Absolute Brightness

Fifteen-year-old Phoebe Hertle lives in Neptune, New Jersey with her mother, who runs a beauty shop out of their refurbished garage, and older sister Deirdre. Her father used to be with them, until the problems started; now he lives with a woman named Chrissie. While Deirdre is naturally stunningly beautiful, Phoebe jazzes up her average looks by dyeing her hair magenta. However, Phoebe doesn't begrudge Deirdre her beauty; in fact, the siblings used to be close. But lately Deirdre has drifted away into her own secluded world, and Phoebe misses her. So the three women live together yet separately, trudging along in their routines, until their mom drops the huge announcement that Leonard is coming to live with them. Leonard Pelkey is their 14-year-old cousin by marriage; Leonard's mom hooked up with their uncle and then passed away. Phoebe didn't even know they had a cousin. It turns out their uncle has decided he can't deal with Leonard at this time in his life, so he hands the boy over to the Hertle family. None of them are thrilled, yet they accept the unavoidable. As neither Phoebe nor Deirdre offers to give up her room, the three box off an area in the basement big enough for a bed, throw up a few posters and call it good. They don't quite know what to expect of Leonard, but there's no way to have prepared for who arrives. Leonard is, well, different. He shows up wearing pink/green plaid Capri pants and platform sandals, does Julie Andrews impressions and talks nonstop. Phoebe immediately throws up a barrier, determined to keep him as far away as possible and dreading what he will do to her life. She doesn't understand why he behaves the way he does, why he doesn't try and change, or at least hide his flamboyant differences. But that's the special thing about Leonard --- he has the courage to be himself, despite what the rest of the world tries to dictate. And very quickly he starts to share his light with those around him: Phoebe's mom, the customers at the hair salon, even Phoebe herself. She has no idea how much of an impact Leonard will have on their family. And then he disappears... Thank you to James Lecesne for sharing this special book with audiences. Not only is ABSOLUTE BRIGHTNESS a compelling story filled with drama and mystery, it is also a tenderhearted telling of good vs. evil and of right and wrong, a celebration of the amazing differences in our world and a reminder to be true to oneself. It will remain with readers long after the last page is turned and will make them stop and think --- and maybe even change their outlook on the world. --- Reviewed by Chris Shanley-Dillman, author of FINDING MY LIGHT and THE BLACK POND

I enjoyed every moment of reading this book. I liked the humor, the story. A lot of positive energy is there. It is one of those book which you want to stretch reading because you want to enjoy every word. I think this book would be interesting to read for all ages. I give it 5 stars!!!

this book is a bit sad, but is a very pleasant read. it has good character development for a book that is a short but detailed cross-section of only a few people's lives (which is good because you very much want it to focus on those people).

Nicely written tale of a most "out" young male who positively influences everyone in his school..including after his untimely murder.

Leonard Pelkey doesn't fit in anywhere. His mother has died, leaving him with Phoebe's uncle, now his legal guardian. But Uncle Mike has plans to go to Mexico to invest in cattle. So Phoebe's mom, Ellen, arranges for Leonard to come and live with them in Neptune, New Jersey. But Neptune isn't ready for Leonard. Saying Leonard is a bit outrageous is being optimistic. Phoebe and her sister, Deirdre, treat Leonard as an unwelcome house guest, going so far as creating a living space for Leonard in the basement surrounded by filled cardboard boxes. But this doesn't stop Leonard from going full-steam-ahead with his life in Neptune. He infuses himself into Ellen's beauty shop business, and slowly, the old ladies that frequent the shop start to subtly change under his tutelage. Phoebe's mom finally starts taking an interest in her appearance again. He even gets Deirdre to drastically change her style. But Phoebe feels left out. Leonard is showing an interest in making over everyone but her. Why does he not bother offering her tips? Then again, Phoebe has done nothing but give him a hard time ever since he moved in. But one night, everything changes. One day he doesn't return from Drama Camp. With the help of Detective Chuck, Phoebe and her family begin a long journey to find out what happened to Leonard. During the days of the investigation, Phoebe begins to acknowledge to herself that she misses Leonard and regrets all that happened between then. As the story reaches its climax with the revelation of Leonard's disappearance, the main characters reveal secret that have been festering within Phoebe's family for years. Mr. Lecesne writes a harrowing story of how a community can react to someone who comes off as different. Leonard infuses joy in all he does, and only too late does Phoebe realize the effort that Leonard put into showing the world such a positive face. The story is heavy, but very moving. I did feel that there were a couple of plot lines that were put in that were left dangling. But none of them were vital to the outcome of the story. Mr. Lecesne leaves the reader guessing as to Leonard's sexual preference throughout the entire book. But the reader doesn't have to know one way or the other, because there is more to the story than the issue of sexual orientation. ABSOLUTE BRIGHTNESS brings to mind the story of What Happened to Lani Garver by Carol Plum-Ucci. But Mr. Lecesne brings his story to a definite conclusion, unlike Ms. Plum-Ucci's story, which leaves the reader guessing at the end. Reviewed by: Jaglvr