Day’s YA: INTO THE LIGHT

INTO THE LIGHT by Mark Oshiro
9781250812254
3/28/2023
Tor Teen
Ages 13-18

E-galley available on Edelweiss

“We are trying to strip all evils out of you.” 

Manny and his sister Elena grew up in the foster care system, bouncing from house to house. Until the day the Sullivans came into their life and adopted them out of the blue. Things seemed okay at first, until one night when Manny is caught sneaking out of the house, and the next thing he knows they’re on the road to a place called Reconciliation. At Reconciliation, Manny meets families that look eerily like his: white parents, Black and Brown children. All adopted. 

When we meet Manny, he’s been on the run for a year after being cast out from his family and Reconciliation. Eventually, he joins the Varela family (and their cute and grumpy son, Carlos), who are on a journey of their own, and begins traveling through the American Southwest with them. When he sees on the news that a body has been found near Reconciliation, he fears it might be his sister, so Manny and the Varelas travel back to Reconciliation with the hopes of finding out if Elena is still alive. Along the way, Manny will face his deepest fears and learn the dark truth about what really happens at Reconciliation, as well as the truth about who he is.

I tore through INTO THE LIGHT so fast I’m surprised I didn’t rip any pages. I was just as desperate to learn the truth as Manny was. Told through a combination of flashbacks and present-day chapters, the two eventually come together to reveal a surprising and emotional ending that you’ll never see coming. Oshiro’s writing is stunning, and this gut-wrenching story will resonate with readers who enjoyed the social commentary, complex characters, and family dynamics in GROWN by Tiffany D. Jackson, THE PROJECT by Courtney Summers, or FAMILY OF LIARS by E. Lockhart.

“In its gripping and raw exploration of white saviorism and the predatory ways white adults in positions of power are able to endanger children of color, this mystery’s proximity to reality is viscerally nauseating, a testament to the author’s skill . . . An important and searing read on the value of family, agency, and belief. “ —Kirkus Reviews, starred review

If you’d like to hear Mark talk about INTO THE LIGHT, check out our Winter 2023 Librarian Preview know more!

Happy reading!
<3 Emily

YA Resources:
2023 Books for Teens
Day’s YA Archives
2023 Adult Books for Teens