Common Sense Media Review
By Joly Herman
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Gender identity and death lovingly explored in spooky story.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 10+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
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 :
- Genre : Coming of Age
- Topics : Fantasy ( Magic ) , Friendship , School ( 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, Apple Books, Kindle
- Awards : ALA Best and Notable Books , Newbery Medal and Honors
- Last updated : September 29, 2025
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