When Light Left Us
Dad leaves, alien takes over in slow emotional tale.
Common Sense is a nonprofit organization. Your purchase helps us remain independent and ad-free.
Did we miss something on diversity?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.
Suggest an Update
A Lot or a Little?
The parents' guide to what's in this book.
What Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that When Life Left Us is a coming-of-age sci-fi story about a family coping with their dad abandoning them and the arrival of an alien-like being who possesses the kids. Written by Leah Thomas (Because You'll Never Meet Me and Nowhere Near You), the story follows the daily lives of the Vasquez family and the way these events affect how they view themselves, one another, and the world around them. The story has positive portrayals of gay and deaf characters and those on the autism spectrum. Themes of love, trust, and self-knowledge dominate the plot. There's some violence, mostly told in flashback, and a little drinking. A few of the teen characters swear ("f--k," "s--t," and "a--holes"), but it reads like a realistic take on the way many teens talk. The book offers good discussion topics around how families deal with trauma and what it's like to be different as a kid.
Community Reviews
There aren't any reviews yet. Be the first to review this title.
What's the Story?
In WHEN LIGHT LEFT US, the Vasquez family lives on the edge of vast, uninhabitable Nameless Canyon. A few years after their father walks out on the family, the youngest Vasquez kid, Milo, is drawn into the canyon by shimmering lights. His siblings -- Ana and Hank -- run down to rescue him from the potentially deadly terrain. There they encounter an alien presence that swarms them and infects their bodies and personalities. When this presence finally leaves them, it leaves behind physical and emotional after-effects that impact their relationships with each other and their friends. The kids slowly begin to put themselves back together, but not without some drama and surprises.
Is It Any Good?
An absent dad and a visiting alien rock the world of the Vasquez family in this slow-building and sometimes bewildering coming-of-age sci-fi novel. The first third of When Light Left Us is confusing and takes far too long to get to the meat of the story. Author Leah Thomas opts for a measured lead-up to the big alien event that changed the Vasquez family forever, but instead of creating suspense, she only perplexes the reader. The Vasquez kids are possessed by an alien presence, but we don't get any details on what happened or their interaction with it until after the halfway point. Each chapter is told from a different character's point of view, and many of the chapters include flashbacks, which adds to the plodding pace. This is becoming a hallmark of Thomas' writing: slow story, then a lot of action out of nowhere at the very end. This story did not need the 400 pages it took to tell it.
Once the book picks up past the midpoint, Thomas gives her readers more to think about, in terms of trauma, friendships, and family. By viewing themselves though the alien's perspective, the Vasquez kids see the beauty in the chaos of humanity. Thomas also gets points for giving Maggie, the mom, her own chapters. Not many YA books let kids see things from a parent's point of view. Her worries, exhaustion, and regrets are realistically presented.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the way the Vasquez family responds to trauma in When Light Left Us. Do upsetting or traumatic events tend to bring your family closer together or drive you apart?
Has anyone you've known changed suddenly? Why did this happen? How did you respond?
Have there been times when you've been going through something you thought friends wouldn't understand only to be surprised by how supportive they were?
Book Details
- Author: Leah Thomas
- Genre: Coming of Age
- Topics: Adventures, Brothers and Sisters, Friendship, Great Boy Role Models, Great Girl Role Models, High School
- Book type: Fiction
- Publisher: Bloomsbury USA
- Publication date: February 13, 2018
- Publisher's recommended age(s): 13 - 18
- Number of pages: 400
- Available on: Nook, Hardback, Kindle
- Last updated: June 6, 2022
Our Editors Recommend
-
Bone Gap
Beautiful tale of missing girl explores magic, love, loss.
-
The Inexplicable Logic of My Life
Teen contemplates family, grief in slow but wise novel.
-
One
Beautiful, emotional free-verse novel about conjoined twins.
-
Because You'll Never Meet Me
Sweet friendship tale of isolated teen boy pen pals.
-
Nowhere Near You
Sick pen pals move on and grow up in charming sequel.
For kids who love science fiction and coming-of-age stories
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
See how we rate