This wild ride of a YA novel follows (D)Wayne, a high school student invited as a participant in a bizarre experiment that may or may not be part of an undercover government plot. Sort of a Mysterious Benedict Society meets the Tuskegee experiment, this quirky tale tosses together a mix of family dynamics, neurodivergent challenges, and teen drama with some Andrew Smith-ish humor thrown in for spice. I couldn’t put this one down.
This Moth Saw Brightness by A. A. Vacharat, (List Price: $20.99, Dutton Books for Young Readers, 9780593698600, May 2025)
Reviewed by Angie Tally, The Country Bookshop in Southern Pines, North Carolina