This Moth Saw Brightness, A. A. Vacharat
This Moth Saw Brightness, A. A. Vacharat
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This Moth Saw Brightness

Author: A. A. Vacharat

Narrator: Elena Rey, Austin Ku, Maggi-Meg Reed

Unabridged: 10 hr 6 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 05/27/2025


Synopsis

A weird and revelatory debut that vividly captures the dislocation of growing up BIPOC and neurodivergent in a country awash in both conspiracy theories and genuine conspiracies.

"The invisible D in my name is my mother’s second most lasting contribution to my life."

‘Wayne Le—known as "Invisible-D 'Wayne" at school—has been invited to participate in a seemingly ordinary, innocuous adolescent health study by a prestigious university. The study has a few nice perks, but most important to ‘Wayne, is the opportunity to give his immigrant father an accomplishment to be proud of—something that's been in short supply since 'Wayne's mother left.

But the study quickly proves to be anything but ordinary and innocuous, and ‘Wayne, his best friend Kermit, and a fellow study participant named Jane (a girl who shall not be manic-pixied) find themselves sucked into an M. C. Escheresque maze of conspiracies that might be entirely in their heads or might truly be a sinister government plot.

A New York Public Library Best Book of the Year

About The Author

A. A. Vacharat is an author, illustrator, and web developer. She is a graduate of the Vermont College of Fine Art MFA program. Her books include elements of science, technology, and usually at least a little whimsy or absurdity. She includes characters that her child-self yearned to see—such as children with one Asian parent and autistic protagonists—and portrays worlds beyond those most often seen. This Moth Saw Brightness is her debut.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Mai on May 23, 2025

ANHPI Heritage Month 2025 #15 Blog Tour - 5/25/25 Suffice to say, I can tell you I've never read a book quite like this. I didn't love it. However, I can respect it for being different. This story has the weirdest format. I hate the footnotes. If you remember correctly, I loved the footnotes in BABEL.......more

Goodreads review by Lois on April 03, 2025

This Young Adult debut novel is NOT what I was expecting at all! What begins as a YA-trope book escalates quickly into a novel about a mixed race teen who is dealing with poor grades, an indifferent father, and an absent (literally) mother. He has his best friend who is a tech genius (who strives to......more

Goodreads review by Miriam on April 01, 2025

I liked so many things about this book. First, the suspense. I kept reading and reading and just had to keep turning pages to find out what happened. The characters were so endearing, especially the main character, 'Wayne. I worried about him as I too wondered if the study was real. Also, I loved hi......more

Goodreads review by BirdiesBooksBindings on April 19, 2025

I’m always glad to see more representation of neurodivergent characters in fiction, and This Moth Saw Brightness is a strong addition to that positive trend. A.A. Vacharat brings a fresh voice with an inventive debut that experiments boldly with literary structure and typography. On one level, I appr......more

Goodreads review by Dave on April 02, 2025

Recently I tried reading a few YA novels to explore the genre and This Moth Saw Brightness was definitely my favorite. It was an enjoyable read that made me want to keep going to see what would happen next and how certain relationships would develop. I appreciated the book for making you think about......more


Quotes

A New York Public Library Best Book of the Year
A YALSA Best Fiction for Young Adults Selection


★ "This funny, insightful debut about mental illness, identity, and a person’s capacity to change packs a surprising emotional punch. Bold stylistic choices—wry footnotes, the inclusion of documents referenced in the story, a brief interjection by the author—add an interactive element to D's humorous and self-deprecating first-person narration. Superb."—Kirkus, starred review

★ "The true conspiracy theories are the friends we made along the way—or are they?... This debut is an engaging read while also having great potential to spark conversations about information literacy with the implications of its deeply unsettling ending."—Booklist, starred review

★ "A remarkable debut novel which delves into both adolescent struggles and mental health."—SLJ, starred review

"Vacharat’s debut is a standout work of speculative fiction and a foreboding social satire about unethical governing and the corrosive values of Big Tech."—The Horn Book

"Vacharat's debut YA novel is a compelling dissection of humanity's 'impulse to treat people...like they are the property of whoever's in power.'... An enigmatic, entertaining experience."—Shelf Awareness

"A.A. Vacharat is a bold and strange new YA voice, with shades of A.S. King. This Moth Saw Brightness defies description; at once sweeping and specific, full of huge ideas and beautifully honest relationships, this is a debut from a fascinating new writer. I can’t wait to see what she does next."—Joy McCullough, New York Times bestselling author of Blood Water Paint and Everything Is Poison

"Utilizing cheeky footnotes and fourth-wall-breaking asides, and deploying shocking twists and turns, Vacharat delivers a propulsive and unnerving debut."—PW