On Bird Rock, gannets circle and thick mist surrounds the lighthouse at its centre, hiding the secrets of a tragic past within ... From the second they set foot on the island to join their dad and his new family, Jess and Rosie feel that something's wrong. Nightmares haunt their dreams and there seems to be someone, or something, else with them in the lighthouse - their home for the summer. Counting down the days until they can leave, Jess and Rosie decide to investigate. But when Rosie disappears, the countdown takes on a new meaning. Especially when no one but Jess remembers Rosie at all... Alex Bell's chilling novel is part of the Red Eye series, perfect for fans of Juno Dawson's SAY HER NAME and Kat Ellis's HARROW LAKE.
Reading an Alex Bell book is like watching Dr Who. Everyone's having a great time, and then suddenly you're terrified of something perfectly normal, like a statue, or a little china doll, or mirrors and windows. I kind of expected this after the Charlotte books, but sometimes authors switch focus between books. Not this time. If anything, Lighthouse is even creepier.
I don't want to give any spoilers - this book is definitely best read unspoiled - but there are some very creepy ideas here. The ending seems to indicate a sequel - and perhaps, Charlotte style, a prequel? The immediate problem is dealt with at the end of this one, but there are a lot of unanswered questions I would love to understand. Maybe then I'd be able to sleep better!
The foreshadowing is brilliant - I literally stopped in the middle of a conversation later and said "That's why that line was there!" which got me some very strange looks as we were discussing dinner menus at the time - and the sense of dread that builds up as the story goes on is palpable.
A fantastic addition to the Red Eye series. I'll be eagerly looking out for more from Alex. Just brilliant.
The Lighthouse publishes on the 29th of September, 2022. I received a free copy and am giving an honest review.
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