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3.54 AVERAGE
3.54 AVERAGE
The Bright Lands is set in the small football-obsessed Texas town of Bentley. But this is the only thing The Bright Lands has in common with Friday Night Lights. The book follows the aftermath of star quarterback Dylan Whitley's death, as we hear from multiple points of view and try to uncover what happened to the teenager. On the way, secret after secret is revealed, until the ultimate climatic and horror-filled ending.
So, full disclosure: this was my first foray into the horror genre (with a little supernatural twist thrown in) and I think if horror is your genre preference, you will get more out of this book. In saying that though, I did love that the suspense continued to build until the ending. Fram delivered a crazy ending, which will shock you and leave you slack-mouthed. It was honestly like watching a horror movie unfold, as I wanted to peek out between my fingers as I read.
What I struggled with was the multiple characters and points of view. Between past and present football players and the Sheriff's Department, I couldn't keep up with who was who and who did what to who. Nonetheless, if you enjoy a thriller or two and are looking for something a little bit (slash a lot) different, check out The Bright Lands. It's a book I won't forget in a while!
Thank you to Hanover Square Press for the review copy.
Trigger warning: sexual assault, homophobia, suicide
So, full disclosure: this was my first foray into the horror genre (with a little supernatural twist thrown in) and I think if horror is your genre preference, you will get more out of this book. In saying that though, I did love that the suspense continued to build until the ending. Fram delivered a crazy ending, which will shock you and leave you slack-mouthed. It was honestly like watching a horror movie unfold, as I wanted to peek out between my fingers as I read.
What I struggled with was the multiple characters and points of view. Between past and present football players and the Sheriff's Department, I couldn't keep up with who was who and who did what to who. Nonetheless, if you enjoy a thriller or two and are looking for something a little bit (slash a lot) different, check out The Bright Lands. It's a book I won't forget in a while!
Thank you to Hanover Square Press for the review copy.
Trigger warning: sexual assault, homophobia, suicide
My Booktube
so probably more of a 4 but honestly this story has really stuck with me and I still catch myself thinking about a few things + the author is queer so I'm just gonna give a 5 anyways xx
And I think the most interesting thing this book does is the "bad" people are actually also sympathetic in a certain way when you think about why they really had to get started. It might just be my perspective but I honestly can see how they would get twisted into something bad and how they got there, but it also wasn't really their fault they were pushed to that extreme.
I will agree to the criticism that I see that there are a LOT of characters, but this is also a 500 page book (almost) so I feel like the majority get enough time so you remember them. Like I listened to this thing in one day as an audiobook and I remembered basically everyone besides like one character by the end. I also didn't understand why we needed all these POVs until the very and they all made sense as to why they were picked for their POV.
But most importantly: as this is a thriller/horror thing I will say the final reveal (and the reveals leading up to it) were so GOOD and they all had me gasp. And I liked a final knife twist that basically our two main POV characters aren't fully innocent either in the plot of things and are responsible for horrible things happening to others. There is also a supernatural element to the horror of it all which isn't fully explained/addressed and I think that adds to the horror element. But I will say this is mostly a thriller about finding out the killer, and the horror is more so in the second half.
But it was spooky and i was enthralled the entire time. Like legit I had no idea where this was going for most of it and the big reveal(s) about what happened and what the reality of the situation was was simultaneously heartbreaking and also terrifying.
so probably more of a 4 but honestly this story has really stuck with me and I still catch myself thinking about a few things + the author is queer so I'm just gonna give a 5 anyways xx
And I think the most interesting thing this book does is the "bad" people are actually also sympathetic in a certain way when you think about why they really had to get started. It might just be my perspective but I honestly can see how they would get twisted into something bad and how they got there, but it also wasn't really their fault they were pushed to that extreme.
I will agree to the criticism that I see that there are a LOT of characters, but this is also a 500 page book (almost) so I feel like the majority get enough time so you remember them. Like I listened to this thing in one day as an audiobook and I remembered basically everyone besides like one character by the end. I also didn't understand why we needed all these POVs until the very and they all made sense as to why they were picked for their POV.
But most importantly: as this is a thriller/horror thing I will say the final reveal (and the reveals leading up to it) were so GOOD and they all had me gasp. And I liked a final knife twist that basically our two main POV characters aren't fully innocent either in the plot of things and are responsible for horrible things happening to others. There is also a supernatural element to the horror of it all which isn't fully explained/addressed and I think that adds to the horror element. But I will say this is mostly a thriller about finding out the killer, and the horror is more so in the second half.
But it was spooky and i was enthralled the entire time. Like legit I had no idea where this was going for most of it and the big reveal(s) about what happened and what the reality of the situation was was simultaneously heartbreaking and also terrifying.
4.5 stars rounded up! The Bright Lands is a bleak, claustrophobic mystery where the horror comes not just from otherworldly darkness but from the fear and repression of small-town living. Football is an obsession in Bentley where it chews up and spits out its players, and where status means everything. The book portrays homophobia, racism, and abuse in a grimly realistic view. There’s a loneliness that lives inside the characters, and I wish the book is written in the first person instead of the third because I wanted to know more about them. The whispers and nightmares that happen to them are unpleasant and added to their disconnection.
I thought the plotting is solid, and every puzzle piece fits. The ending is an explosion of sex, drugs, and violence, and I loved the haunting supernatural touch. In the chaos though, I felt the book’s message gets muddled. It portrays closeted gay teens, sexual predators, and old, powerful, white men, and the distinction between these groups could have been clearer. I also wish we get a conversation between Joel and Dylan because something felt missing in their relationship. But I suppose it shows that no matter how much you care for someone, you may never know who they really are. I found the book’s willingness to venture into the grief and loss, yet have its characters still emerging with hope, to be quite moving.
CW: homophobia, sexual assault, statutory rape, domestic violence, drug abuse, suicide
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I thought the plotting is solid, and every puzzle piece fits. The ending is an explosion of sex, drugs, and violence, and I loved the haunting supernatural touch. In the chaos though, I felt the book’s message gets muddled. It portrays closeted gay teens, sexual predators, and old, powerful, white men, and the distinction between these groups could have been clearer. I also wish we get a conversation between Joel and Dylan because something felt missing in their relationship. But I suppose it shows that no matter how much you care for someone, you may never know who they really are. I found the book’s willingness to venture into the grief and loss, yet have its characters still emerging with hope, to be quite moving.
CW: homophobia, sexual assault, statutory rape, domestic violence, drug abuse, suicide
book blog | twitter | instagram
This is a unique, strange, engrossing book that I have a hard time explaining without spoilers. It's definitely worth checking out. I did think the ending was a bit of a let down after the long build, but it's still really good.
I was really excited to read this one and I thought I was going to love it but I didn’t. There were way too many characters and too many points of views which caused the book to be a bit of a struggle to really get into. Then around page 370 the whole book just goes off the rails. What the actual Bright Lands are was like Freddy’s Revenge 2020.
2.5 stars
This had so many characters and was kind of convoluted. I also don't generally like books with rotating narrators. Very, very graphic, FYI.
This had so many characters and was kind of convoluted. I also don't generally like books with rotating narrators. Very, very graphic, FYI.
adventurous
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
This was very solid! I thought the characters were very well-developed, and the plot was a good mix of supernatural horror and thoughtful commentary on the complexities of growing up queer in the small town. Somebody described this author as Stephen Queen, and I totally agree. This book is what would happen if Stephen King was actually good at writing gay characters. Atmosphere off the charts. The only reason it didn’t get a full five was the climax, which didn’t feel as developed as the rest of the plot.
Content warnings: sexual abuse of a minor, homophobic and racial slurs, acts of pedophilia, mentions of child pornography.
I really enjoyed this book! I think this is actually my first obsess worthy horror I’ve read this year. It very much reminded me of Borrasca by CK Walker with its secrets in a rural town, involving young people, and a cult that does things to those people that makes you gag. And that’s the biggest compliment in my opinion.
The biggest complaint is that there are too many view points. There are many different points of views, which isn’t a bad thing, you can get the full idea of what’s going on while still being left out of the loop.
The only thing I really didn’t like about this book was the addition of the creature. It wasn’t needed, you have this amazing secret societal cultish thing in a small rural town in Texas, keep that! No need to add a monster to make it more “shocking” it was already pretty intense as it was. Adding the creature felt very two dimensional to me because the ending felt very thrown together. Those are the two reasons in which I removed a star.
I really enjoyed this book! I think this is actually my first obsess worthy horror I’ve read this year. It very much reminded me of Borrasca by CK Walker with its secrets in a rural town, involving young people, and a cult that does things to those people that makes you gag. And that’s the biggest compliment in my opinion.
The biggest complaint is that there are too many view points. There are many different points of views, which isn’t a bad thing, you can get the full idea of what’s going on while still being left out of the loop.
The only thing I really didn’t like about this book was the addition of the creature. It wasn’t needed, you have this amazing secret societal cultish thing in a small rural town in Texas, keep that! No need to add a monster to make it more “shocking” it was already pretty intense as it was. Adding the creature felt very two dimensional to me because the ending felt very thrown together. Those are the two reasons in which I removed a star.
Hard no for me!
This started as an easy read, and me wanting to keep going. It then suddenly changed and turned into a, “I might not finish my first book in my reading career!”
Many have loved this and you might - not me!
This started as an easy read, and me wanting to keep going. It then suddenly changed and turned into a, “I might not finish my first book in my reading career!”
Many have loved this and you might - not me!