Bug is used to the supernatural. When you grow up in a haunted house, cold draughts and doors that open on their own aren’t very scary. And Uncle Roderick has always been there to explain all the strange goings-on in their big, old house. But when Uncle Roderick dies at the start of summer, Bug starts to feel like his ghost is trying to say something important.

To make things even harder, Bug’s best friend Moira only wants to talk about starting middle school: the boys they’ll like, the makeup and clothes they’ll wear. Bug just wants to ignore these changes – Bug hasn’t ever felt like a real girl before, so why should middle school be any different?

Kyle Lukoff ’s debut novel is a lovingly penned ode to transitory periods in life. The person who always saw the real Bug has died, leaving Bug to figure out how to be in a world where nothing makes sense. The beauty of Lukoff ’s work is in its simplicity – there are no over-the-top, dramatic moments where Bug is cruelly bullied for living as his authentic self. Too Bright to See is, very simply, the story of one person’s journey through grief and self-discovery, surrounded by love. For ages 10+.

Jennifer Fraioli is from Readings Emporium