As the mom of a teenager who attempted suicide 3 months ago and is still not back home with us this was a little hard to read. While the suicide of Sandra is a huge part of the story it isn't sensationalized or the main story.
Danny and his friends and schoolmates are handling the upcoming anniversary of Sandra's death in different ways as life goes on for them with varying degrees of difficulty.
For Danny he is dealing with secrets kept from him by his overprotective parents even as he deals with secrets he is keeping from his friends. When he finds a box full of secrets and then strange things happen like his dad losing his job and another sudden move and lots of whispered fights coming from behind his parents bedroom door Danny becomes determined to figure out the mystery.
Picture Us in the Light is not about suicide, it is about life, about living as best you can even when it hurts. It's about letting those who love you in and let them help you. It's about forgiveness and accepting the imperfection of others, even if they are your parents, because even parents make mistakes.
(note: I am a firm believer that some things are beyond the realm of mistakes and forgiving parents for their mistakes and imperfections. I wouldn't suggest extending this grace to abusive parents or partners, but that isn't the case with Danny's parents, they are just flawed and hurting and not sure how to fix things that have gone so wrong.)
(Finished July 9, 2018)
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