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sjanke2's review
adventurous
challenging
emotional
inspiring
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault, Cursing, Drug abuse, Drug use, Grief, Medical content, Chronic illness, Classism, Death of parent, Addiction, Bullying, Death, Deportation, Pandemic/Epidemic, and Panic attacks/disorders
yvo_about_books's review against another edition
5.0
Finished reading: December 9th 2023
“Life often won't freely give you moments of joy. Sometimes you have to wrench them away and cup them in your hands to protect them from the wind and rain.”
I tend to love Jeff Zentner's writing, so I'm still not sure why it took me this long to finally pick up In The Wild Light other than the fact that I just don't read a lot of YA anymore. Big mistake, I would say, because I absolutely loved every single minute I spent with it. This book deserves the full 5 stars for the writing alone, which is a true work of art. There is just something about the way this author waves his words together that is simply glorious, and I soaked up every single page like a bear starving after a long winter. There is so much more to love though. In The Wild Light is partly set in Tennessee, and the Southern vibe truly shines through in its characters. I fell in love with both Cash and Delaney almost straight away, and my heart ached for Papaw. There are so many fantastic characters in general, and I loved what especially Alex, Vi and Bree added to the plot. This story gives us a realistic and heartbreaking take on grief as well as the power of friendship and healing. There are so many quotes and hidden messages along the way, and the development of the topic is beautifully done. I'm usually not that big of a fan of a school setting, but in this case I loved how it was incorporated into the plot, and especially how the private school setting affected the main characters. There is so much growth and learning going on, and you cannot help but root for them and hope that everything will work out in the end. Of course there is also that feeling of dread of what you already know is about to come... Make sure to keep your tissues at hand, because it will be VERY hard to keep it dry! In The Wild Light is without doubt a masterpiece and I cannot recommend it enough if you enjoy a well written, emotional, gritty and character-driven YA contemporary that is both heartbreaking and extremely beautiful at the same time.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Terminal illness, Car accident, Classism, Injury/Injury detail, Bullying, Chronic illness, Medical content, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Death, Abandonment, Addiction, Alcohol, Blood, Racism, Animal death, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Grief, Sexual assault, and Violence
heyyyrenee_'s review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Death of parent, Addiction, Bullying, Chronic illness, Medical content, Sexual assault, and Terminal illness
greenlivingaudioworm's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Death of parent, Grief, Sexual assault, Terminal illness, Racism, Addiction, Bullying, Chronic illness, Drug use, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Panic attacks/disorders, Violence, and Abandonment
kaitlinlovesbooks's review
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent
Moderate: Grief, Death of parent, and Chronic illness
Minor: Addiction
readingbetweenthenotes's review
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Addiction, Chronic illness, Death, Death of parent, Drug use, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, and Terminal illness
bookcrushin's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
My eyes hurt from tears … and from the beauty & vulnerability that exists in this book. Jeff’s poetic and lyrical words cut through you deep to your core. Hauntingly gorgeous glimpse of life and pain and becoming whom you truly are which embraces all whom you love, where you’re from, and the truths you’ve lived.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Abandonment, Death of parent, Death, and Chronic illness
Moderate: Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Medical content, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Terminal illness, and Violence
Minor: Sexual assault
betweentheshelves's review against another edition
challenging
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Listened to the audiobook now that this book is out in the world and it's just as good the second time around. Plus, the narrator they chose was perfect for Cash!
-----
Thanks to NetGalley and Random House for an advance copy of this to review! This is one of my most anticipated releases of the year and I'm happy to say that it lived up to the hype. Like, I already want to read this again if I knew it wasn't going to emotionally devastate me. I'm going to do my best to put my feelings into words!
-----
Thanks to NetGalley and Random House for an advance copy of this to review! This is one of my most anticipated releases of the year and I'm happy to say that it lived up to the hype. Like, I already want to read this again if I knew it wasn't going to emotionally devastate me. I'm going to do my best to put my feelings into words!
Jeff Zentner has a way of writing grief that just melts from the page. That's something that connects each book that he's written, all of which I highly recommend. This book is no different. At its core, this is a book about grief; about how we work through it, how we move forward. How we let friends and family help us through it. And how we take hold of opportunities handed to us.
One of the things that Zentner added to this book was poetry. Cash is on a journey learning how poetry and art is important in life (and his teacher is the best. She's one of my favorite characters). The poetry included in the book fits so well with the characters and the story. It feels effortless. Zentner's prose feels like poetry at times, and it really just shines in this book.
And the characters! You'll fall in love with Cash right from the beginning. Delaney, too. The friends they meet at school, Alex and Vi, are also so well-rounded. Their little squad is beautiful and ever teenager deserves a squad like that. Cash might be a little oblivious at times, but you'll be rooting for him throughout the whole book.
Like always, there are nods to Zentner's other books in here, too. I won't spoil them, but I love these little nods. You have all summer to catch up before this book comes out, so do it now!
All in all, this book will put you through an emotional ringer, but it is so worth it. I can't wait to do a quote round up for it when it comes out in August!
-----
Who gave Jeff Zentner the right to play with our emotions like this? I am truly blown away by this book, I honestly think it's some of his best work. And seriously, be prepared to cry. I mean, why wouldn't you be, it's a Jeff Zentner book. Stay tuned for a full review later this week while I pull together my emotions!
Who gave Jeff Zentner the right to play with our emotions like this? I am truly blown away by this book, I honestly think it's some of his best work. And seriously, be prepared to cry. I mean, why wouldn't you be, it's a Jeff Zentner book. Stay tuned for a full review later this week while I pull together my emotions!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Grief
Moderate: Addiction and Chronic illness
Minor: Animal death, Child abuse, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Drug use, and Sexual assault
lastingliterature's review
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
I am an absolute lover of YA lit, which always seems to surprise people when they know I’m an HS English teacher. Not only that, but I’m a sucker when there’s some romance, in particular. Among the many, many YA books I read, the stories are fun and make me smile, but they aren’t always filled with the most, uh, beautiful of writing. Zentner, on the other hand, writes some gorgeous sentences. I cannot believe how many sentences I had to highlight so I could return to them later. "Here we are, survivors of quiet wars. Like trees that have weathered a brutal storm, but with broken branches and fallen blossoms littering the ground around us.” Like, absolutely beautiful!
In the Wild Light tells the story of Cash Pruitt who gets a scholarship to go to a Connecticut boarding school with his best friend, Delaney. I always love a book or show set at a boarding school—I feel like so many of us dreamt as kids that we would be able to go to one and do all these crazy, exciting things while acting like adults. Or maybe I just watched too much Zoey 101...
Being in a new environment with so much room to grow (Cash with his newfound love of poetry and Delaney being able to delve deeper in Science) comes with its toll on their relationship but also adds beautiful new friends, an impeccable education, and an experience of a lifetime.
There are definitely some John green vibes with similarly mature, poetic characters, but Zentner has a voice of his own. I loved the small cameos to his previous works and his addition of poetry in many of the chapters. As a very new teacher of Poetry, it gave me a small boost of inspiration and warmth.
This is a book that definitely gets you in your feels. You will feel anger, sadness (I definitely cried more than once, which hasn’t happened in a while!), love, and joy as you flip the pages through the seasons of Cash’s journey. While I do feel it was a *bit* drawn out at times, I absolutely loved reading this novel.
This is a must-read of 2021!
4.8/5⭐️
In the Wild Light tells the story of Cash Pruitt who gets a scholarship to go to a Connecticut boarding school with his best friend, Delaney. I always love a book or show set at a boarding school—I feel like so many of us dreamt as kids that we would be able to go to one and do all these crazy, exciting things while acting like adults. Or maybe I just watched too much Zoey 101...
Being in a new environment with so much room to grow (Cash with his newfound love of poetry and Delaney being able to delve deeper in Science) comes with its toll on their relationship but also adds beautiful new friends, an impeccable education, and an experience of a lifetime.
There are definitely some John green vibes with similarly mature, poetic characters, but Zentner has a voice of his own. I loved the small cameos to his previous works and his addition of poetry in many of the chapters. As a very new teacher of Poetry, it gave me a small boost of inspiration and warmth.
This is a book that definitely gets you in your feels. You will feel anger, sadness (I definitely cried more than once, which hasn’t happened in a while!), love, and joy as you flip the pages through the seasons of Cash’s journey. While I do feel it was a *bit* drawn out at times, I absolutely loved reading this novel.
This is a must-read of 2021!
4.8/5⭐️
Content Warnings
Minor: Alcoholism, Bullying, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Death, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Sexual assault, and Terminal illness
mrsbennettreads's review
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
sad
fast-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death
Moderate: Chronic illness
Minor: Sexual assault
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