A perfect summer read that combines contemporary romance with a paranormal twist, How the Light Gets In by Katy Upperman is a haunting story about grief, love, and acceptance.
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 recognizes the people her parents have become.
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?
I read How the Light Gets In over a mini-vacation weekend recently, and even with plenty to do, I had a hard time putting it down.
This is a super moody, atmospheric book, that hearkens back to the glory days of YA paranormal romance from about ten years ago. For the most part, it reads like a contemporary — a grieving sister, a charming beach town, a quirky aunt, and the adorkable older boy. But then there are hints of a haunting and a town mystery that still lingers.
The whole thing just adds up to a super compelling read, with enough spine-chilling tingles to tantalize without keeping you up at night (trust me, I’m a weenie), complete with one girl’s journey of grief and acceptance, with an utterly delightful love story thrown in for good measure.
Look for How the Light Gets In in stores on August 6th.
Novel Novice 
Leave a Reply