Will I love In the Wild Light?

I love reading about young characters facing hard choices.

For a senior in high school, there may be no harder choice than staying in a town with no future to be with a dying grandfather, or leaving home with a best friend in the pursuit of a better life.

I love how Jeff Zentner's characters grow on the page, struggling between their family obligations, friends' influence, and desire to succeed while finding their own identity. 

Ohh yeah, and there is some serendipitous science going on also!

We all get stuck between our past and our future at some point. But how do we get unstuck? That’s what Cash Pruitt has to figure out.

He’s a fledgling poet from a small Tennessee town who was raised by his aging grandparents. But he gets the shot of a lifetime when his genius best friend, Delaney, gets him a scholarship to a prestigious boarding school in New England. Cash is the kind of person anyone would want on their side. He’s intensely loyal and willing to stand up for his friends no matter what. He leaves his hometown and… show more.

Growing up, I was so close to my great-grandmother that I chose a college near her. Shortly after I graduated, she died. I wish I'd had this book then.

Cash's grandparents and best friend, Delaney, are his life. When Delaney earns an elite scholarship, will Cash follow her or stay with his dying Papaw? I am a sucker for friends-to-lovers stories, and I loved the simmer between Cash and Delaney.

What got me right in the gut, though, was the relationship between Cash and Papaw. The best scene is a memory of when Papaw took Cash hunting—and Cash hated it.… show more.

I'm not ashamed to say I love Jeff Zentner. Every one of his books has kicked me in the feels and left me mourning after reading the last page just because I'm so devastated to be finished. And this book was no different. 

Cash is a damaged kid living in a small town in Tennessee. His grandparents have taken over bringing him up since his mother OD'd when Cash was 13. He adores his grandparents, who adore him, making it harder for his grandfather to slowly die from emphysema.

Equally damaged is Cash's best friend, Delaney. The pair spend much… show more.

Lovers of John Green’s Looking for Alaska and Curtis Sittenfeld’s Prep will appreciate this YA-novel.

In the Wild Light is a coming-of-age story about two friends plucked from rural poverty to attend an elite boarding school. Addiction, class, and friendship are major themes in this excellent portrait of an adolescent’s mind. 

Zentner hooked me on the first page with his poetic writing style and mastery of words. Not only is In the Wild Light a beauty to read, but it is a lovely story of friends helping each other survive family obligations and severe poverty. Cash and his friend, Delaney live in a small Appalachian town in Tennessee where their school and community offer limited opportunities. When both are awarded scholarships to a prestigious high school, Cash must decide between leaving his aging grandparents or helping Delaney climb out of poverty. I loved how Zentner emphasized Cash and Delaney’s compassion and… show more.