Review: Light in the Canyon by Darren Cools
I was thirteen when my parents divorced. Now, or even in some circles back then in the late 80’s, that would have been commonplace. But we moved in mainstream evangelical circles in Southern California. It would be a few more years and moving to public school, before I met anyone else from a divorced family. I remember feeling different and out of place. In hindsight, I realized, all teens feel different and out of place. How you move through grief and loss can either heal you, and build resilience, or stunt your growth, leaving you in arrested development.
“People usually say they’d do it all over again if they had the choice…even if it was difficult and painful,” says Jamie, one of the heroes of this new, fast-paced, YA novel, Light in the Canyon, from Darren Cools . “Was this what it felt like to grow up?” Jamie wonders. Yes, Jamie, it is.
Each of the main characters has someone they are missing. Someone that has left a gaping hole in their lives.
Jamie’s dad left. His uber masculine father always knew what to do and how to be a man ---until he didn’t. Now that Jamie at thirteen is moving into manhood himself, he doesn’t know what to do. He’d ask his older brother, Ash, but he just moved out to college. And living out on a NW isolated island, with no town or schools, he is alone often while his mom is at work. In his loneliness, he fantasies about girls, not romantically, but about neighbors, flight attendants, and girls in books. Girls seem much more “confident” and “comfortable” not awkward like himself. Jamie struggles with his very identity as he moves from childhood to teen.
Halley, is also thirteen, lives on the mainland, near town and has lost her mother in the last year. Her mother’s illness was quick, and Halley is grieving deeply. She feels like she is falling apart and has panic dreams revealing as much at night. Her father works hard to keep them moving forward and connected, but they both miss Halley’s mom.
Raina, is an adult and the town librarian. When she was thirteen, she witnessed an accident that left her connected to the victim. The remarkable young girl died and Raina has never been able to forget their short-lived friendship.
Cools moves the action quickly between the characters. The reader is drawn in both to the characters and their stories. Reminiscent of Madeleine L’Engle there is a fantastic science experiment gone wrong leaving many characters changed.
Most notably changed is Jamie, who has changed into a girl. Not just any girl, but the splitting image of his aunt who died years ago. Honestly, I was a bit uncomfortable during this storyline. With so many hypersexual storylines, even in books for children and teens I wondered where this storyline was headed. Was it going to be some sort of commentary on transgenderism? Will there be anatomical descriptions? Sex? Will Jamie discover that being a female is better and easier? None of these things happen. Yes, Jamie struggles with his identity, but his sex isn’t the focal point. He discovers it is difficult to be a girl too. He finds himself feeling more vulnerable and suspicious as a girl. He finds courage within himself that has nothing to do with his sex but who he is becoming, as a young man.
One of the most poignant scenes in the book is a flash back with Halley and her mom. Halley remembers one of those great heart to heart talks she misses having with her mom. In the flashback they talk about how Jack in Nightmare Before Christmas makes a lot of mistakes, which help him understand who he is and what is important. Halley doesn’t understand how mistakes can make you better.
Her mom replies, “Do you know the difference between resilience and not being fragile?”
Of course, Halley does not she is child.
Her mother explains, “Resilience means you can deal with big challenges and still be okay… But being not fragile is when you’re more than just okay again after going through something hard. It means the hard stuff made you better, stronger, wiser than before. You grow because of the adversity, not in spite of it.”
It is a lesson each character will learn as their stories converge in fantastic ways in an extremely satisfying and high octane ending.
Like veteran YA author, Gary Schmitz, Cools peppers his story with references to other books. He knows kids who read books become friends with the characters within them. This too, is how readers find their people. Which character is your friend? Well, then, perhaps we can be friends too. His characters are connected to the stories before them.
I wouldn’t say this novel is a Christian novel, yet themes of transformative courage, healing and self-sacrifice are evident. While none of the characters seem particularly religious, when unexplainable things happen or when they are fearful, they turn to prayer. In an extremely agnostic or even antagonistic to Christianity landscape in most YA novels, I found this refreshing and honest.
Moving through loss and grief can be difficult at any age. Light in the Canyon tells a story of characters who move through this life experience none of us will be able to escape. Reading such a story builds empathy and understanding in the reader, challenging them to not be afraid, embrace courage--- there is resilience, and healing, hope and community on the other side.
And just as Jamie realizes, we would do it all over again, even if the choice was difficult and painful. This is how we become a better, stronger and wiser adult.
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NEW ZOOM WORKSHOP
Fall brings new routines and schedules. As the temperature cools, we sharpen our pencils and capture the stories and poems that haunt us.
You want to write? How do you cultivate creative habits? How do you organize your reading and writing time? What do you want to work on?
In this workshop we will discuss reading, writing, schedules, goals, themes and community as we cultivate our own literary lives to set ourselves up for success.
Details:
+ Monday August 24 4-6pm PST via Zoom
+ Cost $60 (Paid via Venmo or Zelle)
(Note: Purchases made through affiliate links made here may bring me a small commission. It’s one more way you can support my work!)