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When Light Left Us

Leah Thomas (Goodreads Author)

3.65 · Rating details · 332 ratings · 79 reviews

When the Vasquez siblings’ father left, it seemed nothing could remedy the absence in their lives . . . until a shimmering figure named Luz appeared in the canyon behind their house.

Luz filled the void. He shot hoops with seventeen-year-old Hank’s hands. He showed fourteen-year-old Ana cinematic beauty behind her eyelids. He spoke kindly to eight-year-old Milo. But then Lu ...more

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Hardcover, 416 pages

Published February 13th 2018 by Bloomsbury USA Childrens

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Average rating 3.65 ·

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· 332 ratings · 79 reviews

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Feb 04, 2017 georgia ☽ marked it as to-read

I WILL READ ANYTHING THAT LEAH THOMAS WRITES

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Jun 14, 2020 C.G. Drews added it

Shelves: read-2020, sci-fi, young-adult

I have to admit I am very very tired™ whenever I see autism traits crammed into someone who is possessed by an alien. How about, instead, stop.

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May 16, 2017 Kristen rated it it was ok

Shelves: young-adult, contemporary, arcs, e-books

Review can also be found on my blog, here: Kiwi Can Read

I was so stoked to receive a Net Galley e-arc of this book. This was one of my 2018 most anticipated releases. I read Leah Thomas' Because You'll Never Meet Me last year and LOVED it so much. It instantly became one of my favorite books of all time. I'm sorry to report that I can't say the same for this one.

The premise was so original and compelling, I thought for sure I would love it. I ended up getting so frustrated with this book, that I ...more

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Feb 03, 2018 Vicky Again rated it it was amazing

Shelves: favorites, wishlist

5 stars

OH MY GOSH THIS BOOK.

I picked this up at my library in the uncatalogued section (where they have some ARCs) on a whim, and I regret nothing.

When I started reading it this Friday night, I knew nothing about it. I hadn't read the summary and I probably wouldn't have actually started if I didn't schedule this post weeks ago thinking I would read this book before then.

I wasn't sure what I was expecting--maybe something fake-poetic based on the vague-ness of the title, but it ended up not bein ...more

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Feb 14, 2018 Lindsey Lynn (thepagemistress) rated it it was ok

Review and rating to come

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Jan 22, 2018 Sara (A Gingerly Review) rated it it was ok

Shelves: 2018, physical-2018

This book was an absolute struggle for me. STRUGGLE. Why? It was too wordy... as if Thomas was trying so hard to make this story magical and engaging. Was it? Not at all. It was hella confusing and I had no idea what was going on... It was simply trying to be a bigger story than what it was.

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Full review can be found here: https://agingerlyreview.wordpress.com...

**I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to Bloomsbury for the opportunity!**

I’m sad t This book was an absolute struggle for me. STRUGGLE. Why? It was too wordy... as if Thomas was trying so hard to make this story magical and engaging. Was it? Not at all. It was hella confusing and I had no idea what was going on... It was simply trying to be a bigger story than what it was.

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Full review can be found here: https://agingerlyreview.wordpress.com...

**I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to Bloomsbury for the opportunity!**

I’m sad to report that while this book has a beautiful cover and a great premise, the story itself fell incredibly flat for me. I just did not like it as much as I had hoped. This really is the most unusual book I have read in quite some time and that isn’t really a compliment. It is about an alien who has come to Earth and has impacted a family. This is the story of how that family has been impacted and their struggle to live with that.

When it comes to characters… well… they are not easy to describe. Luz, the alien, has taken certain features from the various family members and uses them for himself. From one kid he takes his hearing, another is their eyes (or the ability to blink?), you get the idea. All of this happened after the father of this family left in the middle of the night. He had just helped them build a tree house in the middle of nowhere but left after that was built. I’m struggling to properly describe these characters… I’m sorry for that. The main thing is that the alien is a bit of an asshole (he really is) and the family members are just weird. The chapters are told from various POVs (the kids) but it comes across as broken and random. None of it makes much sense. I found that I just could not connect with any of the characters because I couldn’t understand what they were going through.

The plot of the story was just as confusing as the characters. Was this supposed to be a contemporary story? Perhaps a sci-fi? Or maybe a coming of age? I wasn’t sure for the longest time. I had zero idea where things were going to go because the beginning of the book was rather boring. Believe me when I say that almost NOTHING happened. I’m going to sound like a broken record but I found myself not caring what happened. I found myself wanting to DNF several times because if I cannot connect to the story or find myself able to not read the book and be okay by page 100, then I’m done. I did stick with this one and it did get a little better but it was not a substantial improvement.

I don’t like writing reviews like this… it was overall an okay story but not one I would recommend to others or force them to add to their TBR. It was just too confusing with no clear direction. The characters were not that well developed, nor was the plot. I think I knew what the author was trying to do but she took the most confusing route to get there. I wanted to like this so much more than I did. ...more

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Jan 24, 2018 Shannon (It Starts At Midnight) rated it liked it

Shelves: 2018, february-2018, read-for-review

You can find the full review and all the fancy and/or randomness that accompanies it at It Starts at Midnight

3.5*

This is a very... different sort of book. I mean, you see in the synopsis that Luz is an alien who is having an impact on this particular family. A huge impact, basically. But I'll let you read about that. Point is, an alien invading a family isn't your run of the mill story. Also, this alien is kind of an asshole.

The book started off in a bit of a confusing way, and I wasn't wholly You can find the full review and all the fancy and/or randomness that accompanies it at It Starts at Midnight

3.5*

This is a very... different sort of book. I mean, you see in the synopsis that Luz is an alien who is having an impact on this particular family. A huge impact, basically. But I'll let you read about that. Point is, an alien invading a family isn't your run of the mill story. Also, this alien is kind of an asshole.

The book started off in a bit of a confusing way, and I wasn't wholly sure what I was even reading. Was this contemporary? Was it sci-fi? The story is told through several POVs- the three siblings and their mother (technically, a little from Luz, too). I didn't mind that part, actually. It's a very character driven story, so I liked the opportunity to get to know all the characters in depth. My real problem with the beginning was that there wasn't much happening, and I was confused, and it led to me not connecting immediately.

But then, as the book went on (and it's a bit long for a contemporary, at over 400 pages), I really grew to care about this family. I needed to know their stories, I wanted them to be okay. Frankly, I wanted to know if Luz was even a real thing or a construct of their imagination, or something else entirely. I really had no idea where the story was headed, and I quite liked that!

I was also mildly disappointed by the end; it wasn't quite as epic/surprising as I'd hoped. It wasn't terrible or anything, mind you, and it very well may just be my personal taste. Maybe you'll love it. But my investment in the characters outweighed my disappointments in this book. I loved watching them grow and develop, make friends and see their relationships change and evolve. I loved their interactions as a family, too. While they were often messy, they also seemed realistic. Their mother cared so much for them, but always felt overwhelmed and like she wasn't doing enough. In turn, each of the children had their own crosses to bear. It all felt incredibly honest.

Bottom line: While the plot was on the slow side, and I had some moments of confusion, the characters and the love they shared made up for my dislikes, no question.

*Copy provided for review ...more

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Jun 14, 2017 Emily rated it it was amazing

It's a little bit of bizarre premise if you're not into aliens but this book is SO GOOD and yeah there's an alien but even more so, it's about life and family and friends and trauma and loving yourself.

Read this book with a friend because you are going to need someone to talk about it with!! I was so sad when I reached the end because I didn't want to leave these characters! ...more

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Apr 09, 2018 Gabrielle Schwabauer rated it really liked it

This book gets points for being completely unlike anything I have ever read.

I wasn't completely sold on all! the! exclamation! points! in Milo's sections, though I can understand why the author wanted to emphasize the louder and less contained nature of his thoughts. The pacing was a little weird in places. There were about two characters too many. And a few plot threads were just a little too neat.

But it was also creepy and haunting and genuinely moving in places. I loved watching the three sib ...more

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Jan 31, 2018 Suzanne (The Bookish Libra) rated it liked it

Shelves: netgalley

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. When Light Left Us by Leah Thomas is one of the more unique books I’ve read lately. At its heart is the Vasquez family, in particular, siblings Milo, Ana and Hank, who are reeling from the fact that their father has just walked out of their lives without so much as a goodbye. They are all trying to cope with the loss as best as they can, until one night something happens that changes everything…a shimmering alien figure named Luz appears in the canyon behind their house. Luz fills the void left When Light Left Us by Leah Thomas is one of the more unique books I’ve read lately. At its heart is the Vasquez family, in particular, siblings Milo, Ana and Hank, who are reeling from the fact that their father has just walked out of their lives without so much as a goodbye. They are all trying to cope with the loss as best as they can, until one night something happens that changes everything…a shimmering alien figure named Luz appears in the canyon behind their house. Luz fills the void left by their father, bonding with each of the siblings in his own way. Until Luz disappears without a word too…taking something vital from each of them.

Struck by the sense of loss all over again, Milo, Ana, and Hank are left to pick up the pieces and attempt to go about their lives as normal. It’s much easier said than done and all three siblings flounder, filled with questions about why their father left them, why Luz left them, and how can they ever feel close to or trust anyone again.

Will the Vasquez kids get their lives back on track? What were Luz’ motivations for coming into their lives and then leaving them so abruptly? What did he take from them when he left? All of these questions and so many more began filling my head as soon as I started reading this moving story about family.

I thought the focus on family was the highlight of When Light Left Us. Even though the book itself centered a lot on the alien Luz and the impact he had on each of the Vasquez siblings, it was the family itself and how the siblings dealt with the losses they experienced that really kept me reading. Their struggles to function on a daily basis, their hesitation to trust and connect with others, and even their own now-awkward interactions with each other at home all felt so realistic as was their mother’s reaction. First, Maggie’s husband walks out on them, then her children experience something together that can’t really even be explained but obviously continues to haunt them many months later, to the point where they can barely function. Maggie loves her children more than anything in the world and is overwhelmed and frustrated that there doesn’t seem to be anything she can do to help them. All of the pain this family experiences is just so palpable. I ended up really caring about them and wanting to know that they could make it through this.

Expected the unexpected. I’m kind of a sci fi nut, so I was also a big fan of the twistedness of the whole Luz storyline. I loved how original this part of the storyline was and I loved how I initially felt a bit of an E.T. vibe from Luz with the way he came into these children’s lives and filled the void left by the father who abandoned them. The E.T. vibe didn’t last long though as Luz ultimately ends up being a much more complex character than I was expecting and a bit more of an ass if I’m being truly honest. I won’t go into any more details so as not to spoil anything but definitely keep your eyes on Luz.

A final element that I thought was very well done was the way the story was presented from multiple points of view. Thomas gives us the perspectives of each of the three Vasquez siblings, as well as a few chapters from their mother, and even as we move further into the book, a few chapters from Luz himself. Since I was so invested in this family, I liked being able to have a glimpse directly into each of their thoughts to get an honest look at how they were each doing. The Luz chapters were especially illuminating since we finally get a look at what is driving his actions with respect to this family.

As much as I enjoyed When Life Left Us overall, I have to admit that it started out super confusing and I almost DNF’ed it about a quarter of the way through the story. I like reading and putting together the pieces of a mystery as much as the next person, but in this case, for the longest time it didn’t feel like any of the pieces were fitting together at all. I just kept getting more and more pieces and setting them aside, waiting for them to finally make sense. Once they did start to make sense, it was very satisfying, but I just thought it took way too long to get to that point. I’m glad I pushed through and made it to the end, but if I hadn’t become so invested in the family so quickly, I’m pretty sure I would have given up on the book.

When Light Left Us is a beautiful story about how a family has the power to overcome their struggles if they stick together. I’d obviously recommend it to anyone who loves stories that focus on families and relationships, but any science fiction fan would probably enjoy this as well. If you’re impatient and like for the stories you read to make sense from the get-go, this might not be a good fit for you. Even though I had issues with that, however, I still very much enjoyed the story overall.

I received this book for free from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. ...more

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Feb 10, 2017 Erin rated it it was amazing

I loved it. This isn't a perfect book, it's a little mangled as far as a time line goes with pre-Luz, Luz, post-Luz but I was racing near the end to get to the ending that had me welling up. Leah Thomas has found just a great blend of sci-fi and realism. I forgive this book for not being the next book in the Because You'll Never Meet Me series, it's really that good. ...more

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Jul 24, 2018 Alexa rated it it was amazing

So I checked this out from the library and sat on it for a month and a half. And then I read it all in one day!

From the start you could feel how raw and hollowed out these characters felt and it was such a jolt to enter the story in the aftermath of what felt like a tragic loss, but without the details of what that loss was. Everything from the specific issues each of the three siblings was dealing with, paired with the way the chapters were titled and the glimpses of the recent past were SO GR So I checked this out from the library and sat on it for a month and a half. And then I read it all in one day!

From the start you could feel how raw and hollowed out these characters felt and it was such a jolt to enter the story in the aftermath of what felt like a tragic loss, but without the details of what that loss was. Everything from the specific issues each of the three siblings was dealing with, paired with the way the chapters were titled and the glimpses of the recent past were SO GRIPPING! I needed to know what had possessed them, what it had taken from them and how they were going to recover.

With their POVs, we also got their mother's POV and she was so insightful and added so much that I wasn't expecting. I love how her backstory came out and how fleshed out she was as a character. She didn't fall into the usual "mother" categories. Instead I could really believe she had been a child herself once not too long ago, and that understanding I think was so important.

The way the story was structured was very well done. The characters we met and when and how was so thoughtfully arranged. We know the siblings had lives and friends before this summer but they begin the school year isolated and alone, and we only begin to be introduced to their old friends as they start letting new ones in. We only get flash backs as we also see them begin to heal and change. As they forge new connections.

(view spoiler)

I could talk all day about how great all the characters were. How unique and complex they were. I love Milo so much!!! I love Ana so much!!! I love Hank so much!!! And the fact that Maggie accepts them all unconditionally, despite what they've been through and the dreams she's let fall away to be a parent, she still does her best to be the best mother she can and that's so SO incredible to read. A truly good parent. Still complex, still not perfect, but trying so hard to be what her kids need from her.

Basically this book was so much raw emotion and connection and healing and just so happened to be centered around a really fascinating extraterrestrial experience. I will definitely be reading more of Leah Thomas soon. ...more

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Feb 13, 2018 Kelly Gunderman rated it liked it

Shelves: arc

Check out this, other reviews, and more fun bookish things on my young adult book blog, Here's to Happy Endings!

I honestly had no idea what I was expecting when I started reading When Light Left Us. I had read the synopsis, of course, and it kind of made me a bit more confused, and when I started the book, read through it, and finished it, I came out feeling puzzled about the whole thing.

Don't get me wrong, I did like When Light Left Us. I thought it was different and interesting, and kind of re ...more

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Jan 16, 2018 Shoshana rated it it was amazing

Shelves: issue-missing-parent, 2018, makes-me-cry, diversity, young-adult, lgbtq-plus, scifi

Holy shit, this book.

Hooooly shiiiiit.

Punched in the feels, over and over. In the best possible way.

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Mar 27, 2018 sureena rated it did not like it

1.5* Such a pretty cover, such a disappointing book...
Okay, there was a lot of issues in this book and I'll do my best to articulate them properly in words, but that'll be hard because every time I think about this book I get angry.
First, basically, this book is about Hank, Ana, and Milo who's dad left and a few years later, some sort of "celestial" entity, Luz (Spanish for light) arrives and basically possesses them. For two months, he fills the void of their absent father but then he leaves t 1.5* Such a pretty cover, such a disappointing book...
Okay, there was a lot of issues in this book and I'll do my best to articulate them properly in words, but that'll be hard because every time I think about this book I get angry.
First, basically, this book is about Hank, Ana, and Milo who's dad left and a few years later, some sort of "celestial" entity, Luz (Spanish for light) arrives and basically possesses them. For two months, he fills the void of their absent father but then he leaves too, taking something from each of them. We learn that he takes Hank's use of hands so he can't play basketball anymore, Ana's sight so she can't film or make movies anymore, and Milo's hearing so he can't hear his family. Throughout the book, they learn to cope and hopefully eventually come to terms with the traumatic thing that happened to them.
Things I didn't like (also known as a really long rant):
-The writing. SO. MANY. ADJECTIVES. I felt like I was drowning in the prose and found myself skimming over pages more than not. It felt like Thomas was trying to appear lyrical and poetic with her writing, but it came off as dense and completely unnecessary. It was a pain to read and made me almost DNF the book, but stubbornly I kept on.
-The length. It didn't need to be this long. If she cleaned up the prose- this book would be half as long. I felt like it kept dragging on and on and on and on.... The only real substance in any of the pages happened in the last half.
-The characters. This was, by all means, a character-driven novel (the plot was literally non-existent) and for me to enjoy a character-driven novel, the characters would have to be really good. They weren't. It's clear that the author loves and cares for her characters, but she gave me no reason to care for them other than sympathy for their tragic lives. And to a certain point, that'll work but there needs to be substance with it- I'm talking personalities. But there wasn't. Ana, Hank, and Milo were promising, but they ultimately fell flat.
-The POVS. I felt like I couldn't differentiate between the POVS and that's crucial in multi-POV novels. I also felt some POVS weren't as developed as others. Milo's POV was a pain to get through as was Luz's and Maggie's.
-The completely CASUAL way self-harm was mentioned and NOT acknowledged properly. Self-harm and self-hatred are mentioned multiple times throughout this book and can definitely be considered a theme, but the author fails to acknowledge it as anything more than something bad. If you're going to take the trouble of including important topics in your books, you need to discuss them. You need to talk about getting help and why self-harm is not the answer and that everyone is worth it. Leah Thomas did basically none of this except one sentence in the last few pages of the book which I almost didn't catch because I was skimming through the pages of prose. This could be triggering and harmful for those with self-confidence and self-worth issues and it was not handled well. So if you're self-worth sensitive, I wouldn't bother with this book because it won't help you.
-The racist and homophobic jokes. Let me be clear. The main characters are not racist and homophobic. In fact, there is gay rep as Hank is gay and has had to deal with a lot of crap from people (cough* Tim cough*) and it's NOT EVEN ACKNOWLEDGED. I don't appreciate how racism and homophobia is not dealt with. The author makes it clear that it's not supported, but still doesn't make the characters stand up to it. If you're someone like me who can't stand reading about prejudice forced on people based on race or sexuality then don't even consider picking this book up. And it was especially bad because Tim, who was a character initiating a lot of homophobia (playing games like smear the queer and other crap) was normalized by Hank considering him a FRIEND after all of it. He wasn't even called out for his jokes, therefore, portraying his behavior as "okay". That's not okay at all.
-The confusion. There's a lot of paranormal and "alien" elements with this book that are not properly explained and it honestly left me feeling so confused and annoyed. The novel takes place as sort of the aftermath of Luz's visit but Luz and his visit weren't properly explained throughout the book and it left me disjointed from the story. It also seemed kind of unlikely that none of the characters wondered how this stuff happened or how it made sense because it didn't. So confusing.
The small things I liked:
-The representation and diversity: Hank is gay, Brendan is pansexual (as we learn), and there are other sexualities revealed but I won't spoil. There are also characters that learn ASL which is something we don't see often in YA. I personally know "a bit" of ASL so I liked that whole aspect.
-The concept. The whole alien/sacrifice/light/thing concept was intriguing and promising even though it did not pan out.
Overall, this was not an enjoyable read for me and I wouldn't recommend it to anyone who won't read books with themes of homophobia (especially homophobia that's not called out), racism, self-harm that isn't acknowledged or given hope for, and other problematic themes. Or people who don't like slow-paced, exceptionally long, dense prose novels with indistinguishable POVS. ...more

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Jul 31, 2019 Luke Reynolds rated it liked it

Shelves: teen-fiction, summer-2019, lgbtq, realistic-fiction, romance, science-fiction, lost-interest, my-2019-likes, could-have-been-better, magical

I think the main problem with this book, for me, was that it was way too ambitious. When Light Left Us is the story of a Hispanic-American family living in the Chihuahuan desert, three years following the sudden exit of the father. That summer brings a parasitic alien in the middle of the canyon near the family home, and it infects the three children through various body parts. Following its dismissal is where the book begins, and from there, we meet Hank (recovering hands), Ana (recovering eyes I think the main problem with this book, for me, was that it was way too ambitious. When Light Left Us is the story of a Hispanic-American family living in the Chihuahuan desert, three years following the sudden exit of the father. That summer brings a parasitic alien in the middle of the canyon near the family home, and it infects the three children through various body parts. Following its dismissal is where the book begins, and from there, we meet Hank (recovering hands), Ana (recovering eyes), and Milo (recovering eyes) plus their mother (Maggie, struggling teacher outside the fold) as they try to move on from what happened, all while pining over lost lovers, making budding friendships and rekindling old ones, participating in school musicals, learning sign language, finding new interests (SCIENCE!), and dealing with an alien that maybe never left. Thomas tries to get as much content as she can into this book, but in a YA framing, I don't think it was the most effective. Perhaps if this had been an adult literary novel from the perspective of the mother and the alien (cleverly referred to as Luz), this could have worked. However, we get perspectives from every single member of the Vasquez family, including the alien towards the last third of the novel. Combining all the content I mentioned above, that is a lot of story grounds to cover, especially when the mother, Maggie, was the character I resonated with the most. Then there was sometimes clunky prose and a manic pixie dream boy love interest, and those served as more strikes.

But why I ended up liking this novel at the end of the day has to do with its emotional resonance. Thomas did have wonderful moments of prose, especially with Maggie, where her self-doubt and surprisingly bitter thoughts about her children kicked in that were so effective. This was also true for the other characters as well as they went about their quirky lives and recovery processes. Also, the respectful intersectionality of ethnicity, queer, and autism spectrum rep combined with a focus on friendship guiding the relationships of the kids was excellent reinforcement of a reminder that not all relationships in literature need to be romantic! Lowkey need to save this advice for myself.

I would love to read more from Thomas, and although When Light Left Us fell somewhat short in its grandiosity, it excels with its emotional core. ...more

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May 08, 2018 Chiara rated it really liked it

Shelves: lgbtqia-queer-questioning, young-adult, lgbtqia-gay, physical-review-copies, cover-love, lgbtqia

A copy of this novel was provided by Bloomsbury Australia for review.

Leah Thomas is hands down one of my favourite authors. I endlessly adore her first two books – Because You’ll Never Meet Me and Nowhere Near You – and now When Light Left Us has cemented her as one of the best authors in YA right now.

Each of Leah’s books hits you hard in the feels. The entire time I was reading When Light Left Us I felt like my heart was breaking. Each of the four POV characters – the three Vazquez siblings and ...more

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Aug 24, 2018 Vanessa rated it really liked it

Shelves: science-fiction, ya-and-teen-books

3.5 stars.

This was such an odd story, but not in a bad way? I'm always glad when something unique comes along these days and this is definitely the first family story not-so-hidden in a what-happens-after-an-alien-possessed-you-and-your-siblings book on my shelf!

RTC ...more

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Dec 13, 2017 Trisha rated it it was amazing

Shelves: diversity-in-ya, family, friendship, multiple-narrators, ya-literature, lgbt, mystery, romance, secrets, arty

Images from this complicated, layered, grief-imbued story will stay with me.

Extraordinarily affecting.

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Jul 23, 2019 J. Taylor rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: totally-ship, family-moments, sci-fi-tastic

It took me a bit to get into, it was weird but soon set into an easy rhythm that had made sense and I enjoyed it then.

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Nov 23, 2019 Cheryl rated it it was amazing

Entertaining and also sends a messages that there is no such thing as normal.

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Jan 25, 2018 Valerie rated it liked it

Shelves: arc-read, 2018-releases

Confusing start, but other than that this was totally a me book? Loved the characters.

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Feb 18, 2018 Krista Stevens rated it it was ok

Shelves: young-adult, sci-fi

See Kristen's two-star review. ...more

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Feb 17, 2018 avery-I-guess rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: lgbt-books, good-representation

This book is...weird. It definitely takes a lot of suspension of disbelief to read, and I don't know if I'd recommend reading it before bed if you're anything like me, but it's a fascinating piece of writing and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I might write a more comprehensive review later, but for now, here are some of the awesome things that the story includes:

-LGBT characters (I mean, it's Leah Thomas)
-AN OPENLY PAN PERSON
-a heavily autistic-coded kid who I definitely related to a ton
-kids with wei ...more

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Jan 17, 2018 Brittani rated it it was amazing

Shelves: own, physical-copy, contemporary, arcs, read-in-2018, standalone

TW: self harm and suicidal thoughts.

If you're a fan of Shaun David Hutchinson's writing, I definitely recommend you check out a book by Leah Thomas. Their books both have the whole "contemporary except this one specific science fiction aspect that's completely normal/accepted" thing going on and they're both really excellent at it. I went into this thinking it would be one thing and it completely surprised me by being almost the exact opposite. I won't say anything more than that because I think ...more

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Apr 11, 2018 Adele rated it it was ok

Shelves: found-for-others

I loved Thomas' first two books so much it makes it all the more disappointing that I didn't really even like this one. It was slow and dull for so long. The chapters from Milo's perspective were annoying. He's just a fictional character so I don't think it makes me a horrible person that I don't enjoy spending time with a weird little kid who over-uses exclamation points and is obsessed with things I have no interest in. Actually, I don't think it makes me a horrible person that I wouldn't enjo ...more

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May 24, 2018 Teenreadsdotcom rated it it was amazing

Shelves: books-to-add-to-your-guy-brary

Milo, Ana and Hank all know the first day that their lives fell apart --- the day that their father drove off into the desert sun and never came back. Ana and Hank know the second day that their lives fell apart --- when Luz, the light, the intangible alien, came into their lives. And they know the day that they finally realized it --- the day that he left. Now Hank can’t make a single basket, Ana can’t close her eyes and Milo can’t take off his headphones. This is the Vasquez family: broken and Milo, Ana and Hank all know the first day that their lives fell apart --- the day that their father drove off into the desert sun and never came back. Ana and Hank know the second day that their lives fell apart --- when Luz, the light, the intangible alien, came into their lives. And they know the day that they finally realized it --- the day that he left. Now Hank can’t make a single basket, Ana can’t close her eyes and Milo can’t take off his headphones. This is the Vasquez family: broken and splintered, each member struggling on their own, the bonds between them broken.

After their father left, Ana, Milo and Hank all felt the same emotion when Luz filled the void in their lives --- elation. As an alien unsure of where he came from, and curious to know about the people he saw, Luz put a part of himself in each of the Vasquez siblings. With Luz, Hank was a stronger basketball player than ever, Ana saw wonders every time she blinked and Milo always had a comforting voice in his head. Soon, however, Luz’s guiding influence begins to strain them all, and the conflict leaves them broken and lost for a second time. If they ever want to learn to stand on their own again, they’ll need to lean on each other first to get back up. Leah Thomas’ novel WHEN LIGHT LEFT US explores loss, grief, trauma and family in an honest and unique portrayal of a fractured family trying to find the light again.

With WHEN LIGHT LEFT US, Leah Thomas demonstrates that novels don’t have to fit into one category: she blends contemporary fiction with science fiction and almost slightly paranormal elements. The result is a heartbreaking, truly unique story with astonishing depth. Sometimes science fiction relies on plot and lacks the strong themes and character development of contemporary novels, but this is not the case in Thomas’ novel. For the majority of the book, the plot is character-driven, focused on the slow struggle of each sibling, rather than on bombastic events, though the pace quickens dramatically leading up to the climax. Once readers start to understand each individual and submerge in each of their minds, this character focus is surprisingly compelling. However, the chronology of the story is slightly confusing at first --- the story jumps from the present to the past often and suddenly, and it may take some time for readers to gain a full understanding of how the events are working together, but the slow unraveling of what really happened when Luz left is a mystery that readers will delight in seeing unfold, layer by layer.

One of the strongest elements of the novel is the voice, or voices. Milo, Hank and Ana each have equal amounts of narration, and their mother also voices a large portion of the story, an element often unseen in young adult literature. While young adult authors generally focus on teens, it is refreshing to hear both the Vasquez’s mother and Milo --- only in second grade --- especially because they are so well developed, and this particular element helps to define the Vasquez family for the reader, because they see how each member is broken, and gain a true understanding of all of them, equally. These messy, fragile characters allow Thomas to truly explore what it means to be family, and the struggle that it can take to pull individuals back together after a tragedy, a theme that runs throughout the entire story. The novel also explores coming of age, social pressure, and responsibility.

Overall, Thomas’ story, with complex characters, intense emotions and some graphic scenes, lends itself more to older teens looking for a unique story with weight. Readers who love realistic families, tough personal struggles and layered characters will find WHEN LIGHT LEFT US satisfying and meaningful, but individuals who also love unique stories will find that Thomas’ novel delivers in that aspect and in many more.

Reviewed by Rachel R., Teen Board Member ...more

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Oct 24, 2018 Kalena W rated it it was amazing

Shelves: owned-books, fantasy, lgbtq, realistic-fiction, contemporary, magical-realism, 2018-read, favorites, young-adult

1 million stars/5 stars folks, get ready for a heartfelt review. This is one I call a TRUE five-star worthy book.

This book gave me so much joy as soon as I picked it up and was amazing enough to get me out of my reading slump. Every character is so neatly crafted, the plot is leisurely moving but enough to keep you interested, and the setting is beautifully described.

Adding onto the point of amazing writing is just the books connection to reality, and how it makes you feel. This book, while sci 1 million stars/5 stars folks, get ready for a heartfelt review. This is one I call a TRUE five-star worthy book.

This book gave me so much joy as soon as I picked it up and was amazing enough to get me out of my reading slump. Every character is so neatly crafted, the plot is leisurely moving but enough to keep you interested, and the setting is beautifully described.

Adding onto the point of amazing writing is just the books connection to reality, and how it makes you feel. This book, while science fiction, has the characters feeling such real emotions that reflect what you sometimes feel in yourself that you feel like you are living your life right alongside the Vasquez family. You get to see the perspectives of all three of the Vasquez children, each playing their part in the plot but all having unique arcs to go with them. I would describe it as like a Marvel movie, in reality, they are all moving the plot forward but have a really unique character arc to themselves. Even the mother, fighting her own demons, and eventually, Luz made you feel connected.

One thing that I would correct about the plot points is that even though the Alien Parasite was a really good idea, and actually really original with how Leah Thomas played it, there was not enough backstory for you to understand too much of it. You had to piece together from the different perspectives what Luz was and what it meant to them, which isn't a bad thing, but there was not a lot of information.

This was one of those books where it's not all about saving the world, its centered around a family trying to save themselves. It reminds me of Ant-Man & The Wasp or Solo: A Star Wars Story, movies about not trying to save the universe (I mean if they don't win it will have consequences on the universe but that isn't the point of the movie) they were just trying to save their own skin so it felt a little more lighthearted, despite the um....mature happenings. It just felt like it lifted me up and made me smile through the entire book.

I feel as though this could work as an adult book as well as a young adult book, there is some profanity which isn't always a problem in young adult but they were repeated a couple times.

Then let me tell you about the characters, I am in love with all of them and I really want to just go hug them and I really didn't want the story to end. My biggest regret of the week was finishing this book, for I won't get to read more of the Vasquez characters and I really want to re-read this book. I fell in love with Ana Vasquez right away, she is quiet yet snarky and a bit of nerd and emo but such a headstrong girl. It took a little longer to fall in love with Hank Vasquez but once you got past somethings about his personality you learn to love him. Milo Vasquez almost immediately clicked with me because I have a little brother as well, so I latched on to him. The Mother Vasquez did literally nothing for her kids through this entire book but I still appreciate her as a character. I love the little girl named Penny who helps Milo through the course of the book. I love Carmella, the beautiful friend of Hank. I love Brendan, the pansexual who is really quirky and cute. I love Platinum, the girl who eventually starts to enjoy Ana's company. I honestly enjoyed the entire cast, sometimes they got annoying but I loved them anyways.

This book made me almost cry in class, cry at home, and have a panic attack for the characters. I have found very few books who have made me feel so much in one book. I hope I can read other Leah Thomas works, but for now, READ. THIS. BOOK. thank you for coming to my Ted Talk~

*I would also like to point out I found a pre-released copy in a "used book store" so my review is based on the pre-release and not the released in stores copy* ...more

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Jan 14, 2018 Celia McMahon rated it really liked it

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC!

This is a story of three siblings who get possessed, in a way by an alien parasite. Sounds simple, right?

Nope.

First off, this story is told by multiple POV's so if you're not into that, you can stop here. What I love about this is that you are seeing the story through different ages since the kids range from age seven to almost eighteen. And then you have the mother and the alien toward the end.

The story gave me a definite Spielberg vibe. We have three kids who ha Thank you Netgalley for the ARC!

This is a story of three siblings who get possessed, in a way by an alien parasite. Sounds simple, right?

Nope.

First off, this story is told by multiple POV's so if you're not into that, you can stop here. What I love about this is that you are seeing the story through different ages since the kids range from age seven to almost eighteen. And then you have the mother and the alien toward the end.

The story gave me a definite Spielberg vibe. We have three kids who have very different views of what the alien had done to their bodies and a mother desperately trying to help them the best way she possibly can. This alien "Luz" took young Milo's ears, Ana's sight and Hank's use of his hands.

At first I was a bit confused since the author kind of throws you into it with little explanation. You collect hints along the way, but nothing is fully explained until toward the end of the book. To me, I liked this a lot because it kept me reading and wanting to know what in ever living Hell is going on. Because that is what I said after each chapter. Also this face. O_O

The plot is simple once you break it down. We have three kids trying to live life after this alien invaded them for a summer, coping with their father who had left them and a sort of confusing love life between Hank, who has broken up with his boyfriend in which his sister, Ana falls for, but Hank doesn't know it and seems to fall for his straight friend who may or may not be gay and I'm over here like, Ana has stars for eyes and nobody seems to question that.

Through all of this, we have this alien who decides he wants to do some more damage which builds up to a climatic ending that had me on the edge. I couldn't put the damn book down until i knew what happened. I forgot to eat.

All in all, I loved the emotion put into this book which is more than an alien story. it's a story of coming of age and acceptance and sorrow. There's something deeper in there that had me dwelling on it after I was done. It's something poetic. I will probably buy the copy when it comes out. ...more

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Jan 10, 2019 Liz rated it really liked it

WOW. Any other 3-letter expletive is too insignificant to describe this book. The story line felt very fresh which meant I wasn't bored by anticipating what happens next. Every plot twist was unexpected and often refreshing. In a nutshell, an alien answering to the name Luz invades 3 siblings after they were abandoned by their father, causing them to have a traumatic summer and a very hard time coping in school the next fall. However, there are many thoughtful and kind characters in this book th WOW. Any other 3-letter expletive is too insignificant to describe this book. The story line felt very fresh which meant I wasn't bored by anticipating what happens next. Every plot twist was unexpected and often refreshing. In a nutshell, an alien answering to the name Luz invades 3 siblings after they were abandoned by their father, causing them to have a traumatic summer and a very hard time coping in school the next fall. However, there are many thoughtful and kind characters in this book that really care about the family, and become like a better-than-real-life extended family.

This book is filled to the brim with mind-blowing thoughts and philosophical ponderings rarely achieved without a pharmaceutical enhanced state. Luz says to the siblings, "You are so similar I assumed you were one organism in three pieces. Are you sure you aren't?" (94) The writing is amazing, for example, see how Luz reacts positively to his naming, bearing in mind that Luz possesses the hands of teenage Hank - "Hank's hands lifted his chin for him, nodded his head". (182) I can totally see that, and the writing is so vivid that actors could easily portray the story in a much needed TV series.

There is a high school musical (not sappy, really), but suddenly Seymour! Penny is a classmate of the youngest sib, 2nd grader Milo. She is a STRONG woman, super intuitive, even at her young age. I love that adults in the story take children seriously, and don't treat them as if they've only gained half of their intelligence. American Sign Language plays an important part in the plot. Milo and his mother, Maggie, are learning ASL from Penny and her father. This enables them to communicate in an unrecognized hostage like situation - great detail! Coral snake or King snake? It's very important to know the difference. Spoiler alert next - "Perhaps he'd lived with a thousand families and left them, and when he left, forgot them all." (365) I was befuddled and confused for the first 90 pages (no unnecessary prose in this book), but once I got it, I couldn't put it down. The closer to the end, the faster I turned the pages. Great read! ...more

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About Leah Thomas

Leah Thomas

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Leah Thomas once wrote from a house in the woods, and now an apartment more or less by the sea (well, less). Her debut novel BECAUSE YOU'LL NEVER MEET ME was a 2016 Morris Award finalist, and its sequel, NOWHERE NEAR YOU, is out now from Bloomsbury. Her third YA science fiction novel, WHEN LIGHT LEFT US, hit shelves this February.

A graduate of Clarion 2010, her short fiction has appeared in Asimo ...more