At first I was pretty on board with this book. Oshiro is playing with the difference between a church and a cult, ignorance and dangerous manipulation. He's also pointing out real problems with the foster care and adoption systems. Interesting ideas but I have some problems with the book. At first the plot is a bit meandering and directionless. It was character driven and the deep exploration of the protagonist keeps us engaged. But when we got to the big reveal of the camp and his ejection from it I as thrown and confused. That part was very hard to parse

This book was rough. I appreciate the diversity and representation seen in this book, but for me the messy narrative, the wild and unexplainable twist, and excessive length were pretty significant barriers towards overall enjoyment.

Thank you so much, NetGalley, Tor Publishing Group and Tor books, for the chance to read this book in exchange of an honest review.

Manny was cast out of his family one year ago and driven into the wilderness of the America Southwest. Since then, he had to learn how to live by himself, keep moving and be alive. Now, he thinks traveling with the Varela family could be an option, with their attractive son, Carlos.
Eli is living with his family in a secluded community, raised to believe his obedience will be rewarded, but since he can't remembering his past, his faith in Reconciliation is threatened. When an unidentified body is found in California, the destinies of these young men are interwoven, forcing them to face their fears, identities and questions about themselves.

I loved this book! It's a tough and complex coming of age, following Manny, a young queer Latinx main character, who was kicked out of his house and now he has to learn how to live and understand himself and the secrets in his past. It's a book a bit difficult to read, because it deals with racism, homophobia, homelessness and being alone. When Manny is taken by the Varela's family everything is changed, but it's understandable his skepticism around them, after being alone for so long and being betrayed by his own family. Adding a cult and his secrets, an unidentified body found in California, mix everything and you'll have this book filled with twists, emotions and intriguing characters. It's a story about looking for someone, secrets, longing for a connections, pain and love and it's the kind of book, like all Mark Oshiro's ones, let's be honest, that will hurt and heal you at the same time. It's a moving and heartfelt story, a thrilling thriller with twists and
filled with hope, trauma, grief and family.

In a shocking twist of events, I adored this book even more than all the other ones I've read by this author so far. This was such an intricate, heartfelt exploration into what it means to want to connect to others when you're a teen but feeling incredibly lonely and isolated despite your best efforts.
Manny has one of the toughest journeys in front of him but he nevertheless perseveres even when he feels like there's no reason to go on. The emotions and angst were so visceral that I often had to put down the book just so I could take a breather - but it's worth it to make it through all the fear and the pain to get to where Manny is going and finding a home away from the cult that...isn't all that it seems.
I can't recommend this queer, diverse, haunting read enough.

I loved Each of Us a Desert so I knew I had to check out this book and just. This was Amazing. So amazing that I am disgusted and in pain, knowing that things like this happen and exist. Manny is such a beautiful character and I really enjoyed the way the story was told. The twist did have me a bit confused but I guess that's magical realism for you. I need everyone to read this but also, it's a tough read.

Manny has been cast out from his family for a year, and he's going from truck to truck, managing how he can, at his own peril. He's been through hell even before that though, and he'll do anything and everything he can to find his sister again.

This one is pretty much impossible for me to rate. I wanted to love it, I was very excited about reading it. It took me quite a while to get through at first because it was very hard to read. I was scared, I wasn't feeling good but the story was interesting. I wanted to know more, to figure out what was going on. But, the twist really took me out of the story, my suspension of disbelief was completely shattered and I honestly just wanted it all to end. I lost the plot. And it kinda ruined the entire book for me, I already wasn't having the best time and it just completely put me off. But honestly, it might just be a me problem and I still wouldn't discourage you from reading this. And I definitely still want to read other books by Mark Oshiro, like I'm assuming I'll still love his other books because I did enjoy his writing style. This one just wasn't for me.

Holy, pardon my French, shit.

I wasn’t sure at first if I’d stick with this book since I typically am very picky about stream of consciousness books. But each little breadcrumb about Manny’s past kept me going.

And boy was it worth it.

Manny is kicked out of a religious cult and becomes homeless. For a whole year he wanders the west coast until he’s picked up by Carlos and his family. Slowly Manny learns to trust them to not only care for him, but to help him come to terms with what’s happened to him.

And there’s a twist, so buckle up.

OK, Mark Oshiro. Nicely done!

I kind of hate knowing that a book will have a twist. Because then the whole time I’m reading, I’m trying to guess what the twist will be. I’m prepared to write a review stating that while the twist was predictable, I still very much enjoyed the book.

Readers: The twist was not predictable. It still got me.

The narrative is told from a dual POV. Manny has been on his own for a year after being cast out by his adoptive parents. He is traveling with the Varela family, who are kind and welcoming, but he knows it’s only a matter of time before they will tire of his presence and wish to be rid of him. Eli is God’s miracle. He’s a resident at Reconciliation and is tasked with helping other teens find peace as he has. Manny is haunted by his past. Eli cannot remember his.

Into the Light is full of raw emotion and draws heavily from Oshiro’s own childhood experiences. I hope that telling Manny’s story, and sharing their own on this book tour, has helped the author to exorcize their own demons. (No, autocorrect, I did not intend to write “exercise.” No one should be exercising their demons.)

This is a book about trauma, but also about hope. It’s about moving beyond survival to actively live a life and dream of the future.

It is also a strong critique of the white savior complex and forced assimilation that often accompanies trans-racial Christian adoption. A topic I’ve seen touched on recently in other YA books, but not to this degree. Anyone who is part of the LGBTQ+ and/or adoption communities should check the trigger warnings.

Thank you to Tor Teen and NetGalley for this eARC.

This book is thrilling, captivating and fast paced. I love everything Mark Oshiro writes. This story had me on the edge of my seat. I am so excited to share with my students.

Mark Oshiro’s Into the light ripped a hole through me. This book was so raw and touching, and emotional. I usually try to make my reviews longer but my jaw was on the floor by the time I finished this, and I think that says it all. All my queer religious trauma girlies should pick this one up. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an eARC of this.

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.

I LOVE Mark Oshiro’s books! All of his books are always so thoughtful, and so deep, and are such beautiful studies in character. With two contrasting narratives, Manny and Eli, we begin to see these characters both as they see themselves and how they see each other as they develop a connection between them. As we learn more about the place called reconciliation, and you can’t help but hate it more and more, the trauma and the pain comes through on the page so clearly it is painful to read, but yet you are unable to turn away. A beautiful and engaging book. I can’t wait to bring into my classroom.

Into the Light follows Manny, a homeless queer teen who has spent his entire life in and out of foster homes and group homes. His whole life he has only ever had one thing that stuck with him, his sister Elena, until a year earlier when they were separated and now Manny is on a mission to find his sister. Throughout the book you slowly unravel the mystery of how they were separated and where she might be now, if she is even alive.

For a YA book, it did not shy away from difficult topics, Into the Light explores teen homelessness, the flawed foster and adoption systems, racism, homophobia, religious trauma, how religion is often used to manipulate the vulnerable, among just a few. These issues affect young people but I rarely or never read them in YA and I felt that the author did a good job of touching on them.

I liked the book, I thought it did a good job of exploring the themes and slowly revealing the mystery. Until the last 100 or so pages however, the twist felt like it came out of nowhere, changing the genre of the book completely, and was in my opinion kind of confusing as to what actually happened. There was practically no build up prior to the twist or foreshadowing. Aside from the ending though, I thought it was a good YA book with a bit of a mystery side plot but ultimately was a queer coming of age that I think a lot of young adult readers would really benefit from reading.

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.

The core theme of this book is dealing with religious trauma. Oshiro has a true beauty to their writing that makes for a compelling story that you can't look away from, no matter how utterly appalling the characters are behaving. It should also be noted that Oshiro's skill for contrasting moments of extreme pain and sorrow with moments of levity and humour is utterly unmatched.

It feels truly wrong to use a word like "enjoyed" to describe my journey with this book but I absolutely did. I was so intrigued by all of the characters that we met in the story and loved the way that we were given morsels of backstory throughout so the full picture didn't come into focus until very near the end. I will say that the twist of this book is not something that I could have guessed in my wildest dreams and it did take me a moment to truly appreciate the genius as well as helping to pull the story back from the pit of sorrow that it could have descended into.

There is so much heart in this story and I just get so mesmerized every time I read one of Oshiro's books. I would caution readers to check out content warnings for this book (which Oshiro has helpfully outlined in the author's note, please can all authors do this) but if this is not a story that will trigger you, I highly recommend that you pick it up and share it with the world.

Book Summary:

What would you do if you were forced to give up your family and survive on your own? For Manny, that statement is more literal. He's been cast out into the wilderness, forced to survive alone. Only his rules and self-discipline have kept him alive for so long.

Meanwhile, Eli has a happy life in a quiet community. It's a happy life right? It's hard to be certain when one has no memories to compare it to. No, really, why can't Eli remember his past? What happened?

My Review:

Wow. Wow! I knew Into The Light would be a hard-hitting book, yet I still wasn't prepared for how hard this book hit me. It's beautiful, dark, and compelling all in one! Honestly, I'm struggling to find words to describe how this book made me feel.

To say this book would make you feel things is an understatement. It is raw and visceral, ripping emotions from our leading characters and shoving them in the reader's faces. What follows is inevitable and so very human. Mark Oshiro did a delightful job of capturing that storytelling element and many other details.

I think you should emotionally prepare yourself before picking up Into The Light, but I'm honestly not sure that is possible. So tuck in with a good blanket and maybe a cat or two. That'll probably help.

Highlights:
LGBT+
Thriller
Strong Horror Elements

Trigger Warnings:
Banishment
Memory Loss
Trauma

Into The Light hooked me from the very beginning and kept my attention until the very end. I really enjoyed Into The Light but I must say that it is not a happy story. In Mark Oshiro's own words, Into The Light is a story that tackles the experience of Christian Nationalism and Adoption in the US.

While this book has two POVs -Manny, a homeless boy trying o save his sister from a Christian Cult and Eli, a boy who is currently the star child of thick very same cult- Into The Light is really Manny's story. We get about 5 chapters from Manny's POV to every 1 from Eli's and I can't say I minded. Oshiro writes Manny's experiences on the road, before and with the Varela's very well. The slightly non-linear timeline of the book, while it takes a bit to get used to, really adds to the atmosphere of this novel. The formatting of Manny's thought process felt slightly stilted but unlike in other stories, this felt very purposeful and added to the atmosphere of this book as well.

The character work in this book was also a standout in the reading experience. Manny and Eli, while they don't have universal experiences, they are very easy to connect to and care for. The other characters in this book were just as fleshed out as Manny and Eli they all contributed to the story.

I really loved Into The Light and highly recommend it. Be sure to look into the trigger warnings before reading.

**contains minor spoilers**

**Thank you to NetGalley and Mark for the advanced readers copy both digital and physical in exchange for an honest review**

This book is a visceral and emotional journey into the world of adoption, teen homelessness, religious trauma, and a sense of self. Mark has this way with words and story telling that is both masterful and painfully honest. This book is so driven by it’s characters that you are immediately sucked into this world with Manny and Eli and Elena, and in contrast the Varelas’ and their inspiring story and the redemption they are trying to get in their journey. The sadness and heart break I feel for Manny and all of the adopted children in this story absolutely rips me in two. To see all this trauma brought out in the open is such an important voice and an important conversation to put out into the world. I felt like this was so much more than a coming of age story and more of a coming of self. Manny learns who he really is and how important he is to the diaspora of the world through this painful story. Even though he grows a lot through the telling of this tale, I’m not sure that Manny will ever be able to heal from his trauma, and if he does…it will be through a lot of hard work and hopefully the love of Carlos and his incredible family. I will say that I wasn’t too crazy about the twist. While I thought the symbolism and imagery of The Reconciliation was incredibly powerful and heart-wrenching, I wish it could have been just a very real explanation instead of taking it into the supernatural/ spiritual world. It was almost like in adding this biblical type miracle, that is outshined the whole point of the book being about the freedom from religion. I also found it hard to believe that other’s would accept it so freely and not question it at all especially after seeing the secondary body. But overall this has solidified Mark Oshiro as one of my favorite authors of all time.

I am OBSESSED.

I read this in like two days while on a work trip. This book is perfect. It's spooky. It's queer. It's a delicious commentary on religion, the foster system, and adoption in the US. It is the perfect novel for any YA devotee looking to see why Anger is a Gift swept us off our feet.

This book is haunting and I will not stop singing its praises anytime soon.

Powerful, loaded with emotions, hope, and perfectly paints the struggles of an individual who just wants to belong, to be loved and cared for. Loved the mistery side of the story, with a great ending twist!

The only reason it is 4 stars for me, it's because sometimes the plot felt monotone, slow moving and it somehow broke the flow of the novel.

I recommend this book if you like mysteries, emotional and eart-shaking stories!

Thank you so much for the publisher for the e-arc!