The Color of Light

Customer Reviews

• Don't Miss This One!  Jun 21, 2005 (14 of 14 found this helpful)

  In this wonderful story by gifted writer Karen White, we are taken to Pawley Island in South Carolina with our main character Jillian Parrish and her 7-year old daughter, who seems to have a very special supernatural gift. One that will change the lives of all it comes in contact with.
  Jillian is pregnant and divorced and is desperately seeking peace and the meaning of love in her troubled life. Abused as a child, thrown into a closet of darkness for the smallest error , Jillian clings to the good memories of days spent with her grandmother on Pawley Island. Hoping to somehow rekindle that peace by returning, Jillian finds she encounters other ghosts, such as the unsolved mystery of her best friend Lauren's disappearance years ago.
  Linc was Lauren's boyfriend and Jillian's friend; he was also a suspect in Lauren's disappearance. As fate would have it, both Jillian and Linc are now together on the island, although for different reasons, their lives would soon intertwine as they join forces to end the turmoil that haunts them both.
  
  The author does a wonderful job defining the characters, making them real in your minds eye and helping to bring the story to life. She throws in some unusual twists that will delight and surprise you as the work unfolds. You will be shocked when the truth of Lauren's disappearance is discovered. This is one outstanding work, brimming with mystery, love and a touch of the supernatural that is a real page turner from beginning to end. I recommend it highly, excellent read.
  

• Karen White's best book to date  Jul 6, 2005 (7 of 7 found this helpful)

  I've been a fan of Karen White's for five years now, and I think this is her best book yet. In "The Color of Light," she tells the story of two people, Linc Rising and Jillian Parrish, who have each suffered great loss. They separately decide to go back to live in the place they love the most (beautiful Pawley's Island off the South Carolina coast) despite the fact the island also holds very painful memories for each of them. The author's lyrical descriptions of the island make it the perfect setting for this haunting tale. With great skill, she balances a suspenseful "Sixth Sense" style mystery with the very human story of two people trying to come to terms with their past and each other. I especially loved the character Grace, Jillian's young daughter, an "old soul" with a winning personality and a very special talent. "The Color of Light" is engaging, heart-warming and suspenseful all at the same time-a difficult balance to keep, but Karen White handles the task beautifully. Great reading for the beach or any time you're in the mood for a good story.

• Surprisingly Refreshing  Jun 14, 2008 (6 of 6 found this helpful)

  I have never heard of this author before and I had a chance to read one of her books recently. It's been awhile since I had a book where I could just sit down and read it straight through. There's always stuff going on and frankly, lately, none of the books I picked up captured my interest for more than five minutes, till this one. I picked this book up and could not put it down. It is also a lyrical read, full of lush descriptions of the lowcountry in the Carolinas and with summer in full swing here in Ohio, it definitely makes for one of the better summer readings around here.
  
  The cons are few. It was pretty much predictable in places. I figured out the story line pretty quickly, but it still had a twist that I wasn't expecting. So that sums up the suspense pretty nicely. As for the main character's daughter, she's a little too intense for my liking. And perhaps a little less repetition of Jillian's fear of the dark might be better. After hearing about her traumatic childish fear of the dark five times, I get the hint. Jillian is scared of the dark. And there were several things at the end that were left unfinished. Maybe the author thought it wasn't relevant to the story, but to me, the reader, it left me feeling slightly dissatisfied.
  
  Other than that, it was simply one of the few books that I just couldn't put down. It was such a refreshing read. It is also perfect for summer. I am now enthused to try her other books. Ever since Lisa Wingate stopped writing her Tending the Roses series, I have been looking for a new author to read. I think I may have found her.
  
  6/14/08

• Spooky kid solves a mystery  Jan 4, 2006 (4 of 4 found this helpful)

  Pregnant and freshly divorced, Jillian and daughter Gracie return to the summer home once owned by her grandmother for a new lease on life. It is on Pawley's Island that Jillian has both her most cherished and most painful memories, as her best friend Lauren disappeared without a trace 16 years earlier.
  
  Gracie's apparent second sight divulges long buried secrets, forcing Jillian to face her greatest fears and befriend the guy who was accused of murdering Lauren and fled soon after. Now a successful architect, Linc has re-emerged, renamed himself, and returned to the island that he both loves and loathes. He is not prepared for the feelings that Jillian's presence invokes, and debates on leaving the past ... in the past.
  
  Haunted by memories of childhood abuse and the loss of her beloved friends, Jillian at first discounts Gracie's ramblings about her imaginary friend (also named Lauren) until she realizes that there are far too many coincidences. New secrets and passions are revealed on the small island, as Jillian and Linc work together to discover what happened to Lauren all those years ago.
  
  While the story is well written, with believable dialogue (thought Gracie could be grating after awhile), unfortunately, you don't need second sight to see where the story is going. You can pretty much predict the outcome, as it is really no mystery with all the foreshadowing the author provides. Despite its predictability, it is a solid and original story, with endearing characters. Don't miss "Falling Home" and "After the Rain," also by White. They are not to be missed.

• THE COLOR OF LIGHT--a great summer read !!  Jun 18, 2005 (4 of 5 found this helpful)

  If you are looking for a book that contains beautifully written and meaningful lyrical prose with a page turning plot peppered equally with romance,humor and mystery, then put this novel on your must-list for summer reading !!! It's a modern day love story set on Pawley's Island, S. C., and the author is very adept at whisking the reader away to this haunting, southern shore where the two main characters, Jillian and Linc must overcome past and present obstacles to ultimately find themselves and one another. THE COLOR OF LIGHT is very readable yet contains multi-layered themes about motherhood, love, endurance, faith and hope that are universal and not tied to any one generation or location. The combination of imagery, depth, mystery and irresistable romance makes this book an excellent choice to read this summer or any season. The author has penned an enlightening AND entertaining read . THE COLOR OF LIGHT will not disappoint fans of Karen White's FALLING HOME and AFTER THE RAIN.