Sophie lives in a most peculiar cottage at the center of the Forgotten Forest, its inside much larger than its outside.
You see, the house must be large, for it holds a great troll as well as a little girl. As one might expect, working for such a creature is rather frightening to a seven-year-old, but the endless expanse of black trees outside is even scarier.
She’s afraid to make even the slightest sound, for the troll abhors loud children.
He’s not terribly fond of quiet children either―unless they’re in his stew.
Sophie’s precious light offers comfort in her darkest moments. She can’t remember where it came from, but it’s her only source of hope holding back the gloom that yearns to devour her soul. Trolls are covetous beasts, and when he spots her shiny bauble and steals it, Sophie faces two terrible options:
Stay and suffer the wrath of a furious troll, or take her chances in a forest of her deepest fears.
Sophie’s Light is a novella about a young girl who is stuck in a troll’s house. She is subjected to torture and is basically the troll’s maid. The world she’s stuck in is filled with magic and darkness. The only thing she has on her side is a little stone that lights up and speaks to her.
This light is comforting. It’s her only friend and the thing that keeps her sane in a world of pain and hardship.
What she doesn’t know is that she has to fight to find freedom and the light is her guide.
I know I’ve said this before, but I love Cox’s writing style for young children. His little girl characters have an innocence to them that also makes them strong. Sophie is probably the most innocent of his characters and a little girl who makes my heartache, but she still finds her own strength.
What makes this story even more unique is the symbolism. I love symbolism and symbolism done right really makes you think. Every time you read a book with symbolism, you learn something new and see it in a new light.
This is the case for Sophie’s Light.
I was able to figure out what was going on fairly early in the story, but that didn’t make the story any less enjoyable. It tugged at the heartstrings and I loved every word of it.
Final Rating: 4/5
Casia's Corner 