In the Wild Light

 In the Wild Light

Zentner, J. (2022). In the Wild Light. Random House Children's Books. ISBN 978-1524720278

Plot Summary:

Life in a small Appalachian town is not easy. Cash lost his mother to an opioid addiction and his Papaw is dying slowly from emphysema. Dodging drug dealers and watching out for his best friend, Delaney, is second nature. He's been spending his summer mowing lawns while she works at Dairy Queen. But when Delaney manages to secure both of them full rides to an elite prep school in Connecticut, Cash will have to grapple with his need to protect and love Delaney, and his love for the grandparents who saved him and the town he has to leave behind. (Zentner, n.d.)

Analysis:

For this novel, I chose to listen to the audiobook version narrated by Michael Crouch. Jeff Zentner’s writing has an incredible voice, his characters are surprising and lovable from the opening pages. Cash and Delaney are best friends with a deep history of trauma. They are each other's solace and support as they navigate life as teenagers in rural Sawyer, Tennessee. 

Drug abuse is common in their poverty-stricken town, and it has affected both of them in profound ways. Cash lost his mother to addiction, and Delaney’s mother seems to be on the same path. Cash lives with his grandparents. They are poor and his grandfather is ill, but they gave him a loving and secure home and welcome Delaney as family as well. Delaney is socially awkward, but likable in a teen genius sort of way. She is always sharing scientific facts and insights about the world around her. Her discovery of a bacteria-killing mold sets the stage for the novel. 

Delaney and Cash are admitted to a prestigious private high school far from home. It is here that they truly come of age. Their playfully rough banter is brutally honest. It has an undercurrent of heartache and profound love. The characters explore self worth, make bold choices, and ultimately come to know that they are not alone in the world. 

Themes of death, illness, poverty, and addiction are addressed with dignity. These heavy subjects give the character’s a place to grow from, and they reach for the light with all they have. Delaney grows as an academic, and Cash develops a love for poetry that brings his old-soul to life. Pap, the grandfather in this story, is wise and loving. His death hits hard, but like so many other things they have faced, Cash and Delaney make beauty from ashes.

I highly recommend this book, but with awareness that the author explores sensitive subject matter; addiction, death, assault, etc. 

Book Reviews:

"A brilliant treasure of a book that holds up a mirror to the best parts of our humanity." 

—Kirkus Reviews, starred review

 “A wise, gorgeous exploration of loss and survival that will make readers cry...Lyrical and heartbreaking.”

—School Library Journal, starred review

Connections:

• This book gives a teenage viewpoint on drug addiction and its effect on families. It could be used as a discussion starter about addiction and a way to introduce help and resources that are available.

• In the novel, Cash discovers an affinity for poetry and finds that it unlocks something he has felt his whole life but didn’t have a way to express. This would be a great way to introduce poetry and even explore processes for writing poetry.

Awards:

The New York Times named In the Wild Light one of the 25 best YA books of the year.

This review was created as an assignment for SHSU LSSL 5385.