There is currently an uproar in my school district over this book so I decided to check it out for myself. It is a book about grief, friendship, and identity. All kids can relate to these themes. All children deserve to see themselves in books.

A lovely book about ghosts, grief, and that summer before middle school when everything starts to change.

Review originally published 5 May 2021 at Falling Letters. I received a free copy for review via Netgalley.

Kyle Lukoff, well known for his picture books about trans kids (including the Stonewall Book Award winning [b: When Aiden Became a Brother|39987021|When Aidan Became A Brother|Kyle Lukoff|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1553384101l/39987021._SX50_.jpg|61915492]), makes the jump to middle grade with Too Bright to See. He nails the landing of that jump with this story about Bug, a kid working through grief, friendship pains, and gender identity.

Trying to picture myself as a teenage girl is like staring at the sun, too bright to see, and it hurts. (35%)

Too Bright to See starts off pretty dreary. Bug’s uncle, who shone brightly in Bug’s life, has just died young. (First line: “It’s strange living in our old house, now that Uncle Roderick is dead.”) Bug’s relationship with his bff seems to be on the rocks once again. Bug’s unhappiness seems to go deeper than these obvious challenges in his life, but even Bug isn’t totally sure why that is.

As the story progresses, we see a kid trying to convince himself he’s a cis girl, a kid who knows what transgender means yet also thinks that it can’t apply to him, a kid whose mixed up jumbled feelings will make you want to give him a big hug. Too Bright to See offers another key narrative to the small canon of middle grade trans coming out stories, a narrative that shows realizing one’s gender identity can be a bumpy, unclear road. For a book coming in under 200 pages, it takes you on an emotional journey: starting as a sad summer story, becoming more heartfelt and heartbreaking as Bug struggles, ending with happy tears and strengthened relationships.

A lot of the trans people telling their stories talked more about a general feeling of not-rightness. Like people looking at you through a frosted glass window, guessing at what they were seeing. But that just sounds normal to me. (73%)

To be clear, Too Bright to See is not primarily a ghost story. The mostly gentle hauntings function as a guide to help Bug understand his feelings. The ghost’s identity isn’t much of a mystery.

Spoiler

Roderick might have been able to help Bug figure things out. He does the best he can as a ghost.

I do recall a couple of scenes with heightened tension – one where Bug’s home alone and one where Moira’s injured. Originally, I was excited to read this book because I thought it would be a spooky read. Turns out its strengths lie elsewhere.

I want to add some quick notes about Moira, Bug’s best friend since they were little. The two clashed when they were young but eventually settled into a comfortable enough friendship. That friendship has become rocky again as Moira pushes forward into femininity and middle school. I appreciated Moira’s depiction as more than ‘bff turned mean girl’ that used to be common in middle grade. Especially after Bug comes out to Moira, she makes some astute observations about why their friendship had been fracturing.

As I finished this book, I wondered how I would refer to Bug when booktalking. Lukoff anticipated this thought. He addresses it in an author’s note immediately after the end of the story. I’ve used he/him throughout this review because my audience here is all adults. Lukoff suggests using they/them quickly when talking to someone who hasn’t read the story yet. He notes, “But I also trust you to describe it to someone who hasn’t read it yet, in whatever way feels right to you, so long as you hold the truth of who Bug is in your heart.”

The Bottom Line

Such an important YA book for those that want to understand themselves or others better. The reader gets to feel all that Bug is dealing with after her favorite uncle dies. A fantastic LGBTQ+ YA novel! Great choice, Nebraska, for a Golden Sower nominee! Geared for middle school, but many ages will enjoy.

This is a queer self-discovery story with the trappings of a haunting. It’s not a particularly scary haunting, but it’s still not really my cup of tea. Bug’s beloved Uncle Rodrick (who also goes by the drag name Anita Life) has passed away, but he still wants to pass on important message. This poor young person is just so sad and uncomfortable in their skin. That’s a very important, very hard story. But it ends in a burst of joy that had me smiling from ear to ear. My favorite moment is Bug’s mom’s reaction to their coming out:
Mom: There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, then are dreamt of in your philosophy.
Bug: Huh?
Mom: Shakespeare.
Bug: Oh.
Mom: Indeed.

One of the most perfect middle grade books I’ve ever read. It’s spooky and endearing and written in such a great voice. I love how Lukoff plots such a careful reveal - go into this story knowing nothing more than it’s the tale of a kid being haunted by their dead uncle into figuring out something important.

I also love that Lukoff gives that exact book talk in the author’s note. He writes such great lines, like this one which got me right in the heart spot: “I could play these quiet games for the rest of my life, be always in a story and never really here.”

A slow read in many ways for me, but so sweet and a book that is so needed.

Did this feel super realistic? Not particularly. But it felt idyllic, in a really nice and beautiful way.

I remember seeing this novel on a list of awesome children’s novels and knew that I had to add it to my TBR. As an educator, it is important to me that my kids have access to quality novels and this one is definitely being added to the list. This novel surpassed my expectations and took a route I wasn’t expecting, but in a good way.

Bug’s Uncle Rodrick recently passed away and Bug is getting ready to start middle school. Bug’s mom also tells them that they’re not going to be able to attend the summer camp that they’ve attended for years. These are lots of big changes that can be really hard on a lot of kiddos. Bug’s only friend, Moira, is also convinced that they need to become more girly in order to “fit-in” in middle school. Moira is then on a mission to fix Bug and turn them into the girlie friend of their dreams. Bug hates this but goes along with it because they don’t want to lose their friend. Bug also is facing the grief of losing their uncle and is convinced that he is haunting their house in order to pass along a message.

This novel is such a great representation of what it’s like to accept yourself and become who you’re meant to be. There are several themes that this novel touches on in an age appropriate way. Some of these topics include:

- LGBTQ+ community
- Friendship
- Loss/Grief
- Single Parenting
- Poverty

I really enjoyed reading this novel and I encourage others to pick up a copy for their children/students to read.