On the Shores of Darkness, There Is Light

I received an ARC of this book through Net Galley.

On the Shores of Darkness, There Is Light is a depressing book. It's not a melodramatic tearjerker, it's a well-drawn and deeply felt novel about broken, lonely people. It's also pretty damn funny at times, and truly warm moments are scattered throughout, just when the darkness has begun to grow overwhelming. Many of the people here are pretty awful, but they're complex. As much as I hated them, and as frustrated as I grew at their selfish behavior, I could see why they acted the way that they did.

Strube's novel is frequently hopeless and hopelessly depressing. It packs an emotional punch. Actually, that's not quite true. It's not just one punch with a shocking twist or ending, it's like being repeatedly punched in the heart every few pages. Am I making this sound like a fun read? It's sad, for sure, but the moments of hope and beauty and humor are placed just where they're needed. On The Shores of Darkness isn't a cheery story, but it's a powerful and very human one.