CATCH THE LIGHT

A coming-of-age story about finding oneself in the aftermath of loss.

Less than a year after her father’s death from cancer, 17-year-old Mary Sullivan faces many changes: Her older sister, Hannah, has left for college; her mother is moving the family from Los Angeles to upstate New York; and they will be living with her recently divorced aunt. Overwhelmed by grief, her mother needs help caring for Mary and her 14-year-old sister, Bea. To Mary, this news feels life-shattering. Her senior year is about to begin, and she is being forced to leave her best friend and boyfriend behind. As Mary tries to accept her new reality, she realizes that she is beginning to lose memories of her dad. At the same time, Bea has her own problems, and Mary feels unable to help her without guidance from Hannah. Then Mary meets Jesse, a boy in her AP English class who shares her love of photography. Soon, all her plans for the future fly out the window. Mary starts leading a double life, founded on lies and omissions—but she’s not the only one. The narrative largely remains captivating, and readers will feel sympathy for Mary’s and Bea’s inner struggles as they cope with grief and change, a process that involves risk-taking and substance abuse. Major characters are White; Mary’s best friend in California is Korean and White.

An edgy love story in which everyone seems to have a secret to hide.