Common Sense Media Review
By Mary Cosola
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Dad leaves, alien takes over in slow emotional tale.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 13+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
Parent and Kid Reviews
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 :
- Genre : Coming of Age
- Topics : Adventures , Family Stories ( Siblings ) , Friendship , School ( 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 : September 30, 2025
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