After making a rather incredible biological discovery, Delaney was offered a chance to escape to a place that would nurture her brilliance, and she was taking her best friend Cash with her.

My love for Zentner’s books has no bounds. I know several things will happen when I read a Jeff Zentner book.

1. I will meet some incredible and memorable characters.

2. I will be part of a very personal journey with them.

3. I will laugh at times.

4. I will cry.

5. I will be filled with feels.

And, yes! Zentner did it again with this beautiful story of love, loss, family, and friendship.

MEMORABLE CHARACTERS

I met and fell in love with some many characters in this book. I was quite taken with Delaney’s drive and strength, and Dr. Adkins ability to see and nurture talent, but I think it was Cash and Pawpaw who owned my heart. Cash was a gentle soul with a huge heart. He loved fiercely and was protective of his own. He sometimes did the unpopular thing because he knew it was the right thing. The more time I spent with Cash, the more my love for him grew. I cheered all his successes and felt the pain of all his losses. And then, there was Pawpaw. Wow! He really embedded himself in my heart. Those talks he shared with Cash were amazing and touched me deeply. He was just a beautiful man, and his positive influence on others was obvious.

PERSONAL JOURNEY

It was very difficult for Cash to leave his home for that fancy boarding school. He was not only a fish-out-of-water there, he was afraid to give up any time with his grandparents. He was, however, determined to make them proud. A great deal of this story is Cash struggling with self-doubt and the pain of his past. He felt so lost until Dr. Adkins saw something in him and took him under her wing. She came from a similar background as Cash, was able to relate to him, and helped him find his passion – poetry. I LOVED the exquisite poems woven into this story. Cash was already a well-drawn character, but his poems gave him even more depth and were such a lovely way to help him find himself and work through some of his pain.

FAMILY AND FRIENDSHIP

Delaney and Cash shared a deep, deep bond. They both experienced trauma related to their mothers’ drug addiction, and because of that, they had a bone-deep understanding of each other. Cash was fortunate to have the endless love and support of his grandparents, and they doled that love out just as equally to Delaney. I also had great fondness for the bromance between Alex and Cash. Their friendship was a beautiful thing. They suffered through crew together, ironed together, and were known to hug it out when necessary. It was a pleasure seeing that friendship grow and flourish.

I LOVED THESE THINGS!

• Easter Eggs – there are nods to all Zentner’s books in this story. One made my heart explode!

• The Laundry Boys – Alex and Cash’s laundry sessions were always a good time

• Sawyer – Cash’s love for his hometown shined through, and I appreciated the vivid depictions of the beauty of his home.

• Delaney + Science – I will always laud a STEM loving character, and there was some cool science mentioned.

• The Poetry – I talked this earlier, but it really deserves a second mention. I was really grateful that
Zentner shared his poems with us. I already thought him a word wizard, but these let him showcase that talent in a different way.

Overall: This book was stunning and emotional. It was heartwarming and heartbreaking. It was simply something special and worthy of every tear I shed.

5 amazing stars

My trash bin is now overflowing with kleenex as I sob my heart out. Seriously, this book had me weeping from about the 60% mark when he wrote his first poem until the end. I absolutely fell in love with Cash, Delaney, Pawpaw, Mawmaw, Alex, Vi, and Bree. I was a bit concerned when I read that this was a Boarding School story because I was expecting a story full of rich entitled jerks, and although there are at least three of them in this story, this story was so much more! We are introduced to Cash and Delaney in their hometown of Sawyer, and although drug addiction is a real problem and more than a few families are struggling just to make ends meet, the author does an amazing job showing us what they both love so much about their hometown, even if their own personal experiences with their family were traumatic with addicted mothers and disappearing fathers. The sources of hope in both of their lives come from Mawmaw and Pawpaw (Cash's grandparents) and their own friendship. The book slowly moves them to the boarding school where they are both in total culture shock and not sure if they should be there. And yes, Cash's roommate is an entitled jerk, and that could be the crux of his boarding school experience. But that's not what this book is about and Cash quickly finds his squad in Alex, Vi, and of course Delaney. There are others at the school who are really cool as well, but throughout, Cash (and Delaney) struggle with taking advantage of this opportunity for them to live their best selves, but also being worried about Pawpaw's failing health.

This pacing of this book is just perfect, in my opinion, with parts of it capturing the stillness and peace of Sawyer, and parts of it capturing the energy and speed of New York City. Throughout the latter half of the book, poetry is used as a way to help Cash find himself, and from the moment he wrote his first words, I was completely captured. I am not a poetry person normally, but I looked forward to reading every single poem, slowly and repeatedly. Every single verse he wrote left me in tears. This book was truly a coming of age for both Cash and Delaney, but it was also about grief and celebration, trauma and healing, friendship and family. I loved all the different kinds of love that the author included in this book, including many of the deep friendships that developed in this book, both romantic and platonic.

I initially intended to read this book over several days, and I even put it down a couple of times intending to call it a night. But the book kept calling me and so here I sit after midnight just soaking in this book. Sometimes a book just speaks to you and for me, this was one of those.

I am so grateful I was able to receive an advance review copy from NetGalley, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Jeff Zentner's 4th novel of friendship, loyalty, family,, and (yes) grief is pure poetry. I don't say that lightly, given the role that poetry plays in the story, but there's no better word.

Cash Pruitt and Delaney Doyle are best friends in their small Tennessee hometown. Delaney has won a full scholarship to a prestigious private academy in Connecticut, but she won't go unless Cash accompanies her. Both have their reasons for wanting to leave, but doing so will take Cash away from the grandparents who took him in.

Zentner's story of hurt, hope, and healing is my favorite book of 2021.

The writing in this novel was gorgeous. Even though the romance was lack luster, the writing, character development and setting more than made up for it.

In the Wild Light introduces Appalachian teens Cash Pruitt and Delaney Doyle who have been best friends since childhood, having bonded over their parents' struggles with addiction. When Delaney discovers a new mold with antibacterial properties in a local cave, she is offered a scholarship to a Connecticut science prep school. She agrees to go only if Cash is admitted, too. Cash, whose beloved grandfather Papaw is dying from emphysema, is hesitant to go, but Delaney and his grandparents convince him to embrace this opportunity. At first, they are fish out of water, but as they develop friendships and Delaney immerses herself in the science department and Cash discovers a passion for poetry, they begin to blossom. As Papaw's condition worsens, Cash is more and more fretful about being away. He pours his grief and homesickness into his poetry, which catches the attention of his poetry teacher, who becomes a trusted mentor. His eloquent poems about love, family and grief, which are peppered throughout the text, are lyrical delights. Although Cash and Delaney's relationship is threatened by differing challenges, they ultimately find their way back to each other. Perhaps I just read this book at the right time, but it is my favorite book so far this year.

Cash has lived with his grandparents since his mother died of a drug overdose... His best friend Delaney's mother is also a drug addict. Their small Tennessee town has been ravaged by the opioid epidemic. In the Wild Light tackles the fallout from the opioid crisis in Appalachia- broken families, poverty, trauma, and grief. After Delaney makes an important discovery about the mold in the nearby caves, she is offered a scholarship to a private school in Connecticut. Scared to go alone, she convinces the school to offer one to Cash as well. Cash is hesitant to leave his grandparents and to deal with the challenges of attending an elite private school full of privileged teens. In this coming of age novel, Zentner illuminates how beauty and ugliness coexist at the same time, and how art and love, whether familial, platonic, or romantic, are essential to flourish. I have read every novel that Jeff Zentner has published and I have never been disappointed. There is something so beautiful and true about his writing. I highly recommend In the Wild Light..

Every time Jeff Zentner writes a book, he puts his whole heart in it. He manages to create beauty even in the saddest of moments and oh, sad moments there always are! Whatever he writes, it just touches your soul, your entire being and won't let you go for a long time afterwards. So, it should come as no surprise that I keep seeking out his books despite the emotional punch they pack, because they fill me with such a complex set of emotions.

In the Wild Light introduces you to Cash and Delaney, although the story is told from Cash's perspective. Neither of them had an easy life and even when good things finally start to happen, it's hard for them to come to terms with the fact that they deserve this goodness. In an odd way, I found that entirely relatable. I may not have faced their particular struggles, but as I continued reading, I found more and more of my own scars represented in the story. As the cast grew, I started to fall in love with all of them and would be elated to meet any one of them (with one exemption) to welcome them as a friend into my life.

This book is for everyone who has ever lost a loved one. It's for people who have had to leave others behind in order to grow, while still holding a heart full of love for them. It's for those who doubt that they fit in, that they deserve the good things life offers them and that there are others looking out for them. It's for people like me, who have left part of their heart and soul in different places around the globe, tying them to friends and family and places. In the Wild Light is for those always running hungry, only ever sated by words.
This book is a reminder of the ties we share with the family we are born into and the one we chose for ourselves, even those we were separated from. It shows the importance of having people in your life that actually care to help you realize your full potential and celebrate you as the person you are. And most of all, In the Wild Light is an ode to having the courage of seeing the beauty and light even in moments of darkness.

“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. Remember that.”

In the end, In the Wild Light might be my most favorite by Jeff Zentner book to date. I cried, I laughed, I felt my heart warm at the lives of these incredible characters. I'm at an utter loss for words to describe just how much this book meant to me and how much I will cherish it moving forward. Even though I could have done without the romantic sub-plot, because I really believe this story didn't need any romantic undertones, I can only recommend it to anyone who is willing to go on an emotional journey about loss and belonging, family by blood and the found kind alike. 

Fazit: 5/5 stars! I don't give a 5-star-rating lightly anymore, but with this book the decision felt easy. It was so worth the read!

I'll admit I thought Jeff Zentner's first book, "The Serpent King" was an under the radar YA masterpiece that would make any followup a challenge to match, let alone surpass. Let me say with unabashed glee, I was so, so wrong. Mr. Zentner'has a clear affection for his main characters Cash and Delaney and the small Appalachian town they hail from that invites you in from the first pages. Something about the open-hearted unselfconscious way Mr. Zentner writes and the shining empathy in his portrayal of the tragedies in their past made me feel more a member of this fictional family than a disaffected reader. To me, the heart of this story is how writing can be a path to self-expression and discovery for those of us who believe we have nothing worthwhile in us to discover, let alone express. The path Cash takes from writing his first lines of poetry to opening himself up to his loved ones and the possibility there's a place for him in the world plays out as subtly and beautifully as a poem in itself. This book is a gift to readers, one that is sure to be received with wholehearted joy.

When he follows his super-genius best friend from their hometown in Tennessee to a Connecticut boarding school, a young man must find a way to stay true to his roots, his values, and his voice.

This beautiful and poetic story moves from heart-wrenching to heart-warming in organic swells, and the emotion stayed with me long after I closed the book. In addition to the less-often depicted Appalachian community, it stood out from other YA novels I've read lately in that instead of trying to establish his identity as independent from his parents, this protagonist is trying to remain connected to his family and true to his heritage when circumstances pull them apart. Ultimately, his journey is toward learning what his grandparents and his best friend have been trying to tell him all along--that he is just as remarkable as she. A must-buy for any YA collection.

There are good books, and then there are books like this that just knock the air out of you with how well done they are. I already loved Jeff Zentner's writing, but this is an absolute stunner. It's a beautiful story about the forms of love, of place, of loss and breaking and healing. It's incredibly vivid. As main character Cash learns about poetry and language and the weight of words, I felt it too. Just an absolute knock-out. This is a story that will help teens who don't live in cities or whose lives just aren't glamorous feel seen.

Drawn together by their shared experiences as children of drug-addicted mothers, Cash and Delaney are best friends growing up in a small, rural town in Tennessee. Cash has spent years looking after Delaney, a quirky genius, who discovers a rare kind of mold in a local cave. When the mold is determined to have super charged anti-bacterial properties, Delaney manages to secure scholarships for both Cash and herself to a prestigious prep school in Connecticut. With his Papaw slowly dying of emphysema, Cash doesn't want to go and leave his grandparents who've looked after him since his mother died. But when the local meth dealer starts asking Delaney to become his business partner, Cash is torn between protecting her and taking care of his grandparents.

As always, Zentner's characters are beautifully well-done and realistic. His love for the area of Tennessee he describes and its people is clear. Both Cash and Delaney feel authentic and the relationships they have with their parents and grandparents draw the reader in. There were a few parts of the story where I wondered when the main conflict would begin (hence 4 stars instead of 5), but I was never bored and I never thought about giving up on the book.

<i>In the Wild Light</i> is a slow love letter to coming-of-age in rural Tennessee with excellent side characters and a believable plot. I felt like I was flowing along the river with the rest of them, even when the scenery changed and changed again.

This book is highly recommended to readers who enjoy YA lit, coming-of-age stories, and beautiful descriptive writing.

Disclaimer: I received a free electronic copy of this book from the publisher through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

The writing of this one was beautiful as was the setting/scenery. I was a little meh on the characters so I found it hard to really care about them too much. All in all it was a good book, but not a favorite.

Reading this book was like drinking ice cold water on a hot summer day. It filled me with things I didn't even know I was missing. It is fitting to have poetry be one of the central plot points, since the writing is absolutely exquisite. Cash's pain is so raw and real, amplified by being in a setting so unfamiliar to him and distant in a variety of ways from everything he has ever known. I loved the story, I loved Cash, Delaney, Alex, & Vi, I loved the teachers and other grown-ups in their lives. I am so grateful to have been able to spend time inside Cash's world. Highly recommended for grades 9 & up

Like his earlier, brilliant The Serpent King (like this book, a five-star read for me!), Jeff Zentner’s In the Wild Light begins with a strong sense of place, set firmly in the Appalachian town of Sawyer, Tennessee. Cash Pruitt is sixteen and, above all else, loves his Mamaw and Papaw, who raised him after his mother’s death, and his best friend Delaney Doyle, a genius. Cash and Delaney were first drawn together as the children of addicts, and now each offers a safe place for the other.

Delaney has gained some moderate fame in the scientific community after discovering a mold that kills bacteria and that shows great promise for the healthcare industry. When she’s offered a full ride to a private boarding school, she’s desperate to escape her circumstances, but she doesn’t want to do so alone. So, she convinces the school to also provide a full scholarship for Cash.

Cash is torn between his friendship and his loyalty to his grandparents, particularly Papaw, who is dying slowly of emphysema. Ultimately, though, they convince him to grab this opportunity, and so he and Delaney move to Connecticut and become students at Middleford Academy.

Those are the bare outlines of the plot, but they don’t reveal what makes this book special.

First, Zentner is an absolutely beautiful writer, and the book is filled with gorgeous prose as Cash works through who he is and who he wants to be and how to stay true both to himself and to those whom he loves.

Beyond the writing are the characters. The tenderness between Cash and Papaw is one of my favorite things—they love each other so much, and that love is beautiful and heartbreaking and present on every page of the novel. Delaney is brilliant and strong and also fragile, someone who has survived abuse and neglect and is now ready to step into her full potential, but not alone. Watching the way the all support and challenge each other is a lovely, moving reading experience.

Cash is so smart and so sensitive, but he’s also a teenager, one who has left his family and his hometown to step into another world filled with rich people who’ve lived lives he can hardly imagine. He’s not naive, just inexperienced, and so he’s fully aware of the risks that he’s taking while also hoping to make those he loves proud.

I can’t recommend In the Wild Light enough. Just be sure to have a box of tissues by your side. This book earns every tear.

While this isn't my favorite novel by Zentner, fans of his will still enjoy his lyrical writing, well developed characters and this story about family, growing up, friendship, falling love and stepping outside what you know to become something more. Definitely a first choice purchase and a necessity for YA collections.

This book was fantastic and delivered in true Zentner fashion. I loved the background story of the central characters and felt emotionally connected to their stories. Particularly, the allusions to characters in other Zentner novels made me happy as a reader. The prose and characters work together to create a compelling story that I did not want to end!

Buy this book immediately. Jeff Zentner is such an incredible writer and storyteller. Make room in your heart next to the Serpent King characters for these kids. You can tell he is a poet--the way Zentner weaves words together is beautiful and can't help but reach the depths of the reader's feelings and past experiences. This is a story of loss to be sure, but also bravery and hope. I will be putting this into my students' hands as soon as I can!

I would give this book 10 stars if I could! It took me back to that feeling I got with The Serpent King years ago. I just wanted to soak in the writing and rich language, and the poetry was an extra bonus. The story has such victory and peace in the middle of deep trauma and pain without feeling contrived. I liked the references to characters in the other books without making that connection required like a series. It was like bumping into old friends!

I teach younger middle school students, many who still want to read simpler books, but I do have a few students each year who would connect these characters and appreciate the writing. While it’s not a perfect fit for my classroom, I will definitely be talking this up with my family and friends, especially high school teacher friends.

This is a wonderful and well written story. I loved the characters, the setting and the language used to describe it all. I will definitely be recommending this to students in my library.

If you sneaked a peek at my reading genre pie chart, you’d find contemporary is a small slice. But when it’s this writer? I read The Serpent King by this author for book club a few years ago and found it to be mesmerizing, profound, and bittersweet. This book is no different.

In the Wild Light is set in a small eastern Tennessee town and, being familiar with that location, I felt the author nailed it with his descriptions of small town life and its challenges. But also the beauty to found there. After losing his mother to an opioid addiction, Cash is no stranger to tragedy, and his life has been far from easy. With his loving grandparents who took him in, Delaney, his genius best friend, lawn business, and his river, he considers himself a lucky guy. There’s not much of a future for him in Sawyer, but when Delaney snags full rides to an elite prep school for both of them, he’s torn about leaving his ailing grandfather and everything that’s familiar. Wanting a better life than they can’t offer, his family encourages him to take advantage of this generous opportunity.

Cash is the proverbial fish out of water when he arrives at school in Connecticut, but he and Delaney have each other to lean on. It’s not long before he makes some wonderful friends (a big shoutout to scene stealer Alex), joins the crew team to get back on the water, and comes across a teacher who takes him under her wing. With her help, Cash discovers poetry, and she encourages him to put his feelings into words. Poetry isn’t something I know much about, but Cash’s words resonated with me, and I found myself rereading the passages. Something I got a kick out of was the trivia Delaney occasionally dropped – educational, fascinating, and sometimes humorous.

This is a beautifully written, character-driven, coming of age tale that’s meant to be savored. At over 400 pages, I enjoyed every word and was sorry when it came to an end. Be prepared for these characters to rise from the pages, sit beside you, and tell you their stories. I’ve missed a couple of this author’s other titles, but based on the two I’ve read, I can’t recommend him enough.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.