Mari's Light Burning Bright (Paperback-Signed)

Signed paperback and free gift with purchase: custom-designed fridge magnet-- THE ONLY WAY OUT IS THROUGH

Publishers Weekly BookLife Prize Critic Report for Mari's Light Burning Bright:

"Marquart's sequel to Amber Luna My Bright Light follows Mari's life after she leaves summer camp, returning to a home that has been sold and the lurking shadow of her past trauma. Her memories are intrusive, and she's adopted coping skills that are more harmful than helpful, eventually necessitating her placement in a treatment facility. Her road to healing is long, messy, and all-too-real, rendered with an authenticity that YA readers will be able to connect with on a deep level.

Prose: Mari's point of view relays the story's events, and Marquart gives her a strong, unique voice. Whether simmering in her hurt and pain or fighting feelings of helplessness, Mari's emotions allow readers to experience her pathway to healing right alongside her.

The vulnerability Marquart imbues the narrative with makes Mari's Light Burning Bright as inspirational as it is necessary, illustrating why trauma is so damaging—and how working through it is really the only way healing can start.

The characters continue to evolve beyond the first book in this series, with Mari facing challenges that force a powerful coming-of-age. The relationships she develops during treatment are sketched with care, depicting the impacts that trauma has on trust and belonging, and Mari's trajectory is an important reminder of how healing is a complex, start-and-stop process."

Synopsis:

Mari's Light Burning Bright is a hopeful coming-of-age story about mental health, friendship, and understanding the brave truth... the only way out is through.

Mari has spent years holding her breath. At home, at church, at school, everywhere she goes, it feels safer to stay quiet, to shrink, to be who everyone expects. But when a memory she’s buried for too long rises to the surface, Mari's carefully controlled world cracks open, and she finds herself at Northstar Wellness Center, a residential mental health facility for struggling teens.

Angry, scared, and certain she doesn't belong there, Mari resists therapy at every turn. Healing feels impossible until small, unexpected moments begin to break down the walls she's built around herself.

When Mari returns home, nothing is magically fixed. Grief, change, and fear still press in from all sides, threatening to pull her backward. But when someone she loves is in need, Mari must face everything she’s been running from. Will she shut down, or will she find the strength to step up and into her light?

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"I would recommend Mari’s Light Burning Bright to readers who appreciate reflective young adult fiction with emotional depth, especially stories about mental health, trauma recovery, friendship, and finding a voice after silence...for those who value hopeful, character-driven fiction that understands healing as a long walk rather than a sudden rescue, this book has a steady glow." --Literary Titan starred review