The Golden Hour is about Manuel Soto, a teenager in rural Kansas, who witnesses gun violence at school. He uses photography to cope with his anxiety afterwards. 

Manuel makes friends with Sebastian and Caysha in art class and they become his support group and more. Manuel joins them in Ag club and they each share the passions that make them unique. 

This is an excellent look at trauma and anxiety, with a side of friendships and budding queer romance. I absolutely loved how this book built characters without heavy exposition. This is a delightful read about teenagers facing very real problems. I wouldn’t change a thing about it.