In the Wild Light (Crown/Random House)
Life in small-town Tennessee has never been easy. Cash already lost his mother to an opioid addiction and is losing his papaw, who raised him, one labored breath at a time. But loss has led him to Delaney Doyle, and she’s been his salvation. The trouble is that canoeing on the river and hiking the East Tennessee mountains might be all he needs to fill his soul, but Delaney is meant for so much more.
So when Delaney makes a scientific discovery that gets them both full rides at an elite boarding school in Connecticut, Cash has to make the tough decision to leave behind his place of the heart to support his person of the heart. Will the decision to go to Middleford Academy be the thing that finally breaks Cash, or will it be the making of him?
“Vitally redefines friendship as something that must be protected, sacrificed for, and tended to with wisdom, patience, and love—and, to our luck, rendered in Zentner’s gem-like sentences.”
—Ocean Vuong, New York Times bestselling author of On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous
“In a word: sublime. This gift of a book will leave you with fiery, incandescent hope in your chest.”
—Emily Henry, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Beach Read and People We Meet on Vacation
“A novel with the soul of a poem. Jeff Zentner proves yet again that he’s one of the most luminous voices writing for young people today.”
—Randy Ribay, author of National Book Award finalist Patron Saints of Nothing
“An ode to the healing power of nature and art, but also a testament to the beauty of family both blood and created. No one else can write like Jeff Zentner.”
—Silas House, New York Times bestselling author of Southernmost and Same Sun Here
“Zentner conjures a moving and rich novel about friendship, loss, kind strangers, the blindness so often present in the pursuit of love, and love itself.”
—Daniel Woodrell, author of Winter’s Bone, in the New York Times Review of Books
“In writing suffused with raw emotion, Zentner shows respectful care for his characters; natural dialogue and a strongly developed sense of place demonstrate their evolution. The beauty of the language will invite readers to linger over sentences that speak to deep truths. A brilliant treasure of a book that holds up a mirror to the best parts of our humanity.”
—Kirkus Reviews (starred)
“Notable is the warmth, physical affection, and gentleness between Cash and those he loves, while well-crafted poems throughout, written by Cash as he finds his voice, are evocative and moving, highlighting Zentner’s impressive skill with both poetry and prose.”
—Publishers Weekly (starred)
“Lyrical and heartbreaking, this novel captures the wonder of ordinary moments with extraordinary tenderness…A rich sense of place runs through the novel…A wise, gorgeous exploration of loss and survival that will make readers cry. A first purchase.”
—School Library Journal (starred)
“Heartfelt and deeply moving…a book that readers will unhesitatingly take to their hearts.”
—Booklist (starred)
“A poetic coming-of-age story beautifully related in the way that only the spoken word can satisfactorily render.”
—Booklist (starred audiobook review)
“Zentner’s signature poetic prose is in full effect as he crafts sentences that read like sweet tea tastes and cotton feels…In the Wild Light is a love letter to possibility.”
—BookPage
“Vivid, profound and utterly exceptional, In the Wild Light may be Jeff Zentner’s best novel yet. With mesmerising descriptions, the love for the written word seeping through the pages and characters that will steal your heart, this is a must read.”
—The Nerd Daily
“Zentner’s novel delivers a powerful exploration of the feeling of grief, and just how raw that sentiment can become. The book also delivers a memorable demonstration of the power that words can have to stir and to heal.”
—Books for Keeps (UK)
“In the Wild Light is a powerful addition to Zentner’s body of work, a novel that will resonate with teen and adult readers alike.”
—The Nashville Scene
Winner of the Amelia Elizabeth Walden Award
One of The New York Times’ 25 Best Children’s Books of 2021
Longlisted for the Carnegie Medal
Shortlisted for the United Kingdom Literacy Association Award
Shortlisted for Singapore’s Red Dot Book Award
Shortlisted for the Quiz Writer’s Choice Awards
A Whippoorwill Award winner
A YALSA Top 10 Best Fiction for Young Adults selection
A Bank Street Best Book of 2022 (outstanding merit)
A Cybils Award finalist
An Alexandria Award finalist
An AML Award Finalist
A Nerdy Book Club Award winner
One of The Boston Globe‘s Best Books of 2021
A Kirkus Best Book of 2021
A Publishers Weekly Best Book of 2021
An Amazon Best Young Adult Book of 2021
A Buzzfeed Best Young Adult Book of 2021
A Chicago Public Library Best of the Best Books of 2021
A Children’s Book Council 2022 Notable Social Studies Trade Book
An Alabama Yellowhammer Book Award honor book
A Connecticut Nutmeg Book Award nominee
A Georgia Peach Book Award nominee
An Idaho Battle of the Books title
An Illinois Lincoln Award nominee
A Kentucky Bluegrass Award nominee
A Massachusetts Teen Choice Book Award nominee
Winner of the Michigan Library Association’s Thumbs Up Award
A Maine North Star YA Award nominee
A Missouri Association of School Librarians Gateway Award nominee
An Oklahoma Library Association Sequoyah Masterlist selection
A Pennsylvania Young Readers Choice List pick
A South Carolina Young Adult Book Award nominee
A Tennessee Volunteer State Book Award nominee
A Texas Librarians Association TAYSHAS Top Ten pick
A Utah Beehive Book Award nominee
A Vermont Green Mountain Book Award nominee
A Virginia Readers’ Choice Award pick
A Project Lit Book Club Pick
A UK School Library Association Editor’s Pick
A Mom Advice Book Club Pick
One of The New York Times‘ “10 Y.A. Books to Add to Your Reading List This Summer”
One of Kirkus Reviews’ “8 YA Books to Read This Summer”
One of Buzzfeed’s “2021 YA Books We’re Looking Forward to Getting Our Hands On”
One of Buzzfeed’s “Best Books of August”
An Amazon Best YA Book of August
One of Country Living’s “26 Best New Books for Fall”
An Earphones Award winner
A YALSA Amazing Audiobooks selection