How the Light Gets In

by Katy Upperman

Since her sister’s tragic death, seventeen-year-old Callie Ryan has basically given up. Her grades have plummeted, she’s quit her swim team, and she barely recognises the people her parents once were.

When she returns to her aunt’s run-down coastal Victorian one year after Chloe’s death, Callie resigns herself to a summer of guilt and home renovations. She doesn’t expect to be charmed by the tiny coastal town or by Tucker Morgan, a local boy brimming with sunshine.

But even as her days begin to brighten, Callie’s nights are crowded with chilling dreams, unanswered questions, and eerie phenomenon that have her convinced she’s being haunted. Will Callie be able to figure out what her sister is trying to communicate before it’s too late?

• ISBN10: 1250305675
• ISBN13: 9781250305671
• Publish Date: 1 September 2019
• Publish Status: Active
• Out of Print: 4 April 2022
• Publish Country: US
• Imprint: St Martin's Press
• Format: Hardcover
• Pages: 336
• Language: English

Reviews

[Sam@WLABB]

Rating: 4.5 Stars

It had been a year since she visited her aunt in Bell Cove, since she had that fight with her sister, since her sister died. After a painful period of mourning Chloe's death, Callie found herself back where her nightmare began, and it seemed as though her nightmares were bleeding into her waking hours when reminders of her sister began popping up. Was her sister reaching out to her from the beyond? Was she trying to tell her something? Could Callie finally come to terms with her sister's death?

I am a Katy Upperman fan. Her two previous books were exactly the type of novels I would pick up. That was why I had no problem going slightly outside my normal reading zone for this one, and I sure am glad I did, because this is now my favorite Upperman book.

How the Light Gets In was about the grief, pain, and guilt felt, when people lose a loved one. It was about the way those left behind deal with the gaping hole in their lives due to that person's absence. It's about them finding the strength to move forward without that person by their side. I, for one, thought Upperman did a magnificent job exploring the emotional impact associated with losing someone, and she really delivered the feels. Callie's heartache and pain of missing her sister coursed through me, but so did the joy Callie felt, when she fondly remembered her.

I will admit, I wanted to read this book because (1) Katy Upperman wrote it, and (2) it dealt with grief and loss, but there was so much more that kept me glued to the pages. Aside from Callie's healing journey, there was a bit of a small town mystery, a fantastic romance, and a touch of the supernatural. Upperman took all these elements, and wove them together spectacularly.

Obviously, the romance stood out for me, but it was largely due to how much I adored Tucker. He came across as happy-go-lucky, affable, and always UP. It sort of shocked me, that my inner cynic didn't rebuff him, but Upperman gave him many layers, and it was something beyond that shiny veneer that called to me. He was utilized very thoughtfully in this story, which really took it to the next level for me, and he definitely earned a place on my beloved hero list.

Once again, Upperman has presented me with a story, that took me through a large array of emotions, while, in the end, leaving me filled with happiness and joy.

*ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.

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