"You are not a creature of grief. You are not a congregation of wounds. You are not the sum of your losses. Your skin is not your scars. Your life is yours, and it can be new and wondrous."

Jeff Zentner's teen protagonists should, by all accounts, be broken, shattered long before we meet them. Instead, these "survivors of quiet wars" search for beauty and carry its fierce hope even in their most overwhelming despair and grief. Despite the spidery cracks threading their existence, they have the ability to let in moments of light and love.

Cash Pruitt has already lost his mother to an opioid addiction; now his dear Papaw is battling emphysema. When his genius best friend and town misfit Delaney Doyle makes a scientific discovery that lands both of them scholarships to the prestigious Middleford Academy in Connecticut, there are no easy decisions.

Do you trade a small and simple life, one better than you ever thought you would have, for a vague promise of the unknown? How do you leave beloved grandparents who raised you at a time when you feel like you need to be there the most? What will you regret more?

As in The Serpent King, Jeff's stellar debut, these teens embody what it means to open yourselves up to the magic and risks of the universe for a chance at discovering your place in it. These brave folk walk into your hearts intentional in their pronouncements and make you hope they're living happy lives somewhere there off the edge of the pages.

"In the Wild Light" (out August 2021) feels messier than TSK, whether in its more meandering plot or character arcs. But it has the same pulsing heart that I've come to associate with Jeff's work. The same dignity, respect, and sincerity of character, emotions, ideas. The same unexpected grace and gentleness amid the harsh ruins.

A story deeply grounded in the reality and duality of the landscape of Tennessee that embraces the "electric space of possibility" while cherishing the smaller, quieter moments of beauty, wonder, and love, stealing them from a hungry world, sheltering them in cupped hands even if for a moment.

Put this on your 2021 TBR. That's all I can say 💜

A moving story of growing up in a small Appalachian town, having the chance to break free, but feeling all the guilt and regret that come with breaking out of poverty. The book features a lovely friendship between the two teenagers who go to en elite boarding school together and also a beautiful relationship between the teenage boy and his grandparents back home who know that he needs to fly free. Definitely recommended for high school readers.

I absolutely loved The Serpent King and had high hopes for this one. But I had a really hard time getting into it. I think his stuff tends to be slow or slower in the beginning so I think I will try it again, but in audiobook format.

The notification email for my copy of Into the Wild Light got mixed in with my spam emails, and I missed the archive date. I will update my review when I am able to get a copy of the published book.

I love every one of Jeff Zentner's books and this one is no excpetion. I am definitely recommending and hoping to read with a teen book club.

WOW. My favorite book that I read in 2021. This was beyond incredible and I just want more people to read and talk about this one.

Jeff Zentner's latest work is potentially his best yet. Being from a small town myself, I related to the characters and found their struggles all-too realistic. He always gets the atmosphere of rural Tennessee right, and his characters are always smart and easily lovable. 5 stars.

Jeff Zentner is my favorite YA author. All of his books are exceptional. The characters are so relatable and complex, and the writing is always exquisite and achingly beautiful. In the Wild Light is everything I hoped it would be and more. I couldn't put it down and I would read 5 more books about these characters and where they go next.

wow, this was incredible. as the summary says, it is reminiscent of John Green's books and it elicited the same emotions i always felt reading his books growing up. it was truly written so well, with heartbreaking-beautiful prose, and it felt like i was watching the plot unfold in my head and i was absolutely entranced the whole way through. i wish i saw more about this book on social media because it's so underrated!

This book was a fun and entertaining look into boarding schools and life for a high school student who doesn't live at home. I enjoyed the pace and characters as well as the setting. The science connection was interesting and felt real.

Jeff Zentner is hands down one of the BEST YA authors out there right now. In the Wild Light did not disappoint.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy to preview for my library.

What a beautiful story! "In the Wild Light" by Jeff Zentner is one of those perfect stories for young adults (or for anyone, really) who wants a contemporary realistic story with the highs and lows of life without being preachy or pushing an agenda or focusing only on the bad things in society. This feels like a story that comes from a true writer's heart. Plus, the prose itself is wonderful.

This book wins as my new favorite YA book of the year!

It's beautifully well-written and captures the essence of a teenager's life. It's about love, friendship, family, school, and wraps it up in a nice gift of a book.

Take two teenagers, a boy and girl who are best friends, and they have a rough start to the beginning of their lives. Delaney, who has a brilliant scientific mind, wins a scholarship to a boarding school, but she refuses to to go without her best friend, Cash. I fell in love with two main characters, their best friends, and Cash's grandparents. I thought this book would be the normal boarding school snobbery, but I was wrong.

Jeff Zentner, the author, made this into a beautiful story about two friends who are on a teenage journey to become the best people that they can be, and he succeeded. I would definitely recommend this book for ages 14 and older.

This book gets five stars from me!

I was given this book for my honest review.

Another insightful and tender examination of teen life from Jeff Zentner about love, grief, friendship, and what it's like to grow up in rural Tennessee. Heartbreaking and sweet. Would recommend.

This was a wonderful read. The characters were touching and unique in their voices. Not a traditional storyline which was appreciated as a reader. It was heart touching.

Everything Jeff Zentner writes is a multi-copy purchase in my high school library, and this one is no different. In the Wild Light made me ugly cry—i wanted to hug Cash so hard at so many points in the book. Zentner’s writing is lyrical and, at times, haunting. The pacing is wonderful, and the ending is amazing. Love, love, love.

A book I will reread many times over...my heart! Emotional, beautiful! Losing your mom to addiction could break a person. Will Cash be able to move past this all while Grandpa is not doing well?

Special thanks to NetGalley for providing the arc! Jeff Zentner truly never disappoints (or ceases to make me cry with his gorgeous writing). Every time I pick up one of his books I’m stunned by how beautiful his stories are and how well he portrays real human emotions. It feels your being transported right into the lives of the characters and feeling for them.

Beautifully Written. I loved the themes and ideas that were presented in the story. I loved the story.

This book was absolutely beautiful. I felt it deep in my bones. The hurt, the love, the loss. I cried and wanted to hold onto it a little longer.