Review – Light From Distant Stars

When I began reading this novel, I kept questioning what I’d missed in the first chapter, so I went back and reread the chapter. Questions remained unanswered. The toss up between what was real and unreal and whether Cohen Marah actually killed his father kept me turning the page.

In some sense, the context had me wondering if the novel was written along the lines of a Frank Peretti thriller or was Smucker walking the reader through Cohen’s imaginary past or maybe his nightmares? Were the dark shadows Cohen saw symbolizing demons or was he simply afraid of the dark and forced to face his fears of living in the family’s funeral home? Regardless, I cannot imagine the impact of a child being raised in a funeral home and encountering dead bodies on a daily basis.

This eerie thriller took me on a journey in the life, actions, and thoughts of Cohen Marah. Cohen as a young boy and Cohen as a grown man. If you like thrillers, you’ll find this novel challenging and somewhat intriguing.