A Certain Slant of Light (novel)
A Certain Slant of Light is a 2005 young adult horror novel by author Laura Whitcomb. The book was first published on September 21, 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt's Graphia imprint. Film rights for "A Certain Slant of Light" have been optioned by Summit Entertainment. The title is derived from the first line of "There's a certain Slant of light", a poem by Emily Dickinson. Synopsis. The book follows Helen, the ghost of a 27-year-old woman that has been dead for 130 years. The beginning of the story follows her  through her life as a ghost, playing the role of invisible muse to a handful of artistically inclined people, lest she be cast back into her own personal hell. It's during her stay with English teacher Mr. Brown that Helen realizes that a student named Billy is aware of her presence. She later realizes that a spirit named James is inhabiting Billy's body after Billy overdosed on drugs. With the two being the only known beings of their type, James and Helen are quickly drawn to each other but are faced with the difficulties of residing within the  bodies of other people. Reception. Critical reception for "A Certain Slant of Light" has been predominantly positive, with the ALA making it one of their book picks for 2006. Publishers Weekly and Booklist both praised Whitcomb's writing style, with Publishers Weekly calling it "poetic". Kirkus Reviews panned the novel, citing that it didn't live up to its potential. References. Pulliam, June. "Subversive Spirits: Resistance and the Uncanny in the Young Adult Ghost Story," "Monstrous Bodies: Gender and Power in Young Adult Horror Fiction". Jefferson, NC: McFarland, 2014.