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3.54 AVERAGE
3.54 AVERAGE
Wow what a debut! Take Stephen Markley’s Ohio, move it to Texas, douse it in a sense of otherworldly dread, sprinkle some glitter on the top and you have this book. I couldn’t put it down, I was terrified but I couldn’t look away. So so good.
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
I was really into the mood, atmosphere, and mystery of this book. The first 70% was really good, and then...it got weird. I realize that there is a social commentary going on here, but I am just not a fan of the execution.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Drug abuse
Moderate: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Death, Gore, Homophobia, Sexual assault
The Bright Lands by John Fram
Available July 7, 2020
Content warnings for sexual assault, sexual abuse, and homophobia.
Buckle up! This is a wild one!
When Joel Whitley’s younger brother leaves him a cryptic text message, he knows it’s time to return home. The hometown that drove him away with it’s bigotry and small mindedness. Bentley, Texas loves it’s football and it’s players are town royalty. Bentley also loves it’s secrets. When Joel’s brother goes missing, he knows there is more going on than his brother running away. Trying to find an ally in Bentley is a complication that Joel doesn’t know if he can handle. Friends from his past have to reckon with their own tragic memories of a similar disappearance and the police seem oddly uninterested in taking any clues seriously. As Joel comes closer to understanding what happened to his brother, a dark and deadly force threatens to tear apart the entire community.
The Bright Lands is full of twists and turns and small town secrets. It’s a chilling look at the effects of hero worship and allowing young men to get away with horrific behavior solely because their athletic ability provides others with joy. Full of complicated characters, The Bright Lands shows us what happens when everyone has a secret to protect and the lengths they’ll go to protect themselves.
Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for the opportunity to read and review this title. All opinions and mistakes are my own.
Available July 7, 2020
Content warnings for sexual assault, sexual abuse, and homophobia.
Buckle up! This is a wild one!
When Joel Whitley’s younger brother leaves him a cryptic text message, he knows it’s time to return home. The hometown that drove him away with it’s bigotry and small mindedness. Bentley, Texas loves it’s football and it’s players are town royalty. Bentley also loves it’s secrets. When Joel’s brother goes missing, he knows there is more going on than his brother running away. Trying to find an ally in Bentley is a complication that Joel doesn’t know if he can handle. Friends from his past have to reckon with their own tragic memories of a similar disappearance and the police seem oddly uninterested in taking any clues seriously. As Joel comes closer to understanding what happened to his brother, a dark and deadly force threatens to tear apart the entire community.
The Bright Lands is full of twists and turns and small town secrets. It’s a chilling look at the effects of hero worship and allowing young men to get away with horrific behavior solely because their athletic ability provides others with joy. Full of complicated characters, The Bright Lands shows us what happens when everyone has a secret to protect and the lengths they’ll go to protect themselves.
Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for the opportunity to read and review this title. All opinions and mistakes are my own.
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
That was W I L D. The first 3/4 of the book is a really well-laid, suspenseful crime thriller, and then the last 1/4 twists and turns into some good ol fashioned horror and I loved the ride. This is definitely a step above the rest of the thrillers/crime fiction out there. There are so many well-done layers and secrets and conflicts and wow, I really hated that suffocating town of Bentley.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Homophobia, Sexual assault
Moderate: Addiction
Like 3.5? I really liked what this book had to say but it just wasn’t what I expected going in. I’m glad I read it because I think it will be a 5 if I find the right person to recommend it to.
I am attempting to read some scary books this month. This one is for sure creepy. It’s sort of a Friday night lights mixed with horror. I think it was sort of a miss for me. Not bad but just sort of weird and gross and out there for me to really enjoy it.
Well this one was a wild ride. My biggest complaints being that the author hasn't spent a lot of time around police officers or people who breathe football (meaning game specifics - the cult culture of a football team felt very well portrayed). Just when you think you know what's happening in this book, the author takes you down another road, and just when you think you know THAT road, it takes another turn and you realize you're just along for the ride. There are certain things about this book that reminded me of a teen movie from the 90s or early 00s, but the thematical and plot elements can be brutal and I wouldn't recommend it for younger readers. Spooky, for sure, but nothing that will keep you up at night. If anything, it gives a lot of fodder for book club discussions as well as analysis of motifs contained within.
I finished this book at 2 a.m., less than 24 hours after starting it, then stared into space for a good five minutes afterwards. This book was a ride.
Ok so to be honest this has been my most anticipated read of 2020. A gay Friday Night Lights Thriller, YES PLEASE. Once I turned to page 1 I had all these feelings of self doubt. I have over estimated reads in the past and wanted to make sure that I came in with an open mind. BUT THIS BOOK THOUGH! I was captivated from the first sentence to the last. I did not want to stop reading. While I worked my day job I could not stop thinking about what I had read. John Fram puts other debuts to shame. This is a book where there are a lot of characters in a VERY ACTIVE small town centered around their high school football community. I cannot write enough praise for this. John Fram is a writer to watch and I cannot wait for this book to reach the hands of readers everywhere and I cannot wait to read him for years to come!!!!!