What Light by Jay Asher

What Light by Jay Asher
Release Date - October 11, 2016

Publisher Website - Penguin Random House
Publisher Social Media - Twitter
Pages - 256 pages
My Rating - 4/5
**received from publisher for an honest review**

Here is the Goodreads synopsis

From Jay Asher, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Thirteen Reasons Why, comes a romance that will break your heart, but soon have you believing again. . . .

Sierra's family runs a Christmas tree farm in Oregon—it's a bucolic setting for a girl to grow up in, except that every year, they pack up and move to California to set up their Christmas tree lot for the season. So Sierra lives two lives: her life in Oregon and her life at Christmas. And leaving one always means missing the other.

Until this particular Christmas, when Sierra meets Caleb, and one life eclipses the other.

By reputation, Caleb is not your perfect guy: years ago, he made an enormous mistake and has been paying for it ever since. But Sierra sees beyond Caleb's past and becomes determined to help him find forgiveness and, maybe, redemption. As disapproval, misconceptions, and suspicions swirl around them, Caleb and Sierra discover the one thing that transcends all else: true love.

What Light is a love story that's moving and life-affirming and completely unforgettable.

Jay Asher's What Light is a lot of things. It's the warmth of a perfectly made hot chocolate, the soft glow of Christmas lights, the fuzzy feeling of your favourite Christmas special and a Taylor Swift song all wrapped in a romantic read that is perfect for this upcoming holiday season.

I was initially drawn to the story because of the tree farm. I've always been curious about those who grow up with the experience Sierra has. The time spent away from home and friends, the second set of friends you only see for a brief time of year. Not to mention being surrounded by the feeling and smells of Christmas all the time. It felt like the perfect setting for a romance, and it turns out it is.

This is a story of a girl who keeps walls around herself, and a boy who everyone else keeps at arms length. It is a story of what happens when these two collide and each sees the other for who they really are. It's a sweet story of first love, and the uncertainty that comes along with everything worth trying for.

Jay Asher's talent is crafting rich, believable characters who are flawed. He allows those flaws to exist without being apologetic that the characters have them. They are simply part of who the characters are and that makes them feel all the more real. The writing is reminiscent of Thirteen Reasons Why but is packed with the warmth of the holiday season in a very tangible way. It is his writing that brings that heartbeat to the story and the characters.

The theme of forgiveness thrums through this story. It resonates through every page. Forgiveness of others, but also self forgiveness. Through Caleb's character we see what resentment, rumours, and the unwillingness to forgive yourself for past mistakes can do to someone. It's a powerful message, and one that I found immensely satisfying showcased in this way.

The romance is pretty swoon worthy. Filled with epic romantic gestures, and the ticking clock of Sierra's departure looming it is hard not to fall for this romance yourself. It's the kind of love story that you get lost in, and root for. I could easily see this as a holiday movie because so many of the scenes are vivid and already reads like a movie.

It's short page count ensures that you'll finish this off in an afternoon. It's tailor made to be yearly favourite with it pulled out each December for another read, much like those beloved holiday classics we watch each season. There is something magical about that time of year and it's been captured here within these pages.

It is a story of second changes, forgiveness, and the spirit of the season. A perfect read for those who love everything about the magical time of Christmas and romantic reads. It's the perfect book for a softly snowing winter day and demands to be read with a delicious peppermint hot chocolate.