The Light Between Us

The Light Between Us

"I love you. I’m sorry. Please, forget me." For Jacob and Hannah Riley, the plan was simple: find an affordable place, flip a house, and build a brighter future out West. But when their search leads them to the crumbling Appalachian town of Victor’s Point, the couple quickly realize they’ve stumbled into something far more sinister. Beneath its quiet facade, Victor’s Point hides unsettling secrets. Strange lights prowl the skies, friendly faces conceal dark intentions, and Hannah begins to manifest abilities that defy explanation. As the lines between reality and deception blur, unsettling questions arise: Why were they drawn to Victor’s Point? Who are the blue-eyed strangers that lurk beyond their windows? And how can they protect their family when their minds are no longer their own? The Rileys came to Victor’s Point seeking a new beginning. What they find could end everything. The Light Between Us is a compelling blend of sci-fi and horror that tells the story of a young married couple, Jacob and Hannah Riley, who move to a small Appalachian town with their baby daughter Wendy. Running from a dark and violent past, strapped for cash and determined to build a better life for themselves and their child, they try to keep to themselves and stay out of trouble, until trouble finds them. Mysterious figures invade their house, they encounter strange neighbors that try to befriend them and offer cryptic advice, Hannah begins to develop telepathic powers, and someone or something might be after little Wendy. And half the town seems to have experienced strange sightings of a seemingly sentient light in the sky. As the couple's patience begins to fray under the totality of curious incidents that seem to happen around them, it becomes increasingly harder to stick to the promises they made to each other to lead a peaceful, non-violent life. Soon, they begin to realize not everyone in the small town is who they claim to be, and there are higher powers at work that try to make pawns out of the inhabitants of Victor's Point - but to what end? The story is told in the first person, mostly alternating between Jacob and Hannah's point of view, but some other characters have their own chapters as well. The parts told by Hannah and Jacob respectively are easily distinguishable from one another because of how well the characterization is done. They each feel like a separate person with their own quirks and their own ways of seeing the world, bound together by their love. Moreover, they are both immensely likable and easy to root for. Interspersed between the chapters are interludes that detail hypnosis sessions with Hannah and Jacob, in which they outline events from their past before settling in Victor's Point. This is a great narrative choice because it offers a natural break in the story, and also gives us crucial background information about the characters in an organic, nondisruptive way. The violent scenes are immersive and visceral, only adding to the horror, because they are used in the exact places where they have the most impact. Furthermore, the book relies on one of the most effective kinds of horror out there - an undercurrent of weirdness under a seemingly normal facade. Not knowing who in the small town can be trusted and what agendas the different characters have keeps the reader on edge as the mystery slowly unfolds. Some of the most impactful scenes start in a seemingly innocuous way, with an encounter that escalates into something otherworldly even as the rest of the world continues with its regularly scheduled programming - that pocket of chaos and reality-bend is extremely effective. Significant elements of the story seem to function as an homage to UFO and alien lore, with names inspired from famous alleged encounters, characters that study UFO encounters, and a generous mix of sceptics and believers. These sci-fi elements are skillfully mixed in with horror and a very successful character study, especially of Jacob and Hannah and their relationship. The struggles they face are exceptionally real and portrayed in a believable way, and the violent, drug-fueled life they try to escape is juxtaposed very effectively with the new, supernatural horrors they face in Victor's Point. Ultimately, as the author states in the acknowledgements, this is a story about love most of all, and the love Hannah and Jacob have for each other and for Wendy is profoundly moving and represents the beating heart of the story. Far from being just gimmicks, the sci-fi and horror elements serve to ground a story about love, trust, and overcoming trauma in a profound and moving way. - Viktorija Blazheska, Reedsy Discovery