kelliemw's review
3.0
Lauren Shippen has created a world that I have been immersed in for years. I enjoyed Some Faraway Place but I just couldn’t get into it like I did with all of her other work. Without getting spoiler-y I felt as if this book focused too much on redemption of a character than the story of Rose. Rose wasn’t a character that I got attached to via the podcast so I wasn’t as invested in her as the previous books. I still would recommend this to others who enjoy the Bright Sessions universe.
okim2cool4u's review
4.0
it's lauren's world and we're living in it
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edit after reading:
3.5 stars? maybe 4? i want to give it a higher rating but damien's parts/involvement really sucked. i liked his book enough but i'm tired of him. imo he's the same person he was at the first episode of the podcast. felt like rose deserved to have her own book without so much of him. the romance was nice but i wish we got to see it develop more. excited to see what lauren shippen does next :))
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edit after reading:
3.5 stars? maybe 4? i want to give it a higher rating but damien's parts/involvement really sucked. i liked his book enough but i'm tired of him. imo he's the same person he was at the first episode of the podcast. felt like rose deserved to have her own book without so much of him. the romance was nice but i wish we got to see it develop more. excited to see what lauren shippen does next :))
samiamstew's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
It had been a long time since I listened to the podcast or read the previous books so I was a little lost with the Damien-involved elements but this one does focus on a different main character so I was able to follow most of her story alright. Told through journal entries, Tumblr- and Reddit-style posts, and letters. Would have been more enjoyable if I read it closer to the others or if I still listened to the podcast. I liked Rose alright but she was kind of mean to her family… Good queer rep.
sunshinemoth's review
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
himani19's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
brittaniethekid's review against another edition
DNF at 30%. The Bright Sessions series is so character driven that if you don't like the character, it's impossible to get through the narrative. This is definitely my own bias at play but Rose was hard to relate to and when reading her journal entries/blogs here, I just didn't care what would happen to her. I didn't like her in the podcast either because she's written like some whimsical fae girl but makes really dumb decisions so it comes off more naive and childish.
Damien is by far the most interesting character in this world (which is saying something, see my review of TBS #2) and putting him in the book was maybe a mistake because it highlights how boring and underdeveloped the other characters are.
Damien is by far the most interesting character in this world (which is saying something, see my review of TBS #2) and putting him in the book was maybe a mistake because it highlights how boring and underdeveloped the other characters are.
voidstar's review
4.0
Of all the Bright Sessions books, I think this one is the strongest, but I've heard from other people that it's difficult to get into without knowing/being a fan the audio drama.
It's not the most impactful YA novel I've ever read concerning a teenage character struggling with grief, but it is a fun adventure into a character whose escapism is pretty extreme (as exaggerated by her superpower).
I own this more for Damien, though. Interspersed through this book are a collection of his letters written to the guy he's in love with, chronicling his time locked up in this institute that's known for crimes against humanity and unethical human experimentation, recovering from a severe traumatic brain injury.
It's sad. It's so sad. This book makes me cry my eyes out.
I highly recommend listening to the audiobook version because the voice actors of these characters from the audio drama do the narration. Charlie Ian, in particular, is an amazing actress and will make you choke up over the way she delivers the emotional impact of Damien's letters.
It's not the most impactful YA novel I've ever read concerning a teenage character struggling with grief, but it is a fun adventure into a character whose escapism is pretty extreme (as exaggerated by her superpower).
I own this more for Damien, though. Interspersed through this book are a collection of his letters written to the guy he's in love with, chronicling his time locked up in this institute that's known for crimes against humanity and unethical human experimentation, recovering from a severe traumatic brain injury.
It's sad. It's so sad. This book makes me cry my eyes out.
I highly recommend listening to the audiobook version because the voice actors of these characters from the audio drama do the narration. Charlie Ian, in particular, is an amazing actress and will make you choke up over the way she delivers the emotional impact of Damien's letters.
lady_moon's review against another edition
3.75
Rep: plus size lesbian Jewish MC, pan latina love interest, Jewish side characters, queer side characters
Ok, so... this book is truly meant for the listeners of the podcast. And it really shows early on. I started listening to it, in attempt to catch up with the plot but eventually, somewhere close to the end of the second season, I decided to hell with it. I just wanted to continue with the book. (I'll keep listening to the podcast tho, it's good.)
However, this gave me this... specific feel of a lot-ness going on. There were cameos of all the characters from the podcast. There were some quite important stories for these characters that are told in merely a few sentences and if you haven't listened to the podcast you hear about for the first time. I felt a little out of depth, not gonna lie. Like, there is a lot going on behind the scenes that Rose, our MC, barely knows and understands, if at all, which makes it feel like there are really high stakes and mystery when there... isn't? At all?
To be honest, the whole book felt like where there is really loud music in the room (i.e. the whole background cast) while you're trying to talk with someone (i.e. Rose). I felt like I was distracted by something to learn about Rose almost the whole time - there were the online updates from Aaron and Emily, then Damien appears, then every single character from the podcast appears. Like, all of this is great, I loved the online updates, I love Damien but... all of this distracted me from actually caring about Rose as much as I cared about the characters in the previous two books? Only towards the very end I actually started to truly understand Rose and see more where she's coming from. For the big portion of the book we're given these bits and pieces of why and how and what but there was never a true follow up to them. Not until the last couple of chapters.
Honestly, this is the only book I would say it advisable to listen to the podcast first. Simply because you already would know about the background stories and wouldn't be distracted by them.
Ok, so... this book is truly meant for the listeners of the podcast. And it really shows early on. I started listening to it, in attempt to catch up with the plot but eventually, somewhere close to the end of the second season, I decided to hell with it. I just wanted to continue with the book. (I'll keep listening to the podcast tho, it's good.)
However, this gave me this... specific feel of a lot-ness going on. There were cameos of all the characters from the podcast. There were some quite important stories for these characters that are told in merely a few sentences and if you haven't listened to the podcast you hear about for the first time. I felt a little out of depth, not gonna lie. Like, there is a lot going on behind the scenes that Rose, our MC, barely knows and understands, if at all, which makes it feel like there are really high stakes and mystery when there... isn't? At all?
To be honest, the whole book felt like where there is really loud music in the room (i.e. the whole background cast) while you're trying to talk with someone (i.e. Rose). I felt like I was distracted by something to learn about Rose almost the whole time - there were the online updates from Aaron and Emily, then Damien appears, then every single character from the podcast appears. Like, all of this is great, I loved the online updates, I love Damien but... all of this distracted me from actually caring about Rose as much as I cared about the characters in the previous two books? Only towards the very end I actually started to truly understand Rose and see more where she's coming from. For the big portion of the book we're given these bits and pieces of why and how and what but there was never a true follow up to them. Not until the last couple of chapters.
Honestly, this is the only book I would say it advisable to listen to the podcast first. Simply because you already would know about the background stories and wouldn't be distracted by them.
clstar's review
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
alissamullin's review
emotional
hopeful
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
I think this was a great expansion of the canon. Rose wasn’t my favorite in the pod but I felt she was much more sympathetic and interesting in this. Her and Damiens relationship was really interesting; loved getting more detail on that. I think this was a well done look at choice and accountability. I found parts of it pretty relatable, and I feel like she did a great job giving her complex characters even more depth. And cool shifts in perspective