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yvo_about_books's review against another edition
5.0
“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.
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
arabesque_'s review
- 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
Graphic: Abandonment, Addiction, Alcohol, Self harm, Mental illness, Medical content, Injury/Injury detail, Grief, Drug abuse, Drug use, Death of parent, Death, Blood, and Terminal illness
Moderate: Child abuse
regal_leaves's review
- 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
Graphic: Death, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Grief, and Terminal illness
Moderate: Self harm, Mental illness, Cursing, Medical content, and Addiction
Minor: Abandonment and Sexual assault