Bookish Reviews

What Light by: Jay Asher

What Light by Jay Asher

Published by Razorbill on October 18th 2016

Genres: Young Adult, Contemporary, Romance

Pages: 256

Format: Hardcover

Source: Birthday Gift

Summary from Goodreads:

From Jay Asher, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Thirteen Reasons Why, comes a romance that will break your heart, but soon have you believing again. . . .

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.

Buy Links:

Amazon│Barnes & Noble│Indigo

Review:

A cute, light, fluffy romance centred around Christmas.

Sierra and her family own a Christmas tree farm in Oregon and every Christmas they travel to California to sell their trees on a lot as well as see there family friends. This year is tougher than any other, the family is financially struggling to keep the lot running because people don't buy that many real trees anymore.

While there, Sierra meets Caleb, a cute, sweet, and charming boy that's damaged. When he was younger, one day he just snapped and lost control of both himself and the situation. The whole town found out and judged him for something that he already judges himself for everyday. Sierra tries to look past Caleb's past, but feels conflicted knowing that in a few weeks she'll be going back to Oregon.

What Light is such a festive book to read! It really immerses you into the Christmas spirit, the difficulties of living two different lives, as well as the difficulties of growing up and moving on. It is really dramatic, profoundly moving, and heartbreaking.

I enjoyed reading about Sierra; her different friends, lifestyle, and relationships. The setting was unique and original, the writing kept me captivated from beginning to end, and the characters were absolutely heartwarming. It was, at times, a bit unrealistic but was nonetheless enjoyable to read.

I definitely recommend reading it during the Christmas season. If you like Christmas, young adult contemporaries, and romance then this is the book for you.

Rating:

★★★★★

About The Author:

Jay Asher was born in Arcadia, California on September 30, 1975. He grew up in a family that encouraged all of his interests, from playing the guitar to his writing. He attended Cuesta College right after graduating from high school. It was here where he wrote his first two children's books for a class called Children's Literature Appreciation. At this point in his life, he had decided he wanted to become an elementary school teacher. He then transferred to California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo where he left his senior year in order to pursue his career as a serious writer. Throughout his life he worked in various establishments, including as a salesman in a shoe store and in libraries and bookstores. Many of his work experiences had an impact on some aspect of his writing.

He has published only one book to date, Thirteen Reasons Why, which was published in October 2007. He is currently working on his second Young Adult novel, and has written several picture books and screenplays. Thirteen Reasons Why has won several awards and has received five stars from Teen Book Review. It also has received high reviews from fellow authors such as Ellen Hopkins, Chris Crutcher, and Gordon Kormon.