“An important, moving portrayal of the way mental illness affects the life of a teenage girl; a worthy addition to any library.” — School Library Journal (starred review)
“Garvin's portrayal of Ellie's bipolar experience is exceptional; the world of magic is also superbly rendered." — Kirkus Reviews
“An #OwnVoices story about identity in the face of a mental illness, honesty to self and others, and delayed grief, that takes readers on both a literal and internal journey.” — ALA Booklist
“Garvin uses his knowledge of magic and personal experience with bipolarism to add insight to this dramatic story as he skillfully evokes the traveling performers’ gritty lifestyle and the enticement of illusion.” — Publishers Weekly
“In The Lightness of Hands, Jeff Garvin has created magic—but it’s no sleight-of-hand. This book is a gripping, moving, heart-filled triumph. You’ll want to give it a standing ovation.” — Jeff Zentner, Morris Award–winning author of The Serpent King and Goodbye Days
“Equal parts caper, road trip, heartbreak, and coming-of-age, The Lightness of Hands is a knockout of a book. Readers will root for Ellie and her magical story until the very last page.” — Kathleen Glasgow, New York Times bestselling author of Girl in Pieces
“In this heartbreaking novel about a girl coming-of-age under the most difficult of circumstances, Jeff Garvin pulls off the ultimate magic trick: an impossible-to-put-down, moving story of survival and love.” — Julie Buxbaum, New York Times bestselling author of Tell Me Three Things and Hope and Other Punchlines