All the Light We Cannot See

I received an ARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

All the Light We Cannot See focuses on the events of World War II in Europe, specifically France. The main character is really “the war”... and there are beautifully written, snapshots that capture the true nature of the war and the emotion of those effected by the war. There are 3 storylines going on: (1) A blind girl, Marie Laure, is forced to leave her hometown with her father, the security warden for a museum, who may or may not hold the “Sea of Flames” - the most precious, most cursed, but most powerful stone ever made because the holder is said to be unable to die. (INTRIGUE!!) (2) An orphan Werner, who has a fascination with learning and engineering, specifically re-making radios so that he and his sister can listen to an old man who broadcasts “illegal” educational shows. (2) Sgt von Rumpel who is dying and is searching for the Sea of Flames.

The way that all of these stories tie together in the end is really great! It felt like a true story - the ending actually felt like I was sitting next to a World War II survivor letting them tell their story. So it was very well researched and well written. However, the beginning took me a very long time to get into. I kept reading though because I could tell that this writer is truly talented. Eventually, you start seeing how everything connects and the book is much more readable.

The only thing I disliked was the setup... the book jumps back and forth in time and also jumps from character to character, so it gets confusing. I found myself having to check the dates often. The jumping through time just feels unnecessary and does not add any suspense or glamour to the story. I think it would have been much easier to follow and get into if everything had been in chronological order. But that's just me.

Overall, this is a beautifully written story. I would recommend it... when it starts lagging, just know that it does pick up and the ending is worth it.