A weird and revelatory debut that vividly captures the dislocation of growing up BIPOC and neurodivergent in a country awash in both conspiracy theories and genuine conspiracies."The invisible D in my name is my mother’s second most lasting contribution to my life."‘Wayne Le—known as "Invisible-D 'Wayne" at school—has been invited to participate in a seemingly ordinary, innocuous adolescent health study by a prestigious university. The study has a few nice perks, but most important to ‘Wayne, is the opportunity to give his immigrant father an accomplishment to be proud of—something that's been in short supply since 'Wayne's mother left.
But the study quickly proves to be anything but ordinary and innocuous, and ‘Wayne, his best friend Kermit, and a fellow study participant named Jane (a girl who shall not be manic-pixied) find themselves sucked into an M. C. Escheresque maze of conspiracies that might be entirely in their heads or might truly be a sinister government plot.
A. A. Vacharat is an author, illustrator, and web developer. She is a graduate of the Vermont College of Fine Art MFA program. Her books include elements of science, technology, and usually at least a little whimsy or absurdity. She includes characters that her child-self yearned to see—such as children with one Asian parent and autistic protagonists—and portrays worlds beyond those most often seen.
This Moth Saw Brightness is her debut.
★ "This funny, insightful debut about mental illness, identity, and a person’s capacity to change packs a surprising emotional punch. Bold stylistic choices—wry footnotes, the inclusion of documents referenced in the story, a brief interjection by the author—add an interactive element to D's humorous and self-deprecating first-person narration. Superb."—
Kirkus, starred review
★ "The true conspiracy theories are the friends we made along the way—or are they?... This debut is an engaging read while also having great potential to spark conversations about information literacy with the implications of its deeply unsettling ending."—
Booklist, starred review
"A.A. Vacharat is a bold and strange new YA voice, with shades of A.S. King.
This Moth Saw Brightness defies description; at once sweeping and specific, full of huge ideas and beautifully honest relationships, this is a debut from a fascinating new writer. I can’t wait to see what she does next."—Joy McCullough,
New York Times bestselling author of
Blood Water Paint and
Everything Is Poison"Utilizing cheeky footnotes and fourth-wall-breaking asides, and deploying shocking twists and turns, Vacharat delivers a propulsive and unnerving debut."—
PW
