Told in beautifully crafted puddles of prose, Light Boxes tells the story of a town in the grip of a malevolent force known only as February.

Thadeus, Selah and Bianca form a tight family unit that’s torn apart when Bianca disappears from her bed one night.

Unexpectedly, February turns out to be a fully rounded (if not fully grounded), flawed and fearful being like any other, and his motives are never clear. But this isn’t a book for seeking answers in.

The imagery is powerful, evoking half-forgotten fairy tales as children are “twisting the heads of owls” and “giant flowers bloomed over clouds.”

I particular liked the group for former balloonists who call themselves The Solution, each wearing a different coloured bird mask. This scene is the focus of the cover illustration by Ken Garduno, and is the kind of iconic image that will surely be decorating the walls of student dorm rooms in years to come. Continue reading →