Review: Lightkeepers by Kennedy Plumb*

    *I received a copy of this book in eBook format via NetGalley in return for this review. All reviews published on Yours, Chloe are completely honest and my own, and are in now way influenced by the gifting opportunity.

Title: Lightkeepers
Author: Kennedy Plumb
Genre: Young Adult Romance / Retelling

Trigger warnings:  Cults, Forced Self Harm, Verbal Sexual Harassment, Emotional Abuse, Physical Abuse, Child Abuse, Kidnapping, Guns

Rating: ★★★★★

Lightkeepers is a modern retelling of the Disney movie Tangled told through a dual perspective narrative following our two main characters: Zella and Ryder. Seventeen-year-old Zella is trapped in a dangerous cult, kept in isolation in a lighthouse since birth as the first “Child of the Lighthouse” and the daughter of the program’s leader. Ryder is in the foster care system and has been moved around from family to family his entire life. One night, Ryder is seeking shelter and he climbs through the window of a remote lighthouse, straight into Zella’s bedroom. He introduces Zella to life outside the lighthouse and a connection starts to grow between the two of them.

The events of the story take place over the course of a matter of days so the book is fast paced and relatively short. There is a wild twist at the end of the story which I really wasn’t expecting so props to the author. Despite the story taking place over such a short timeframe, there’s still so much character development in both our protagonists and it was a joy to see the characters grow as they spend more time together and start to bring out the best in each other. Despite covering some dark themes, there’s humour woven throughout the story, particularly in the interactions between Ryder and Zella.

Breaking up each chapter is a page sharing something relating to the events of the chapter just gone, utilising a range of different forms of media. This includes documentation about the cult Zella is trapped in, newspaper reports, social media comment streams and little lists Ryder has made. This inclusion is very in keeping with the YA genre and does a wonderful job of supporting world building without taking too much away from the narrative.

I enjoyed the little nods to the Disney film sprinkled throughout the book, such as the use of Eugene as Ryder’s new surname after he’s adopted and the naming of Zella’s cat as ‘Pax’ in tribute to Pascal the chameleon.

Although this may be a retelling of a Disney story, it is quite dark and does covers some difficult subject matter. As a result of this, there are a number of important content warnings I want to signpost people to before reading and you can find these listed at the top of the post.

Both Zella and Ryder are instantly loveable characters who are really genuine and easy to connect with. Between them a beautiful romance blossoms which is the perfect wholesome exploration of first love. Through Ryder’s story we get a really powerful insight into the American foster care system and I particularly enjoyed watching him grow and mature throughout the story.

Our antagonist was ‘Mother’ - aka Zella’s mum and the leader of the cult – and the evil of her character was explored through initially subtle detailing which became more apparent as the book progressed (and as Zella became more disillusioned with the program), building a sense of mounting menace over time. It was a tad easier for Zella to overcome her than I would have liked but it was ultimately in keeping with the genre.

This was my first experience of the world of fairy-tale retellings but I absolutely devoured the story in one sitting and it’s definitely got me hooked on the genre.  

Have you read a good fairy-tale retelling? Leave your recommendations below!