Review: Into the Light | Haunting and masterful

Title: Into the Light
Author: Mark Oshiro
Genre/s and tags: Young adult, contemporary, mystery, thriller, speculative, queer, lgbtq
Publisher: Tor Teen
Publication date: March 28, 2023
Content warnings: religious bigotry, religious abuse, conversion therapy camps, techniques and forms of conversion therapy, parental abuse (especially from adoptive parents), predatory adults, mentions of sexual assault/harassment, homophobia, racism
Goodreads synopsis:

KEEP YOUR SECRETS CLOSE TO HOME

It’s been one year since Manny was cast out of his family and driven into the wilderness of the American Southwest. Since then, Manny lives by self-taught rules that keep him moving—and keep him alive. Now, he’s taking a chance on a traveling situation with the Varela family, whose attractive but surly son, Carlos, seems to promise a new future.

Eli abides by the rules of his family, living in a secluded community that raised him to believe his obedience will be rewarded. But an unsettling question slowly eats away at Eli’s once unwavering faith in Reconciliation: Why can’t he remember his past?

But the reported discovery of an unidentified body in the hills of Idyllwild, California, will draw both of these young men into facing their biggest fears and confronting their own identity—and who they are allowed to be.

For fans of Courtney Summers and Tiffany D. Jackson, Into the Light is a ripped-from-the-headlines story with Oshiro’s signature mix of raw emotions and visceral prose—but with a startling twist you’ll have to read to believe.

A big thank you to the author for sending an ARC my way!
(This, of course, did not affect my overall opinion of the book.)

Hi book nerds! Back with another review. And it looks like March has blessed me with another amazing book that has become one of my favorites for the year. This time, it’s from an author I’m already familiar with. I am talking about Into the Light by Mark Oshiro!

I’ve already had the pleasure of reading one of their young adult novels back in 2020 (Each of Us a Desert) and it turned out to be one of the most beautiful books I’ve read. So when Mark announced Into the Light as their next young adult novel, a coming-of-age story laced with dark mystery and is also deeply autobiographical, my excitement was through the roof. And now that I’ve read it, I can say that this is another masterpiece.

Into the Light is a haunting journey of a boy broken and betrayed by the very people who claim to give love and healing. It’s dark, it’s masterful, and it’s captivating from start to finish.

My thoughts on Into the Light

Into the Light is nothing short of incredible. It’s dark, intense, and angry, but it also shows hope and growth and perseverance.

Told in three perspectives and timelines, the story takes us on a journey. It might get a little confusing at first. However, once I got a hold of the alternating points of view, I started to appreciate how the nonlinear storytelling added to the mystery and the overall tone of the book. Also, to be honest, if there’s one thing Mark Oshiro can do, it’s to pull you in with masterful storytelling and riveting perspectives. They know just how to pull you in. They know how to write humanity and show emotions in a way that captures you and wrecks your heart. This book did just that and more.

Manny as a main character is just moving. I love that the story truly dove deep into his character. All his backstory, his thoughts, his feelings. I could feel his emotions right through every page. I could see how every struggle affected him and his decisions in every little thing, especially through his past and present perspectives. As I read through the pages, I could also notice that there was something so deeply personal and vulnerable in his perspective. It’s hard not to empathize with Manny.

As for the plot, the author succeeded in formulating a story that is both haunting and captivating. You go along Manny’s journey—through the darkness and his suffering, the fears and his longing, the desire to discover himself, and to finally end a traumatic chapter of his life and start a new one. Into the Light speaks so much of what queer trans people (especially QTPOC) go through in real life, and just how dangerous/destructive others’ religious bigotry and dogma can be. In fact, this book reminds of the phrase, “There’s no hate like Christian love.” I grew up Catholic myself, living in a mostly Christian country. I know all about these harmful beliefs, and I see prejudice and hatred from these “loving” people all the time. But reading this book and absorbing Manny’s story is even more unnerving. (Several scenes and parts can be really triggering here, so please take care of yourselves when reading.)

This book also touches on several other themes, which I appreciated. Friendship, found family, white savior complex. There’s romance as well, but it wasn’t a big part of the plot and I liked that. The story also showed us how significant it is to choose our own paths, learn our agency, and separate toxic positivity from genuine optimism and growth.

Overall, Into the Light is an incredibly well-written book. There’s no doubt about it. This dark and hopeful story is what the world needs right now to learn, and grow, and see the light.