Picture Us In The Light

This is a story about a young man on the brink of starting college whose life gets thrown into turmoil as he uncovers some secrets. Danny is about to leave high school and pursue his artistic dreams at RISD. As the anniversary of a tragedy approaches, Danny has to deal with information about his family and his friends that shakes his foundation and raises even more questions about his future. As he discovers the complexities of his life, he confronts issues such as immigration, suicide, sexuality, anxiety, and many other coming-of-age themes. The book is well written, and although the story starts off a bit slow and jumps around, it gets stronger over the course of the second half. Sometimes there is too much self reflection and it gets distracting but not enough to detract from the story. The motto is that friends and family are worth sticking with no matter what. The characters are strong and compelling, and I found myself thinking about them even after I finished the book. They are easy to relate to. I recommend this book for teens 14 and over, especially those who like stories that tackle “heavy” topics in an interesting way.