The Light of the Fireflies

From bestselling Spanish author Paul Pen comes a haunting and hopeful tale of discovering light in even the darkest of places.
For his whole life, the boy has lived underground, in a basement with his parents, grandmother, sister, and brother. Before he was born, his family was disfigured by a fire. His sister wears a white mask to cover her burns.
He spends his hours with his cactus, reading his book on insects, or touching the one ray of sunlight that filters in through a crack in the ceiling. Ever since his sister had a baby, everyone's been acting very strangely. The boy begins to wonder why they never say who the father is, about what happened before his own birth, about why they're shut away.
A few days ago, some fireflies arrived in the basement. His grandma said, There's no creature more amazing than one that can make its own light. That light makes the boy want to escape, to know the outside world. Problem is, all the doors are locked. And he doesn't know how to get out...
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Community Reviews
This was an enthralling read. I wasn't expecting to be sucked in. I've been under much stress lately and have had a hard time focusing. The first page hooked me and I completed reading it in one sitting. If you're looking for a mystery to satisfy a wandering mind, this is for you.
I was waiting for the answer to how the world ended and I did get it, but wow! I loved the writing style, everything was so vivid. I could picture being there in the basement with the entire family. I could almost feel the plastic of his sister's mask under my fingers.
I was so hooked on every page just waiting to see if I had figured things out (I hadn't). I was wrong about everything, which was actually really nice for a change.
This was a quick read and I would definitely recommend picking it up.
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