Critics' Opinion:
Readers' rating:
Published May 2018
480 pages
Genre: Literary Fiction
Publication Information
A stirring and thought-provoking novel from debut author Sam Miller about a loss shrouded in mystery with twists and turns down every railway.
Arthur Louis Pullman the Third is on the verge of a breakdown. He's been stripped of his college scholarship, is losing his grip on reality, and has been sent away to live with his aunt and uncle.
It's there that Arthur discovers a journal written by his grandfather, the first Arthur Louis Pullman, an iconic Salinger-esque author who went missing the last week of his life and died hundreds of miles away from their family home. What happened in that week - and how much his actions were influenced by his Alzheimer's - remains a mystery.
But now Arthur has his grandfather's journal - and a final sentence containing a train route and a destination.
So Arthur embarks on a cross-country train ride to relive his grandfather's last week, guided only by the clues left behind in the dementia-fueled journal. As Arthur gets closer to uncovering a sad and terrible truth, his journey is complicated by a shaky alliance with a girl who has secrets of her own and by escalating run-ins with a dangerous Pullman fan base.
Arthur's not the only one chasing a legacy - and some feel there is no cost too high for the truth.
"Starred Review. Beautifully conceived and executed, it has an irresistible premise; an ingenious plot tinged with mystery; compelling, multidimensional characters; and a haunting ethos that will linger in readers' minds long after they have finished." - Booklist
"Starred Review. This fresh incarnation of the great American road trip novel is bursting with big ideas, enigmas, poetry, and flashes of humor." - Kirkus
"Starred Review. A highly recommended purchase for fans of literary and realistic fiction centered around family. Grades 9 and up." - School Library Journal
"This complex and turbulent novel sees a troubled teenager slowly regain a sense of purpose by forging a connection with the past." - Publishers Weekly
This information about A Lite Too Bright was first featured
in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.
Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.
Samuel Miller was born and raised in Vermillion, South Dakota, and now resides in Los Angeles, where, in addition to writing, he directs music videos and coaches Little League Baseball. He began writing his first novel while on tour in a fifteen-passenger van with the rock band Paradise Fears. A Lite Too Bright is his debut novel. Currently he attends graduate school at the University of Southern California. He credits his existence entirely to two spectacular parents, three brothers, one sister, and the best and sweetest puppy dog on the whole planet, Addison.
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