The Brightest Light

by Colleen O'Shaughnessy McKenna

Kitty Lee wants this summer to be the best ever. She's got a job that will help her save for a new car. She's got her best friend, Dottie, to hang out with. What she doesn't have is a boyfriend--but even that's not a major problem. And then Kitty Lee meets the Curtis family--or rather she meets the incredibly handsome Mr. Curtis--and her entire world turns upside down. All of a sudden she finds herself working for the Curtises as a full-time baby-sitter. It isn't easy. Because what this family really needs is a mother and a wife. Jobs Mrs. Curtis doesn't do very well, and that sixteen-year-old Kitty Lee isn't ready to handle...

Genres: Young Adult

191 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1992

About the author

A former elementary school teacher, Colleen O'Shaughnessy McKenna lives in Pittsburgh with her family. She is best known for her Murphy series, based on her own family.

Reviews

[Ashley · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was a favorite from my youth. My copy is super tattered and usually tucked safely on the book shelf, but I picked it up and gave it a read for the first time in a decade the other day. I was pleasantly surprised at how well it held up!
This is a “small town girl dealing with growing up, life changes happening, and falling in love” type of story. I love the nostalgic, chick flick feel of it. There is, of course, plenty of teenage angst, but also a lot of heart to the story. It reminds me of an episode of Dawson’s Creek! In a good way :)

[Danielle · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is one of those stories where a girl babysits the kids of a handsome, young, lonely man. Fortunately, McKenna doesn't overdo it, and there's more to the story than that. There's a best friend, and the boy she's grown up with, and there's her wondering about her mama who died too young. I appreciate the protagonist's relationship with her friends and family.

As with so many YAs of yesteryear, there are surprisingly well written and poignant moments throughout this novel.

[Jennifer Robb · Rating 3 out of 5]

A friend (MH) sent me this book in a box of books. Both of us are older than the age range that this book is written for.

Kitty Lee is working at the Dairy Queen when she's offered a lot of money to babysit 3 children. She doesn't agree to take the job until her boss excuses her from her promise to work for him that summer--so that's commendable.

Kitty Lee seems a bit oblivious. She doesn't realize Cody's feelings for her have changed. She doesn't realize Mr. Curtis's feelings for her. She only seems to miss her friendship with Dottie at strategic points of the book. So we get to see Kitty Lee grow up and cope with changes.

**WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD--READ ON AT YOUR OWN DISCRETION***


Dottie quits school before her senior year in favor of eloping with a 21 year old she met only that summer.

Mr. Curtis and Kitty Lee kiss and embrace (luckily that's all the author has them do). Mrs. Curtis intimates that Kitty Lee is not the first babysitter the family has had--which may also mean he has tried this with other women. (No information is provided as to the age of the others, but it could be a disturbing pattern.)

Mrs. Curtis appears to be an alcoholic. It's unclear whether she injured Mr. Curtis's hand or if he did so accidentally. She resists attempts to get her help by threatening to kill herself. She's pretty much an absent mother for most of the book.

[Bethany (CozyLittleBookNook) · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF page 50, which for how short this book is it's basically page 100.
I really need to stop buying book on an impulse, it really never works out. This book really never would have worked for me, I find nothing compelling about it, I have no idea what made me pick it up in the first place.

[Nadine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read it when I was young, loved it then!

[molly · Rating 3 out of 5]

3⭐️ so many plot twists

[Hilary · Rating 3 out of 5]

It’s a YA book but gosh I really wanted Kitty Lee to end up with Mr. Curtis, although in real life, nothing but red flags from every single person…Love the nostalgia though

[Gwen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book so long ago, but I remember loving it and reading it at least 3 times.

It's your classic YA fare with extra romance genre attributes. If Harlequin had a YA division (they might now, who knows...) I'm sure they would have published this. Silly but all together cute.

[Lynn · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was a really good book. I read it when I was in Middle School (97-99). A nice read for young adults and teenagers.