Having loved The Goldfish Boy, I couldn’t wait to The Light Jar – I knew I was in for an emotional read, I had tissues at the ready, and boy oh boy did I need them!

Cover illustration by Mike Lowery

Nate hates the dark. When he’s woken up in the middle of the night to go on holiday, he packs his torch, favourite book, teddy and his Ask Me A Question Magic Ball. Only when he watches his mum in the car, does he realise things aren’t quite right, and when they arrive at their ‘holiday cottage’ he knows they aren’t. They are running and must stay hidden, at least for a little while.

When Nate’s mum goes out to get food and doesn’t return, he has to survive on his own, face his fears and work out what to do for the best, without revealing who he is or why he’s at the cottage to anyone, at least until his mum comes back…

Sam and Kitty, Nate’s mysterious companions, help him face the tumultuous emotions Lisa Thompson explores so delicately about domestic abuse and the effects on it’s victims.* Every interaction is utterly believable, and the raw emotions Nate experiences reverberated in my soul as I read.

Powerful, gut-wrenchingly sad, yet full of hope and heart, The Light Jar is a hauntingly beautiful mystery, involving  a very difficult subject, which Lisa Thompson handles with her trademark sensitivity, warmth and hope. A truly remarkable read!

Great for fans of The Imaginary and There May Be A Castle.

*Living in a house where domestic abuse is taking place is soul destroying, and as a child, you may feel utterly powerless to stop it. If you’ve been affected by the issues in this story, and need help or someone to talk to, it’s always available from:
http://thehideout.org.uk/
https://www.womensaid.org.uk/
https://www.childline.org.uk/