Winnie Wednesday wants nothing more than to join the Luminaries, the ancient order that protects Winnie’s town—and the rest of humanity—from the monsters and nightmares that rise in the forest of Hemlock Falls every night.
Ever since her father was exposed as a witch and a traitor, Winnie and her family have been shunned. But on her sixteenth birthday, she can take the deadly Luminary hunter trials and prove herself true and loyal—and restore her family’s good name. Or die trying.
But in order to survive, Winnie enlists the help of the one person who can help her train: Jay Friday, resident bad boy and Winnie’s ex-best friend. While Jay might be the most promising new hunter in Hemlock Falls, he also seems to know more about the nightmares of the forest than he should. Together, he and Winnie will discover a danger lurking in the forest no one in Hemlock Falls is prepared for.
Not all monsters can be slain, and not all nightmares are confined to the dark.
I think one of the biggest highs you can chase as a reader is that completely ridiculous feeling you get when you are early in a book and you’re just sitting there like… “Yup, this book was written exclusively for me, no doubt about it.”
That was the vibe I got almost from the first page of Susan Dennard’s THE LUMINARIES. I went into this one knowing very little about it…I knew the genesis of this story came about from a sort of “choose your own adventure” style series of polls on Twitter, which is really fun! But beyond that, I went into THE LUMINARIES with very little idea what this book was about.
It’s also the first Susan Dennard book I’ve read, though the THE WITCHLANDS series is high on my list of books to read!
Anyhow, holy shit, THE LUMINARIES just checked so many boxes for me…I was obsessed with this book from the first page!
Hemlock Falls is not an average town. It’s got a diner, a coffee shop, a high school…and it’s also got a creepy forest filled with monsters.
Monsters that need to be contained, hunted, and studied. It’s up to the Luminaries, a secret society of monster hunters to do that.
Winnie Wednesday comes from a line of Luminaries and was on track to become a full-fledged member, but her father turned out to be a traitor, which has left Winnie, her Mom, and her brother as outcasts.
That said, they still live & work in Hemlock Falls, and Winnie is still eligible to take the Luminary hunter trials when she turns sixteen. But having been cut off from all the training she would have participated in, her foray into the trials is…dicey.
Yeah, oof. There was just something about THE LUMINARIES that consumed me entirely…Susan Dennard methodically & masterfully builds the town of Hemlock Falls into something that feels so real, with this incredible mix of cozy vibes & pure dread.
There’s also no shortage of teen angst happening here, with Winnie spending a considerable amount of time with the broody Jay Friday. She & Jay used to be best friends and now they are…definitely not. But Winnie really needs Jay’s expertise as a hunter if she has any chance at passing her trials, so they have to kind of figure each other out again, to a certain extent.
The supporting cast of characters in THE LUMINARIES is really diverse & vibrant, and this world feels steeped in history & lore.
And Winnie Wednesday is one of my favorite protagonists of the year, for sure. She’s been dealt an extremely bad hand & watching her navigate the resulting anger and heartbreak is a big part of the story. But through it all, Winnie stays totally dedicated to the cause & determined to become a Luminary. She makes the occasional questionable/catastrophic decision, which only makes her more likable & relatable.
I just…loved THE LUMINARIES so stupid much. One of my favorite books of the year, easy…I can’t wait for book two!! Endless thanks to Tor Teen for sending me a copy!
Grimdark Dad 
Adding this to my tbr asap! Awesome review!
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