Review Detail

A YA love story, A FIX OF LIGHT, follows Hannan and Pax as they meet each other and begin to heal from their respective traumas. Hannan grapples with his mental health and dark thoughts while Pax has been forced to endure physical and emotional abuse because of his gender and sexuality. A love story more than a romcom, this book does not shy away from the darker topics but also does not allow that to be its only identifying feature.

This is a book that readers should check trigger warnings for because it deals with themes such as self-harm, transphobic and homophobic hate speech, and suicide. Make sure to take all proper precautions when reading this book.

What I Loved:
The handling of these sensitive topics was done with a lot of care, but also a lot of frank descriptions. Hannan’s mental health struggles are laid bare on the papers, readers getting to see and feel the impact that these struggles have on him. The writing embraces that part of the story, the author’s writing putting the readers into the head of Hannan. The author also carefully approaches Pax’s situation as well. Kel Menton doesn’t step around the darkness of Pax’s problems, doesn’t try to sugarcoat it. Readers are given a very frank look at what Pax, and queer/trans people in real life for that matter, have to contend with. Dark and difficult, but never without hope, the writing style manages to keep readers wanting to know more while also laying bare the honest realities of Hannan and Pax’s mental states. There’s no shying away from it, but there does always seem to be a light at the end of the tunnel.

The friendship and eventual romance between Hannan and Pax was also really cute. It might sound a bit out of place, but the author manages to wind the romance through the darker moments of the book. The interactions between Hannan and Pax feel warm, like the light at the end of the tunnel for both of them. They’ve found someone they can confide in, someone who understands some of what they are going through. It’s refreshing to see them interact together in a positive way considering what they have to deal with.

The magic was an interesting bit. There are supernatural elements in this book, seemingly tied to Irish folklore in some ways. At times I couldn’t tell what was actually magic and what was flowery prose, but I enjoyed the overall feel of the magic. Hannan struggles with controlling his magic and it feeds into his mental health, a sort of dark circle that continues until he learns control.

What Left Me Wanting More:
The pacing in this book may take some getting used to for some readers. I personally found that the beginning and ending of the book felt like a slower pace than the rest of the book. I wish it had been consistent throughout the book because the inconsistent pacing led me to struggle with maintaining interest in the book.

Final Verdict:
Weaving in trauma and magic, A FIX OF LIGHT gets heavy, but readers may find the journey worth the emotional toll.