LoveReading4Kids Says
August 2021 Book of the Month | Shortlisted for the UKLA Book Awards 2023: 11 - 14
Life in a small Tennessee 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 smart but troubled best friend, Delaney, is second nature to Cash.
But when Delaney manages to secure both of them full scholarships to an elite school in Connecticut, Cash will have to grapple with his need to protect and love Delaney, and his fears about abandoning his old life.
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In the Wild Light Synopsis
NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY The New York Times Buzzfeed Kirkus Reviews Publishers Weekly Chicago Public Library
"Redefines friendship as something that must be protected, sacrificed for, and tended to with wisdom, patience, and love." -Ocean Vuong, New York Times bestselling author of On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous
A poignant coming-of-age novel about two best friends whose friendship is tested when they get the opportunity to leave their impoverished small town for an elite prep school. For fans of Looking for Alaska.
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. Jeff Zentner's new novel is a beautiful examination of grief, found family, and young love.
About This Edition
| ISBN: |
9781524720254 |
| Publication date: |
10th August 2021 |
| Author: |
Jeff Zentner |
| Publisher: |
Crown Books for Young Readers an imprint of Random House Children's Books |
| Format: |
Hardback |
| Pagination: |
432 pages |
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Jeff Zentner Press Reviews
Zenter's writing always smashes our hearts into a thousand pieces but in the most eloquent and beautiful way - Buzzfeed
A brilliant treasure of a book that holds up a mirror to the best parts of our humanity -- starred review - Kirkus
Notable is the warmth, physical affection, and gentleness between Cash and those he loves, while well-crafted poems throughout, written by Cash as he finds his voice, are evocative and moving, highlighting Zentner's impressive skill with both poetry and prose -- starred review - Publishers Weekly
This book is a deeply felt exploration into how friendships are sustained and fought for. In a way, it vitally redefines friendship as a privilege beyond convenient pleasure and excitement, but something more potent and true: that it must be protected, sacrificed for, and tended to with wisdom, patience, and love - and, to our luck, rendered in Zentner's ever dependable, gem-like sentences -- Ocean Vuong Jeff Zentner is an extraordinary writer, and In the Wild Light is his best yet. The prose is taut and lucent ... Zentner will make you laugh, make you cry, and make you ache, but this book's greatest gift is the fiery, incandescent hope it will leave in your chest. In a word: sublime -- Emily Henry -
About Jeff Zentner
Jeff Zentner was a singer-songwriter and guitarist who released five albums and appeared on recordings with Iggy Pop, Nick Cave, and Debbie Harry. He is now an appellate attorney for the State of Tennessee and lives in Nashville with his wife and son. He wrote The Serpent King in a month, writing on his mobile phone on his commute and at night, weekends and lunchtimes between court cases.
Photo credit: Steve Cross
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