First Light

I first heard about Rebecca Stead from Ann Cannon at the King s English She urged me to read WHEN YOU REACH ME, which had been one of her favorite books that year She said it reminded her of the kind of book she used to read when she was a kid, that it was like reading A WRINKLE IN TIME for the first time I read it, loved it, and agreed with her 100% I also assumed that it was Stead s first book, since surely I would have heard of this fine author before A few weeks later she won the Newbery Awa [...]

Not my type at all At first there was some act of realistic fiction but then it changed to sci fi and I m not a fan of that genre Sorry to all you sci fi lovers, if you do like sci fi, this book could be a good fit for you The three main characters to me are Peter, Thea, and Mattias First Light takes place in the cold areas I don t want to spoil so that is why I m not really saying parts of it If you like Sci fi, you should add this book to your want to read list.

This is an interesting science fiction story about a secret world under the glacial ice in Greenland Thea has never seen the sun, but dreams of the Wider World her people escaped from long ago Peter lives in New York City with his scientist parents who study glaciers and DNA The stories of these two young teenagers are told in parallel story lines until the two narratives converge in a surprising twist to the story If you enjoy Madeleine L Engle, then you will certainly enjoy First Light I did h [...]

I ve been reading a lot of young adult and juvenile fiction lately At its best, this category of fiction provides quick reads with fully developed characters in plots that are designed for a younger reader and therefore usually cleaner Unfortunately, this book lacked the depth that I want from a book whether juvenile or adult fiction.Peter is a NYC teen who treks to Greenland with his glaciologist father and biologist writer mom His story is interspersed with that of Thea, who lives in an underw [...]

First Light was hard for me to put down Peter Solemn s world is rocked in the very first chapter when his father, a glaciologist, announces the family is going on a research trip to Greenland Two chapters later, we meet a second main character, Thea, who lives under the arctic ice in a society created generations ago by a group of people fleeing persecution in Europe.What I loved most about this book was that it plunged me into not just one, but two fascinating new worlds Greenland itself really [...]

Whilst our politicians dither and deny, global warming marches on Soon whole countries will disappear under the Pacific, the weather will become even eccentric, sea wall building will commence, Tony Abbot will bury his head in sand for real and Gracehope will disappear Gracehope Did you not know another peopled land exists under the Greenland icecap Well Rebecca Stead does and she puts together a very fine ya novel with this tale of parallel worlds.This was Stead s first foray as a published wr [...]

A little book about a boy who travels with his parents to study global warming in Greenland and encounters a girl from a secret civilization under the ice.A bit of a disappointment, after her wonderful When You Reach Me This book is a little younger, a lot simpler the adults are too competent and the conflicts too reductionist, so a lot of the tension just deflates.Still, there s something about the way Rebecca Stead writes She has a gift for figurative language simple enough to make sense to ki [...]

I would have given Stead s novel four stars had the first half not dragged on so much She spent an avalanche of ink setting up the second half, where the real action begins That being said, it is quite good for a first novel.The themes of discovery, persecution, and hope intertwine over and over, creating a gripping action spiral in the second half of the book that binds the reader I found it hard to put the book down I also enjoyed the perspective shifts between the two main characters, Peter a [...]

ooh I like it It is different It has zing.It has coldness.Because it s in Greenland.I like it ooh

Before the masterful When You Reach Me and the equally excellent Liar Spy, Rebecca Stead published First Light It is a somewhat interesting fantasy with a predictable family expectations vs individual goals conflict and a little bit of science fiction thrown in to keep the action going It starts out as two stories that merge halfway through the book Peter is brought to the glaciers of Greenland by his scientist father Peter spends most of his time alone exploring the glaciers Thea lives deep ben [...]

Excellent, I stayed up until nearly dawn and finished the book earlier this afternoon I didn t want the story to end Rebecca Stead put together a very credible story with very strong young female and male characters mixed in with a bit a science and very early settlers similar to the pilgrims but in the Arctic Circle.The plot is well woven with intricate patterns that come together to create a beautiful tapestry of words The book has humor, adventure and some danger as well The conclusion doesn [...]

I literally read it this fast after i had it on the desk for a few daysAfter reading this great book all i could think of was getting to skip school for a week, ride dogsleds, live in a giant blue tent and explore glaciers in Greenland every other day Until i returned to my realityI once read a review of this book that said for people who slow to warm to books, First Light could be just the thing to fire the curiosity in them and this book certainly did that Yoda97

When Peter s dad, a scientist who studies global warming, wins a grant to explore Greenland, Peter and his mother jump at the chance to travel with him Little does Peter know that there is a hidden civilization of people who have lived in a city under the ice for generations.This book switches narrators between Peter and Thea, a girl who lives in the iceworld Eventually their paths cross and secrets are revealed that change both worlds.I enjoyed this book a lot It reminded me of City of Ember wi [...]

4.5 starsIt kept my attention the entire time The whole book was a very interesting concept Two different worlds and how they are alike I needed some light reading and this book seemed perfect Therefore I read it and I wouldn t be opposed to reading a sequel should she ever decided that it is necessary She should seriously think about writing a sequel Because it would be awesome Just sayin At times, I forgot how old the main characters actually were because they came across like they were 20 or [...]

This book was very enjoyable but it was definitely my least favorite of Rebecca Stead s books Her second book, When You Reach Me, is definitely the best of them, and I would recommend it to anyone and everyone.

Just lovely I really don t want to leave these characters So glad I finally picked this up.

In the book the main character starts to get headaches Then he notices that his mom gets them too.

Thank you to Text Publishing for sending me a copy of this First Light was a beautiful read, blending science fiction and fantasy in a clever way, filled with mystery and suspense, and with its lovable characters Rebecca Stead is most well known for her second book When You Reach Me, the Newbery Medal winner which I do highly recommend but I did slightly prefer First Light over it its plot was complex, and the characters compelling My thoughts are below.To start with, I absolutely adored Thea, [...]

Doggies On IceFirst Light, by first time novelist Rebecca Steadman, has an intriguing premise in the far past, a band of English settlers, fleeing from religious persecution, founded a colony under Greenland s ice sheet, where they have lived for generations with almost no contact with the rest of the world As one who has hiked on a glacier can attest, this world is filled with eerie colors, strange crevasses and ice patterns the sound of melting ice far under one s feet is an unearthly symphony [...]

So this book was pretty awesome I m totally starting a new shelf for middle grade older children s though The library had it shelved as YA but the two main characters are only 13 and 14, and it read much like a children s adventure book than a YA novel.I found it a little slow to start, but it was interesting enough to keep going with and then luckily picked up the pace a fair bit, when Peter arrived in Greenland I love how there was no magic or epic science fiction involved either The resident [...]

This first novel is the third book I ve read by this author I really enjoy this author s writing, her writing style, her stories, and especially her characters I adored When You Reach Me it made my favorites shelf, and I really loved Liar Spy too, though I think this one is now my second favorite book by Rebecca Stead I m a huge fan of all three books and will happily read any future novels she writes.I was greatly moved as I read this book Reading it was among the best of book vacations I was r [...]

Some spoilers follow though nothing you couldn t guess from the back cover blurb.First Light is a satisfying blend of science and fantasy, steeped in adventure and laced with wisps of history.Peter Solemn s been having strange headaches for a while Even before he got the first one, his mum started to ask probing questions about their duration and severity He wondered about that and so determined to conceal them all from her.His dad is a lecturer, an expert in glaciers Peter longs to meet the Sup [...]

First Light by Rebecca Stead is an interesting novel which combines mystery and adventure with science fiction The main character 12 year old Peter lives in New York City with his mother, a genetic scientist, and his father, a glaciologist When his father s work takes the family to Greenland to student the effect of global warming, Peter discovers 14 year old Thea and her secret community, Gracehope, which is under the Greenland ice After finding a map that leads Thea to the surface, she becomes [...]

This book follows the stories of Peter and Thea Peter is in Greenland with his environmental scientist of a father studying the effects of global warming on the ice sheets He should be enjoying his time away from school, but he keeps getting odd visions of images he can t explain.At the same time, Thea is rebelling against her society which lives hidden deep under the ice Built many generations before, Thea s home was a refuge for people different from society However, Thea feels a deep need to [...]

I was hooked on First Light after the first paragraph Rebecca Stead has a style of writing that makes it seem as if the story is not fantasy or science fiction First Light, like her other books, is definitely a fantasy science fiction novel, however it s set in the modern world You don t have to learn a slew of new words, figure out the setting, learn about made up cultures etc What Rebecca creates, feels as if it could be real, or that it could actually happen I find myself thinking about the f [...]

The sci fi elements in this engrossing book feel like magical realism there s an aura of magic surrounding this dual tale of Arctic adventure Thea lives below a glacier in Gracehope, the only world she or her community members have ever known Peter is the son of a molecular biologist and a glaciologist Thea is determined to find a way for her community to expand beyond the increasingly cramped and resource starved cavern they call home In an insulated blue tent above the ice, Peter is trying to [...]

This is the type of book that you really have to think about as you are reading Which makes these books by Rebecca Stead such a joy to read because I always feel like I have to unravel the mystery along with the characters The story revolves around two main characters, Peter who is off to explore Greenland with his parents and Thea who lives in an underground world and has never seen the sky Though the characters are from two completely different worlds, they find they are both struggling with m [...]

Peter and Thea are connected, but they don t realize it Peter lives in New York City and Thea in Gracehope a alternative society under the ice in Greenland Both Peter and Thea are struggling with major changes Thea s city is becoming overcrowded and needs to expand, but expanding Gracehope means exploration, which Thea s grandmother will not allow She is afraid of what they may find on the other side of the lake, she is afraid of the unknown agoraphobic Pete s family is off to Greenland where hi [...]

I m very happy that, after enjoying When You Reach Me so much, I decided to go back and read Stead s first novel This one also blends a mystery and a fantasy element into a real world setting, although the fantasy aspect here involves an otherworldly community complete with wonderful dog companions With both of Stead s novels, I noticed myself placidly enjoying the first part of the story, then later getting wrapped up in the mystery and plot, until finally sharing in this emotional crescendo wi [...]

I originally read this when it was published and remember enjoying it Now having read and reviewed the author s subsequent two novels, both of which have a very striking and original authorial voice I wanted to reread this to see if it was there too One thing I noticed was that she definitely likes plot twists In all three books there are big ones indeed And she loves NYC, especially small neighborhoody places In this one she mentions a few before the action shifts to Greenland I have to say I w [...]