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3.54 AVERAGE
3.54 AVERAGE
Thank you to NetGalley and Hanover Square Press for a digital advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.
This is an interesting read. It's suspense, thriller, crime, and horror all rolled into one. This sucked me in right from the beginning.
Joel Whitley left small town Bentley, Texas ten years ago. He never wanted to return after being publicly shamed for being gay. But, one supposed mistaken text from his younger brother, Dylan, and Joel feels like something is not right with his brother and makes the trip home. Joel finds that not much has changed in terms of the townspeople and his being "different."
When Dylan goes missing, Joel and Sheriff Deputy Clark (his one-time girl friend) are determined to find his brother. In doing so, they uncover a lot more secrets of the town that some men would like to keep buried.
There was a definite Friday Night Light feel to this book along with a supernatural element. Why was everyone having bad dreams all of a sudden? This book is long, but nothing felt unnecessary to the plot. The ending was wild and I was shocked at some of the outcomes. This is definitely a wonderful debut.
This is an interesting read. It's suspense, thriller, crime, and horror all rolled into one. This sucked me in right from the beginning.
Joel Whitley left small town Bentley, Texas ten years ago. He never wanted to return after being publicly shamed for being gay. But, one supposed mistaken text from his younger brother, Dylan, and Joel feels like something is not right with his brother and makes the trip home. Joel finds that not much has changed in terms of the townspeople and his being "different."
When Dylan goes missing, Joel and Sheriff Deputy Clark (his one-time girl friend) are determined to find his brother. In doing so, they uncover a lot more secrets of the town that some men would like to keep buried.
There was a definite Friday Night Light feel to this book along with a supernatural element. Why was everyone having bad dreams all of a sudden? This book is long, but nothing felt unnecessary to the plot. The ending was wild and I was shocked at some of the outcomes. This is definitely a wonderful debut.
3.5⭐
The Bright Lands didn't quite work for me. And I can't quite put my finger on it. I think that there were too many POVs and I didn't find myself invested in any of the characters. There were characters that I should have loved and some that I should have hated, however those emotions didn't come into play. I found myself being easily distracted and picking up my phone while reading.
That being said, this book would make a fantastic movie. I would love to see "The Bright Lands" come to life.
The Bright Lands is John Fram's debut and I will be looking forward to seeing what he does in the future.
The Bright Lands didn't quite work for me. And I can't quite put my finger on it. I think that there were too many POVs and I didn't find myself invested in any of the characters. There were characters that I should have loved and some that I should have hated, however those emotions didn't come into play. I found myself being easily distracted and picking up my phone while reading.
That being said, this book would make a fantastic movie. I would love to see "The Bright Lands" come to life.
The Bright Lands is John Fram's debut and I will be looking forward to seeing what he does in the future.
All the scummy evil torrid small town awful you might want in a thriller with an extra supernatural flavor
2.75 *s.
I had high hopes for this book, but it ended up being a bit of a hot mess for me. First of all, I was not fond of the audio, so that didn't help matters. There are tons of characters, and it took me a good part of the book to be able to keep track of them all. I do like the blend of genres, horror and crime/mystery. I love to see this. Unfortunately, the storyline just left me saying, "really?, no, really?" I just didn't buy it.
I had high hopes for this book, but it ended up being a bit of a hot mess for me. First of all, I was not fond of the audio, so that didn't help matters. There are tons of characters, and it took me a good part of the book to be able to keep track of them all. I do like the blend of genres, horror and crime/mystery. I love to see this. Unfortunately, the storyline just left me saying, "really?, no, really?" I just didn't buy it.
The Good:
-I usually do not like reading thrillers but this was actually interesting. I enjoyed the suspense and action throughout this book.
-I liked the themes of this story such as LGBTQ+ themes and toxic masculinity. I felt like much of it had a deeper meaning and I thought it was a really good way to incorporate these themes in a thriller novel.
-I thought this was pretty unique. It seemed to be different from many other small-town, high school football stories so I thought this was an interesting concept.
The Bad:
-The multiple POVs really bothered me. Especially when some chapters were as short as a page and I had to keep shifting back and forth.
-This story was really slow at some parts. It took me some time to get through this book since I am new to the genre and because I found certain parts slow. The middle seemed to drag on for so long and it just really did not interest me as much.
-I usually do not like reading thrillers but this was actually interesting. I enjoyed the suspense and action throughout this book.
-I liked the themes of this story such as LGBTQ+ themes and toxic masculinity. I felt like much of it had a deeper meaning and I thought it was a really good way to incorporate these themes in a thriller novel.
-I thought this was pretty unique. It seemed to be different from many other small-town, high school football stories so I thought this was an interesting concept.
The Bad:
-The multiple POVs really bothered me. Especially when some chapters were as short as a page and I had to keep shifting back and forth.
-This story was really slow at some parts. It took me some time to get through this book since I am new to the genre and because I found certain parts slow. The middle seemed to drag on for so long and it just really did not interest me as much.
3.75⭐️
I knew nothing about this book going into it other than it was a mystery book centering around the disappearance of a small town’s high school quarterback.
And honestly I think that’s the way to go.
I think the author really captured the feel of small town America and the close knit communities that would do anything to protect one of their own. And also the way they ostracize anyone who may be different from them. I could feel the tension in the air as someone said something they knew they shouldn’t have and I could feel the fear once they realized they fucked up.
The reason the rating isn’t higher is because there’s a paranormal element that occurred about 70% of the way in that I wasn’t expecting and didn’t think the book needed at all to be successful, I just wasn’t a fan of that. You could’ve eliminated that aspect completely and the book would’ve still been solid and stood on its own.
I would recommend this book though, it’s one that I know is gonna stick with me for a while.
Content warnings: homophobia, slurs, substance abuse, suicide, murder
I knew nothing about this book going into it other than it was a mystery book centering around the disappearance of a small town’s high school quarterback.
And honestly I think that’s the way to go.
I think the author really captured the feel of small town America and the close knit communities that would do anything to protect one of their own. And also the way they ostracize anyone who may be different from them. I could feel the tension in the air as someone said something they knew they shouldn’t have and I could feel the fear once they realized they fucked up.
The reason the rating isn’t higher is because there’s a paranormal element that occurred about 70% of the way in that I wasn’t expecting and didn’t think the book needed at all to be successful, I just wasn’t a fan of that. You could’ve eliminated that aspect completely and the book would’ve still been solid and stood on its own.
I would recommend this book though, it’s one that I know is gonna stick with me for a while.
Content warnings: homophobia, slurs, substance abuse, suicide, murder
Wowza. That was something. This book is 473 big ass pages long and I read it in like 5 days, so that’s saying something. But it was a LOT. There’s kidnapping, there’s football, there’s a lot of homophobia, there’s a monster of some sort.
It kept my interest and was a compelling read. But I think it could have been pared down a bit. I think it’d be a solid 4 star book if the paranormal stuff and 1/4 of the characters were removed.
Oh and one of the reviews quoted on the back of the book calls it “very sexy.” That is not true, and I’m a little concerned for the person who thinks it is.
It kept my interest and was a compelling read. But I think it could have been pared down a bit. I think it’d be a solid 4 star book if the paranormal stuff and 1/4 of the characters were removed.
Oh and one of the reviews quoted on the back of the book calls it “very sexy.” That is not true, and I’m a little concerned for the person who thinks it is.
4.5 stars.
I have a desert heart.
I’ve always felt most at home in the panoramic desolation of the American Southwest. When I lived in California I constantly sought out ways to immerse myself in those sweeping expanses of nothingness. And there was a part of me that felt a deep, almost elemental attraction to the idea of simply disappearing, of packing up, cutting ties, & pulling a Chris McCandless.
It makes sense, then, that The Bright Lands – a book that flirts with trying to do too much & succeeds anyway – would speak to me powerfully. Never mind the fact that it also dabbles in nostalgia (which I have a weakness for), murder mysteries (which I love), & high school football (which I find oddly compelling despite not caring a bit about the game itself). But most importantly it’s the vast desert outside the small Texas town where the book is set that resonates the most. Named the Flats, it’s a place of secrets, where unspeakable crimes can & have happened, & where the book’s main characters must continually return to discover the truth of the sickness that plagues the town.
Joel Whitley fled Bentley, TX, shortly after high school. A gay man persecuted by peers & adults alike, he knew he’d have more of a life in New York City. Now, ten years later, he returns to help his younger brother Dylan, a high school football phenom, break out of Bentley’s confines, too.
And then Dylan disappears.
Aided by his former girlfriend Starsha Clark – now a Bentley police officer – Joel tries to locate his brother while simultaneously untangling the dark secret at Bentley’s core.
No one could accuse author John Fram of not being ambitious. It is, as I mentioned earlier, a book that does so much it could have belly flopped spectacularly. The meth trade, the twisted rituals of Bentley’s football team, a pastor with a secret, high school bullies, the necessity of leaving your hometown despite the hold it has on you, & a distinctly Lovecraftian finale – Fram tackles all these things & more. It’s a murder mystery, a meditation on home, & a cosmic horror story.
I’m not sure it should have worked.
But boy howdy did it.
I have a desert heart.
I’ve always felt most at home in the panoramic desolation of the American Southwest. When I lived in California I constantly sought out ways to immerse myself in those sweeping expanses of nothingness. And there was a part of me that felt a deep, almost elemental attraction to the idea of simply disappearing, of packing up, cutting ties, & pulling a Chris McCandless.
It makes sense, then, that The Bright Lands – a book that flirts with trying to do too much & succeeds anyway – would speak to me powerfully. Never mind the fact that it also dabbles in nostalgia (which I have a weakness for), murder mysteries (which I love), & high school football (which I find oddly compelling despite not caring a bit about the game itself). But most importantly it’s the vast desert outside the small Texas town where the book is set that resonates the most. Named the Flats, it’s a place of secrets, where unspeakable crimes can & have happened, & where the book’s main characters must continually return to discover the truth of the sickness that plagues the town.
Joel Whitley fled Bentley, TX, shortly after high school. A gay man persecuted by peers & adults alike, he knew he’d have more of a life in New York City. Now, ten years later, he returns to help his younger brother Dylan, a high school football phenom, break out of Bentley’s confines, too.
And then Dylan disappears.
Aided by his former girlfriend Starsha Clark – now a Bentley police officer – Joel tries to locate his brother while simultaneously untangling the dark secret at Bentley’s core.
No one could accuse author John Fram of not being ambitious. It is, as I mentioned earlier, a book that does so much it could have belly flopped spectacularly. The meth trade, the twisted rituals of Bentley’s football team, a pastor with a secret, high school bullies, the necessity of leaving your hometown despite the hold it has on you, & a distinctly Lovecraftian finale – Fram tackles all these things & more. It’s a murder mystery, a meditation on home, & a cosmic horror story.
I’m not sure it should have worked.
But boy howdy did it.
Joel Whitley leaves his toxic and homophobic town as soon as he has the chance and heads to NYC. But years later his younger brother Dylan sends him a worrying text and Joel quickly decides it’s time to head home to help. Bad news gets worse soon after he gets home…. his little brother goes missing. This isn’t a simple thing in a town filled to the brink with secrets.
✔️ Creepy horror vibes
✔️ Queer
✔️ Filled with twists and turns
I really enjoyed this one, and loved the main character Joel. It was cringy listening to the heavy conservative langue and tones used, but it was effective at showing the homophobia, toxic masculinity, racism and sexism. Farm hit tons of heavy notes and kept you on your toes, the end was bananas! I did think it was a bit too long, and hard to keep track of the characters during the first half of the book. But overall I loved it!
✔️ Creepy horror vibes
✔️ Queer
✔️ Filled with twists and turns
I really enjoyed this one, and loved the main character Joel. It was cringy listening to the heavy conservative langue and tones used, but it was effective at showing the homophobia, toxic masculinity, racism and sexism. Farm hit tons of heavy notes and kept you on your toes, the end was bananas! I did think it was a bit too long, and hard to keep track of the characters during the first half of the book. But overall I loved it!
Three stars. A great beginning, tension building in the middle, and a reprehensible and, frankly, unbelievable ending. There really were no ties to football, and almost no character development. The horror element was lacking too. I do think the author has writing talent, and I liked all the secrets and the pacing, thus the three stars.