Katy Upperman’s How the Light Gets In is a haunting YA novel about a teen coping with the loss of her sibling. 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 once were. When she returns to her aunt’s run-down coastal Victorian one year after Chloe’s … 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?
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This book is probably going to be my favorite Contemporary YA of 2019! It’s achingly gorgeous with beautiful writing, a haunting mystery, and the best book boyfriend I have read in forever. I’m afraid to say any more about it except go get a copy immediately.
Haunting and gorgeously written, How the Light Gets In delivers an engrossing and heartfelt YA contemporary story with a unique paranormal twist and an adorable romance that left me reeling with so many wonderful FEELS. Katy Upperman has such a beautiful way with words and weaving all sorts of emotions in her books that make readers fall in love with her stories and characters. I always do… and this book definitely has a place in my heart.
I was incredibly smitten with Katy Upperman’s previous novels, so I had high expectations for this book. I’ll be honest… the first few chapters were a tad bit slow for me and it took me a while to get into the story. BUT, Upperman’s writing is just so lovely, compelling and addictive that I eventually and completely got hooked and never wanted the story to end. I enjoyed the paranormal aspects, the beautiful beachy small town setting, the adorable romance, and the twists and surprises throughout the book. The plot is engaging, suspenseful, intriguing, and satisfyingly emotional with just the right mix of conflict, drama, mystery, sadness, joy, hope, and love.
The characters are not always likable, but I love that they seem so real to me and I can easily sympathize with them. I think they’re fantastically fleshed-out, well-developed, complex, and interesting. I liked Callie and really felt her pain over the death of her younger sister, Chloe. I didn’t always like her decisions, but I enjoyed her personal journey and seeing her finally letting herself heal, live, and love again was really satisfying. Tucker is such a sweetheart and my new favorite book boyfriend. He’s dealing with his own grief and my heart ached for him in so many ways. I adored Aunt Lucy and her quirky and fun personality, and really admired her passion for what she’s doing. And Chloe… well she’s quite charming and wonderful.
The romance is deliciously slow burn and swoony. I enjoyed seeing the lovely friendship between Callie and Tucker slowly, sweetly, and perfectly turn into a believable romantic relationship. They have awkwardly cute moments that will make you smile, emotionally intense scenes that may break your heart, and endearing and flirty moments that will make you swoon and feel the warm fuzzies. They’re absolutely adorable and so great together.
Upperman never ceases to amaze me and I think she’s extremely talented in creating stories that will touch your heart and give you all the FEELS. Stories that will surprise you and leave you wanting more. Stories that are sometimes sad, but also utterly sweet, fun, romantic, and affecting. Stories that feel genuine and authentic that they’ll stay with you long after you finish reading them.
With a breathtakingly engrossing writing style, an achingly touching storyline, a fun paranormal twist, and realistically flawed and relatable characters, Katy Upperman has created another beautifully poignant, thoroughly absorbing, and delightfully thrilling story that gave me all the FEELS, had me on edge, and got me teary eyed a few times. How the Light Gets In is truly a wonderful story about dealing with loss and guilt, forgiveness and healing, and learning to live and love again. I love this book and cannot recommend it enough.
If you love the small town charm, solving mysteries, paranormal elements, and an irresistibly cute romance, then add this book on your TBR.
I received an advance reader copy of this book from the author and publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
This story grabbed me from the beginning and still hasn’t let go, even though I finished reading it last night. Katy Upperman has a way with words. Her writing is gorgeous but even more than that, she infuses so much emotion in the way she writes.
The bond between Callie and Chloe was so strong and the grief Callie feels jumps right out of the page. Every character is fleshed out. Every character feels real. Every character feels like someone you just had a conversation with.
Like Tucker. Tucker is my new book crush. He’s sweet and funny and charming. He’s got goals and he’s dealing with his own loss and his own past.
Oh and then there’s the setting, the little beach town, the B&B, the pool and the sand and the water and the poppies. It’s there. You can feel the sand under your feet and smell the flower. Because Katy could write a Master class on how to use setting in a novel.
The paranormal element was so well weaved into the story. To me, it worked perfectly.
And what I really need is more of Tucker and Callie and more of Drew and Brynn!
Note: This review contains NO spoilers
Well, hmmm… I thought this was a raw and emotional story. A story of loss, grief, and the struggle to move on. That’s what I pretty much get from this YA contemporary from Katy Upperman. I found that How The Light Gets In was a compelling and realistic telling of how this young woman dealt with the loss of her sister, at first in a destructive way, then later she learns how in a constructive way. However, this story slowly unravels to reveal a slight ghostly twist… or was it?!? With these elements twisted together, it kept me interested enough to keep reading.
With its well developed characters and setting, How The Light Gets In tells the story of how Callie Ryan coped with the death of her sister in which those knowing loss and grief can relate in one way or another. But then, on a side note, the pacing is somewhat slow for me; however, it wasn’t enough to deter me from continuing this read. Moreover, there is a subtle touch of romance that is intertwined into Callie’s story. Well, just enough that tugged at the “heart strings” and, in a way, helped her cope with her grief. The author seamlessly integrated these elements together into this contemporary romance in which none overshadowed the other. In the end, How The Light Gets In is a poignant and multi-layered story that will touch the heart.
***Actual Rating: 4/5 Hauntingly-Forgiving Stars***
As a massive fan of YA Contemporary Romance, I’m fully aware of Katy Upperman and all her previous, highly anticipated works. Kissing Max Holden and The Impossibility of Us sound unbelievably intriguing to me, and I’m constantly guilty about not having read either of them earlier. Thankfully (and much to my surprise,) I got a perfect opportunity to actually read, enjoy, and share my thoughts about her upcoming novel, How the Light Gets In, with all of you, and for that, I’m truthfully grateful.
That being said, How the Light Gets In is the first book of Katy’s I’ve read, and I’m really glad it does not let me down. Not knowing what to expect, I experience this book–yep, head-on experience–with an open mind and wide eyes. My first impression on this book is, interestingly, not the author’s writing style, nor the uniqueness of the characters’ personality; instead, what lures me deeper in the story is the all-so-unexpected supernatural/paranormal/ghost-like element, a.k.a. the ghost of Callie’s (the female protagonist’s) late baby sister, Chloe.
There, I said it, the otherworld (Ha! Pun intended!) feature that I most definitely didn’t see coming. I don’t know why, but when I picture Katy’s books or the stories she may create, they won’t include something so…spiritual or slightly superstitious. Not trying to stray from the topic, despite the fact that Chloe’s everlasting ghost catches me off-guard in the entire story, I actually appreciate her role in making Callie’s life better and more whole.
When Callie lost her sister to a pretty girlish, slightly juvenile cause, she was devastated. Never would Callie expect her dearest sister to be gone so simply, as if their sisterhood was nothing but fleeting moments. The most touching part of this book is how strong the bond between Callie and Chloe is even when one of them ceases to exist. And the cherry on top? There’s a slowly built romance for Callie and the new boy, Tucker Morgan, a happy-go-lucky who seems to bear as much burden as she does deep down.
All in all, How the Light Gets In is all about dealing with losing a beloved someone while struggling/managing to piece yourself together somehow. Callie and Chloe’s story makes me believe in–not necessarily ghosts–spirits more and that perhaps, communicating with the lost one through some supernatural means can actually help seeking forgiveness. All I want to say is that this book certainly is a meaningful read, and I hope you’ll enjoy it as much as I do. 🙂
***Thanks to Xpresso Tours and the author for providing me with an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.***