A review by moonyreadsbystarlight
Too Bright to See by Kyle Lukoff

emotional reflective
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes

5.0

This focuses on Bug, a kid whose Uncle dies at the beginning of the summer before middle school. While there is a lot about grief and friendship, there is also a lot about self-discovery. The descriptions of gender dysphoria and social discomfort hit so close to home for me. 

I did feel like some of the mystery part felt more obvious to me, but perhaps it would be different for its intended audience
(but to be fair, I'm thinking about the bit after they get the Oji board message. And while it's onvious from the outside what the message was, him being clueless is 100% realistic. I, too, have overlooked clues about my gender that are painfully obvious) While the end where everything goes super smoothly coming out at home and school isn't realistic per se, it is really wonderful and so vital to see stories without queer trauma
Really the only big issue I had was the lack of care with the Oija board. Always say goodbye and don't do it alone, kids!
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