Editorial Content for This Raging Light

Estelle Laure’s debut novel, THIS RAGING LIGHT, follows a girl whose parents left her and the hardships she faces, and the common YA themes of love and loss are prevalent throughout. However, the dominant themes are strength and independence, which give this novel an inspiring twist and will definitely empower young readers to remain positive and strong through tough times.

The main character in the novel, Lucille, is a senior in high school. However, when she should be learning and enjoying her senior year, she is forced to care for her younger sister, Wren, and, for that matter, their house, the bills and just about everything else. Her father was an alcoholic, and her mother left without explanation. Neither seem to intend to return to their daughters’ lives. To support her family, Lucille takes a demanding job which forces her to compromise time with her sister, friends and schoolwork. Of course, she is also in love with a boy who is sending extremely mixed signals. Her struggle to maintain a normal life while balancing the grief that comes with a broken family and a love life that seems hopeless not only keeps readers on the edges of their seats, but also serves to inspire teens who are going through difficult times.

The dominant themes are strength and independence, which give this novel an inspiring twist and will definitely empower young readers to remain positive and strong through tough times.

As a senior in high school myself, this book put a few things in perspective for me. I constantly feel stressed about all there is to do and I rarely stop to think about kids my age who have to help support their families. I know that there are people in my school who can relate to Lucille’s struggles, which is eye-opening for me, because I have never had to face anything like this. Enough about me, though. The important thing is that THIS RAGING LIGHT reveals the unseen problems that many people have, kids and adults alike, and shows readers going through tough times that they are not alone and that they can get through anything. This book also urges people who are struggling to seek help, because things are much better when you feel like you aren’t alone.

Overall, THIS RAGING LIGHT is a highly thought-provoking novel. It deals with serious topics like depression, family problems and death, which can most definitely spark conversation after reading. However, it is also in some ways a fun young adult novel, giving readers a taste of both independence and romance. It offers a satisfying ending, although it seems to beg for a sequel.

I would recommend this book to any young adult that has struggled with family issues or depression, or a teen who wishes they could be more independent (I fall in the latter category, and after reading this book, I definitely have a newfound respect for the adult duties I sometimes wish I had.) In particular, fans of ELEANOR & PARK would enjoy this novel, as there are similar themes. However, I believe that anyone could learn something from THIS RAGING LIGHT, and I have a feeling this book will become wildly popular in the coming year. I am looking forward to more books by Estelle Laure, possibly even a sequel!