A Scatter of Light is a vivid and moving story. It follows Aria, a teenager who is abruptly forced to spend her summer with her grandma in the Bay Area. Aria does not expect to make friends or find anyone who truly understands her. But then she meets Steph. Steph, who is already in a relationship. When Aria begins to spend time with the queer community she has found, she questions her own identity. As gay marriage is debated and her connection to Steph deepens, Aria must decide what she truly hopes to achieve this summer.
I absolutely loved this queer coming-of-age story. Malinda Lo is an expert at drawing out the tension between wondering about your identity and the complexity of finding certain people attractive. Steph and Aria’s story is one of heartbreak, joy, shared grief, and exploration. I appreciated how Aria got to choose on her own terms who she came out to and focused on how it made her feel. I loved Aria’s relationship with her grandma and how she maintained one with her deceased grandpa by learning about his astronomy work. I also loved the cameo for Kath and Lily, it made me so happy! Malinda Lo does such a beautiful job with exploring queerness, queer love, and the queer community. There are so many little moments that I identified with, from joy to grief. The details are beautiful and created a story I didn’t want to put down. I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys coming-of-age stories and queer love. I love Malinda Lo’s writing and this was no exception! Thank you to Malinda Lo, Penguin Teen, and Bookish First for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I absolutely loved this queer coming-of-age story. Malinda Lo is an expert at drawing out the tension between wondering about your identity and the complexity of finding certain people attractive. Steph and Aria’s story is one of heartbreak, joy, shared grief, and exploration. I appreciated how Aria got to choose on her own terms who she came out to and focused on how it made her feel. I loved Aria’s relationship with her grandma and how she maintained one with her deceased grandpa by learning about his astronomy work. I also loved the cameo for Kath and Lily, it made me so happy! Malinda Lo does such a beautiful job with exploring queerness, queer love, and the queer community. There are so many little moments that I identified with, from joy to grief. The details are beautiful and created a story I didn’t want to put down. I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys coming-of-age stories and queer love. I love Malinda Lo’s writing and this was no exception! Thank you to Malinda Lo, Penguin Teen, and Bookish First for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.