What Light

CHAPTER ONE
 
I hate this time of year, Rachel says. I m sorry, Sierra. I m sure I say that a lot, but it s true.

Morning mist blurs the entrance of our school at the far end of the lawn. We stay on the cement pathway to avoid damp spots in the grass, but Rachel s not complaining about the weather.

Please don t do this, I say. You ll make me cry again. I just want to get through this week without

But it s not a week! she says. It s two days. Two days until Thanksgiving break, and then you leave for a whole month again. More than a month!

I hug Rachel s arm as we continue walking. Even though I m the one leaving for another holiday season far from home, Rachel pretends like it s her world that gets turned upside-down
each year. Her pouty face and slumped shoulders are entirely for my benefit, to let me know I ll be missed, and every year I m grateful for her melodrama. Even though I love where I m going, it s still hard to say goodbye. Knowing my best friends are counting the days until I return does make it easier.

I point to the tear in the corner of my eye. Do you see what you did? They re starting.

This morning, when Mom drove us away from our Christmas tree farm, the sky was mostly clear. The workers were in the fields, their distant chainsaws buzzing like mosquitoes, cutting down this year s crop of trees.

The fog came in as we drove lower. It stretched across the small farms, over the interstate, and into town, carrying within it the traditional scent of the season. This time of year our entire little Oregon town smells like fresh-cut Christmas trees. At other times, it might smell like sweet corn or sugar beets.

Rachel holds open one of the glass double doors and then follows me to my locker. There, she jiggles her glittery red watch in front of me. We ve got fifteen minutes, she says. I m cranky and I m cold. Let s grab some coffee before the first bell.

The school s theater director, Miss Livingston,

Jay Asher

What Light harks back to a simpler time of young adult storytelling with its linear first-person narrative and classic themes of forgiveness, hope, and the power of true love there s something beautiful about a novel done the old way, particularly when there s enough heart to make you weep.  
New York Times Book Review

Asher s gift for prose that packs an emotional wallop was apparent in his 2007 novel, the monster best-seller Thirteen Reasons Why . Asher infuses his storytelling with a compelling sweetness and innocence; What Light casts the same warm glow as a room strung with twinkly Christmas-tree lights.
Entertainment Weekly

From the author of Thirteen Reasons Why, What Light is one you won t want to miss.
Buzzfeed
 
What Light is a love story that make you want to turn on those Christmas carols early.
Bustle

"Asher has done it again. He gets into the heart of what is important in relationships, whether friendship or romance, and his characters are realistic and well developed. Teens will see themselves in these characters, and relate to them."
Voice of Youth Advocates
 
"Certain to please readers seeking an escapist, feel-good holiday read. Asher s follow-up to his best-selling debut is destined for lots of attention."
Booklist 

"This is a sweet, light romance, perfect for holiday reading."
School Library Journal

"Charming and sweet, Sierra and Caleb s budding relationship should suit readers looking for a wintertime romance that s as cozy (and familiar) as candy canes and gingerbread during the holidays." 
Publishers Weekly

"Asher is a dab hand at capturing everyday situations and conversations; Sierra and her friends tease and quip in ways that are witty but not overly so, and Sierra s frank talks with her parents have the tone of a mature, beloved only child who is