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Into the Light
Hidden Secrets Always Come to Light.
Award-winning author Mark Oshiro (Anger is a Gift) returns with a new contemporary coming-of-age novel laced with a twisty, dark mystery you’ll have to read to believe.
Manny lives by the rules—the rules that have kept him moving, kept him alive, and have helped him survive being thrust into adulthood long before he was ready. It’s been a year since breaking the rules got him cast out of his family. But the existence of an unidentified body found in the hills of Idyllwild, California is drawing him back to his deepest trauma because he may know who it is.
Eli lives for the future—he’s put his entire faith into the teachings that raised him: family, duty, and love. After all, obedience leads to deliverance from a harsh world into an eternal paradise. But why doesn’t Eli remember his past? What if he can’t escape the doubt that eats away at his foundation of belief?
For fans of Courtney Summers and Tiffany Jackson—Into the Light is a thrilling, ripped-from-the-headlines story about the traumas facing a nation and two young men caught in the crossfire of inherited pain and their crisis of faith, all with Oshiro’s signature mix of raw emotions and gorgeous depiction of queer resilience.
Award-winning author Mark Oshiro (Anger is a Gift) returns with a new contemporary coming-of-age novel laced with a twisty, dark mystery you’ll have to read to believe.
Manny lives by the rules—the rules that have kept him moving, kept him alive, and have helped him survive being thrust into adulthood long before he was ready. It’s been a year since breaking the rules got him cast out of his family. But the existence of an unidentified body found in the hills of Idyllwild, California is drawing him back to his deepest trauma because he may know who it is.
Eli lives for the future—he’s put his entire faith into the teachings that raised him: family, duty, and love. After all, obedience leads to deliverance from a harsh world into an eternal paradise. But why doesn’t Eli remember his past? What if he can’t escape the doubt that eats away at his foundation of belief?
For fans of Courtney Summers and Tiffany Jackson—Into the Light is a thrilling, ripped-from-the-headlines story about the traumas facing a nation and two young men caught in the crossfire of inherited pain and their crisis of faith, all with Oshiro’s signature mix of raw emotions and gorgeous depiction of queer resilience.
13 pages, Audiobook
First published March 28, 2023
57 people are currently reading
13366 people want to read
About the author
Mark Oshiro
58 books1,362 followersMARK OSHIRO is the queer Latinx, Hugo-nominated writer of the online Mark Does Stuff universe (Mark Reads and Mark Watches), where he analyzes book and TV series. He was the nonfiction editor of Queers Destroy Science Fiction! and the co-editor of Speculative Fiction 2015, and is the President of the Con or Bust Board of Directors. When not writing/recording reviews or editing, Oshiro engages in social activism online and offline. Anger is a Gift is his debut YA contemporary fiction novel.
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March 28, 2023
Lie lie lie lie lie.
Imagine being a Latinx seventeen-year-old.
Imagine being gay.
Imagine being a foster kid.
Imagine being homeless and constantly on the move.
Imagine a community wanting to heal certain kids.
Imagine an unidentified body that might be your sister’s.
Just imagine …
Do you know that feeling when chills crawl over your skin from the moment you start reading? When the hairs on the back of your neck stand up, and you want to go inside that book and drag someone out desperately, and hold them tight because you want to protect them at any cost?
Into the Light is a heartbreaking, eerie mystery that tries to get hold of your body and mind until your whole being is fully consumed by it. The story gave me a constant feeling of uneasiness, and the tension throughout the novel was incredibly tangible. The writing is immediate and urgent, and I’d say that Mark Oshiro managed to let Benjamin Alire Sáenz’s blunt prose meet Zack Smedley’s talent for throwing snippets around and gluing them beautifully together. Add Lee Mandelo’s darkness and rawness, and the tone of Into the Light is set.
I liked Mark’s Anger is a Gift, but it didn’t touch me as much as I expected it would. This time Mark wrote a partly autobiographical book, and it shows. In the characters, in the atmosphere, in the writing. Into the Light feels like an intriguing, almost frantic sinister musical composition that pulls you in and washes over you, like an angry ocean with an undercurrent so strong you can’t do anything but follow. Just like Manny, Eli, Elena, and all the others had to follow.
I read and put my ereader down, staring into the distance, thinking, or doing something else to get rid of the building pressure inside my chest. But at the same time, I couldn’t let go. My eyes wandered back to my ereader, and I longed to read more of Manny’s story and wanted to know desperately what would happen to him, Eli, Elena, and Carlos. So, I picked up my ereader again, read some pages, put it down, and so on and on and on. And when I finally finished the story, I pushed that five-star button so very easily because this book is so, so, so good!
Be aware, though, that the topics in Into the Light are really heavy and confronting. So check out the trigger warnings if you think you might get triggered by this story. Besides, the structure, consisting of the present time, flashbacks, and Eli’s story, is far from linear. The heaviness and the structure make the book upper, upper YA, almost literary adult.
Lastly, I want to do a shout-out about the cover. It’s simply stunning. Creepy and soft and hopeful at the same time. Just like the story …
I received an ARC from Tor Teen and Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.
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Imagine being a Latinx seventeen-year-old.
Imagine being gay.
Imagine being a foster kid.
Imagine being homeless and constantly on the move.
Imagine a community wanting to heal certain kids.
Imagine an unidentified body that might be your sister’s.
Just imagine …
Do you know that feeling when chills crawl over your skin from the moment you start reading? When the hairs on the back of your neck stand up, and you want to go inside that book and drag someone out desperately, and hold them tight because you want to protect them at any cost?
Into the Light is a heartbreaking, eerie mystery that tries to get hold of your body and mind until your whole being is fully consumed by it. The story gave me a constant feeling of uneasiness, and the tension throughout the novel was incredibly tangible. The writing is immediate and urgent, and I’d say that Mark Oshiro managed to let Benjamin Alire Sáenz’s blunt prose meet Zack Smedley’s talent for throwing snippets around and gluing them beautifully together. Add Lee Mandelo’s darkness and rawness, and the tone of Into the Light is set.
I liked Mark’s Anger is a Gift, but it didn’t touch me as much as I expected it would. This time Mark wrote a partly autobiographical book, and it shows. In the characters, in the atmosphere, in the writing. Into the Light feels like an intriguing, almost frantic sinister musical composition that pulls you in and washes over you, like an angry ocean with an undercurrent so strong you can’t do anything but follow. Just like Manny, Eli, Elena, and all the others had to follow.
I read and put my ereader down, staring into the distance, thinking, or doing something else to get rid of the building pressure inside my chest. But at the same time, I couldn’t let go. My eyes wandered back to my ereader, and I longed to read more of Manny’s story and wanted to know desperately what would happen to him, Eli, Elena, and Carlos. So, I picked up my ereader again, read some pages, put it down, and so on and on and on. And when I finally finished the story, I pushed that five-star button so very easily because this book is so, so, so good!
Be aware, though, that the topics in Into the Light are really heavy and confronting. So check out the trigger warnings if you think you might get triggered by this story. Besides, the structure, consisting of the present time, flashbacks, and Eli’s story, is far from linear. The heaviness and the structure make the book upper, upper YA, almost literary adult.
Lastly, I want to do a shout-out about the cover. It’s simply stunning. Creepy and soft and hopeful at the same time. Just like the story …
I received an ARC from Tor Teen and Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.
Follow me on Instagram
March 12, 2023
Thanks to NetGalley & Tor Teen for an eARC of this book. The following review is my honest reflection on the text provided.
Into the Light totally had me. I was hooked and deeply absorbed and so fully on board. Until the ‘twist’. I think it was around 80% of the way through, and I just could not suspend disbelief to remain firmly on that ride.
The contrasting Manny and Eli narratives, the flashing backwards and forwards, the mysterious body - I could not get enough. Oshiro tells this story so well, giving just enough detail to keep you invested while withholding all the information you really want to know. I usually hate when authors do this, but it’s done so naturally and in a way that makes more sense to keep secrets than to share them. It makes you want to keep reading rather than making it feel like a lazy plot device.
While I wish the reveal near the end were more believable, it didn’t ruin how well-told this story was from beginning to end. The tension is consistent, and a sense of foreboding and uneasiness is present in both parts of this story. It feels like the answers are always just out of reach, but you don’t really want to reach for them because nothing here could end well. I can see how some people might love the surprise twist, but it ruined the tone of the book for me. The rest of Into the Light is so grounded in reality that I would’ve preferred that the explanation be similar.
I can’t go lower than four stars - this book probably deserves five stars for how well it describes Manny’s experience and the experiences of so many in the real world - but I can’t help but regret some of the choices made.
Review originally posted here on Britt's Book Blurbs.
Into the Light totally had me. I was hooked and deeply absorbed and so fully on board. Until the ‘twist’. I think it was around 80% of the way through, and I just could not suspend disbelief to remain firmly on that ride.
The contrasting Manny and Eli narratives, the flashing backwards and forwards, the mysterious body - I could not get enough. Oshiro tells this story so well, giving just enough detail to keep you invested while withholding all the information you really want to know. I usually hate when authors do this, but it’s done so naturally and in a way that makes more sense to keep secrets than to share them. It makes you want to keep reading rather than making it feel like a lazy plot device.
While I wish the reveal near the end were more believable, it didn’t ruin how well-told this story was from beginning to end. The tension is consistent, and a sense of foreboding and uneasiness is present in both parts of this story. It feels like the answers are always just out of reach, but you don’t really want to reach for them because nothing here could end well. I can see how some people might love the surprise twist, but it ruined the tone of the book for me. The rest of Into the Light is so grounded in reality that I would’ve preferred that the explanation be similar.
I can’t go lower than four stars - this book probably deserves five stars for how well it describes Manny’s experience and the experiences of so many in the real world - but I can’t help but regret some of the choices made.
Review originally posted here on Britt's Book Blurbs.
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October 9, 2024
third read
i would make a joke about “third time is the charm” but i have been charmed since the first read so that would be a lie lie lie
second read
even more distressing and fantastic the second time around
first read
Imagine being an emotionally distraught 23-year-old reading in a parking garage during a work trip and having to pretend this book didn’t just compromise my feelings in twenty different ways
*An ARC was provided by NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review*
i would make a joke about “third time is the charm” but i have been charmed since the first read so that would be a lie lie lie
second read
even more distressing and fantastic the second time around
first read
Imagine being an emotionally distraught 23-year-old reading in a parking garage during a work trip and having to pretend this book didn’t just compromise my feelings in twenty different ways
*An ARC was provided by NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review*
August 10, 2024
4.5 ⭐️
What I feel the whole time reading this: intensity, fear, horror, gloom, sadness, heartbreak, and terror. By the end, I was in tears.
This book may not be flawless, but it’s undeniably powerful, the kind of story that demands to be experienced once in this lifetime. If you’ve been debating whether to pick it up, let me assure you, it is absolutely worth your time.
“I fall asleep in someone’s arms for the first time in my life.”
The realism in this story is beyond compelling. The author did that so amazingly. Their research and personal experiences infuse the narrative of the story, making me as a reader feel seen, especially through the eyes of the MC, Manny. Though I am not as tough as Manny is. And it is chilling to know that this terrifying elements depicted in the book mirror our reality. Something all of us should ponder on.
I didn’t really believe them. God was another one of those ideas and concepts that worked for other people, but not for me. I’d prayed enough to him over the years, and he’d never responded, so I just. . . stopped.
Thank you, Mark Oshiro, for giving voice to these feelings through your writing.
“I only love you, Elena” that broke me 💔💔💔
What I feel the whole time reading this: intensity, fear, horror, gloom, sadness, heartbreak, and terror. By the end, I was in tears.
This book may not be flawless, but it’s undeniably powerful, the kind of story that demands to be experienced once in this lifetime. If you’ve been debating whether to pick it up, let me assure you, it is absolutely worth your time.
“I fall asleep in someone’s arms for the first time in my life.”
The realism in this story is beyond compelling. The author did that so amazingly. Their research and personal experiences infuse the narrative of the story, making me as a reader feel seen, especially through the eyes of the MC, Manny. Though I am not as tough as Manny is. And it is chilling to know that this terrifying elements depicted in the book mirror our reality. Something all of us should ponder on.
I didn’t really believe them. God was another one of those ideas and concepts that worked for other people, but not for me. I’d prayed enough to him over the years, and he’d never responded, so I just. . . stopped.
Thank you, Mark Oshiro, for giving voice to these feelings through your writing.
“I only love you, Elena” that broke me 💔💔💔
November 26, 2022
Many thanks to both Tor Teen and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review an early copy of Into the Light.
It’s been one year since Manny and his sister, Elena, were adopted. Only a month later, Manny was cast out of the family and driven into a wilderness area of Idyllwild. There, the reader first learns a little about the place called Reconciliation.
I was enthralled, whether reading about Manny and his travels with the Varela family, or when the book flipped back in time and told more about Reconciliation. I'm not going to lie. It was painful reading about Reconciliation.
As I said, I was enthralled ... for the first 80% of Into the Light. A solid five stars! Then the book had a "startling twist" and lost me. In my opinion, it rather diminished the impact of the book's first part. However! I wouldn't be surprised at all if the twist was the favorite part of the book for many readers.
It’s been one year since Manny and his sister, Elena, were adopted. Only a month later, Manny was cast out of the family and driven into a wilderness area of Idyllwild. There, the reader first learns a little about the place called Reconciliation.
I was enthralled, whether reading about Manny and his travels with the Varela family, or when the book flipped back in time and told more about Reconciliation. I'm not going to lie. It was painful reading about Reconciliation.
As I said, I was enthralled ... for the first 80% of Into the Light. A solid five stars! Then the book had a "startling twist" and lost me. In my opinion, it rather diminished the impact of the book's first part. However! I wouldn't be surprised at all if the twist was the favorite part of the book for many readers.
October 14, 2023
The non-linear storytelling here worked really well, and I felt like the tension slowly ramped up the entire book until I had a lot of trouble putting it down in the last third or so. Even knowing there was a twist, I didn't see precisely that coming, but in retrospect it makes perfect sense.
This is a heartbreaking story, but with hopeful notes. What makes it harder is that its drawn from Oshiro's own experiences, and the experiences of so many others, especially queer kids of colour. Definitely check out the trigger warnings before picking this up, because it is very focused on racism, queerphobia, child abuse, and religious abuse.
I went into this with high expectations and it definitely lived up to them.
This is a heartbreaking story, but with hopeful notes. What makes it harder is that its drawn from Oshiro's own experiences, and the experiences of so many others, especially queer kids of colour. Definitely check out the trigger warnings before picking this up, because it is very focused on racism, queerphobia, child abuse, and religious abuse.
I went into this with high expectations and it definitely lived up to them.
April 4, 2024
4.5 stars
This book was heavy.... amazing... but heavy. A little OTT towards the end, but overall I found it riveting. I can't really talk about it without giving spoilers because the backstory of the main character is revealed slowly throughout the book through flashbacks. Lots of trigger warnings in this! Very accurate portrayal of It does have an uplifting ending.
This book was heavy.... amazing... but heavy. A little OTT towards the end, but overall I found it riveting. I can't really talk about it without giving spoilers because the backstory of the main character is revealed slowly throughout the book through flashbacks. Lots of trigger warnings in this! Very accurate portrayal of It does have an uplifting ending.
January 12, 2023
Unfortunately, this was not the book for me. The nonlinear narrative didn't build the suspense or attachment to the characters, and it was by far the biggest obstacle to my enjoyment of the book. In addition to the extremely short paragraphs, jumping between past and present made the story feel choppy. I read it pretty fast, which I guess is a good thing. I absolutely despised the twist, and I don't think it was delicately foreshadowed. Beautiful cover, though.
ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
October 12, 2023
god i stress shed so much hair reading this
January 22, 2023
Oh wow. Ow. Wow and ow. Mark Oshiro called this their most “didactic” book, and I do agree that going into this story, you should be mentally prepared for a processing of the deepest kind of queer teen/adopted kid trauma. This book is so scary and beautiful and frustrating and special. It will change you.
April 3, 2023
I received an ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
4.5 stars, rounded up.
From page one, I was completely engrossed. It's the story of Manny, a gay, latinx orphan who is currently homeless, travelling from place to place by hitching rides with strangers, and doing odd jobs just to survive. How Manny got there is told in flashbacks of the past woven seamlessly with the present.
I don't really want to reveal too much about the story, because I enjoyed piecing things together, as the flashbacks and the current day story came together.
I've been a fan of Mark Oshiro's for a few years now, discovering them first from their blogs, and now reading their novels. From what they've said about their own childhood experiences, I can tell how personal and powerful this story is.
I really only had one issue with it.
4.5 stars, rounded up.
From page one, I was completely engrossed. It's the story of Manny, a gay, latinx orphan who is currently homeless, travelling from place to place by hitching rides with strangers, and doing odd jobs just to survive. How Manny got there is told in flashbacks of the past woven seamlessly with the present.
I don't really want to reveal too much about the story, because I enjoyed piecing things together, as the flashbacks and the current day story came together.
I've been a fan of Mark Oshiro's for a few years now, discovering them first from their blogs, and now reading their novels. From what they've said about their own childhood experiences, I can tell how personal and powerful this story is.
I really only had one issue with it.
February 23, 2023
Super engaging, stressful, hopeful story about a homeless queer kid in California trying to get back to the evangelical Christian cult he left behind so that he can find out if his sister, who stayed, is the dead body that’s been discovered in the woods outside the cult facility.
I loved how grounded this book felt in Manny’s perspective, as well as how nuanced its portrayal of religious abuse is - usually if a book is about this it’s about one *particular* bad group, whereas this book felt much more realistic to the current US… state of being… in its depiction of the way these groups can pop up out of nowhere (or Youtube, as the case may be) and be based in nothing, and therefore are totally malleable to whoever is in charge… and meanwhile the same thing can be happening in just a slightly different form right down the road. The interracial adoption element was also chillingly realistic.
So this is a (lightly supernatural) thriller! It’s funny, I requested this ARC because I liked Anger Is a Gift - contemporary YA about police brutality in SF - and I read the author’s recap blogs back in the day (so thanks to him for turning me onto a cool, up and coming author named NK Jemisin haha) and I honestly expected this to be more contemporary YA, or maybe fantasy? But this book is definitely a thriller - I read it in one sitting because I *needed* to know what was going to happen, which pretty much says it all. (Okay I did have to “work” at my “job” for a bit in between chapters.) I will say that like 90+% of thrillers, imo it gets a little shaky at the end - the build-up is almost always better than the reveal - but like a good thriller, the build-up was so good it didn’t really matter… and the very very end? Is fantastic.
I loved how grounded this book felt in Manny’s perspective, as well as how nuanced its portrayal of religious abuse is - usually if a book is about this it’s about one *particular* bad group, whereas this book felt much more realistic to the current US… state of being… in its depiction of the way these groups can pop up out of nowhere (or Youtube, as the case may be) and be based in nothing, and therefore are totally malleable to whoever is in charge… and meanwhile the same thing can be happening in just a slightly different form right down the road. The interracial adoption element was also chillingly realistic.
So this is a (lightly supernatural) thriller! It’s funny, I requested this ARC because I liked Anger Is a Gift - contemporary YA about police brutality in SF - and I read the author’s recap blogs back in the day (so thanks to him for turning me onto a cool, up and coming author named NK Jemisin haha) and I honestly expected this to be more contemporary YA, or maybe fantasy? But this book is definitely a thriller - I read it in one sitting because I *needed* to know what was going to happen, which pretty much says it all. (Okay I did have to “work” at my “job” for a bit in between chapters.) I will say that like 90+% of thrillers, imo it gets a little shaky at the end - the build-up is almost always better than the reveal - but like a good thriller, the build-up was so good it didn’t really matter… and the very very end? Is fantastic.
June 1, 2023
2.5 Rounded Down
This book is a mess, and the fact that it was rewritten three times shows. Despite being 400+ pages long there’s a ton in here that’s underdeveloped and/or glossed over.
There are glimmers of something really special here, especially in the found family dynamic and examples of what a healthy dialogue should look like among family, as well as body positive love. Mostly though, this just feels really juvenile, which is no longer something I’m willing to blame on it being a YA novel.
Also, I guess the twist, with the exception of one detail, super early on, and it’s just not really a good one? And the way it comes about is just so plopped in with not a single shred of realistic reaction from the (non-deluded) characters at its reveal. It especially sticks out as the only supernatural thing in an otherwise very grounded book, which would be fine…if it were done better.
Overall, I think this book just needed heavy structural, narrative, and line-level edits (there’s a ton of clichéd writing). Again, there’s good stuff here, and this was honestly mostly a four star read for the first 200 or so pages. One scene early on in particular between Manny (the MC) and an older man who gives him help made me tear up because it was so sweet. BUT that’s also really where this book peaked for me.
I ~might~ read more of Oshiro’s work (I was really excited for their book with Rick Riordan). I’d especially be interested if they were to release a memoir, but for now this is going back on the shelf.
This book is a mess, and the fact that it was rewritten three times shows. Despite being 400+ pages long there’s a ton in here that’s underdeveloped and/or glossed over.
There are glimmers of something really special here, especially in the found family dynamic and examples of what a healthy dialogue should look like among family, as well as body positive love. Mostly though, this just feels really juvenile, which is no longer something I’m willing to blame on it being a YA novel.
Also, I guess the twist, with the exception of one detail, super early on, and it’s just not really a good one? And the way it comes about is just so plopped in with not a single shred of realistic reaction from the (non-deluded) characters at its reveal. It especially sticks out as the only supernatural thing in an otherwise very grounded book, which would be fine…if it were done better.
Overall, I think this book just needed heavy structural, narrative, and line-level edits (there’s a ton of clichéd writing). Again, there’s good stuff here, and this was honestly mostly a four star read for the first 200 or so pages. One scene early on in particular between Manny (the MC) and an older man who gives him help made me tear up because it was so sweet. BUT that’s also really where this book peaked for me.
I ~might~ read more of Oshiro’s work (I was really excited for their book with Rick Riordan). I’d especially be interested if they were to release a memoir, but for now this is going back on the shelf.
April 10, 2023
4 stars
Ugggggh this book. It broke me. It’s just so well written and so real and then the “twist” happened and it I won’t say it lost me cause it was still well written but it was different. And then I guess there was nowhere to go but where it went but I just wasn’t with it in the same way. It just didn’t work for me.
Ugggggh this book. It broke me. It’s just so well written and so real and then the “twist” happened and it I won’t say it lost me cause it was still well written but it was different. And then I guess there was nowhere to go but where it went but I just wasn’t with it in the same way. It just didn’t work for me.
April 18, 2023
I truly enjoyed the time I spent with this book. It was a quick read, but it covered a lot.
Part road-trip / journey, part coming-of-age, and part mystery, this was a fantastic book that explored incredibly important topics. Identity, violence, abuse, gaslighting, religion, and trauma -- and how all of those topics frequently intersect. Throw in the broken foster-care system, and that intersection became even more complicated.
The writing was outstanding, and Manny was an excellent protagonist. My heart ached for him throughout the course of the book and I wanted better for him. In many ways, he is a symbol of the pain that queer adolescents experience, and a testament to what happens in the absence of love and support. Watching his growth -- developing from a self-loathing and lonely kid into a survivor who believes he may deserve to be loved after all -- was beautiful.
My main criticism -- The ending lost me a bit when it turned supernatural. For much of the book, I was under the impression of there being amnesia, repression, etc. at work -- and I think that would've been so great to explore further.
When the reality turned out to be supernatural -- a near-clone created from Manny -- I was a bit let down. It took away from the reality of what appeared to be a completely plausible story. Cults exist in the world. People can be brainwashed into believing absolutely insane things. And trauma can push people towards believing those narratives. So, this revelation, once I understood it, felt a bit disappointing.
The ending felt abrupt in the sense that I thought we'd get a bit more closure as to the aftermath of their visit to Reconciliation rather than leaving off right there. That's not to say the ending wasn't impactful, because it was.
But overall, this book was a triumph. It succeeded in making the statements that it set out to make. It did so through beautiful writing / prose, and through the perspective of a character that you were rooting for from page 1. Would highly recommend for those seeking a fast-paced mystery that tackles issues that need to be highlighted in our current climate.
Big thank you to Netgalley for the advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!
P.S. -- can we talk about this cover?! Absolutely beautiful and such a great portrayal of the plot itself.
Part road-trip / journey, part coming-of-age, and part mystery, this was a fantastic book that explored incredibly important topics. Identity, violence, abuse, gaslighting, religion, and trauma -- and how all of those topics frequently intersect. Throw in the broken foster-care system, and that intersection became even more complicated.
The writing was outstanding, and Manny was an excellent protagonist. My heart ached for him throughout the course of the book and I wanted better for him. In many ways, he is a symbol of the pain that queer adolescents experience, and a testament to what happens in the absence of love and support. Watching his growth -- developing from a self-loathing and lonely kid into a survivor who believes he may deserve to be loved after all -- was beautiful.
My main criticism -- The ending lost me a bit when it turned supernatural. For much of the book, I was under the impression of there being amnesia, repression, etc. at work -- and I think that would've been so great to explore further.
When the reality turned out to be supernatural -- a near-clone created from Manny -- I was a bit let down. It took away from the reality of what appeared to be a completely plausible story. Cults exist in the world. People can be brainwashed into believing absolutely insane things. And trauma can push people towards believing those narratives. So, this revelation, once I understood it, felt a bit disappointing.
The ending felt abrupt in the sense that I thought we'd get a bit more closure as to the aftermath of their visit to Reconciliation rather than leaving off right there. That's not to say the ending wasn't impactful, because it was.
But overall, this book was a triumph. It succeeded in making the statements that it set out to make. It did so through beautiful writing / prose, and through the perspective of a character that you were rooting for from page 1. Would highly recommend for those seeking a fast-paced mystery that tackles issues that need to be highlighted in our current climate.
Big thank you to Netgalley for the advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!
P.S. -- can we talk about this cover?! Absolutely beautiful and such a great portrayal of the plot itself.
March 30, 2023
Kinda a 3.5-ish for me personally because it's about religious trauma and that's one trauma I do not actually have lmaooo so it did not hit the way it ought to have
But we have our MC, Manny, who is a homeless teen after some unknown event went down in his household. He's been on the streets for a year and he has a goal of finding his sister, who is still in the place he was kicked out of, and getting her out with him. Turns out she's at some kind of religious cult, which is where he was.
He's been traveling with a family of three for the past few weeks, a set of parents and their teen son, and he feels like a burden on them even though they've made it clear he isn't. He grapples with leaving them and staying with them, and deciding if he should share his mission with them, and how much of it he should. He grew up in a series of shitty foster homes and then of course had the one very bad family situation so he's not used to having a family unit he can trust or feel secure in.
I really liked Manny and reading from his point of view was good!! He was obviously very traumatized but also stayed *relatively* optimistic in the face of everything. The story gathers a little speed once it comes to light that a body has been found at the religious cult - which finally lets Manny know WHERE it is, and also has him under extreme stress wondering if the body belongs to his sister.
It's on the longer side but it's told in a pretty quick way. There are flashbacks to Manny's life before, as well as an occasional POV from a boy who still lives at the compound.
The religious parts are sad - the church is basically made of white parent groups who have adopted minority kids, mostly queer, and are trying to sorta turn them into the perfect Christian child, which is like, symbolic to the point that I don't even fully understand it because I don't identify with any of the groups, even the church side.
It was definitely worth the read, and it makes me wanna read more Mark Oshiro!!
But we have our MC, Manny, who is a homeless teen after some unknown event went down in his household. He's been on the streets for a year and he has a goal of finding his sister, who is still in the place he was kicked out of, and getting her out with him. Turns out she's at some kind of religious cult, which is where he was.
He's been traveling with a family of three for the past few weeks, a set of parents and their teen son, and he feels like a burden on them even though they've made it clear he isn't. He grapples with leaving them and staying with them, and deciding if he should share his mission with them, and how much of it he should. He grew up in a series of shitty foster homes and then of course had the one very bad family situation so he's not used to having a family unit he can trust or feel secure in.
I really liked Manny and reading from his point of view was good!! He was obviously very traumatized but also stayed *relatively* optimistic in the face of everything. The story gathers a little speed once it comes to light that a body has been found at the religious cult - which finally lets Manny know WHERE it is, and also has him under extreme stress wondering if the body belongs to his sister.
It's on the longer side but it's told in a pretty quick way. There are flashbacks to Manny's life before, as well as an occasional POV from a boy who still lives at the compound.
The religious parts are sad - the church is basically made of white parent groups who have adopted minority kids, mostly queer, and are trying to sorta turn them into the perfect Christian child, which is like, symbolic to the point that I don't even fully understand it because I don't identify with any of the groups, even the church side.
It was definitely worth the read, and it makes me wanna read more Mark Oshiro!!
January 10, 2023
Thanks to NetGalley for the early copy!
Ever since reading Anger is a Gift, I have admired Mark Oshiro for his writing style. He writes dark and horrible events in a way that makes it feel even worse than it already is. He excels at writing haunting stories that make one feel uncomfortable yet effective in every way possible. He isn't afraid to shy away from how vile the world is.
Many of these elements are present in Into the Light, and it is paired with an element of mystery that keeps the reader guessing. And oh, does it keep you guessing. There are so many instances were I thought that answers were finally going to be given, only for the perspective to change the next page and leave me waiting once again. But the story works well, in that sense. It slowly builds up the characters and plot as more details are revealed, both ones that craft these characters into complex people, and plot elements that continue to haunt the reader.
However, it is when the hinted at twist comes in that the story starts to wavier for me. The twist seemingly comes from out of no where, with no build up or hints leading up to it. And it is disappointing, quite honestly. It feels like a cop out; like Oshiro couldn't possibly come up with another explanation for everything that has happened up to that point. But I feel like Oshiro is more than capable of doing so, and it leaves me questioning this twist. Perhaps it is a metaphor that I haven't caught onto yet, or something else of that nature. But no matter the reasoning, it was a decision that is controversial, and I can't say that I am a fan of it.
Regardless, the good elements of this book are still there, so it is hard for me to not recommend it based solely on that. Casting the questionable plot twist aside, this is still Oshiro's dark but potent writing, and it will leave your heart racing at every turn of page.
Ever since reading Anger is a Gift, I have admired Mark Oshiro for his writing style. He writes dark and horrible events in a way that makes it feel even worse than it already is. He excels at writing haunting stories that make one feel uncomfortable yet effective in every way possible. He isn't afraid to shy away from how vile the world is.
Many of these elements are present in Into the Light, and it is paired with an element of mystery that keeps the reader guessing. And oh, does it keep you guessing. There are so many instances were I thought that answers were finally going to be given, only for the perspective to change the next page and leave me waiting once again. But the story works well, in that sense. It slowly builds up the characters and plot as more details are revealed, both ones that craft these characters into complex people, and plot elements that continue to haunt the reader.
However, it is when the hinted at twist comes in that the story starts to wavier for me. The twist seemingly comes from out of no where, with no build up or hints leading up to it. And it is disappointing, quite honestly. It feels like a cop out; like Oshiro couldn't possibly come up with another explanation for everything that has happened up to that point. But I feel like Oshiro is more than capable of doing so, and it leaves me questioning this twist. Perhaps it is a metaphor that I haven't caught onto yet, or something else of that nature. But no matter the reasoning, it was a decision that is controversial, and I can't say that I am a fan of it.
Regardless, the good elements of this book are still there, so it is hard for me to not recommend it based solely on that. Casting the questionable plot twist aside, this is still Oshiro's dark but potent writing, and it will leave your heart racing at every turn of page.
October 25, 2022
I’ve felt this before.
I think we all have.
Alone.
Secluded.
I’ve been Manny.
Running fast towards nowhere.
It’s true, in this world if you do not fit the mold then sometimes there is no where to fit. I realized this is what manny struggled with and I’m sure he secretly hoped that even though he was lost that he would be found; loved. But he’d already scarified so much of himself for what he believed was love, could be love.
Elena.
His sister; the the only person in his life that gave him validation, made him feel real, and useful in this world had put so much distance between them and manny had lost all that he was trying to shorten that distance.
He’d lost himself
He’d lost his sister
He’d lost his hope.
But he was determined to get it all back. All he had to do was break a couple more rules.
I think we all have.
Alone.
Secluded.
I’ve been Manny.
Running fast towards nowhere.
It’s true, in this world if you do not fit the mold then sometimes there is no where to fit. I realized this is what manny struggled with and I’m sure he secretly hoped that even though he was lost that he would be found; loved. But he’d already scarified so much of himself for what he believed was love, could be love.
Elena.
His sister; the the only person in his life that gave him validation, made him feel real, and useful in this world had put so much distance between them and manny had lost all that he was trying to shorten that distance.
He’d lost himself
He’d lost his sister
He’d lost his hope.
But he was determined to get it all back. All he had to do was break a couple more rules.
July 8, 2025
4.5 -
Thank you TOR for the arc + chance to read and review this novel.
(Finally finishing my thoughts on this, a year later??)
This was such a page-turner. I think I read it in one sitting, on the edge of my seat the whole time, and I’m so thankful for the chance to have read this as an ARC because it’s not something I would’ve been aware of/picked up otherwise. Anyway, the fact that I’m still thinking about it a year and a bit later should tell you how worth the read this book is!!
2025 addition: just as good on reread as it was the first time! such an important, and impactful, book.
Thank you TOR for the arc + chance to read and review this novel.
(Finally finishing my thoughts on this, a year later??)
This was such a page-turner. I think I read it in one sitting, on the edge of my seat the whole time, and I’m so thankful for the chance to have read this as an ARC because it’s not something I would’ve been aware of/picked up otherwise. Anyway, the fact that I’m still thinking about it a year and a bit later should tell you how worth the read this book is!!
2025 addition: just as good on reread as it was the first time! such an important, and impactful, book.
June 19, 2024
4,5*
(DEUTSCH WEITER UNTEN)
This book touched me on a level that I hadn’t expected before.
Again, we have a book where I didn’t even know what I was expecting - where I could barely remember the content description. :‘D oh, I love that.
„Into the Light“ hurt. It was raw and honest, just like a sharp pebble in your shoe that won’t go away no matter how many times you shake out your shoes. Unpleasant. Just unpleasant.
Eli and Manny’s story made me angry and sad. Showed once again how disgusting (but also beautiful!) the world can be to children (people in general).
I was also captivated by the writing style and the storytelling in general (by which I also mean the page layout). The book was incredibly intense and really sucked me in.
I really didn’t need the twist that was teased at the back of the book. I understand what it’s supposed to do and what it stands for, but somehow it still wasn’t my cup of tea. (I can’t say any more about it here, otherwise I’d be spoiling it).
The ending was also a bit hectic after so much time was taken with everything before it. And I really enjoyed the „taking your time“.
Nevertheless, I can only recommend the book to everyone, it really touched me deeply.
(DEUTSCH)
Dieses Buch hat mich auf einer Ebene berührt, die ich vorher nicht erwartet hatte.
Auch hier haben wir wieder ein Buch, bei dem ich gar nicht mehr wusste, was ich erwartet hatte – bei dem ich mich kaum noch an die Inhaltsbeschreibung erinnern konnte. :’D hach, ich liebe sowas.
„Into the Light“ hat wehgetan. Es war rau und ehrlich, einfach wie ein spitzer Kieselstein im Schuh, der nicht verschwindet, egal wie oft man sich die Botten ausklopft. Unangenehm. Einfach nur unangenehm.
Die Geschichte von Eli und Manny hat mich wütend und traurig gemacht. Hat wieder einmal gezeigt, wie ekelhaft (aber auch schön!) die Welt zu Kindern (Menschen generell) sein kann.
Auch der Schreibstil und generell die Art zu erzählen (damit meine ich auch den Seitenaufbau) hat mich mitgerissen. Das Buch war unglaublich intensiv und hat mich so richtig in sich reingezogen.
Den Twist, der bereits hinten auf dem Buch angeteasert wurde, hätte ich tatsächlich nicht gebraucht. Ich verstehe, was er auslösen soll und wofür er steht, aber irgendwie war es dennoch nicht so meins. (Kann hier nicht mehr dazu sagen, da ich sonst spoilern würde.)
Auch war das Ende dann irgendwie ein wenig hektisch, nachdem sich mit allem davor so viel Zeit gelassen wurde. Und ich habe das „sich Zeit lassen“ sehr genossen.
Dennoch kann ich das Buch nur jedem ans Herz legen, es hat mich wirklich tief berührt.
(DEUTSCH WEITER UNTEN)
This book touched me on a level that I hadn’t expected before.
Again, we have a book where I didn’t even know what I was expecting - where I could barely remember the content description. :‘D oh, I love that.
„Into the Light“ hurt. It was raw and honest, just like a sharp pebble in your shoe that won’t go away no matter how many times you shake out your shoes. Unpleasant. Just unpleasant.
Eli and Manny’s story made me angry and sad. Showed once again how disgusting (but also beautiful!) the world can be to children (people in general).
I was also captivated by the writing style and the storytelling in general (by which I also mean the page layout). The book was incredibly intense and really sucked me in.
I really didn’t need the twist that was teased at the back of the book. I understand what it’s supposed to do and what it stands for, but somehow it still wasn’t my cup of tea. (I can’t say any more about it here, otherwise I’d be spoiling it).
The ending was also a bit hectic after so much time was taken with everything before it. And I really enjoyed the „taking your time“.
Nevertheless, I can only recommend the book to everyone, it really touched me deeply.
(DEUTSCH)
Dieses Buch hat mich auf einer Ebene berührt, die ich vorher nicht erwartet hatte.
Auch hier haben wir wieder ein Buch, bei dem ich gar nicht mehr wusste, was ich erwartet hatte – bei dem ich mich kaum noch an die Inhaltsbeschreibung erinnern konnte. :’D hach, ich liebe sowas.
„Into the Light“ hat wehgetan. Es war rau und ehrlich, einfach wie ein spitzer Kieselstein im Schuh, der nicht verschwindet, egal wie oft man sich die Botten ausklopft. Unangenehm. Einfach nur unangenehm.
Die Geschichte von Eli und Manny hat mich wütend und traurig gemacht. Hat wieder einmal gezeigt, wie ekelhaft (aber auch schön!) die Welt zu Kindern (Menschen generell) sein kann.
Auch der Schreibstil und generell die Art zu erzählen (damit meine ich auch den Seitenaufbau) hat mich mitgerissen. Das Buch war unglaublich intensiv und hat mich so richtig in sich reingezogen.
Den Twist, der bereits hinten auf dem Buch angeteasert wurde, hätte ich tatsächlich nicht gebraucht. Ich verstehe, was er auslösen soll und wofür er steht, aber irgendwie war es dennoch nicht so meins. (Kann hier nicht mehr dazu sagen, da ich sonst spoilern würde.)
Auch war das Ende dann irgendwie ein wenig hektisch, nachdem sich mit allem davor so viel Zeit gelassen wurde. Und ich habe das „sich Zeit lassen“ sehr genossen.
Dennoch kann ich das Buch nur jedem ans Herz legen, es hat mich wirklich tief berührt.
February 14, 2024
Okay so, I really loved this book. It was easy to get through, very captivating, and relation to the characters came easy. The queer representation was great, and the story focused a lot on problems homeless teens and adults have to face today, which really brought light to a lot of issues most people don't even think about.
My only problem: the "twist"?? I expected something to happen, especially with how the point of views were built up, but this was confusing. It didn't even make sense? Everything was normal and realistic up until that point and honestly it frustrated me.
It was too real that it couldn't have even been metaphorical. So I just didn't understand why the author chose that route. And everyone was just...too normal about it??
I get these people deal with kids like Manny all the time but, to find that out? I think any regular person would not be willing to enter that situation.
The book was good, and I won't let the end entirely change the enjoyment and amount of emotions I felt during the story. It was well written, showed a wonderfull story, and represented the dark parts of life that a lot of people, especially queer kids, face daily. It has a lot of good messages, I just think that the story got lost along the way.
I'm all for religious cults, religious trauma, etc. But when it becomes a little too unrealistic, it doesn't feel like a relatable story anymore and very easily becomes something the reader can become disconnected from.
Overall, very good read and I would recommend it. But don't go in expecting everything to play out nicely because..you'll definitely expect more
My only problem: the "twist"?? I expected something to happen, especially with how the point of views were built up, but this was confusing. It didn't even make sense? Everything was normal and realistic up until that point and honestly it frustrated me.
It was too real that it couldn't have even been metaphorical. So I just didn't understand why the author chose that route. And everyone was just...too normal about it??
I get these people deal with kids like Manny all the time but, to find that out? I think any regular person would not be willing to enter that situation.
The book was good, and I won't let the end entirely change the enjoyment and amount of emotions I felt during the story. It was well written, showed a wonderfull story, and represented the dark parts of life that a lot of people, especially queer kids, face daily. It has a lot of good messages, I just think that the story got lost along the way.
I'm all for religious cults, religious trauma, etc. But when it becomes a little too unrealistic, it doesn't feel like a relatable story anymore and very easily becomes something the reader can become disconnected from.
Overall, very good read and I would recommend it. But don't go in expecting everything to play out nicely because..you'll definitely expect more
Read
May 8, 2024Into the Light is a book that comes to you in three parts: Manny present, Manny past, and Eli present. But the truth of the structure is between the lines, hidden like Manny conceals himself. The twist builds gradually, with foreshadowing that reveals to you the answer before leading you down the garden path to rethink what you believe you know. That there are so many plausible culprits for the body in the woods is precisely the point. Any one of the adults involved in the funneling of minority children to a extremist cult could be directly responsible. But the only way to find out is to listen.
The structure of the story forces you to listen to Manny, a child who's been abandoned, ignored, and made invisible his whole life. He's never been heard before.
The book is technically and emotionally brilliant.
Non-linear with POV demarcated by changes in font, it's a subtle and visceral book excoriating the racism of Christian Nationalism in the U.S., how it's permeated out systems and ensured their inadequacy. There's a difference between adults who seek to empower children and adults who seek to overpower children. This book has both. Children are people too, not mere reservoirs for adult egos.
There's a lot of sadness and trauma and hope and healing in the book, and it's well worth a read.
The structure of the story forces you to listen to Manny, a child who's been abandoned, ignored, and made invisible his whole life. He's never been heard before.
The book is technically and emotionally brilliant.
Non-linear with POV demarcated by changes in font, it's a subtle and visceral book excoriating the racism of Christian Nationalism in the U.S., how it's permeated out systems and ensured their inadequacy. There's a difference between adults who seek to empower children and adults who seek to overpower children. This book has both. Children are people too, not mere reservoirs for adult egos.
There's a lot of sadness and trauma and hope and healing in the book, and it's well worth a read.
January 6, 2023
What a beautifully written coming of age story of both devastation and hope. I think a lot of people will be able to find a little bit of themselves in this story, and perhaps not always in a good way, yet somehow in a healthy way. The traumas experienced by children here are written in a hard hitting way, as they should be, but with a masterfully delicate hand.
This story takes us through Manny’s life as a homeless teenaged boy who has been brutally disowned by America’s foster care system in horrendous ways that are slowly revealed throughout the book. In his early years, at least he had his sister by his side while moving from one foster home to the next but eventually lost her to the religious cult he was outcast from. Now he fears for her life and wants to save her, but doesn’t have means or knowledge to do so. We’re taken on both a heartwarming and heartbreaking journey as he attempts to cling to the one thing he feels he has left as he himself learns what it means to trust and to love.
Both adoption and religion are not big things in my country and while I do have a small connection to the US via family, it’s hard for me to understand the atrocities that can happen in what the rest of the world generally considers a very well-to-do country. Such cruelty happens everywhere, but it’s still hard for me to reconcile and justify what can and does happen there. This story, while a work of fiction, helped me understand some of that.
Another thing is that sometimes I pick up YA fiction and slide into it easily; this book was definitely one of those. But there are a few where unfortunately where I can tell that I’m just not the right target demographic. I feel that this however can easily be enjoyed by ages older than beyond the young adult genre it’s listed in. The author again is delicate with words but they hit hard where they need to, and a bit softer where warranted. I feel it’s masterfully written and am interested to see where Mark Oshiro will take us in future stories. An easy 5 star novel from me.
A huge thanks to NetGalley and Tor for giving me this ARC in exchange for an unbiased review!
This story takes us through Manny’s life as a homeless teenaged boy who has been brutally disowned by America’s foster care system in horrendous ways that are slowly revealed throughout the book. In his early years, at least he had his sister by his side while moving from one foster home to the next but eventually lost her to the religious cult he was outcast from. Now he fears for her life and wants to save her, but doesn’t have means or knowledge to do so. We’re taken on both a heartwarming and heartbreaking journey as he attempts to cling to the one thing he feels he has left as he himself learns what it means to trust and to love.
Both adoption and religion are not big things in my country and while I do have a small connection to the US via family, it’s hard for me to understand the atrocities that can happen in what the rest of the world generally considers a very well-to-do country. Such cruelty happens everywhere, but it’s still hard for me to reconcile and justify what can and does happen there. This story, while a work of fiction, helped me understand some of that.
Another thing is that sometimes I pick up YA fiction and slide into it easily; this book was definitely one of those. But there are a few where unfortunately where I can tell that I’m just not the right target demographic. I feel that this however can easily be enjoyed by ages older than beyond the young adult genre it’s listed in. The author again is delicate with words but they hit hard where they need to, and a bit softer where warranted. I feel it’s masterfully written and am interested to see where Mark Oshiro will take us in future stories. An easy 5 star novel from me.
A huge thanks to NetGalley and Tor for giving me this ARC in exchange for an unbiased review!
May 4, 2023
Wow! I mean… WOOOOOW! I don’t know if it’s a flaw within me that makes me so incredibly fascinated by cults, but I can’t help it. I know that I could very easily be talked into devoting everything to a really charismatic man. So maybe that’s why I’m so intrigued by the thought of how so many people get trapped by nothing more than an idea. Now mix into that what very clearly feels like conversion therapy without calling it that and you get Into the Light.
Manny is a queer homeless teenager, having spent the last year on the streets after being kicked out of his home. It takes a large portion of the book to find out exactly why, but when you do, it’s mind blowing! When he sees the news reporting that a body has been found near his old “home,” he realizes it’s time to go back.
Eli and his sister (Elena) were adopted into a family that lives in the middle of nowhere. They have a very strict set of rules and if they aren’t followed, they’re sent to a school for problematic cases. Elena is the golden child who only wants to find happiness in her new surroundings and family. Where as Eli has forgotten his past completely, but begins questioning his new home… and they really don’t like being questioned.
We’re taken back and forth from both character’s POV, giving us the complete picture of what’s happening. Little by little, we piece together the mystery surrounding what can only be described as a cult and the school for problematic cases is their version of conversion therapy. It’s disturbing, because you can literally see the story being ripped from the headlines even though this is fiction.
I really loved the family that took Manny in, the Varela’s, especially their son, Carlos. We definitely needed a cute love interest for him that had his best interest at heart. They were there to help him find what he was looking for without forcing him to do or talk about something he wasn’t comfortable with. Seeing as how a lot of the book deals with the effects of the things he’s forced to endure and his mental health resulting from that, we really needed that loving character to be his rock.
4.5 ⭐️
Manny is a queer homeless teenager, having spent the last year on the streets after being kicked out of his home. It takes a large portion of the book to find out exactly why, but when you do, it’s mind blowing! When he sees the news reporting that a body has been found near his old “home,” he realizes it’s time to go back.
Eli and his sister (Elena) were adopted into a family that lives in the middle of nowhere. They have a very strict set of rules and if they aren’t followed, they’re sent to a school for problematic cases. Elena is the golden child who only wants to find happiness in her new surroundings and family. Where as Eli has forgotten his past completely, but begins questioning his new home… and they really don’t like being questioned.
We’re taken back and forth from both character’s POV, giving us the complete picture of what’s happening. Little by little, we piece together the mystery surrounding what can only be described as a cult and the school for problematic cases is their version of conversion therapy. It’s disturbing, because you can literally see the story being ripped from the headlines even though this is fiction.
I really loved the family that took Manny in, the Varela’s, especially their son, Carlos. We definitely needed a cute love interest for him that had his best interest at heart. They were there to help him find what he was looking for without forcing him to do or talk about something he wasn’t comfortable with. Seeing as how a lot of the book deals with the effects of the things he’s forced to endure and his mental health resulting from that, we really needed that loving character to be his rock.
4.5 ⭐️
January 2, 2023
Wow, started off 2023 with a book I couldn’t put down! I love Mark Oshiro’s midgrade book THE INSIDERS, and I was so excited to read an e-galley of INTO THE LIGHT. It’s reminiscent thematically of THE PROJECT by Courtney Summers and HELL FOLLOWED WITH US by Andrew Joseph White. It’s a dual POV thriller with a twist I thought I guessed but absolutely didn’t, lol. Oshiro captures the cruel capriciousness of the foster care system and evangelical religious groups; their author’s note alludes to their personal experience and includes several trigger warnings. This is a different kind of novel about “found family.” It picks up the trope and scrutinizes it, maps it onto the real world.
When we meet Manny, he’s homeless—he’s been violently disowned by his religious community and foster family. Now, he’s taking one day at a time, trying to find safe folks to hitchhike with and missing his sister, Elena, who is still enmeshed in Christ’s Dominion, the community that abandoned him. What follows is a road trip of epic, thrilling, vulnerable proportions. The Varelas, a kind but somewhat secretive family Manny meets on the road, insist on helping him find the sect’s home base to reconnect with his sister. It’s a dangerous undertaking—Manny’s return could shatter Christ’s Dominion’s image, and Deacon, their leader, cannot abide that. And does Elena even want to be found? After everything they’ve been though, could Manny and Elena ever be their own family?
When we meet Manny, he’s homeless—he’s been violently disowned by his religious community and foster family. Now, he’s taking one day at a time, trying to find safe folks to hitchhike with and missing his sister, Elena, who is still enmeshed in Christ’s Dominion, the community that abandoned him. What follows is a road trip of epic, thrilling, vulnerable proportions. The Varelas, a kind but somewhat secretive family Manny meets on the road, insist on helping him find the sect’s home base to reconnect with his sister. It’s a dangerous undertaking—Manny’s return could shatter Christ’s Dominion’s image, and Deacon, their leader, cannot abide that. And does Elena even want to be found? After everything they’ve been though, could Manny and Elena ever be their own family?
August 3, 2023
A couple of thoughts:
*queer, Latinx mc
*fantastic on audio
*lots of triggers- they are at the back of the book if you have a physical copy
*stunningly written
*twisty and with some elements I did not see coming at all
*the kind of book you will think about for a long time after
*queer, Latinx mc
*fantastic on audio
*lots of triggers- they are at the back of the book if you have a physical copy
*stunningly written
*twisty and with some elements I did not see coming at all
*the kind of book you will think about for a long time after
March 18, 2023
Review to come!
March 24, 2023
I am torn between four and five stars on this one.
I really enjoyed this book! Once I got in the groove of reading it, I couldn’t and didn’t want to stop reading it. I think the characters are great— Carlos and Manny, Rakeem, Monica and Ricardo are the parents I would hope that anyone in Manny’s situation would come across.
I also found Manny’s situation as a homeless youth an important voice to be shared. I don’t have his life experience but I’m learning about his life and what he went through rings true to some people’s experiences with the foster care system and DESERVES to be spotlighted—especially how some kids can “fall through the cracks” and fall victim to people like the Sullivans and the religious cult.
But the twist… man the twist… I still don’t know how I feel about it. The story felt really grounded until that moment and I really need to think about how I feel it before I can decide how I feel about the whole (and give a final star rating). I think some people are gonna love it, and some people are gonna hate it. But overall, this was SUCH an enjoyable read and I can finally stop calling Mark Oshiro “one of my favorite authors I haven’t read yet” and just call them “a favorite author”
Many many thanks to Torteen and Macmillan Library Marketing for this physical ARC. My ADHD appreciates you.
I really enjoyed this book! Once I got in the groove of reading it, I couldn’t and didn’t want to stop reading it. I think the characters are great— Carlos and Manny, Rakeem, Monica and Ricardo are the parents I would hope that anyone in Manny’s situation would come across.
I also found Manny’s situation as a homeless youth an important voice to be shared. I don’t have his life experience but I’m learning about his life and what he went through rings true to some people’s experiences with the foster care system and DESERVES to be spotlighted—especially how some kids can “fall through the cracks” and fall victim to people like the Sullivans and the religious cult.
But the twist… man the twist… I still don’t know how I feel about it. The story felt really grounded until that moment and I really need to think about how I feel it before I can decide how I feel about the whole (and give a final star rating). I think some people are gonna love it, and some people are gonna hate it. But overall, this was SUCH an enjoyable read and I can finally stop calling Mark Oshiro “one of my favorite authors I haven’t read yet” and just call them “a favorite author”
Many many thanks to Torteen and Macmillan Library Marketing for this physical ARC. My ADHD appreciates you.
March 27, 2023
(Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. This has not impacted my review which is unbiased and honest.)
TW: religious abuse, parental abuse
Into the Light is a book that builds into a frenzy by the end. Oshiro tells an emotional story about family, love, and trauma. It's one that had my heart pounding from the beginning. Whether it was Manny's struggles on the road, the cruelty of people, or his complex relationship with his sister and their foster parents, Into the Light is an emotional tapestry. Into the Light has a core oof family and siblings. The ways we trust people to love us, accept us, see us and all the ways people fail us.
The figures of authority, of religion, of family. But it's also about the people, found family and strangers, who surprise us. And everything in between. People in our life who we love, follow and believe, who still end up hurting us.
full review: https://utopia-state-of-mind.com/revi...
TW: religious abuse, parental abuse
Into the Light is a book that builds into a frenzy by the end. Oshiro tells an emotional story about family, love, and trauma. It's one that had my heart pounding from the beginning. Whether it was Manny's struggles on the road, the cruelty of people, or his complex relationship with his sister and their foster parents, Into the Light is an emotional tapestry. Into the Light has a core oof family and siblings. The ways we trust people to love us, accept us, see us and all the ways people fail us.
The figures of authority, of religion, of family. But it's also about the people, found family and strangers, who surprise us. And everything in between. People in our life who we love, follow and believe, who still end up hurting us.
full review: https://utopia-state-of-mind.com/revi...
August 18, 2023
CHILLS. TEARS. WOW.
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