I am an absolute lover of YA lit, which always seems to surprise people when they know I’m an HS English teacher. Not only that, but I’m a sucker when there’s some romance, in particular. Among the many, many YA books I read, the stories are fun and make me smile, but they aren’t always filled with the most, uh, beautiful of writing. Zentner, on the other hand, writes some gorgeous sentences. I cannot believe how many sentences I had to highlight so I could return to them later. “Here we are, survivors of quiet wars. Like trees that have weathered a brutal storm, but with broken branches and fallen blossoms littering the ground around us.” Like, absolutely beautiful!

In the Wild Light tells the story of Cash Pruitt who gets a scholarship to go to a Connecticut boarding school with his best friend, Delaney. I always love a book or show set at a boarding school—I feel like so many of us dreamt as kids that we would be able to go to one and do all these crazy, exciting things while acting like adults. Or maybe I just watched too much Zoey 101...

Being in a new environment with so much room to grow (Cash with his newfound love of poetry and Delaney being able to delve deeper in Science) comes with its toll on their relationship but also adds beautiful new friends, an impeccable education, and an experience of a lifetime.

There are definitely some John green vibes with similarly mature, poetic characters, but Zentner has a voice of his own. I loved the small cameos to his previous works and his addition of poetry in many of the chapters. As a very new teacher of Poetry, it gave me a small boost of inspiration and warmth.

This is a book that definitely gets you in your feels. You will feel anger, sadness (I definitely cried more than once, which hasn’t happened in a while!), love, and joy as you flip the pages through the seasons of Cash’s journey. While I do feel it was a *bit* drawn out at times, I absolutely loved reading this novel.

This is a must-read of 2021!

4.8/5⭐️

Friendships born of necessity and grief carry a unique bond. A special bond. Cash and Delaney are friends out together by loss. They are friends that are deeply committed to the friendship they forged amidst the pain of a parent's opioid addiction. But what will happen when they are pulled out of their small Appalachian town and given access to an education and life they never imagined.

In this stirring and raw novel about family, friendship and love, Jeff Zentner thoughtfully examines the evolution of young friendship to fathomless love. He expands our definition of family to the ones that love us deeply and without bounds. He also reminds us the magic spark inside us, that if fed will grow into a fire of purpose and life direction.

Well done!

Thank you Penguin Random House for the ARC in exchange for this review.

Where do I even start?!? This book was INCREDIBLE. Jeff has such a way with words, I had to stay with this book for a bit and savor it. The rawness of his work will sit with YA readers and make them feel seen. The authenticity that this book holds is a testament to the writing that Jeff has across all his works. He provides a window into the lives of people that show us who they are, and at the same time, reveal in us things about ourselves. In other words, you need this book!

The characters in this book will touch your soul. Cash & Delaney are so many of the students who have sat in my classroom over the years. Poverty and addiction could easily prevent these two from becoming more than their circumstances, yet through the love of grandparents, education, and resilient spirits, these two overcome. Jeff Zentner has once again penned a poignant story that will teach us and heal us. Read this book. Then, gift it to someone else.

Do you ever feel seen? Like your soul is literally being spread across a page or strewn across the sky and someone who isn't you can recognize it so clearly and confidently know that it is you. That's how I feel when I read Jeff Zentner's books. I doubt I'm the only one who feels this way, but the only way I can describe it is that I feel like Jeff personally wrote this story for me and me alone.


Considering how beloved his novels are, I doubt I'm the only one who can resonate with this, but this is honestly how I feel every time that I finish his books.


It's a fact that I am Jeff Zentner's biggest fan. I have loved his books since almost the beginning, and I always made sure to support him in any way I can. Just like the 3 novels before, I feel as though the foundation of my life has been strengthened. Just reading his words and the wonderful stories he creates makes me feel alive and whole in this dead and broken world. If books could possess hope, his books would.


In the Wild Light is a classic Zentner story that will make you laugh, cry, and love life. I suppose now that I've finished my love letter to the best prose I've ever read, I can begin the review of the book.


One of the things that set apart Zentner's novels for me is the absolute wholeness of his characters. I've never read a single character in any of his books that I felt like I could not understand inside and out. I know Cash and Delaney better than I know my own family, and as a reader, this is so invigorating. I recommend Zentner for any reading slump because it's just so electrifying page after page not from any plot but just the characters themselves.

I may be partial to this plot because I know Jeff, but to see his main character delve into poetry like I know Jeff did recently (I don't know your life, Jeff but I do follow you on Instagram). I saw pictures every day of either the view from the river or a poem from Ocean. It floored me to see Cash discovering these things when I knew the author was deeply moved by poetry and quiet mornings on the river. This enhanced the reading experience for me, which I wanted to talk about because this blog is basically a journal and I do what I want (screw you, formal reviews. we don't want you here).

Every two years when a new novel comes out, I'm always astounded by the complete mastery I find in the book. The way imagery and metaphor work in Zentner's books is truly astonishing and something I would love to see teenagers fall in love with. I've always praised Jeff's name because his books are just so <em>intelligent</em>. I feel constantly that YA is being dumbed down. I can't stand a book that doesn't feel like a writer wrote it. I know everyone is a writer when they put pen to page, but I can't think of a way to describe what I mean. I feel smarter with every turning of the page and I can only dream of the benefits I would've had if I had a Jeff Zentner book in highschool.

So teachers, librarians, and educators please buy Jeff's books for the young ones in your community. </p>

I could possibly type thousands of words more about what I loved about the book and why I cried and why I laughed and why I hoped, but Cash's story is just something you'll have to discover for yourself. Dive in. The water is just fine.

Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to read this in exchange for an honest review.

A young adult novel about two brainy teens attending a prestigious boarding school for the first time while simultaneously trying to deal with their home life, a sick family member, and an Appalachian town that is struggling with the opioid crisis. The main character finds solace in writing poetry and keeping an eye on his beloved childhood friend. This was beautifully written, heartbreaking, and inspiring. The dialogue was definitely cheesy at times and sometimes the teens’ conversations seemed unrealistic to me, but overall really enjoyed this one.

With gorgeous language, Jeff Zentner once again invites us into a life that could easily be overlooked but whose very existence doesn't allow us to forget them. It is clear that the book is written with such care for the lives of the character and it makes us care deeply about them as well. I read the book in one day, needing to see the path that Cash ultimately chooses for himself, needing to sit with him and Papaw as they remind us of the beauty that comes in absolute love and care for one another. A quiet book, perhaps, but one that roars with determination.

In the Wild Light by Jeff Zentner was the first book that I read in 2021 and I have a feeling it will be on a top 10 of the whole year. Jeff Zentner's writing is always very poetic but I feel like he outdid himself with this book. I had a love hate relationship with Delaney. I definitely learned some interesting facts from her but she was not a likable character. I'm sure this was intentional because then she would make grand gestures; such as when she broke into Papaw's room with her penicillin from the cave. I felt like Cash was written like a piece of Jeff Zentner which made him feel very real.
What's interesting about a lot of Jeff''s books is that you know something is going wrong but when it goes wrong you are even more crushed by it than if it came out of nowhere. This time that related to Papaw. You knew he was sick throughout the book but when he passed on it was soul crushing. You get to know the characters so well it's hard to let go. I would 100% recommend In the Wild Light especially to teens who like hard hitting stories.

I don't have the words to adequately describe how beautiful this book is. There were so many times I had to slow down and re-read entire passages. Before I was even finished, I kept thinking "I need to re-read this book!"
Cash is given the opportunity to attend a prestigious prep school in Connecticut because of a scientific discovery his best friend Delaney made when they were together. Cash and Delaney hail from small town Tennessee and have dealt with the effects of opioid addiction. Cash has his beloved grandparents and Delaney has Cash. Making Cash's decision to accept his scholarship even more difficult is his grandfather's health.
A heartbreakingly beautiful story about friendship, loss, grief, love and finding your way in life.
I give it ALL the stars!

Guys, be ready. There are a lot of feels in this one. And I wasn’t prepared, which makes me utterly delusional since I was reading a Zentner book. Duh. I read this in winter, but it made me long to be on a country road, swinging on a porch swing, watching fireflies, and listening to the ambient sounds of a quiet summer night. There is such vivid exposition of this feeling you can’t help be transported right to the very porch that Cash and his pawpaw sit every night. And just like Cash, there’s no place I think I’d like more. Sadly, Cash knows this isn’t going to last forever. Papaw’s sick, and he’s not getting better. A larger than life man, both in personality and physical stature, he is slowly shrinking. He’s hooked up to oxygen, has coughing fits, and his boundless energy has its limits. When he’s not on the porch, Cash is busy mowing lawns and saving as much money as he can. Money is tight around the house, and his Grandma’s job as a pizza manager isn’t enough. Between that and hanging out with his best friend, Delaney Doyle, his life is full. Delaney isn’t a normal girl, but Cash isn’t afraid of that. They share a history of drug abuse (their mothers, not them), and her smarts aren’t something he can relate to, but he and Delaney just make sense. They shared an ill-fated kiss a while back, and that’s the last time either has tried anything resembling romantic toward the other. Her intelligence is astounding, so much so that she just discovered a new strain of bacteria in the waters of Sawyer, Tennessee, the small town where the two live. That discovery allows both Delaney and Cash to study at a boarding school in Connecticut. Tuition and room and board are included in the scholarship, but that would mean leaving his pawpaw. And no way is this small town Appellachan boy fitting in at a private school on the east coast. It just won’t work. But Delaney wants it to work, so he goes.

There are some stereotypical scenes/students within the borders of this school that exist. Still, Cash isn’t worried about the private jets and lavish vacations he hears talk of, nor is he afraid of his thinly veiled “I’m not a racist” roommate for whom each other barely tolerate. He’s not going to change because of this place. But when his schedule forces him to take a poetry class, things do change. His teacher is a published writer, up for an award that may take her away from this school. But for now, she’s only interested in making sure that Cash knows the power of poetry and the cathartic result of putting pen to paper. She doesn’t make fun of him when he talks about his pawpaw either; she’s from Appalachia too. Cash’s poetry starts small, like one word small. As he deals with things in his life that are out of his control, his writing becomes an anchor.

Just as you’d imagine, Zentner paints portraits of friendship with broad strokes that are easily recognizable, but it’s the intimate conversations and actions between them that make you want to be friends with every damn one of them. It’s the unlikely friendship of Delaney and Cash, the supremely satisfying male friendship of Cash and Alex, and lastly, Vi. Vi is Delaney’s roommate, and she kills it at being a new bestie. The love in this story is overwhelming but also quiet. There is a level of passion for home, family, and friends that should be something we all aspire to. I loved that Cash didn’t forget where he’s from, not that I think he could, but realizes there is more to life than he imagined. Thanks to Zentner for dropping in some of my favorites from his other stories- it was like a warm hug whenever that happened.

I received an advanced review copy of this from NetGalley because I am impatient and hate waiting.

Jeff Zentner has done it again. I always love his stories, but this is probably my favorite. Cash's desires to try something new and to seize an opportunity clash with his reluctance to leave his family. The struggle is real and valid and never felt overplayed. I could relate to where he was coming from, and his relationships with his new friends, though seemingly easy, also felt real. A beautiful book that I will highly recommend.

This is by far my favorite Jeff Zentner novel, and I've enjoyed all of them. Zentner creates another coming-of-age novel that is anything but "just another" young adult drama. In the Wild Light is a bit of a departure from the author's reliance on dialogue as character and storytelling. He expands his repertoire with stunning poetry that leaks into his prose. I am usually a fast reader, but I wanted to savor this one to enjoy it longer. Like other Zentner novels, this one will give you "all the feels." The familiars are comedy, tragedy, laughs, tears, ups and downs, and Easter eggs of past novels.


Delaney and Cash are best friends who met a Narateen meeting. From the small town of Sawyer, TN, they learn responsibility fast as poverty and family struggles are daily life. However, Delaney is a genius who discovers a mold in a cave that wins her recognition and a scholarship to an elite school in the Northeast. Her condition to accept it is Cash must also get the same deal.


The experiences of Delaney and Cash intermingled with Cash's Papaw and Mamaw, their new friends at school, and the best darn poetry professor Cash never knew he needed will keep the reader turning pages. More than just a relatable and relevant story, it is a comfort to those who see themselves and people they know who face adversity and harbor feelings of being different and plain not worthy of a better life.


There are too many favorite quotes, but the one that I refer to most during the COVID pandemic, political unrest and social injustice-laden times is the reason Delany just knew the mold was in that cave. "Because for every way the world tries to kill us, it gives us a way to survive. You just gotta find it."

Jeff Zentner has done it again! He has created two characters, Cash and Delaney, that readers will fall in love with. This touching book of friendship, family, and valuing your roots is heart-warming. Zentner focuses on Tennessee for this journey--its people, its culture, and its deep-rooted sense of pride. It follows the undying friendship between two teenagers as they leave the only world they've ever known and into the world of a prestigious private school. The two face trials in their friendship as they discover who they are and what they can contribute the world. This book is beautifully written and will stay with me for a long time to come.

Spectacular! One of his best yet! I absolutely LOVE how Zentner weaves in cameos from all of his previous novels, which themselves were phenomenal. This book was like a familiar friend; it could be my town, my students, just an ordinary story, but told in an extraordinary way! I’ll never pass up reading a book by Jeff Zentner because I know I’ll never fail to laugh, cry, reflect, connect, or be amazed, and this one certainly delivers! I can’t wait for the rest of the world to experience it as well! The characters in this story experience love, loss, and joy while also overcoming difficult circumstances. Do yourself a favor and READ IT!!!!

After finishing In the Wild Light by Jeff Zentner I had to sit with it for days before I could start another book. Jeff Zentner again weaves a story full of realistic teenage banter and characters you not only root for, but fall in love with. In the Wild Light also illustrates the idea that family can be created from the people you choose to surround yourself with and romance can come from the likeliest of places.

In the Wild Light tells the story of best friends Delaney and Cash who met in the most unlikely of places -- Narcateen. Delaney is the misunderstood quirky and brilliant young girl that just wants to learn whereas Cash can't see himself as anyone worthy of goodness. The two embark on an adventure not anticipated in their rural area of Tennessee. Helped by a lovely cast of adult characters and surrounded by a few really good friends the story leaves the reader laughing on one page and ugly crying a few pages later. This books brings all the feels and left this reader yet again realizing that Jeff Zentner is a master storyteller. His books are my bellwether for realistic YA fiction and In the Wild Light does not disappoint.

The beloved Jeff Zentner is back with what is perhaps his best book yet. Perfectly the author’s signature mix of heartache and compassion for those living in the margins of small Southern towns, IN THE WILD LIGHT is a love letter to poetry, the loneliness of genius, and those who feel out of place in a quick moving consumer culture.

Social Justice Topics:
▪️ Mental Health
▪️Social class discrepancy

Grade Level: 7+


When Cash’s best friend Delaney find a unique strand of mold in a cave their lives are forever changed. Delaney receives a full ride to prestigious boarding school in Connecticut, and gets the same deal for Cash. And although Cash knows Delaney deserves this, he constantly lives with the doubt that he deserves the same deal. Delaney is brilliant! And Cash... does not see himself that way at all. On top of that, Cash cannot imagine leaving his Grandpa who has been the only dad he’s ever known and is dying. This is a book of self-discover, growth, and love.

There will always be a special place in my heart for Jeff Zentner’s novels. There is no author like him. With every book he writes he is able to encapsulate what it is like to be human: love, fear, despair, joy. Along with the uniqueness of each relationship we build and their importance to our own personal growth.

This book has already been preordered. There’s no way I wasn’t going to own all of Zentner’s books. There was also no way I was going to live without being able to open up to my favorite quotes—there were far too many.

Thank you @netgallery and @crownbooks for letting me read this book early—now I just have to wait until August 10th to own a copy.

Did not disappoint. Oh my heart. These characters... this story.

So many emotions in this book and an honest look at what it's like to grow up in Appalachia for many. Combating toxic masculinity and expected norms for girls, this story focuses on family, genuine friendship, and love. Zentner's best work yet.

This is now his fourth book. While they are the same, they are all different. The elements of grief and loss combine with humor and deep friendship always seem to spring up in the deep wells of Zentner's creative genius and come out on the pages of his books. This one is no different. It's the same, and it's different.

It's the friendship that Delaney and Cash formed from the connection they discovered with drug-addicted mothers, for which Cash is now motherless and Delaney's is barely holding on. And it became a relationship that was more than friendship but not quite romance. It was that they saw each other and hopefulness. Like his other books, it's that need to support and provide a path to make a dream a reality that blooms in the book where they end up not in Tennessee but in Connecticut at a boarding school where Delaney's genius can shine and they can both experience something more comfortable, if only for a little bit. And Cash still needs home because his grandparents who raised him, including his ailing grandpa Papaw, are there and remind him of the river and love.

It's the reserves that we all have within us that we don't always share with others that Zentner always mines. For any contemplative reader it's a boon. It was the perfect book to ring in 2021 with (I knew it wouldn't disappoint!)

Jeff Zentner is one of my absolute favorite writers, and this might be my favorite of his so far. Zentner's use of language to evoke emotion in the reader is unparalleled, and this book evoked such a wide range of them. I loved the theme of love of family, community, and small-town Tennessee that came through so strongly in this book. This was one of those books that just stays with you, and I felt a physical ache when I finished, I missed it so much. I couldn't recommend this book more highly -- five stars is not enough.