Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.54 AVERAGE
3.54 AVERAGE
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
You guys, I loved this book! It read like part Stephen King and part Ruth Ware. It truly was a unique read in the thriller category. THE BRIGHT LANDS by John Fram takes place in the town of Bentley. It's a town that holds two things dear: its football, and its secrets. When star quarterback Dylan Whitley goes missing, his brother, Joel, returns to the small town from NYC. As a gay man, Joel does not have fond memories of his time in the small Texas town. The story is both a small town mystery, the kind where people know more than they're willing to let on, and a supernatural thriller, the kind with unsettling hints of something dark and more malicious than just corrupt cops at work. I can't talk about many plot points, because I don't want to give too much away. I'll just say that the first 3/4 of the book does an excellent job of building suspense and dread, and the last 1/4 is packed with action. I don't think you'll be sorry if you pick this book up!
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
A twisty-turny supernatural mystery centered on the football team in a small Texas town. I liked the characters for the most part, but had very mixed feelings about how it all wrapped up in the final act. And despite centering several queer characters, it falls back on some weirdly old-fashioned feeling kink-shaming in some sequences. I also think that there are some serious issues in terms of believable actions from certain characters.
Went in expecting a horror novel, got a disappointing family cop drama with a hint of eldritch monsters. The way this novel treated most of it's gay characters really turned me off.
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes