too bright to see written by kyle lukoff

★ “While gender identity remains prominent throughout, Lukoff also combines pitch-perfect adolescent angst, evolving friendships and spooky encounters to create a welcoming story accessible to young readers of all backgrounds.” - Shelf Awareness ★ “Lukoff combines gothic horror vibes with a slow-building trans awakening…The spooks and mysteries are an added bonus that sets this narrative apart from similar titles.” - BCCB

A hopeful examination of grief and gender, and a good ghost story to boot.' – School Library Journal, starred review

Lukoff navigates Bug’s journey of identity and discovery with grace, welcoming. ★ 'Lukoff’s three primary themes-gender identity, grief, and ghostly hauntings-work in elegant harmony despite the load. ★ “Equal parts unsettling, heartwarming, and satisfying…a nuanced and compelling exploration of gender, friendship, and family.” – Booklist, starred review Through Bug’s journey to self-realization and self-acceptance, and the wonderfully nuanced understanding of gender he comes to, Lukoff provides a tender rumination on grief, love, and identity.' – Publishers Weekly, starred review ★ “This coming-of-age and coming-out story takes a needed departure from other stories about transgender youth.A chilling, suspenseful ghost story balances the intimate, introspective narrative style.… Haunting and healing.” – Kirkus, starred review “A tender portrayal of a kid who is just coming to understand who he is.” – TIME It will almost certainly be banned in many places, but your child almost certainly needs to read it.' – The New York Times Book Review He also plans to include his experience as a Jewish person, incorporating Jewish folklore and history.'This book is a gentle, glowing wonder, full of love and understanding, full of everything any of us would wish for our children. Toward the end of the talk, Lukoff briefly talked about his next novel, which he said will be another middle-grade work that is “a little bit more advanced.” Like “Too Bright to See,” the main character will again be a transgender boy, drawing on Lukoff’s own existence as a transgender man. “I was very worried about getting details wrong,” he said.

Lukoff also stressed the importance of research, referencing his own experience writing “Too Bright to See,” which takes place in rural Vermont, a place he had never lived. If the ghost was able to explain itself clearly, “the story would be one chapter long and I wouldn’t have won any of these cool awards.” The main character and the reader, Lukoff explained, are left to interpret what the novel’s ghost is trying to communicate by interacting with objects, since it cannot speak. “Too Bright to See,” which is a ghost story, also has rules that its ghost must follow.

Too bright to see written by kyle lukoff