Commentary On What Light By Jay Asher

What Light by Jay Asher had a big impact on me. It taught me not judge someone based off rumors or their past. In the book, Sierra was starting to fall for Caleb. Heather, Sierra's best friend, specifically told Sierra that she shouldn’t like Caleb because of a rumor she had heard. The rumor that most of the community believes is that Caleb went after his sister with a knife. Obviously, this rumor doesn’t tell the full story of Caleb’s past. The rumor certainly didn’t stop Sierra from liking Caleb. In fact, Sierra confronted Caleb about the rumor once they knew each other well enough. She understood that everyone makes mistakes and was willing to see past Caleb’s. Sierra taught me to be accepting and to stick up for something, or in her case someone, even if it’s against the community's beliefs.

I love the scene when Sierra first meets Caleb because the the awkwardness in the scene and its irony. Sierra was putting up posters when Andrew, her wannabe-boyfriend that will never happen, asked Caleb if he needed any help. Thinking Andrew was speaking to her, she answered. Looking up she realized that Andrew was actually not talking to her but instead the cute, dark-haired, dimpled boy nearby. Immediately after the encounter, Sierra texts Heather. Up until this point in the story, Heather had been wanting Sierra to find someone to have a Christmas romance with. Sierra was very against that idea. After this encounter, she changes her mind about the subject. I love the scene on the last night at the tree farm because of what Caleb does. He goes up on the hill where Sierra and Heather plant a tree every year and puts lights on all the trees. In the past, Sierra and Heather had attempted to do this but were unsuccessful. This is a super adorable gesture which is part of the reason I love it so