This Moth Saw Brightness

By A. A. Vacharat

Book Overview

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

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0593698614
• ISBN13: 9780593698617
• Release Date: May 2026
• Publisher: Dutton Books for Young Readers
• Length: 448 Pages
• Age Range: 14 years and up
• Grade Range: Grade 9 and higher