A Certain Slant of Light (novel)

Last updated
A Certain Slant of Light
Laura Whitcomb - Certain Slant of Light.jpeg
Author Laura Whitcomb
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
GenreYoung-adult fiction, horror
Publisher Graphia
Publication date
September 21, 2005
Published in English
2005
Media typePrint (Hardback)
ISBN 978-0-7569-6391-0 (first edition, hardback)

A Certain Slant of Light is a 2005 young adult horror novel by author Laura Whitcomb. [1] The book was first published on September 21, 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt's Graphia imprint. Film rights for A Certain Slant of Light have been optioned by Summit Entertainment. [2] The title is derived from the first line of "There's a certain Slant of light", a poem by Emily Dickinson.

Contents

Synopsis

The book follows Helen, the ghost of a 27-year-old woman that has been dead for 130 years. The beginning of the story follows her through her life as a ghost, playing the role of invisible muse to a handful of artistically inclined people, lest she be cast back into her own personal hell. It is during her stay with English teacher Mr. Brown that Helen realizes that a student named Billy is aware of her presence. She later realizes that a spirit named James is inhabiting Billy's body after Billy overdosed on drugs. With the two being the only known beings of their type, James and Helen are quickly drawn to each other but are faced with the difficulties of residing within the bodies of other people.

Characters

Reception

Critical reception for A Certain Slant of Light has been predominantly positive, with the ALA making it one of their book picks for 2006. [4] [5] Publishers Weekly and Booklist both praised Whitcomb's writing style, with Publishers Weekly calling it "poetic". [6] [7] [8] Kirkus Reviews panned the novel, citing that it did not live up to its potential. [9]

Related Research Articles

<i>A Hat Full of Sky</i> 2004 Discworld novel by Terry Pratchett

A Hat Full of Sky is a comic fantasy novel by British writer Terry Pratchett, set on the Discworld and written with younger readers in mind. It is labelled a "Story of Discworld" to indicate its status as children's or young adult fiction, unlike most of the books in the Discworld series. First published in 2004, the book is set two years after The Wee Free Men, and features an 11-year-old Tiffany Aching.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Laurie Halse Anderson</span> American writer (born 1961)

Laurie Halse Anderson is an American writer, known for children's and young adult novels. She received the Margaret A. Edwards Award from the American Library Association in 2010 for her contribution to young adult literature and 2023 she received the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award.

Edith Pattou is an American writer of fantasy fiction, including the novel East, an ALA Top Ten Best Book for Young Adults for 2004. She was born in Evanston, Illinois, and she graduated from the Francis W. Parker School, Scripps College, Claremont Graduate School and UCLA (M.L.I.S.). She is married to Charles Emery, a professor of psychology at Ohio State University. They have one child, a daughter.

<i>Bloody Jack</i> (novel) Historical novel by L.A. Meyer

Bloody Jack: Being An Account of the Curious Adventures of Mary “Jacky” Faber, Ship's Boy is a historical novel by L.A. Meyer, published by Harcourt Children's Books in September 2002. It is centered on an orphaned girl in London in the early 19th century.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sonya Sones</span> American poet and author

Sonya Sones is an American poet and author. She has written seven young adult novels in verse and one novel in verse for adults. The American Library Association (ALA) has named her one of the most frequently challenged authors of the 21st century.

<i>What My Mother Doesnt Know</i>

What My Mother Doesn't Know (2001) is a novel in verse by Sonya Sones. The free-verse novel follows ninth-grader Sophie Stein as she struggles through the daily grind of being a freshman in high school, her romantic crushes, and her family life. It has been translated into French, German, Indonesian and Swedish, and published as an audiobook read by Kate Reinders.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jennifer Donnelly</span> American writer of young adult fiction

Jennifer Donnelly is an American writer best known for the young adult historical novel A Northern Light.

<i>Cut</i> (novel) 2000 novel by Patricia McCormick

Cut is a 2000 novel by Patricia McCormick, targeted at young adults. In 2002 it was named one of the ALA's "Best Books for Young Adults" for that year.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">T. V. Padma</span> American writer

Padma Tiruponithura Venkatraman, also known as T. V. Padma, is an Indian-American author and scientist.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Adele Griffin</span> American young adult fiction author

Adele Griffin is the author of over thirty highly acclaimed books across a variety of genres, including Sons of Liberty and Where I Want to Be, both National Book Award finalists. Her debut adult novel The Favor explores themes of friendship, surrogacy, and nontraditional family building.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Martine Leavitt</span> American novelist

Martine Leavitt is a Canadian-American writer of young adult novels and a creative writing instructor.

Hannah Moskowitz is an American author of young adult and middle grade novels.

<i>Boyfriends with Girlfriends</i> Book by Alex Sánchez

Boyfriends with Girlfriends is a 2011 young adult novel by Alex Sánchez. The book was published by Simon & Schuster and deals with the pressures of teens coming to terms with their sexuality and of coming of age. Sanchez began working on the novel after receiving e-mails from teens who were being criticized by both their straight and homosexual peers for being bisexual. Boyfriends with Girlfriends has been nominated for a Lambda Literary Award and was a 2012 ALA Rainbow Bridge List novel.

Laura Whitcomb is an American novelist and teacher. She is best known for her book A Certain Slant of Light, which has been optioned for a film by Summit Entertainment. Whitcomb has won three Kay Snow awards and was runner-up in the Bulwer-Lytton Writing Contest.

<i>Love Letters to the Dead</i> 2014 novel by Ava Dellaira

Love Letters to the Dead (2014) is the first novel by American author Ava Dellaira, published in 2014. This is a teen novel told through a series of letters written by a girl named Laurel who is grieving the recent mysterious death of her sister May. The novel is set in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Amie Kaufman is an Australian author. She has authored New York Times bestselling and internationally bestselling science fiction and fantasy for young adults. She is known for the Starbound Trilogy and Unearthed, which she co-authored with Meagan Spooner; for her series The Illuminae Files, co-authored with Jay Kristoff; and for her solo series, Elementals. Her books have been published in over 35 countries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Elizabeth Acevedo</span> Dominican-American poet and author

Elizabeth Acevedo is a Dominican-American poet and author. In September 2022, the Poetry Foundation named her the year's Young People's Poet Laureate.

<i>Dear Martin</i> 2017 young adult novel by Nic Stone

Dear Martin, published in 2017 by Crown Publishing Group, is a young adult novel by Nic Stone. It is Stone's debut novel, written as a reaction to the murder of Jordan Davis. The book appeared as #4 on The New York Times Best Seller list.

<i>Every Body Looking</i> 2020 young adult novel by Candice Iloh

Every Body Looking is a young adult novel in verse by Candice Iloh, published September 22, 2020 by Dutton Books for Young Readers.

Jas Hammonds is an American writer of young adult fiction, best known for her Coretta Scott King Award-winning debut We Deserve Monuments.

References

  1. Hand, Elizabeth (Dec 18, 2005). "Haunted by Love; In this young adult novel, a pair of ghosts become lovers in the flesh". Washington Post. Retrieved 24 November 2012.
  2. "Twilight Producers Move On To New Young Adult Novel, A Certain Slant Of Light". Cinema Blend. Retrieved 23 November 2012.
  3. "A Certain Slant of Light". Teen Reads. Retrieved 13 December 2012.
  4. "Review: A Certain Slant of Light". The Horn Book Magazine. Nov 1, 2005.
  5. "ALA Book Picks 2006". Library Journal. Archived from the original on 2012-12-09. Retrieved 23 November 2012.
  6. "Review: A Certain Slant of Light". Publishers Weekly. Retrieved 23 November 2012.
  7. "Review: A Certain Slant of Light". Booklist. Retrieved 23 November 2012.
  8. "Audio Review: A Certain Slant of Light". Booklist. Retrieved 23 November 2012.
  9. "Review: A Certain Slant of Light". Kirkus Reviews. Retrieved 23 November 2012.

Pulliam, June. "Subversive Spirits: Resistance and the Uncanny in the Young Adult Ghost Story," Monstrous Bodies: Gender and Power in Young Adult Horror Fiction. Jefferson, NC: McFarland, 2014.