Book Review: Cold Light by Jenn Ashworth

My Book Retreat

Ten years ago, two teenagers drowned in a pond in England. To memorialize them, the town is erecting a summerhouse beside the pond. But when the mayor pushes the spade into the earth to mark the start of the construction, he pulls up more than just dirt. A body has been buried by the side of the pond, and Lola knows who it is.

Cold Light by Jenn Ashworth is a psychological thriller that really gets at the struggles of teenage friendship and its effects that can be felt for many years. I don’t generally read young adult novels, but the relationship aspects of these 14 year old girls would probably appeal to YA fans. It is pretty dark though. None of the characters is really likeable ~ there’s bullying and shoplifting, parental depression and death, and a sexual predator is on the loose. There really aren’t any positive, happy moments in this novel.

But something kept me engaged. Bits and pieces of the circumstances that led to the drowning and the buried body are revealed slowly, making the pages turn quickly. I think Ashworth’s writing style is what got me hooked:

A morning sometime in the winter before she died. The three of us went into town; it must have been before Christmas because the daft music was playing in all the shops and the tinsel in every window made my eyes ache. Town was so busy that I kept losing them – chasing them between racks of clothes and shoes that seemed to grow and divide and close in on me like a dream while my eyes itched with tears because I couldn’t help but feel the two of them were doing it on purpose, and really wanted me to go away.

I saw a review that likened this novel to a indy film, and I think that’s a good analogy; it’s dark and gritty like an indy film. Cold Light is very different than many of the books I read, but I really enjoyed it despite the rather depressing theme. Watch the book trailer below and you’ll get a good idea of the feeling this book evokes.

My Rating: 5/5

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This review was written based on a copy of Cold Light that I received from TLC Book Tours in exchange for an honest review.