Connor Major’s summer break is turning into a nightmare.

His SAT scores bombed, the old man he delivers meals to died, and when he came out to his religious zealot mother, she had him kidnapped and shipped off to a secluded island. His final destination: Nightlight Ministries, a conversion therapy camp that will be his new home until he “changes.”

But Connor’s troubles are only beginning. At Nightlight, everyone has something to hide from the campers to the “converted” staff and cagey camp director, and it quickly becomes clear that no one is safe. Connor plans to escape and bring the other kidnapped teens with him. But first, he’s exposing the camp’s horrible truths for what they are— and taking this place down.

Many thanks to NetGalley for the advanced reader copy of this YA debut! There had been so much word of mouth circulating about the tale of Connor Major and his descent into hell on earth that I was itching to dive into the chaos. The narrative delivers, and quickly, the heart pounding and pulse quickening cat and mouse game I was looking for. Connor’s life falls apart like cotton candy submerged in water in front of our eyes, and just as he’s confronted with coming to terms with himself and going public with his boyfriend to his religious and uptight mother, his bravery is rewarded with fear and violence. His mother arranges for him to be sent away to Nightlight, a remote conversion camp, so that they can bring back the faux version of Connor that exists in her head; a straight boy who is in love with his best friend and fathered her child. 

So, Connor is kidnapped one morning and brought to Nightlight with Molly, a fellow camper. It is here we meet our cast of characters who are all suffering but surviving in their own ways. There are kids ages eleven to over eighteen, all overseen by an imposing adult force that is spearheaded by a familiar face; the Reverend from Connor’s hometown. What begins to unfold is an epic mystery that I did not expect. Connor sees threads between Nightlight’s history and a handicapped neighbor he would take meals to who recently passed away. In this way, the emotional tale of the torture of LGBTQ+ youth gains a suspenseful vein. The two do not diverge, however, so the action is never split between the two. It is a cohesive story that flows effortlessly; Connor’s ticket out of Nightlight is to solve a crime from decades past.

All in all, this is a story told in a youthful voice that, even while navigating the hardships the LGBTQ+ community face, is still full of hope and humor. There is great pain between these pages, but also immeasurable joy as Connor and his companions grow to accept themselves despite the conditions they’ve been thrust into. It really speaks to the resilience of these young people both in the novel and in the real world. This experience is something I will never understand, as I am just an ally in the community, but even under the fictional pretenses of this book, I know this pain is something that is mostly universal with these kids. The fact that they are able to find their way out, whatever their situation may be, is awe-inspiring. Like Connor, they may not escape these challenges unscathed, but in the end, love truly does win. We don’t really get road maps in life, but sometimes life sends you signs that you’re going in the right direction. I think this book will be such a waypoint for a lot of struggling youth, and that is a beautiful thing.

5/5 stars