BLOG TOUR: Invisible In A Bright Light by Sally Gardner – Spoiler Free Review

I received a physical ARC of the book from the publisher in return for an honest review. This is a charming story set in the 1670 full of magic, intrigue and nods to the arts.

 

Here is the blurb from Goodreads:

From I, Coriander to Invisible in a Bright Light, Sally Gardner’s first middle grade novel in 14 years soars with the imagination of a master story-teller. A pitch-perfect story about a crystal chandelier that splinters into a thousand pieces, a girl abandoned as a baby on the steps of an opera house and a dangerous game called the Reckoning.

It is 1870: opening night at the Royal Opera House in a freezing city by the sea, where a huge, crystal chandelier in the shape of a galleon sparkles magically with the light of 750 candles.

Celeste, a theatre rat, wakes up in a costume basket from what she hopes is a bad dream, to find that everyone at the theatre where she works thinks she is someone else.

When the chandelier falls, she is haunted by a strange girl who claims to know Celeste’s past and why she must risk playing a game called the Reckoning to try to save the people she loves. 

I have really been enjoying my Middle Grade recently so I was super excited to get a copy of this for review. This is more unique than other Middle Grade I’ve read recently as it very much reads like a classic. There’s no doubt that Sally Gardner is a fantastic writer.

It follows a girl called Celeste who is the lowest worker in the theatre, she’s basically just there to run and fetch things, who finds herself in a bit of a sticky situation. When a chandelier falls on her head, everything goes a bit Alice In Wonderland. Everyone is convinced she is someone who she’s not. She tries to navigate this new found world in her beloved Opera House where the show must go on.

I really enjoyed the setting of this and it was that, that made me want to review the book in the first place. I loved all the stage terminology and references to dancing and singing. It made the book fun and whimsical for me and definitely aided my enjoyment in the book.

I said before that this book reads much like a classic, and it does. I assume this is due to the fact that it is set in 1870. For some people this will suit them perfectly and they will enjoy the book even more than before. However, for me, the writing was slightly jarring and sometimes meant I was struggling to decipher the story, given its slightly topsy turvy nature. However, I am sure that if I were to read this as an audiobook, this wouldn’t be a problem at all. it didn’t hinder my enjoyment too much, though I felt it was important to mention.

The book just makes you want to sigh with how whimsical it is. Middle Grade right now is just incredible.

I haven’t read Sally’s other book but I will definitely be checking it out. This book was cute, quaint, charming but also dark and mysterious and that is commendable. You can purchase the book here. 

★★★