A review by thefreckledbookworm
The Escape of Light by Fred Venturini

3.0

Special thank you to the author for providing me with a copy of his book!! I appreciated how this was a quick, and easy read, and the chapters are short, which makes it easier to take breaks. There were a few spelling mistakes / sentences that didn't quite make sense, but overall well written. It's definitely a writing style that can appeal to many readers.

This novel is full of twists and turns. I, however, would've liked to see more diversity.. this story was really about white, cis, and straight teenagers. But, I enjoyed this book nonetheless.

So anyways, this is the story of Wilder, and how he needs to come to terms with his disfigurement as a burn survivor. Throughout the book, he beats himself up about his scars, and he has a general pessimist attitude. I appreciated reading about his character growth, especially when he realized that fixing his scars won't miraculously heal him on the inside. This book wasn't written to feel sorry for Wilder. It's about not letting your past haunt you forever and on how to overcome those obstacles that prevent you from moving on, especially when you experienced a traumatic event(s). It's a beautiful coming of age novel, that's for sure.

The main characters in this story are relatable, and human. The teenagers felt very real and all played a different role in the High School "system". I wish there had been more of Lane, I really loved her and her dark humour. And that black hole metaphore