The Way the Light Bends, A Review

Happy Poetry Friday, Campers!

Ahhhhh summer and time to read old fashioned books printed on pages! As a school librarian, I enter lots of kidlit book giveaways. Any book I win goes straight into the hands of students and teachers in my school. Sometimes, the books get to those hands before I get a chance to read them. Ack!

I really do want to read ALL the books. But, time.... It's more important that my students and colleagues are reading them than my book hoarding habit. Right?

One book, The Way the Light Bends (Philomel Books (March 27, 2018), was a giveaway win I saved to my TBR pile. I almost gave it to kids before reading it myself because I have a wonderful group of students that love novel-in-verse and would have gobbled it up in a heartbeat. But, I love novel-in-verse too! I saved it for summer. I'm so glad I did.

https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/545031/the-way-the-light-bends-by-cordelia-jensen/9780399547447/

Imagine being a "surprise" child born to parents that formed their family by adoption. And, within that family, you are virtually twinned with your internationally adopted sister of another race. This is what happens to Linc, short for Lincoln--as in Lincoln Tunnel. Linc is artistically rather than academically or athletically gifted like her sister, Holly adopted from Ghana. Their mother is a doctor, their father a historian.  As residents of Manhattan, NYC, Central Park is literally the playground that Linc and Holly grew up in. They used to pretend to gather water at Tanner's Spring when they were little.

As a New Yorker and daughter of a historian, Linc knows also history of Seneca Village that existed on the site of today's Central Park. She tries to tap into Seneca Village's history and her love of photography with a project at her private school where she is on thin academic ice.

http://www.centralparknyc.org/things-to-see-and-do/attractions/seneca-village-site.html

Frustrating to Linc is that Holly seems to be everything Linc is not. She's athletic, smart with good grades, and popular. Their mother seems to have so much more in common with adopted Holly than Linc. In trying to be more autonomous, Linc secretly enrolls in a photography class her parents said "no" to and worse, steals their money to do it. In the class, Linc meets a handsome guy ... that she meets secretly in the park.

“The Way the Light Bends.” The Way the Light Bends, by Cordelia Jensen, Philomel Books, 2018, pp. 152.

The Way the Light Bends addresses multiple issues of teens in mixed-race families adoptive face (I write this as mom to internationally adopted teens and birth children).

• What makes me who I am?
• Which matters more: family or friend love...?
• What does success look like for me?
• What makes a sister a sister?

Because Linc is a natural-born photographer, we see New York, Central Park and the site of Seneca Village through her artistica and discerning eye. She and Holly have a one-for-one exchange system that is vital to the plot and sisterhood. One candy for one candy...one secret for one secret.

“The Way the Light Bends.” The Way the Light Bends, by Cordelia Jensen, Philomel Books, 2018, pp. 218.

I so enjoyed this novel-in-verse, I sent Cordelia Jensen a fan message right just after I finished the last page. I don't think she could have known how much a middle-aged Mom and Librarian would love this book since as her target audience is grade 7 and up.

Treat yourself to a rich YA novel-in-verse with multiple layers of interest. The Way the Light Bends will feed your soul in many ways.


Cordelia Jensen has also written Skyscraping and Every Shiny Thing with Laurie Morrison. She's definitely on my radar as an author to keep up with. I'm so glad to have met her in The Way the Light Bends.

Our friend Jone is hosting this week's Poetry Friday round-up. Please stop by and enjoy!