Light Beneath Ferns by Anne Spollen - Review

*This review contains possible spoilers*

Synopsis via goodreads:

Elizah Rayne is nothing like other fourteen-year-old girls. More interested in bird bones than people, she wraps herself in silence. Trying to escape the shadow of her gambler father, Elizah and her mother move into an old house that borders a cemetery. All her mother wants is for them to have "normal" lives. But that becomes impossible for Elizah when she finds a human jawbone by the river and meets Nathaniel, a strangely hypnotic and mysterious boy who draws Elizah into his world.

Only by forgetting everything she knows can Elizah understand the truth about Nathaniel—and discover an unimaginable secret.

Have I ever spoken to ghosts, after reading Light Beneath Ferns, I can't be sure. It's tough to put my feelings for Light Beneath Ferns into words...I feel heavy, now that I am done. It's a short book at only just over 200 pages, but it took me nearly 3 days to finish, usually little books like this I am finished in a day. But, it took me so long not because I did not have the ability to read, or because I was to occupied with other things but more because this book is "heavy," in a way that's tough to put my finger on, tough to understand unless you have read it yourself, I am afraid.

It weighed on me, left me thinking about life, energy and my own feelings towards ghosts, I have always been one to believe, in things that are, from what most people say, impossible. Ghosts for one have always fascinated me, and the way that Anne Spollen created them with in this world is beyond what my imagination might conger up. It's delicate and original, yet rough and rock hard; Light Beneath Ferns left me feeling like no other book ever has, in a way I wanted more, in another I felt like I knew to much.

Anne Spollen created, magic...scary, almost tragic magic. I did not cry while reading Light Beneath Ferns, the feelings that it brought up in me, were not those that might lead one to tears, but they were deeper, if that makes sense? I am not even sure, I understand it. Honestly, Light Beneath Ferns was the kind of ghost story, I wish all ghost stories could be more like!

The text here is driven home with heavy words and course thoughts, I almost felt as if I were a miner, searching though the hard rock in order to discover the beautiful diamonds underneath. Light Beneath Ferns is not a "light summer read" if that's what your looking for, it's not a book for you. It's dark, earthy and meaty. It leaves you with a heavy feeling, in a good honest way.

One thing I do want to mention is Eliza, the main character. I related to well to her, not in her love for bones or anything – but in the way her mind works, and her want or desire to be alone, I related to that in way's I can't possible explain. She was brilliantly written, as was the whole book honestly!

Bottom Line – Heavy topics, which weigh on your heart, and play games with your mind. Beautifully written, yet I still feel like I don't 100% "get" the story, it's one of those that, I know my mind will be "chewing" on for days and maybe even weeks to come. I will never look at the world and those little things we often "miss" if were not looking closely enough for them, again - or at the very least I will try harder not to. It's tough to say much about Light Beneath Ferns, but it's one that I am glad I did not miss out on...but it's also one that might be hard to recommend, not because it's not fascinating in many, MANY ways, but rather because it is, fascinating I mean. I almost, would only recommend this one to strong people, whom are open to things that are different and not quite normal. I give Light Beneath Ferns a 4 mushrooms, and will be adding Anne Spollen to my list of favorites, I can't wait to read more from her, her writing is hypnotic.

Light Beneath Ferns
By: Anne Spollen
206 Pages
Published: February 1, 2010
Publiser: Flux

I received this book via a book tour though Cleverly Inked.