A review by anunande
In the Wild Light by Jeff Zentner

dark emotional hopeful reflective sad medium-paced
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
"You are not a creature of grief. You are not a congregation of wounds. You are not the sum of your losses. Your skin is not your scars. Your life is yours, and it can be new and wondrous."

Jeff Zentner's teen protagonists should, by all accounts, be broken, shattered long before we meet them. Instead, these "survivors of quiet wars" search for beauty and carry its fierce hope even in their most overwhelming despair and grief. Despite the spidery cracks threading their existence, they have the ability to let in moments of light and love.

Cash Pruitt has already lost his mother to an opioid addiction; now his dear Papaw is battling emphysema. When his genius best friend and town misfit Delaney Doyle makes a scientific discovery that lands both of them scholarships to the prestigious Middleford Academy in Connecticut, there are no easy decisions.

Do you trade a small and simple life, one better than you ever thought you would have, for a vague promise of the unknown? How do you leave beloved grandparents who raised you at a time when you feel like you need to be there the most? What will you regret more?

As in The Serpent King, Jeff's stellar debut, these teens embody what it means to open yourselves up to the magic and risks of the universe for a chance at discovering your place in it. These brave folk walk into your hearts intentional in their pronouncements and make you hope they're living happy lives somewhere there off the edge of the pages.

In the Wild Light (out August 2021) feels messier than TSK, whether in its more meandering plot or character arcs. But it has the same pulsing heart that I've come to associate with Jeff's work. The same dignity, respect, and sincerity of character, emotions, ideas. The same unexpected grace and gentleness amid the harsh ruins. 

A story deeply grounded in the reality and duality of the landscape of Tennessee that embraces the "electric space of possibility" while cherishing the smaller, quieter moments of beauty, wonder, and love, stealing them from a hungry world, sheltering them in cupped hands even if for a moment.

Put this on your 2021 TBR. That's all I can say 💜

#AnuReadsandReviews2021 #AnuRecommends2021
Expand filter menu Content Warnings