Ms Margocs borrowed another new book from the library before putting it out on the shelves...
She had to, with all those medals on the cover!
Too Bright to See by Kyle Lukoff is a National Book Award finalist, earned a Stonewall Book Award, and a Newbery Honor. Not too bad for a librarian's debut novel!
I was drawn to the book because it has ghosts...more specifically, the main character can sense the ghosts, and takes it in stride. I love a great supernatural story. What I didn't expect was a wonderful coming-of-age, self-realization and acceptance story--hence the awards.
Bug is grieving the loss of her uncle when his ghost starts to appear in increasingly insistent ways--footsteps heading into her bedroom in the middle of the night, the room in disarray, a cryptic message via Ouija board. At the same time, her friend's preparations for their entry into middle school just make Bug feel even more like an outsider, more uncomfortable in her own skin. Between the messages from beyond the grave and the strange dreams Bug is having, it seems a change is brewing...one that is bigger than just moving up to middle school.
I don't want to give too much away...but this did win a Stonewall award, so you know it deals with LGTBQ issues. This book is tender and affirming and made me smile with joy at the end--so much so, that I almost forgot I read it for the ghost story.
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