Too Bright to See
Gender identity and death lovingly explored in spooky story.
Kids say
Based on 1 review
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A Lot or a Little?
The parents' guide to what's in this book.
What Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that Too Bright to See is a 2022 Newbery Honor Book. It's a coming-of-age story couched in a horror novel. There are some poltergeist moments that can be frightening, but there's no blood or violence. Twelve-going-on-thirteen-year-old Bug lives in rural Vermont. Bug's Uncle Roderick has just died, and Bug's life feels like it's falling apart. Uncle Roderick was a drag queen, whose glittery dresses and campy name ("Anita Life") brought light and joy to Bug's life. Now that Uncle Roderick is dead, Bug is left with some big questions about identity, fitting in, and discovering what it feels like to be at home in a haunted house, and in a body that feels foreign. Too Bright to See also won one of the 2022 American Library Association's Stonewall Awards.
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What's the Story?
The house that Bug lives in has been haunted for years in TOO BRIGHT TO SEE -- and everybody knows it. Bug's best friend Moira always asks if there are any "new ghosts" when she comes to spend the night. But since Uncle Roderick died, the haunting is more intense, and much more specific. Bug finds mysterious items like paper left by the bed in the morning after having been visited by terrifying dreams. But as the start of middle school looms, and Bug tries to grasp how to fit in, the house seems to have a more urgent message. Can Bug figure out what's going on with the house? Or does the mystery involve something more personal?
Is It Any Good?
Picking up pace as it develops, a frightening story addresses an intensely personal issue. In Too Bright to See, the metaphor of living in a haunted house is mirrored in the experiences of characters who don't feel at home in their own bodies. Gender identity is explored in a way that helps binary readers understand the nonbinary experience in an artful manner.
Though the haunting lacks the spooky suspenseful realism of a Stephen King novel, there are moments where the possibility of poltergeist feels real. The ending wraps things up a little too neatly, too. But what shines through in this story is the love that Bug's Uncle Roderick left as a legacy. The longing for acceptance, the tenderness that one outsider has for another, the desire to be set free of a burden that nobody asks for -- are a twinkle in Anita Life's heavily made-up eyes. Those wishes feel like a legacy that deserves to be passed on to the next generation of readers who might see themselves in this book.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about gender identity and body image in Too Bright to See. How does Bug's identity change over the course of the book? What clues does Bug receive from Uncle Roderick about being true to oneself?
What books or shows discuss being trans or queer in a way that you find respectful? How have things changed as conversations about gender identity become more prevalent?
Bug doesn't have a cellphone, so cyberbullying isn't on Bug's radar-- but it is for people who use social media. How would dealing with cyberbullying make Bug's story more difficult?
Book Details
- Author: Kyle Lukoff
- Genre: Coming of Age
- Topics: Magic and Fantasy, Friendship, Middle School
- Book type: Fiction
- Publisher: Dial Books
- Publication date: April 20, 2021
- Publisher's recommended age(s): 9 - 13
- Number of pages: 192
- Available on: Nook, Audiobook (unabridged), Hardback, iBooks, Kindle
- Awards: ALA Best and Notable Books, Newbery Medal and Honors
- Last updated: January 24, 2022
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