Welcome to the next stop on the blog tour for What Light by Jay Asher. Today I’ll be sharing my thoughts on this book, as well as the tour wide giveaway!
About the Book:
From Jay Asher, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Thirteen Reasons Why, comes a romance that will break your heart, but soon have you believing again. . . .
Sierra’s family runs a Christmas tree farm in Oregon—it’s a bucolic setting for a girl to grow up in, except that every year, they pack up and move to California to set up their Christmas tree lot for the season. So Sierra lives two lives: her life in Oregon and her life at Christmas. And leaving one always means missing the other.Until this particular Christmas, when Sierra meets Caleb, and one life eclipses the other.
By reputation, Caleb is not your perfect guy: years ago, he made an enormous mistake and has been paying for it ever since. But Sierra sees beyond Caleb’s past and becomes determined to help him find forgiveness and, maybe, redemption. As disapproval, misconceptions, and suspicions swirl around them, Caleb and Sierra discover the one thing that transcends all else: true love.
What Light is a love story that’s moving and life-affirming and completely unforgettable.
My Thoughts:
So, I almost didn’t read this book. I love Christmas and cutting down a Christmas tree and baking Christmas cookies and listening to Christmas music and all the things. Except one thing… I don’t tend to like Christmas themed books. Which is super weird since I love Christmas and I love books. Still, I really loved Asher’s Thirteen Reason’s Why. I decided to read What Light in spite of the Christmas aspect. I am so glad I did. This was one of the very few holiday books I enjoyed!
I think there were three main things that made me love What Light even though I don’t love Christmas stories:
- Christmas Tree Lot: I absolutely loved Stephanie Perkins’ story in My True Love Gave to Me. Ever since reading it I’ve wanted a story about a teen like Sierra. I was so interested in the idea of having one life most of the year, but living someplace different for a month every year. I can hardly balance one set of friends and responsibilities. I cannot imagine two!
- Characters: This is the more important factor in why I enjoyed this book so much. It isn’t so much about Christmas. Rather, Christmas happens to be the time it’s taking place. The characters and their stories are what stand out. I really felt for Sierra and Caleb and the things they struggle with. Their stories are what made me want to keep reading. Certainly the feelings of joy and peace and grace that are prevalent around the holiday season play a major role. But the story isn’t about a Christmas wish or the perfect Christmas present or anything like that.
- Relationships: I just loved the relationships in this story. Sierra’s parents are great. I loved the ways they interacted with Sierra as well as each other. Sierra has some really wonderful friendships and I just wanted to hug all these girls. I was interested in seeing the relationship between Sierra and Caleb develop. And I really loved seeing the ways Sierra helped Caleb to mend so many of the strained relationships in his life.
What Light is a story that covers so many things… redemption, forgiveness (of self and others), surviving change, strong friendships, faith in others, and so, so much more. It’s one of those feel good stories that leaves you feeling better about the world.
About the Author:
Photo: © Sonya Sones
Jay Asher‘s debut YA novel, Thirteen Reasons Why, has appeared regularly on the New York Times bestsellers list for the past 9 years. It has sold over 2.5 million copies in the US alone and is currently in production to be a 13-part series on Netflix. His second YA novel, The Future of Us, was coauthored with Printz-honor winner Carolyn Mackler. His novels have been translated into over 30 languages. His third novel, What Light, will be released in October 2016.
Tour Schedule:
Giveaway:
Enter for a chance to win one of five (5) hardcover copies of What Light by Jay Asher.
NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Enter between 12:01 AM Eastern Time on October 10, 2016 and 11:59 PM Eastern Time on October 21, 2016. Open to residents of the fifty United States and the District of Columbia who are 13 and older. Winners will be selected at random on or about October 24, 2016. Odds of winning depend on number of eligible entries received. Void where prohibited or restricted by law.
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