Book Review: What Light by Jay Asher

Title: What Light

Author: Jay Asher
Publisher: Razorbill
Release Date: October 18, 2016
Pages: 272
Format: Paperback ARC
Source: Publisher (ALA)
Age Group: Young Adult
Genre: Romantic Drama, Holiday

       

Sierra's family runs a Christmas tree farm in Oregon—it's a bucolic setting for a girl to grow up in, except that every year, they pack up and move to California to set up their Christmas tree lot for the season. So Sierra lives two lives: her life in Oregon and her life at Christmas. And leaving one always means missing the other. Until this particular Christmas, when Sierra meets Caleb, and one life eclipses the other. By reputation, Caleb is not your perfect guy: years ago, he made an enormous mistake and has been paying for it ever since. But Sierra sees beyond Caleb's past and becomes determined to help him find forgiveness and, maybe, redemption. As disapproval, misconceptions, and suspicions swirl around them, Caleb and Sierra discover the one thing that transcends all else: true love.

What Light is a love story that's moving and life-affirming and completely unforgettable.

I am terribly and impossibly in love with Jay Asher’s writing, which means I just might have a total author crush. Ever since I read Thirteen Reasons Why, I was awaiting a new book by this author and was so excited when I got the chance to get his new book What Light at the American Library Association event in Orlando this summer. And boy, what a blessing it was to get my hands on this novel!

Jay does not disappoint with this book. The novel is one I highly recommend for the holiday season, when the weather gets chilly and the nostalgia seeps in. It’s the type of story that will stick to you for as long as you would imagine something this beautiful and truthfully told would.

In the book, Sierra's family runs a Christmas tree farm in Oregon, and it’s quite the setting for a girl to grow up in, except that every single year, they pack up and move to California to set up their Christmas tree lot for the holiday season. So, in the end of it all, Sierra lives two lives: her life in Oregon and her life at Christmas. And leaving one always means missing the other at all costs. Until this particular Christmas, when Sierra meets Caleb, and her life will never be the same, once it’s joined with someone that she realizes might change her life.

As you can tell, this is going to be a love story…and one that will certainly make you feel for the characters and their emotions. In the novel, by reputation, Caleb is not a perfect guy: years ago, he made an enormous mistake and has been paying for it ever since. But Sierra sees beyond Caleb's past and becomes determined to help him find forgiveness and, maybe, redemption. Between disapproval and a lot of misunderstandings, could it be possible that these two can find true love in a place where maybe love might not have been the plan? You’ll have to read and see.

I don’t want to spoil the fun, but What Light is written in a gorgeous way, one that swirls with warmth and hope. When I was reading, it made me reminisce on all the loves in life that might have not been planned, or meant to be or even what you might expect…it’s a story about how sometimes life might have surprises for us in store, some that we might not even be prepared for but that can immeasurably change the course and memories of it forever.This, my friends, is why adore Jay’s writing…the book will keep you wanting more, as you read it and cozy up with your hot cocoa. It’s heartbreaking, hopeful and realistic all mixed into the perfect holiday treat…and I can’t wait to see what he comes up with next. Make sure to add this to your holiday wish list and realize why Jay’s writing stays with you long after you turn that last page.