Rating: 
Summary: Not only for young adults...
Review: I read this book after reading Jennifer Donnelly's novel "The Tea Rose"(which I loved). I enjoyed the characters and the their voices, but I especially loved the focus on words and the power that they have to change a life. I found myself aching for Mattie and her longings to stretch into the wider world.
Some of the scenes were quite graphic, so it would not be appopriate for some younger readers. "A Northern Light" is among the best young adult books I have ever read.
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Summary: Great Book-Not for Kids
Review: I think this book is wonderful. I read it three times because it is so delightfully delightful. However, kids should'nt read it. It has some inapropriate stuff in it. Anyone else interested in books should read it.
Rating: 
Summary: Stupid and Meaningless
Review: I thoroughly enjoyed this book. If you like it too, I would also recommend "The Secret Life Of Bees" By Sue Monk Kidd.
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Summary: A Northern Light Customer Review
Review: I thought that a Northern Light was an awesome book. It was filled with engrossing characters and I just couldn't put it down. I think this is a wonderful story for girls becoming of age to read. Now my teacher wants to borrow my book so she can read it! I can not wait to read another Jenniffer Donnelly book.
Rating: 
Summary: Pretty Good
Review: I thought this book was fairly good. It was very honest, and the protagonist's coming of age experiences were what made the book an interesting read. However, I didn't like the way the characters were written, because I didn't actually care about what happened to many of them. I prefer books where I really like/respect the characters, and I can become invested in their lives. Several of the characters in this book I simply found to be annoying, including Mattie, Royal, and Weaver. I did enjoy, however, reading about Mattie's parents, her aunt, her teacher, and the different characters at the hotel.
The plot of this book was also okay, but I was disappointed in how small a part of the book the murder of Grace Brown took. I expected it to be the leading plotline, but it instead took a back seat to some of the other plotlines.
Rating:
Summary: Rich in detail, character and plot
Review: Inspired by Dreiser's classic-based-on-a-true-story An American Tragedy (New American Library, 1925), this historical novel about a 1906 murder in upstate NY is told from the point of view of young Mattie Gokey, a hotel waitress and aspiring college student saddled with caring for her motherless siblings and holding the family together. Mattie is spunky, resourceful, and truth-seeking, surrounded by believable, complex and dynamic friends, family and neighbors. She is best friends with a fellow word-lover and black boy whose mouth and temper sometimes get him into trouble. And she can't believe that the most handsome and popular boy in town is courting her.
Mattie's strong voice captures the period closely - neighbors work together to help one another, blacks are still not seen as full citizens by many, and girls aren't always given their due. When a hotel guest slips Mattie a packet of letters to destroy, Mattie, a writer and bibliophile, can't do it. The letters reveal the love and desperation of a sad young woman and call into question the circumstances of her death. They are the call to arms that Mattie needs to pursue her own dreams.
The author's own passion and empathy for the victim of a famous murder case shines through this gem of a book. It is well-deserving of it's Printz honor award, and is a quality book that is engaging to teens and will win a nod of approval from teachers as well. Highly recommended.
Rating:
Summary: A+
Review: Jennifer Donelly writes a compelling, lively and interesting story with wonderful characters and a fascinating setting - 1906 in the Adirondacks (or as the protagonist, poor farm girl Mattie Gokey calls it, the North Woods). Since Mattie's mother died, she's had to juggle roles as sister, housekeeper, student, breadwinner; and now that her handsome neighbour Royal seems to be showing puzzling interest in her - future wife. Mattie loves nothing more than reading, writing poems and stories and picking out a new word every day from the dictionary her mother bought with hard earned money before she died. But Mattie is tied down by the need to take care of her sisters, father and a promise she made, but desperately wants to break. This story is told in flashbacks from Mattie's current job as hired help at the Glenmore Resort for wealthy tourists, where the entire town is caught up in the intrigue that follows the drowning death of a guest. Mattie knows something no else does, but is torn between loyalties to old promises and what others want her to do, and what she knows is right and she owes to herself. You will not be able to put down this fantastic and well crafted read.
Rating:
Summary: WONDERFULLY WRITTEN!!
Review: Jennifer Donnelly is a splendid storyteller, especially in this heart stopping book! I read it in one session and hope that there will be a sequel to this classic novel that is for all ages!
Rating:
Summary: For Adults of All Ages
Review: Jennifer Donnelly's A NORTHERN LIGHT is, without exaggeration, in league with the classics. This is a story written with astounding clarity and innate feel for language and life. A story of a young girl's hopes and dreams skillfully interwoven with the realities and tragedies of life in the North Woods of New York State. You can't help but feel for the character's struggles and triumphs deep within your heart. And all the while imagine the taste of fresh fiddleheads and blueberries, delight in the presence of a long absent eccentric uncle, and feel the warm sun of spring after the harsh northern winters. With the backdrop of the Adirondack mountains, forests, and lakes, inherently full of their own mystery, an endearing story unfolds of two girls whose paths fatefully cross. A story not soon to be forgotten. My one complaint, as with all good books, is that it had to end.
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Summary: the story of a girl who wanted a happy ending
Review: Mattie Gokey loves to read, she will read almost anything she can lay her hands on. With encouragement from her deceased mother and schoolteacher, she earns a highschool diploma, she even gets a scholarship to a college in New York City. Though she knows she probably won't get to go because her grief-stricken father wants her to stay home. Then she see's a childhood playmate in a different light. He tells her he wants to marry her, but she is doubtful about his love. When a guest at the hotel she works at, suddenly gives her a packet of letters to burn, Mattie becomes confused. She finds out a lot about the drown victem, a little more than she wants.
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