Description

Book Synopsis
A psychologically smart debut that swathes teen desire and friendship in mystery and mirth'ObserverLike a twisted Malory Towers or maybe a cosmic version of Heathers''Daily MailFunny, whip-smart and transcendently wise' Jenny OffillThe love child of Donna Tartt and Tana French' Chloe BenjaminOne year ago, the person Olivia adores most in the world, her father, left home for a meditation retreat in the mountains and never returned. Yearning to make sense of his shocking departure, Olivia runs away from home and retraces his path to a place known as the Levitation Center.There, she enrolls in their summer program for troubled teens, a Buddhist Boot Camp for Bad Girls', and finds herself drawn into the company of a close-knit trio of girls determined that this is the summer they will finally learn to levitate, to defy the weight of their bodies, to experience ultimate lightness.But as desire and danger intertwine, and Olivia comes ever closer to discovering what a body and a girl is cap

Trade Review

‘Glitters with poignant observations about desire and womanhood’ – Marie Claire

‘A psychologically smart debut that swathes teen desire and friendship in mystery and mirth.’ – Observer

‘Cool, dark, and pretty as a clear night sky… a coming-of-age suspense tale’ – Entertainment Weekly

‘A gorgeous read with complex characters, whose menace is wrapped in prose that reads like a dark fairy tale’ – Psychologies

‘This is a disquieting and astute reflection on desire, truth, friendship and the siren call of weightlessness.’ – Daily Mail

“Temple's narrative strategies of deferral invite us into a complex, psychological study of a young woman haunted by her past—and her capacity to hunger for violence and self-destruction. A dark, glittering fable about the terror of desire.” – Kirkus (starred review)

‘A suspenseful debut’ – People Magazine

‘A rich meditation on the nature of desire and belonging… Temple is an excellent writer’ – Los Angeles Times

‘It’s like a twisted Malory Towers or maybe a cosmic version of Heathers: teenage violence, sex and envy mix up with Eastern theology.’ – Daily Mail

The Lightness

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    Order before 4pm today for delivery by Sat 1 Aug 2026.

    A Paperback / softback by Emily Temple

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      Trusted by thousands of customers. See 2,385+ Customer Reviews

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      Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
      Publication Date: Publication Date: 10/06/2021
      ISBN13: 9780008332686, 978-0008332686
      ISBN10: 0008332681

      Description

      Book Synopsis
      A psychologically smart debut that swathes teen desire and friendship in mystery and mirth'ObserverLike a twisted Malory Towers or maybe a cosmic version of Heathers''Daily MailFunny, whip-smart and transcendently wise' Jenny OffillThe love child of Donna Tartt and Tana French' Chloe BenjaminOne year ago, the person Olivia adores most in the world, her father, left home for a meditation retreat in the mountains and never returned. Yearning to make sense of his shocking departure, Olivia runs away from home and retraces his path to a place known as the Levitation Center.There, she enrolls in their summer program for troubled teens, a Buddhist Boot Camp for Bad Girls', and finds herself drawn into the company of a close-knit trio of girls determined that this is the summer they will finally learn to levitate, to defy the weight of their bodies, to experience ultimate lightness.But as desire and danger intertwine, and Olivia comes ever closer to discovering what a body and a girl is cap

      Trade Review

      ‘Glitters with poignant observations about desire and womanhood’ – Marie Claire

      ‘A psychologically smart debut that swathes teen desire and friendship in mystery and mirth.’ – Observer

      ‘Cool, dark, and pretty as a clear night sky… a coming-of-age suspense tale’ – Entertainment Weekly

      ‘A gorgeous read with complex characters, whose menace is wrapped in prose that reads like a dark fairy tale’ – Psychologies

      ‘This is a disquieting and astute reflection on desire, truth, friendship and the siren call of weightlessness.’ – Daily Mail

      “Temple's narrative strategies of deferral invite us into a complex, psychological study of a young woman haunted by her past—and her capacity to hunger for violence and self-destruction. A dark, glittering fable about the terror of desire.” – Kirkus (starred review)

      ‘A suspenseful debut’ – People Magazine

      ‘A rich meditation on the nature of desire and belonging… Temple is an excellent writer’ – Los Angeles Times

      ‘It’s like a twisted Malory Towers or maybe a cosmic version of Heathers: teenage violence, sex and envy mix up with Eastern theology.’ – Daily Mail

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