon a time, a story like this one would seem unimaginable, but feels all too real, even prior to these last several years.
This begins with a tragedy that devastates a town. leaving many people traumatized with the memories that haunt them. Lucas Goodgame is one of those people. As a high school counselor in Majestic, Pennsylvania, and one of the many people who lost loved ones in a mass shooting, he turns to his psychoanalyst, leaving him letters to which he never receives a reply. He persists to the point where a local policeman steps in often to remind him that he must stop leaving these letters.
As a husband, he clings to his wife, Darcy, whose life was taken on that horrific day, but she still visits him in angelic form most nights. While he acknowledges to himself these visits won’t last forever, he treasures her visitations all the more when they do come. The mornings after, he collects the feathers left from her wings lying on the bed.
Jill, his late wife’s best friend, looks after Lucas, bringing him food and making sure that he is at least physically, if not emotionally, taking care of himself. He’s still so lost in his grief, and in his determination to hold onto Darcy. After a while, she moves into his house, knowing he needs someone to make sure he isn’t falling down deeper into this nightmare. One night soon after, a tent appears in his backyard. When Lucas goes out to discover who has pitched his orange tent in his yard, he finds Eli, the brother of the shooter. That night, ‘Winged’ Darcy appears and, pointing to the tent says ’That boy is the way forward.’ When he asks what she means, she repeats the phrase, and then repeats it one more time.
While this story initially revolves around the impact of the shooting, it evolves into a story that encompasses so much more. Love, in all its many forms and its ability to heal, versus those who build walls to keep others away. Although Lucas is clearly suffering from the loss of his wife, he takes Eli in. Into his home, but also into this new family being formed.
Grief, how we process grief, the length of time before we begin to heal is such an individual process. And while this story revolves around a horrific event, a town and people who are forever changed by it, it is also a story of love, of kindness, of moving forward in life while still remembering and honoring the past. Lucas helps to heal Eli by encouraging him and assisting him in making a movie. A movie that he hopes will not only help Eli heal, but the others in the town and beyond, as well. In turn, Eli’s healing begins during the process of working on this movie.
The focus of this story is less about the event itself than it is about both the trauma that follows, and the love and care extended that follows as a result. At its heart, this is a story about the healing power of love - for both the giver and receiver.
Published: 01 Nov 2022
Many thanks for the ARC provided by Avid Reader Press, Avid Reader Press / Simon & Schuster
April 16, 2023
We Are the Light by Matthew Quick is an Epistolary and Literary Fiction Novel!
There's been a tragedy in the small town of Majestic, PA.
In a theater, the lone shooter takes the lives of 17 people.
Everyone in Majestic sees Lucas Goodgame as the hero.
Everyone, except Lucas and he's a mess because of it all.
All Lucas wants is for Darcy, his angelic wife, to continue making her nightly appearances, the town to heal from the repercussions of this horrific event, and his analyst, Karl, to respond to his many, many lengthy, rambling letters...
I know I've stumbled upon a talented author when he's able to pull me into a story about a mass shooting with an unlikely hero via epistolary fiction, subtle humor, and an unreliable narrator. All the while, keeping the story from becoming dark, heavy, and depressing. That's remarkable writing!
In We Are the Light, Lucas is the ultimate unreliable narrator and you feel him losing his grip on what he's left with after the event, yet something remarkable happens in the vortex of his 'sweet' madness. Somehow and somewhere in his mind, heart, and soul he never loses that spark of hope for himself or those around him.
The audiobook is narrated by Luke Kirby who brought an entertaining aspect to his narration. I felt his voicing style gave another layer of lightness to the story and was a perfect extension to the character of Lucas Goodgame.
We Are the Light is about the pain of loss, the guilt of surviving, helping and hurting, and coming out the other side as whole as possible. Epistolary Fiction, IMHO, always has a personal feel to it and is like a window into a character's thoughts, feelings, and emotions. This one feels especially that way.
I highly recommend We Are the Light and I'm ecstatic I've found a new-to-me author with a meaty backlist to enjoy! 4.25⭐
There's been a tragedy in the small town of Majestic, PA.
In a theater, the lone shooter takes the lives of 17 people.
Everyone in Majestic sees Lucas Goodgame as the hero.
Everyone, except Lucas and he's a mess because of it all.
All Lucas wants is for Darcy, his angelic wife, to continue making her nightly appearances, the town to heal from the repercussions of this horrific event, and his analyst, Karl, to respond to his many, many lengthy, rambling letters...
I know I've stumbled upon a talented author when he's able to pull me into a story about a mass shooting with an unlikely hero via epistolary fiction, subtle humor, and an unreliable narrator. All the while, keeping the story from becoming dark, heavy, and depressing. That's remarkable writing!
In We Are the Light, Lucas is the ultimate unreliable narrator and you feel him losing his grip on what he's left with after the event, yet something remarkable happens in the vortex of his 'sweet' madness. Somehow and somewhere in his mind, heart, and soul he never loses that spark of hope for himself or those around him.
The audiobook is narrated by Luke Kirby who brought an entertaining aspect to his narration. I felt his voicing style gave another layer of lightness to the story and was a perfect extension to the character of Lucas Goodgame.
We Are the Light is about the pain of loss, the guilt of surviving, helping and hurting, and coming out the other side as whole as possible. Epistolary Fiction, IMHO, always has a personal feel to it and is like a window into a character's thoughts, feelings, and emotions. This one feels especially that way.
I highly recommend We Are the Light and I'm ecstatic I've found a new-to-me author with a meaty backlist to enjoy! 4.25⭐
December 21, 2022
Can one forget or get over a tragedy. Can a whole town? In this book, we are given a look into a town that has been devastated by shooting in a moxie theater. Our main character, Lucas Goodgame among others are in attendance when this horrific event occurs. Many of the town's residents are killed and their deaths touch every facet of life within the town including Lucas's wife, with Lucas unable to protect her or others.
Survivor's guilt ensues but Lucas has an out for he believes his wife is now an angel who visits him nightly. While Lucas is on leave, he writes letters to his analyst, Karl, not receiving any response. However, it is a way for him to vent, to be able to say the things perhaps others may not know, to find peace and assurance that life will go on.
Then one day camped in his backyard, a boy Eli, comes to reside. He is the community pariah since his brother was the cause of the tragedy. They befriend one another and devise a way to help the healing not only in themselves, but the town as a whole. There is no formula to follow when tragedy hits and these two find a way, an unusual way for the healing process to step into the future.
While i liked the story, I did at times find it not coming together as I hoped. However, the ending made me not only feel but also understand how it is that hope, love, and the future belong to those who find a way to face it.
Survivor's guilt ensues but Lucas has an out for he believes his wife is now an angel who visits him nightly. While Lucas is on leave, he writes letters to his analyst, Karl, not receiving any response. However, it is a way for him to vent, to be able to say the things perhaps others may not know, to find peace and assurance that life will go on.
Then one day camped in his backyard, a boy Eli, comes to reside. He is the community pariah since his brother was the cause of the tragedy. They befriend one another and devise a way to help the healing not only in themselves, but the town as a whole. There is no formula to follow when tragedy hits and these two find a way, an unusual way for the healing process to step into the future.
While i liked the story, I did at times find it not coming together as I hoped. However, the ending made me not only feel but also understand how it is that hope, love, and the future belong to those who find a way to face it.
March 4, 2023
We Are the Light by Matthew Quick is an epistolary novel with a timely, if not tragic focus. After a mass shooting in Majestic, PA, where 18 people lose their lives, narrator Lucas Goodgame pens a series of letters to his former Jungian analyst, Karl. Through these letters a slow rebuilding, and sometimes collapsing, of life is revealed.
In the aftermath, Lucas struggles with many demons, including mind-altering grief and loneliness, the label of hero the community bestowed and survivors’ guilt. By witnessing this character's nonlinear healing process we are shown that even the seemingly opposite forces of good and evil are not completely black and white.
We see Lucas’ life through his words and have access to the contents of his thoughts, which are sometimes disturbing, always honest, and touching in their portrayal of raw grief and trauma. The thread that runs through this artfully crafted story is the light. Light in the actions of the survivors as they come together in their grief. Light in the unlikely relationship between Lucas and Eli, a student Lucas was counseling at the high school, and their work to bring healing to fruition through art. And light in the love that flows out of open wounds.
In reading this achingly beautiful story and Quick’s acknowledgements we can see the undercurrents of his own struggles brought to the page. The book contained plenty of Jungian jargon, which was largely unfamiliar to me, but was explained to be a significant influence on Quick in his own life. When these thought processes are transferred to the page in the form of Lucas, it feels right for the character, and exists as a sort of lifeboat for a struggling soul.
Obviously, this novel was penned before the recent rash of mass shootings in Uvalde, Buffalo and other cities. It is easy to shy away from harsh realities, especially when we want to escape into reading a great book. But tragedies of this nature need to be addressed on both the political front and the mental health front. While I don’t think Quick could have predicted the timeliness of the subject matter, this book is an important piece of the puzzle that is healing and mental health. Most importantly, it offers the observation that light and love will always win.
This novel debuts in November, 2022, and as a lead up to publication, Quick is offering a Monthly Personal Letter, where he writes about mental health, sobriety, the writing life and more.
To receive the FREE Monthly Personal Letter, visit his website: https://matthewquickwriter.com/contac… and enter your email to receive his letter on the 21st of each month, as well as read letters from previous months.
Thank you to NetGalley and Avid Reader Press for granting me early access to this luminous and transcendent story.
In the aftermath, Lucas struggles with many demons, including mind-altering grief and loneliness, the label of hero the community bestowed and survivors’ guilt. By witnessing this character's nonlinear healing process we are shown that even the seemingly opposite forces of good and evil are not completely black and white.
We see Lucas’ life through his words and have access to the contents of his thoughts, which are sometimes disturbing, always honest, and touching in their portrayal of raw grief and trauma. The thread that runs through this artfully crafted story is the light. Light in the actions of the survivors as they come together in their grief. Light in the unlikely relationship between Lucas and Eli, a student Lucas was counseling at the high school, and their work to bring healing to fruition through art. And light in the love that flows out of open wounds.
In reading this achingly beautiful story and Quick’s acknowledgements we can see the undercurrents of his own struggles brought to the page. The book contained plenty of Jungian jargon, which was largely unfamiliar to me, but was explained to be a significant influence on Quick in his own life. When these thought processes are transferred to the page in the form of Lucas, it feels right for the character, and exists as a sort of lifeboat for a struggling soul.
Obviously, this novel was penned before the recent rash of mass shootings in Uvalde, Buffalo and other cities. It is easy to shy away from harsh realities, especially when we want to escape into reading a great book. But tragedies of this nature need to be addressed on both the political front and the mental health front. While I don’t think Quick could have predicted the timeliness of the subject matter, this book is an important piece of the puzzle that is healing and mental health. Most importantly, it offers the observation that light and love will always win.
This novel debuts in November, 2022, and as a lead up to publication, Quick is offering a Monthly Personal Letter, where he writes about mental health, sobriety, the writing life and more.
To receive the FREE Monthly Personal Letter, visit his website: https://matthewquickwriter.com/contac… and enter your email to receive his letter on the 21st of each month, as well as read letters from previous months.
Thank you to NetGalley and Avid Reader Press for granting me early access to this luminous and transcendent story.
January 9, 2023
I feel so bad giving this book three stars because the subject matter is so important and heartbreaking, but i just don’t think this author is for me. After Lucas and his Jungian analyst’s wives were killed in the tragic Majestic Theater shooting, he receives a letter that Karl is no longer practicing. How can he continue healing without his analyst? Enter Eli, the younger brother of the Majestic Theater shooter. Lucas and Eli have both lost their way. Can they lean on each other in an attempt to move forward?
This book seemed to ramble on and on and on. The chapters were way too long. Hell, the last one was 47 pages! The religious and spiritual aspects of Lucas’s letters bored me a bit, but this may partially be my own fault for choosing to go into most of my reads completely blind. 😇 While the story was thought-provoking at times, the language was not. It honestly took me way too long to get through these 240 pages, because I simply was not engaged. Reviews for this one will probably be all over the board.
This book seemed to ramble on and on and on. The chapters were way too long. Hell, the last one was 47 pages! The religious and spiritual aspects of Lucas’s letters bored me a bit, but this may partially be my own fault for choosing to go into most of my reads completely blind. 😇 While the story was thought-provoking at times, the language was not. It honestly took me way too long to get through these 240 pages, because I simply was not engaged. Reviews for this one will probably be all over the board.
October 24, 2022
Rounding up to 5 ⭐️
Powerful narration! I think Luke Kirby is my favorite male narrator. I could listen to his voice forever.
This was a story that was told through letters. It is a true testament that writing can be a tool to help heal our wounds. I love epistolary books. I thought the development in this book was so beautiful.
I will say this is a punch to the gut since it does address a mass shooting in a town and that part was really hard to read. But I’m glad I read it.
Powerful narration! I think Luke Kirby is my favorite male narrator. I could listen to his voice forever.
This was a story that was told through letters. It is a true testament that writing can be a tool to help heal our wounds. I love epistolary books. I thought the development in this book was so beautiful.
I will say this is a punch to the gut since it does address a mass shooting in a town and that part was really hard to read. But I’m glad I read it.
January 4, 2023
For years I’ve referred to Matthew Quick as Matthew Quirk – unintentionally to start (I am the girl who thought Riley Sager was a female for like four books, after all) – and then on purpose because he does tend to lean into the quirky when it comes to his characters and/or plotlines.
The story here is about Lucas. Lucas has been struggling through the grieving process after losing his wife to a mass shooting at the local movie house. Lucas was deemed a hero, but all he knows is he didn’t save 17 people and thank heavens his beloved wife still visits him in her angel form. In an attempt to make his way out of the darkness, he writes his former Jungian analyst Karl, cohabitates with his deceased wife’s best friend and offers his back yard as shelter to Eli, a young man who has been ostracized due to his relationship with the shooter.
But Lucas and Eli have a plan to fix the town . . .
“You didn’t say you wanted them to star in a monster movie about the shooting that killed all of their loved ones.”
“It’s a metaphor that’s designed to heal!”
As I said, Matthew Quirk. This is a dark novel written by an author experiencing one of the darkest times of his life. But as Florence and her Machine so eloquently stated . . . .
Keep writing, Matthew. And take as long as you need. We’ll be here waiting.
The story here is about Lucas. Lucas has been struggling through the grieving process after losing his wife to a mass shooting at the local movie house. Lucas was deemed a hero, but all he knows is he didn’t save 17 people and thank heavens his beloved wife still visits him in her angel form. In an attempt to make his way out of the darkness, he writes his former Jungian analyst Karl, cohabitates with his deceased wife’s best friend and offers his back yard as shelter to Eli, a young man who has been ostracized due to his relationship with the shooter.
But Lucas and Eli have a plan to fix the town . . .
“You didn’t say you wanted them to star in a monster movie about the shooting that killed all of their loved ones.”
“It’s a metaphor that’s designed to heal!”
As I said, Matthew Quirk. This is a dark novel written by an author experiencing one of the darkest times of his life. But as Florence and her Machine so eloquently stated . . . .
Keep writing, Matthew. And take as long as you need. We’ll be here waiting.
January 21, 2023
I have no idea (or I just can’t remember) how this book got into my tbr list, and the reason that made me prioritize it, once a copy was available from the library.
Anyways, as soon as I started reading I was absolutely hooked on it.
I loved the writing and the epistolary format, and I was kind of involved with the main character’s grief and concerned about his mental health.
Unfortunately, as this has only one perspective, it became repetitive and boring.
Half way in the book I had lost interest, but I persisted, because I was curious about its conclusion.
But at the end everything felt unrealistic or far fetched, as I was very disappointed with the conclusion.
I did think that the concept was good, even though it’s based on a mass shooting.
But the reference to “phallic energy” and “masculine mission” was kind of weird, especially if you are not familiar with Jung’s work.
Plus, the spiritual and religious aspects of the main character were a bit too much and very boring.
But I have to agree that the writing is excellent, hence my 3 stars.
Too bad for the development of the storyline.
Anyways, as soon as I started reading I was absolutely hooked on it.
I loved the writing and the epistolary format, and I was kind of involved with the main character’s grief and concerned about his mental health.
Unfortunately, as this has only one perspective, it became repetitive and boring.
Half way in the book I had lost interest, but I persisted, because I was curious about its conclusion.
But at the end everything felt unrealistic or far fetched, as I was very disappointed with the conclusion.
I did think that the concept was good, even though it’s based on a mass shooting.
But the reference to “phallic energy” and “masculine mission” was kind of weird, especially if you are not familiar with Jung’s work.
Plus, the spiritual and religious aspects of the main character were a bit too much and very boring.
But I have to agree that the writing is excellent, hence my 3 stars.
Too bad for the development of the storyline.
May 16, 2022
QUICK TAKE: as expected from the author of SILVER LIININGS PLAYBOOK, a very dark and quirky story about an unlikely friendship between two people connected by a horrible tragedy. I could see the melodramatic (and somewhat emotionally manipulative) ending coming from a miillion miles away, but that doesn't mean it didn't resonate with me (aka i bawled my face off). Just tread lightly here, this is difficult material. There's light at the end of the tunnel, but you're gonna have to earn it!
October 23, 2022
Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free, electronic ARC of this novel received in exchange for an honest review.
Expected publication date: November 1, 2022
Matthew Quick, author of “The Silver Linings Playbook”, returns with a poignant and powerful new novel, “We Are the Light”.
After a tragedy in his hometown of Majestic, Pennsylvania, high school counselor Lucas Goodgame is hailed as a hero by many, but it doesn’t feel that way to him. Lucas knows that of all the people who lost someone that night, he is the lucky one, as his deceased wife Darcy comes to him every night, in her angel form. As he communicates to his therapist, Karl, via letters that go unanswered, Lucas tries to come to terms with the devastating loss, and finally finds some relief when a heartbroken young man pitches a tent in his backyard. Desperate for connection and bonded through grief, Eli and Lucas find a renewed faith in each other, and in humanity.
“Light” is a heavy novel, covering grief and loss, mass shooting tragedies, suicide and mental illness, but it is also a shining ray of hope. Quick’s novel is narrated by Lucas, told in letter form through his communications with his therapist. Although this is a unique format, it did not turn me off, as Quick still provided all the relevant details needed to create a connection with Lucas and the community of Majestic.
Lucas uses Jungian psychology as a way to get through his grief, so there is a lot of this theory scattered throughout the novel. Quick does not use academic wording or drone on with mundane theories on Jung’s philosophies, but anyone without a passion for psychology may not find it nearly as intriguing as I did.
Right from the beginning, I knew there would be an inevitable plot twist, and therefore it did not surprise me when it came. However, the predictable twist had such an emotional element to it that I couldn’t help but feel completely overcome right alongside Lucas.
Quick adds in his author’s notes how personal this novel was to him, as he struggles with lifelong depression and anxiety, and it makes “Light” all the more engaging and honest. The characters are all broken pieces desperately looking for something to put them back together again, and what they find instead is a young man, shattered by his own grief, and looking for acceptance. “Light” left behind so many emotions that it’s going to take some time to process, but Quick has delivered a unique and emotional novel about the powers of human connection and I can’t wait to see where he goes next.
Expected publication date: November 1, 2022
Matthew Quick, author of “The Silver Linings Playbook”, returns with a poignant and powerful new novel, “We Are the Light”.
After a tragedy in his hometown of Majestic, Pennsylvania, high school counselor Lucas Goodgame is hailed as a hero by many, but it doesn’t feel that way to him. Lucas knows that of all the people who lost someone that night, he is the lucky one, as his deceased wife Darcy comes to him every night, in her angel form. As he communicates to his therapist, Karl, via letters that go unanswered, Lucas tries to come to terms with the devastating loss, and finally finds some relief when a heartbroken young man pitches a tent in his backyard. Desperate for connection and bonded through grief, Eli and Lucas find a renewed faith in each other, and in humanity.
“Light” is a heavy novel, covering grief and loss, mass shooting tragedies, suicide and mental illness, but it is also a shining ray of hope. Quick’s novel is narrated by Lucas, told in letter form through his communications with his therapist. Although this is a unique format, it did not turn me off, as Quick still provided all the relevant details needed to create a connection with Lucas and the community of Majestic.
Lucas uses Jungian psychology as a way to get through his grief, so there is a lot of this theory scattered throughout the novel. Quick does not use academic wording or drone on with mundane theories on Jung’s philosophies, but anyone without a passion for psychology may not find it nearly as intriguing as I did.
Right from the beginning, I knew there would be an inevitable plot twist, and therefore it did not surprise me when it came. However, the predictable twist had such an emotional element to it that I couldn’t help but feel completely overcome right alongside Lucas.
Quick adds in his author’s notes how personal this novel was to him, as he struggles with lifelong depression and anxiety, and it makes “Light” all the more engaging and honest. The characters are all broken pieces desperately looking for something to put them back together again, and what they find instead is a young man, shattered by his own grief, and looking for acceptance. “Light” left behind so many emotions that it’s going to take some time to process, but Quick has delivered a unique and emotional novel about the powers of human connection and I can’t wait to see where he goes next.
November 1, 2022
This epistolary novel is well-written and has an interesting plot, but I had a difficult time with the heavy-handed addition of Jungian theory.
We Are the Light follows local hero and gun violence survivor Lucas Goodgame as he forms an unlikely alliance with an ostracized teen. Told through a series of letters written to his Jungian analyst, Lucas attempts to heal his traumatized community through his and his new pupil's ambitious project.
Lucas is a deep believer of Jungian theory and has a strong attachment to (read: obsession with) his analyst, Karl. After their weekly sessions are cancelled indefinitely, Lucas regularly stalks and harasses him but avoids any legal trouble or other interventions because he's considered the town hero. I didn't find Lucas to be a very likeable character, but I do recognize he was dealing with severe trauma which makes it more difficult to judge his true character.
Speaking of Jungian theory: if you're not a fan, you might want to skip this one. I can usually handle some jargon now and then, but it's mentioned alllllll the time which deeply affected my reading experience. I didn't think it would be so intense.
The synopsis says this book offers an 'antidote to toxic masculinity'. I appreciate that Quick showed his male characters during their grieving process and using art to aid in their emotional healing, but is that really all it takes to squash toxic masculinity? In the same vein, I also felt the portrayal of female characters was a bit off, but I can't quite put my finger on why. Maybe it's how Jill does so much emotional and physical labour for Lucas (i.e, cleaning, cooking, paying his bills, laundering, consoling, etc) without much acknowledgement. She's grieving Darcy too, as well as running her business and taking care of Lucas as if he was her child.
The ending was fantastic and emotional, even if a bit predictable.
While this book wasn't my cup of tea personally, I'd still recommend We Are the Light to other readers. (Especially readers who are versed in Jungian theory or, even better, Jung fans themselves; you guys will love this.)
I'll probably try another one of Quick's books to see if I like those ones more since his writing was honestly wonderful.
Thank you so much to Simon & Schuster Canada for giving me the chance to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
We Are the Light follows local hero and gun violence survivor Lucas Goodgame as he forms an unlikely alliance with an ostracized teen. Told through a series of letters written to his Jungian analyst, Lucas attempts to heal his traumatized community through his and his new pupil's ambitious project.
Lucas is a deep believer of Jungian theory and has a strong attachment to (read: obsession with) his analyst, Karl. After their weekly sessions are cancelled indefinitely, Lucas regularly stalks and harasses him but avoids any legal trouble or other interventions because he's considered the town hero. I didn't find Lucas to be a very likeable character, but I do recognize he was dealing with severe trauma which makes it more difficult to judge his true character.
Speaking of Jungian theory: if you're not a fan, you might want to skip this one. I can usually handle some jargon now and then, but it's mentioned alllllll the time which deeply affected my reading experience. I didn't think it would be so intense.
The synopsis says this book offers an 'antidote to toxic masculinity'. I appreciate that Quick showed his male characters during their grieving process and using art to aid in their emotional healing, but is that really all it takes to squash toxic masculinity? In the same vein, I also felt the portrayal of female characters was a bit off, but I can't quite put my finger on why. Maybe it's how Jill does so much emotional and physical labour for Lucas (i.e, cleaning, cooking, paying his bills, laundering, consoling, etc) without much acknowledgement. She's grieving Darcy too, as well as running her business and taking care of Lucas as if he was her child.
The ending was fantastic and emotional, even if a bit predictable.
While this book wasn't my cup of tea personally, I'd still recommend We Are the Light to other readers. (Especially readers who are versed in Jungian theory or, even better, Jung fans themselves; you guys will love this.)
I'll probably try another one of Quick's books to see if I like those ones more since his writing was honestly wonderful.
Thank you so much to Simon & Schuster Canada for giving me the chance to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
November 30, 2022
"You can't just pick and choose when it comes to healing."
°•*⁀➷
I was quite honestly not loving this book very much at all. It was slow, and confusing, and it took until the last 50 or so pages for me to understand what was going on. But even with that said, I can't help but recognize how important all of the confusion was to get to the ending. How important it was to be lost in a plot that didn't seem to exist.
Matthew Quick so wonderfully portrayed trauma that by the end I couldn't imagine how I was so lost at the start.
This book followed one man's recollection of a shooting at a movie theatre in December and the effect it had on the town. Our main character Lucas lost his wife, and the town lost seventeen other members as well. One of which was the shooter. That's eighteen lives lost in the span of only a few minutes. We read about shootings on the news all the time, see the effect, but we never truly live it unless we're there. I love how closely that idea followed this plot.
It also followed, through Lucas, the shooters brother Eli. It showed how much blame we put on a family when in reality two people can grow up in the same house completely different. I don't want to spoil how moving Eli's story was for me because it's so much of the reason I ended up loving this book by the end.
I swear it was a solid two stars, so confusing, and was so lost on me... and then I turned the page again. This book is the reason I will never allow myself to dnf something. The reason why even if I can't get through a book in that moment, I will always try again.
Books define who we are in so many ways. Writing... reading... they heal. This book proves that for Lucas, and per Matthew's note at the end, for him as well. It may have been confusing, but it was never slow. And it was more than worth it in the end.
- Paige
°•*⁀➷
I was quite honestly not loving this book very much at all. It was slow, and confusing, and it took until the last 50 or so pages for me to understand what was going on. But even with that said, I can't help but recognize how important all of the confusion was to get to the ending. How important it was to be lost in a plot that didn't seem to exist.
Matthew Quick so wonderfully portrayed trauma that by the end I couldn't imagine how I was so lost at the start.
This book followed one man's recollection of a shooting at a movie theatre in December and the effect it had on the town. Our main character Lucas lost his wife, and the town lost seventeen other members as well. One of which was the shooter. That's eighteen lives lost in the span of only a few minutes. We read about shootings on the news all the time, see the effect, but we never truly live it unless we're there. I love how closely that idea followed this plot.
It also followed, through Lucas, the shooters brother Eli. It showed how much blame we put on a family when in reality two people can grow up in the same house completely different. I don't want to spoil how moving Eli's story was for me because it's so much of the reason I ended up loving this book by the end.
I swear it was a solid two stars, so confusing, and was so lost on me... and then I turned the page again. This book is the reason I will never allow myself to dnf something. The reason why even if I can't get through a book in that moment, I will always try again.
Books define who we are in so many ways. Writing... reading... they heal. This book proves that for Lucas, and per Matthew's note at the end, for him as well. It may have been confusing, but it was never slow. And it was more than worth it in the end.
- Paige
October 4, 2022
This was a very emotional book to read. The story is about Lucas, who has lost his wife in a mass shooting, and is writing letters to his Jungian analyst (who is no longer seeing patients because he was also affected by the shooting) about his grieving, in hopes of healing. His community is also grieving what has happened. When an 18 yr old boy shows up in Lucas' yard, his wife Darcy who visits him as an angel, tells him he needs to help this boy.
This book pulled at my heartstrings. This book is about how people in a community cine together to pull through the hard times. I understood more about this book as I read the epilogue, and I would definitely recommend this one!!
Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for the gifted copy. All opinions are my own. Out Nov. 1.
This book pulled at my heartstrings. This book is about how people in a community cine together to pull through the hard times. I understood more about this book as I read the epilogue, and I would definitely recommend this one!!
Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for the gifted copy. All opinions are my own. Out Nov. 1.
February 7, 2022
This novel is devastating and gorgeous. READ IT.
December 16, 2022
I watched Silver Linings Playbook and loved it. And even though I've read many warnings that the book and the movie were very different, I think I expected We are the Light to be a "lighter" read. I enjoyed the epistolary style and the Jungian analysis information tidbits mixed into the story.
The thing that bugged me was that something felt off with Lucas and I couldn't understand that none of the characters were addressing it - obviously the reason for this became clear towards the end of the book. This is one of those books where I wished that I read the acknowledgement section before the story, as it would have put me in the correct mindset and prepared me for the darker issues addressed in We are the Light.
The Story: A widower takes in a grieving teenager and inspires a revival in their small town.
The thing that bugged me was that something felt off with Lucas and I couldn't understand that none of the characters were addressing it - obviously the reason for this became clear towards the end of the book. This is one of those books where I wished that I read the acknowledgement section before the story, as it would have put me in the correct mindset and prepared me for the darker issues addressed in We are the Light.
The Story: A widower takes in a grieving teenager and inspires a revival in their small town.
November 4, 2022
The latest book from the author of
Silver Linings Playbook
is a tremendously moving story about grief, recovering from tragedy and trauma, and the impact people have on our lives.
The town of Majestic, Pennsylvania has recently been impacted by a terrible tragedy. A young man shot and killed 17 people in the town’s historic movie theater during a showing of a Christmas movie before dying himself.
Many in the town see Lucas Goodgame as a hero for his actions during the massacre, but he doesn’t like to think about that. All he can focus on is that his wife Darcy was among those who were killed, although he believes she comes to him each night as an angel.
Lucas doesn’t know how to process his grief, and the worst thing is that his Jungian analyst of three years, Karl, has ended their sessions because Karl’s wife was killed that day, too. He had come to depend on Karl and he is at a total loss, so the only thing he can do is write letters to him in the hope that Karl will decide to start seeing him again.
Things take an interesting turn when Eli, an 18-year-old whom Lucas had helped before, starts camping out in Lucas’ backyard. The entire town ostracizes Eli and he has nowhere else to turn.
This book, told completely in letters Lucas writes to Karl, is about the process of healing and how complicated it can be. As Lucas and Eli try to help the community—and especially the survivors of the massacre—with recovery, beautiful and troubling things will be uncovered.
I found this really moving. It’s very sad in places and there may be triggers for some. I don’t know about Jungian analysis, so the references to that went over my head, but this was a really poignant and beautiful story.
See all of my reviews at itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blogspot.com.
Follow me on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/getbookedwithlarry/.
The town of Majestic, Pennsylvania has recently been impacted by a terrible tragedy. A young man shot and killed 17 people in the town’s historic movie theater during a showing of a Christmas movie before dying himself.
Many in the town see Lucas Goodgame as a hero for his actions during the massacre, but he doesn’t like to think about that. All he can focus on is that his wife Darcy was among those who were killed, although he believes she comes to him each night as an angel.
Lucas doesn’t know how to process his grief, and the worst thing is that his Jungian analyst of three years, Karl, has ended their sessions because Karl’s wife was killed that day, too. He had come to depend on Karl and he is at a total loss, so the only thing he can do is write letters to him in the hope that Karl will decide to start seeing him again.
Things take an interesting turn when Eli, an 18-year-old whom Lucas had helped before, starts camping out in Lucas’ backyard. The entire town ostracizes Eli and he has nowhere else to turn.
This book, told completely in letters Lucas writes to Karl, is about the process of healing and how complicated it can be. As Lucas and Eli try to help the community—and especially the survivors of the massacre—with recovery, beautiful and troubling things will be uncovered.
I found this really moving. It’s very sad in places and there may be triggers for some. I don’t know about Jungian analysis, so the references to that went over my head, but this was a really poignant and beautiful story.
See all of my reviews at itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blogspot.com.
Follow me on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/getbookedwithlarry/.
November 11, 2022
We Are The Light by Matthew Quick (book and audiobook review) Audiobook read by Luke Kirby (6 hours 11 minutes)
5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
I chose We Are The Light as one of my BOTM picks. I also purchased the audiobook to listen to as I read. This book is not for the faint of heart. It is emotional, heartbreaking and profoundly moving. The audiobook is honest and well executed. Luke Kirby's voice lends authenticity to the plot. You'll need Kleenex for this one, it's a tearjerker.
Synopsis:
Lucas began writing letters to his analyst after surviving a mass shooting at a local theatre. His letters are a way for him to process the trauma of losing his wife that night. Aside from his struggles, he also details his guilt and sadness. Throughout his journal, he shares the pain of his past, the issues of his family, and the deep, eternal love he shared with his wife. With a healthy amount of humor and honesty, this story is told in an epistolatory format. By doing so, it is possible to gain a full understanding of Lucas' emotions and healing journey.
Warning: The book contains disturbing content. This is not a light pick-me-up story. It may be a suitable choice for those suffering from depression.
#WeAreTheLight #MatthewQuick #Fall #bookclubs #bookishcommunity #instagrammers #instagrammers #newbookstagrammer #Bookstagramcommunity #readingcommunity #readercommunity #booksta #bookfriends #bookfriendsarethebestfriends #instabookstagram #bookwormproblems #bookworms #bookishplay #instagood @jonannlovesbooktalk #Audiobooks #likes #readersofig #comment #gaintrick #tbrlist #igreaders #booksbooksbooks #readers #trending #bibliophile #bookstagramfriends #booklovers #bookshelves #Kobo #Audiobooks #Trendingbooks #TrendingAudiobooks #Trending
5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
I chose We Are The Light as one of my BOTM picks. I also purchased the audiobook to listen to as I read. This book is not for the faint of heart. It is emotional, heartbreaking and profoundly moving. The audiobook is honest and well executed. Luke Kirby's voice lends authenticity to the plot. You'll need Kleenex for this one, it's a tearjerker.
Synopsis:
Lucas began writing letters to his analyst after surviving a mass shooting at a local theatre. His letters are a way for him to process the trauma of losing his wife that night. Aside from his struggles, he also details his guilt and sadness. Throughout his journal, he shares the pain of his past, the issues of his family, and the deep, eternal love he shared with his wife. With a healthy amount of humor and honesty, this story is told in an epistolatory format. By doing so, it is possible to gain a full understanding of Lucas' emotions and healing journey.
Warning: The book contains disturbing content. This is not a light pick-me-up story. It may be a suitable choice for those suffering from depression.
#WeAreTheLight #MatthewQuick #Fall #bookclubs #bookishcommunity #instagrammers #instagrammers #newbookstagrammer #Bookstagramcommunity #readingcommunity #readercommunity #booksta #bookfriends #bookfriendsarethebestfriends #instabookstagram #bookwormproblems #bookworms #bookishplay #instagood @jonannlovesbooktalk #Audiobooks #likes #readersofig #comment #gaintrick #tbrlist #igreaders #booksbooksbooks #readers #trending #bibliophile #bookstagramfriends #booklovers #bookshelves #Kobo #Audiobooks #Trendingbooks #TrendingAudiobooks #Trending
November 13, 2022
Now that I have stopped sobbing, let me try to pull myself together long enough to write down my thoughts.
We Are The Light is written as a series of letters from the main character Lucas Goodgame, a mental health counselor at the local high school, to Karl, his "Jungian analyst". It immediately becomes clear that their community is in the throes of grief after a mass shooting that killed 18 members of the community (including both Lucas's and Karl's wives). Each member of the community has their own path of grief to walk down after the tragedy - Sandra, another survivor, has embraced her anger and taken up politics; Eli, the brother of the teen boy who committed the horrendous act, has been ostracized and takes up camp in an orange tent in Lucas's backyard; Jill, the best friend of Lucas's late wife Darcy, has essentially moved into his guest room. The book follows the ups and downs - and breakdowns - of the town's path to healing through the production of Eli's masterpiece: a locally produced monster movie starring all the survivors.
On page 1, I was intrigued by the uniqueness of the narration in Lucas's letters to Karl - which, since this is by the author of Silver Linings Playbook, I read in the manic rambling voice of Bradley Cooper's character from the film. By the end of chapter 3, the neurosis was almost too much for me and I nearly put it down, worrying I wouldn't be able to spend 250 pages inside this narrator's head! But I could not be more glad I stuck with it.
This is one of the most moving books I think I've read this year. Despite the incredibly dark theme of healing from a mass tragedy (there are scenes that back at the event itself, so read with care), there was a sweetness in how the people of the town supported each other - lifting up one another's healing journeys even when they, themselves, felt broken or lost. I didn't read Silver Linings Playbook, but We Are The Light captured the same feeling I got from the film - a sense of humor and hope despite the characters' lives fully falling apart, and heartwarming friendship as they try to pick up the pieces together. The narration, which was neurotic and at times completely unreliable, but still so good at heart, added another layer to the storytelling as well.
5 stars!
We Are The Light is written as a series of letters from the main character Lucas Goodgame, a mental health counselor at the local high school, to Karl, his "Jungian analyst". It immediately becomes clear that their community is in the throes of grief after a mass shooting that killed 18 members of the community (including both Lucas's and Karl's wives). Each member of the community has their own path of grief to walk down after the tragedy - Sandra, another survivor, has embraced her anger and taken up politics; Eli, the brother of the teen boy who committed the horrendous act, has been ostracized and takes up camp in an orange tent in Lucas's backyard; Jill, the best friend of Lucas's late wife Darcy, has essentially moved into his guest room. The book follows the ups and downs - and breakdowns - of the town's path to healing through the production of Eli's masterpiece: a locally produced monster movie starring all the survivors.
On page 1, I was intrigued by the uniqueness of the narration in Lucas's letters to Karl - which, since this is by the author of Silver Linings Playbook, I read in the manic rambling voice of Bradley Cooper's character from the film. By the end of chapter 3, the neurosis was almost too much for me and I nearly put it down, worrying I wouldn't be able to spend 250 pages inside this narrator's head! But I could not be more glad I stuck with it.
This is one of the most moving books I think I've read this year. Despite the incredibly dark theme of healing from a mass tragedy (there are scenes that back at the event itself, so read with care), there was a sweetness in how the people of the town supported each other - lifting up one another's healing journeys even when they, themselves, felt broken or lost. I didn't read Silver Linings Playbook, but We Are The Light captured the same feeling I got from the film - a sense of humor and hope despite the characters' lives fully falling apart, and heartwarming friendship as they try to pick up the pieces together. The narration, which was neurotic and at times completely unreliable, but still so good at heart, added another layer to the storytelling as well.
5 stars!
November 30, 2022
After Lucas' wife, Darcy, dies in a terrible community-wide tragedy, he grieves by writing letters to his therapist.
There were so many glowing reviews for this book but mine is not one of them. I typically love epistolary novels but this one was, let’s just say, odd. Perhaps all of the Jungian theory and male, "phallic energy" was too much for me. And hey, speaking of that, if I never hear the term "phallic energy" again, I will be thrilled. The more letters Lucas wrote to Karl, the creepier it got that Karl wasn’t writing back. Egads. Hasn't Lucas ever heard about something called boundaries or personal space? This book was only 244 pages but moved so slowly, it felt like double that length. The ending was touching but I still don't think it was worth slogging through the rest of it.
Trigger Warning:
Location: Majestic, Pennsylvania
I received an advance copy of this book. All opinions are my own.
There were so many glowing reviews for this book but mine is not one of them. I typically love epistolary novels but this one was, let’s just say, odd. Perhaps all of the Jungian theory and male, "phallic energy" was too much for me. And hey, speaking of that, if I never hear the term "phallic energy" again, I will be thrilled. The more letters Lucas wrote to Karl, the creepier it got that Karl wasn’t writing back. Egads. Hasn't Lucas ever heard about something called boundaries or personal space? This book was only 244 pages but moved so slowly, it felt like double that length. The ending was touching but I still don't think it was worth slogging through the rest of it.
Trigger Warning:
Location: Majestic, Pennsylvania
I received an advance copy of this book. All opinions are my own.
June 16, 2022
I love Matthew Quick's books. I think I've read all his books, both for adults and young adults. And I normally love epistolary novels, but I could not get through this one. I did not find the main (only) character compelling, not even interesting at all. I was bored and completely put off by the constant references to Kant and psychological theories. So I gave up at about 25%.
Want to read
January 3, 2022Matthew Quick’s website says he is returning from hiatus this year, and now this pops up on Goodreads??? I am HUNGRY for this book!!
August 31, 2022
In a small suburban town outside of Philadelphia, seventeen people are shot and killed in a movie theater. Some of the survivors are broken and seek healing. Some are angry and turn their anger into activism. Luca, who ‘saved’ the day, saw his wife killed first. She visits him nights as an angel. His analyst lost his wife that day and has withdrawn. So, Lucas writes letters to him.
We Are The Light sounds like a real downer of a novel, right? It looks at America’s all too common experience of a mass shooting, the dysfunction that spurs a teenage boy to do the unimaginable. How the survivors don’t always survive.
The story is all too similar to that of Ethan Crumbley, the Oxford High School shooter, which took place in my county of Oakland, MI. The more we learn of the Crumbley family, we can connect the root of violence to dysfunctional family dynamics and systemic failure.
Matthew Quick does not sugar coat tragedy and suffering. What he does is show us how his characters struggle to reclaim wholeness. For Lucas Goodgame, Jungian analysis has given him the tools to understand. Lucas’ own dysfunctional family had disastrous effects, but the love of a woman saved him. He could not save Darcy on that fatal day.
Darcy’s best friend moves in to care for Lucas. She is loving and beautiful, but Darcy visits him at night and wraps her feathered wings around him and he is not ready to move on. One morning, he discovers a tent in his yard, a former student living there. Darcy tells Lucas that the boy is the way forward, and Lucas takes Eli under his wings, helping him to heal.
Using a epistolary novel form, Quick allows us to see through Lucas’s eyes, which gives us deep insight into his experience and how he is learning to cope; it also paces revelations and hides what Lucas is hiding from, which allows a big reveal at the end.
How Lucas and Eli draw the survivors and the town together is a gift of hope, demonstrating what it means that ‘we are the light,’ and the importance of community.
I first encountered the work of Carl Jung while auditing classes at the seminary where my husband was a student. I later wrote a Jungian interpretation of Bloom in Nighttown for my class on Ulysses. It boggles my mind that I was so brazen. But I did get an A for the 50 page paper. But Quick’s Jungian focus goes into aspects of individuation I was not as familiar with, the story of Iron John and male archetypes. Lucas struggles with the legacy of a belittling, self-centered mother and a distance, dismissive father who abandoned him. Lucas’ story is the story of individuation–the process of growth into our full potential,
The epistolary form of the novel and the frequent discussion of Jungian analysis may put some readers off, but the novel will bring rewards to those who read it. It is a story of light and hope beyond tragedy.
I received a free egalley from the publisher through NetGalley. My review is fair and unbiased.
We Are The Light sounds like a real downer of a novel, right? It looks at America’s all too common experience of a mass shooting, the dysfunction that spurs a teenage boy to do the unimaginable. How the survivors don’t always survive.
The story is all too similar to that of Ethan Crumbley, the Oxford High School shooter, which took place in my county of Oakland, MI. The more we learn of the Crumbley family, we can connect the root of violence to dysfunctional family dynamics and systemic failure.
Matthew Quick does not sugar coat tragedy and suffering. What he does is show us how his characters struggle to reclaim wholeness. For Lucas Goodgame, Jungian analysis has given him the tools to understand. Lucas’ own dysfunctional family had disastrous effects, but the love of a woman saved him. He could not save Darcy on that fatal day.
Darcy’s best friend moves in to care for Lucas. She is loving and beautiful, but Darcy visits him at night and wraps her feathered wings around him and he is not ready to move on. One morning, he discovers a tent in his yard, a former student living there. Darcy tells Lucas that the boy is the way forward, and Lucas takes Eli under his wings, helping him to heal.
Using a epistolary novel form, Quick allows us to see through Lucas’s eyes, which gives us deep insight into his experience and how he is learning to cope; it also paces revelations and hides what Lucas is hiding from, which allows a big reveal at the end.
How Lucas and Eli draw the survivors and the town together is a gift of hope, demonstrating what it means that ‘we are the light,’ and the importance of community.
I first encountered the work of Carl Jung while auditing classes at the seminary where my husband was a student. I later wrote a Jungian interpretation of Bloom in Nighttown for my class on Ulysses. It boggles my mind that I was so brazen. But I did get an A for the 50 page paper. But Quick’s Jungian focus goes into aspects of individuation I was not as familiar with, the story of Iron John and male archetypes. Lucas struggles with the legacy of a belittling, self-centered mother and a distance, dismissive father who abandoned him. Lucas’ story is the story of individuation–the process of growth into our full potential,
The epistolary form of the novel and the frequent discussion of Jungian analysis may put some readers off, but the novel will bring rewards to those who read it. It is a story of light and hope beyond tragedy.
I received a free egalley from the publisher through NetGalley. My review is fair and unbiased.
November 8, 2022
epistolary [ih-pis-tl-er-ee]
adjective
-(of a literary work) in the form of letters.
“We Are the Light is an epistolary novel, therefore my glimmering, shimmering review shall be written in epistolary form.”
Dear Matthew,
I am only familiar with the film adaptation of Silver Linings Playbook (one of the GOAT) so please forgive me if I am coming off as a psychotic fangirl when I say that I AM OBSESSED WITH YOU. We Are the Light quite literally knocked the bookish socks off my size 11 feet (the bigger the feet the bigger the… no, not that, silly! 😉 The bigger the heart!!!!) Full transparency, I had no idea what I was getting myself into when I dove headfirst into your newest novel, selecting it blindly in my BOTM. The greatest thing I ever did this year was shoot my shot on this literary gem. As Taylor Swift once sang, “Everything, has changed.”
You’ve managed to perfectly craft an epistolary novel (my first ever!) that has forever left a stain on my bookish soul. The story of seemingly heroic Lucas Goodgame after an unimaginable tragedy rocks a quaint Pennsylvania town is one that needs, no MUST - be read by all of mankind. Your novel is an unforgettably quirky story of tragedy and grief sprinkled with humor about the resilience of humans, the kindness of your fellow neighbor, the power of healing, the hope for a brighter tomorrow after unimaginable loss and heartache! And quite frankly, the greatest ending I have ever had the honor of reading in my entire reading career . There. I said it. And I meant it.
I hope my words about how much your words moved me to tears causes a smile to spread on your bearded face and feel as equally loved as you’ve made me feel.
Your most loyal analysand 😉
Lauren
adjective
-(of a literary work) in the form of letters.
“We Are the Light is an epistolary novel, therefore my glimmering, shimmering review shall be written in epistolary form.”
Dear Matthew,
I am only familiar with the film adaptation of Silver Linings Playbook (one of the GOAT) so please forgive me if I am coming off as a psychotic fangirl when I say that I AM OBSESSED WITH YOU. We Are the Light quite literally knocked the bookish socks off my size 11 feet (the bigger the feet the bigger the… no, not that, silly! 😉 The bigger the heart!!!!) Full transparency, I had no idea what I was getting myself into when I dove headfirst into your newest novel, selecting it blindly in my BOTM. The greatest thing I ever did this year was shoot my shot on this literary gem. As Taylor Swift once sang, “Everything, has changed.”
You’ve managed to perfectly craft an epistolary novel (my first ever!) that has forever left a stain on my bookish soul. The story of seemingly heroic Lucas Goodgame after an unimaginable tragedy rocks a quaint Pennsylvania town is one that needs, no MUST - be read by all of mankind. Your novel is an unforgettably quirky story of tragedy and grief sprinkled with humor about the resilience of humans, the kindness of your fellow neighbor, the power of healing, the hope for a brighter tomorrow after unimaginable loss and heartache! And quite frankly, the greatest ending I have ever had the honor of reading in my entire reading career . There. I said it. And I meant it.
I hope my words about how much your words moved me to tears causes a smile to spread on your bearded face and feel as equally loved as you’ve made me feel.
Your most loyal analysand 😉
Lauren
Displaying 1 - 30 of 2,748 reviews