Mark Oshiro’s supernatural storytelling shines in new YA mystery.

On this week's episode, Mark Oshiro joins us to discuss Into the Light (Tor Teen, March 28), an otherworldly YA mystery from the Atlanta-based author of acclaimed books for middle-graders and teens (Anger Is a Gift, You Only Live Once, David Bravo, etc.).

In Into the Light, readers meet Manny, a 17-year-old on his own in the American Southwest. He’s unhoused and hitchhiking, dipping into diners and motels, hoping to catch glimpses of his sister, Elena, on a Christian cable access show. She’s a member of Christ’s Dominion, a religious group that “saves” children from the foster system—the group that purportedly “saved” Manny, before they cast him out.

Next we meet Eli, who—like Elena—lives in a secluded religious community. He’s buoyed by the love he receives for being deemed “a miracle,” but growing increasingly concerned that he can’t remember his past…

Switching between Manny and Eli’s points of view can be a little unnerving, reinforcing the fact that both teens exist in disorienting situations. When a body is found outside a religious compound in Southern California, the sands of their lives shift even more.

Here’s a bit from Kirkus’ starred review of Into the Light: “In its gripping and raw exploration of White saviorism and the predatory ways White adults in positions of power are able to endanger children of color, this mystery’s proximity to reality is viscerally nauseating, a testament to the author’s skill. The initially confusing nonlinear timeline and points of view are eventually clearly shown to be deliberately disorienting; everything about the storytelling feels surgically intentional.…An important and searing read on the value of family, agency, and belief.”

Oshiro tells host Megan Labrise about their plans for celebrating the publication of Into the Light; the rules of the road Manny lives by; the privilege of telling your truth and being believed; Eli's amnesia; nonlinear timelines; how Oshiro first pitched the book as a supernatural comedy; the idea of making meaningful connections in passing; trauma-informed communication and conversational consent; the book’s dedication; cover art; and much more.

Then editors Laura Simeon, Mahnaz Dar, and Eric Liebetrau share their top picks in books for the week.

Editors’ picks:

Pardalita by Joana Estrela, trans. by Lyn Miller-Lachmann (Levine Querido)

Jumper: A Day in the Life of a Backyard Jumping Spider by Jessica Lanan (Roaring Brook Press)

Birdgirl: Looking to the Skies in Search of a Better Futureby Mya-Rose Craig (Celadon Books)

Also mentioned on this episode:

The books of Dianna Hutts Aston

Different: Gender Through the Eyes of a Primatologist by Frans de Waal (Norton)

An Immense World: How Animal Senses Reveal the Hidden Realms AroundUs by Ed Yong (Random House)

Thanks to our sponsors:

The Tree You Come Home To by Jane Olmsted

Chatoyer: Freedom’s War Chief by James L. Sweeney

Donny, Mary Grace and the Ugly Marbles by Catherine Anna Pepe

Beginning of Arrogance by Bryan Cole

Fully Booked is produced by Cabel Adkins Audio and Megan Labrise.