A FIX OF LIGHT

Two Irish teens juggle feelings and the supernatural.

Ever since a suicide attempt, Hanan Lynch has struggled with uncontrollable and unexplainable nature-based powers. Anxious and confused, Hanan heads to the cafe in the village. After a mishap involving scalding tea, he faints into the arms of a concerned green-eyed, auburn-haired boy he dubs “the fox.” Before passing out, Hanan realizes something that’s game-changing: Physical contact with the vulpine stranger quiets his powers. Puzzled and longing to meet his savior again, Hanan, who’s 18, ventures out to the cove to clear his head—and there he finds 19-year-old Pax O’Sullivan, the boy in question. They form a tentative friendship, despite their uncertainties. Hanan is concerned that he’ll drive Pax away with his struggles with depression or hurt Pax with his uncontrolled powers. Pax, having suffered brutally negative reactions from others in the past, is terrified of what might happen if he comes out to Hanan as transgender. While falling for each other and solving the mystery of Hanan’s newfound magic, the pair struggle with misunderstandings and insecurity. Character development comes to the forefront in this slow-burn romance with magical elements. As brutal as it is contemplative, this novel tackles both violent transphobia and the pain and feelings of shame brought on by being a male victim of sexual assault in a society that downplays the damage it causes.

An ethereal and mysterious debut.