Scan barcode
nebby's review
4.0
Slow beginning, but everything after was amazing. would have given a 5 star if not for that.
eska's review
2.0
Ich habe irgendwie gar nichts verstanden. Was habe ich da gelesen ?! Mir ist einfach alles suspekt und ich weiß auch gar nicht warum das passiert ist und meh.
Wahrscheinlich werde ich trotzdem den zweiten Teil lesen, weil ich hoffe, dass es später mehr Sinn ergibt. Hoffentlich.
Wahrscheinlich werde ich trotzdem den zweiten Teil lesen, weil ich hoffe, dass es später mehr Sinn ergibt. Hoffentlich.
daisyoh's review
4.0
I loved Burn Bright. It was a well written and very believable world.
Burn Bright is a story of a girl, Retra, who decides to leave her home and seek out her brother, Joel. Joel left for Ixion two years ago, desperate to get away from everything and seek the pleasure that everyone does to Ixion. Retra encounters more complications than she was expecting once she arrives to Ixion. The Ripers, the night creatures, even the other people in Ixion can be a worry some times. But Retra is determined. She will find her brother and convince him to leave with her.
I loved the characters in the story so much. Retra was interesting; so afraid of everything, scared to have people see her or touch her, I guess that is what it would have been like being a Seal. Even though she seemed so afraid of everyone she always speaks her mind, sticks up for what she believes in and does anything she can to protect the ones that she loves. I hated Cal, but I think I was meant to. Brand and some of the other Ripers really creeped me out, but they were interesting characters. I liked Lenoir. I don't really know why, he is mysterious and confusing. It is very intriguing to me, I want to find out more. I instantly liked Suki and Rollo grew on me eventually.
Some parts of the story were a little confusing at times, as there wasn't much explanation behind Retra's world. But I really enjoyed the way that it was written. There was no long stories behind everything that Retra was doing, it jumped straight into everything and you learned along the way. Sometimes long descriptions of the world that characters live in can get annoying and boring, so I really enjoyed the way that you were just thrown into it and had to learn things throughout the story.
I really liked this book and look forward to reading Angel Arias. There were lots of questions raised in Burn Bright, but in a way that the first book is just establishing the story still, so it wasn't annoying. But I am looking forward to having some of those questions answered.
There was some mature content in this books I would probably recommend for 15+
This review is also on my blog The Confessions of a Book Nerd :)
Burn Bright is a story of a girl, Retra, who decides to leave her home and seek out her brother, Joel. Joel left for Ixion two years ago, desperate to get away from everything and seek the pleasure that everyone does to Ixion. Retra encounters more complications than she was expecting once she arrives to Ixion. The Ripers, the night creatures, even the other people in Ixion can be a worry some times. But Retra is determined. She will find her brother and convince him to leave with her.
I loved the characters in the story so much. Retra was interesting; so afraid of everything, scared to have people see her or touch her, I guess that is what it would have been like being a Seal. Even though she seemed so afraid of everyone she always speaks her mind, sticks up for what she believes in and does anything she can to protect the ones that she loves. I hated Cal, but I think I was meant to. Brand and some of the other Ripers really creeped me out, but they were interesting characters. I liked Lenoir. I don't really know why, he is mysterious and confusing. It is very intriguing to me, I want to find out more. I instantly liked Suki and Rollo grew on me eventually.
Some parts of the story were a little confusing at times, as there wasn't much explanation behind Retra's world. But I really enjoyed the way that it was written. There was no long stories behind everything that Retra was doing, it jumped straight into everything and you learned along the way. Sometimes long descriptions of the world that characters live in can get annoying and boring, so I really enjoyed the way that you were just thrown into it and had to learn things throughout the story.
I really liked this book and look forward to reading Angel Arias. There were lots of questions raised in Burn Bright, but in a way that the first book is just establishing the story still, so it wasn't annoying. But I am looking forward to having some of those questions answered.
There was some mature content in this books I would probably recommend for 15+
This review is also on my blog The Confessions of a Book Nerd :)
glaiza_echo's review
4.0
There is a hint of sci-fi, supernatural and dystopian mystery in Ixion and I liked how the reader got a glimpse of there being more to the whole world in which Ixion is situated.
Some readers might find Retra's sealed upbringing made her an odd and hesitant heroine in the beginning but I liked how her experiences of living in Grave realistically shaped her actions and thoughts. I also liked how she was beginning to question and come to terms with finding her own indepedence in Ixion. Her friends were also fun and fleshed-out characters.
The night creatures were built so well that they creeped me out. I can't wait to find out more about them and their connection to the Ripers. I also wanted more scenes between Markes and Retra to get to know the dynamic between them better as I felt that would of made their relationship stronger. Like-wise, I wish there'd been more scenes with Ruzalia. I also wanted Retra to question her bond with Lenoir more but I have a feeling the sequel will explore this too.
Random asides:
I found the name changing was odd because a distance between Retra's old and new self was created. There is also a subtle shift to a slightly more formal way of speaking in the second half of the book which marks the dialogue as a little different.
A really unique book and I agree with the Tim Burton-esque comparisons of the world of Ixion - I'd love to see it animated.
Some readers might find Retra's sealed upbringing made her an odd and hesitant heroine in the beginning but I liked how her experiences of living in Grave realistically shaped her actions and thoughts. I also liked how she was beginning to question and come to terms with finding her own indepedence in Ixion. Her friends were also fun and fleshed-out characters.
The night creatures were built so well that they creeped me out. I can't wait to find out more about them and their connection to the Ripers. I also wanted more scenes between Markes and Retra to get to know the dynamic between them better as I felt that would of made their relationship stronger. Like-wise, I wish there'd been more scenes with Ruzalia. I also wanted Retra to question her bond with Lenoir more but I have a feeling the sequel will explore this too.
Random asides:
I found the name changing was odd because a distance between Retra's old and new self was created. There is also a subtle shift to a slightly more formal way of speaking in the second half of the book which marks the dialogue as a little different.
A really unique book and I agree with the Tim Burton-esque comparisons of the world of Ixion - I'd love to see it animated.
celiaedf12's review
3.0
Retra follows in the footsteps of her brother Joel, and runs away from her repressive town to Ixion, an island which revolves around the pursuit of pleasure. Ixion is kind of a goth nightclub fantasy - it's always night, you don't need to sleep all that often, there's free drugs of all varieties to take before you go and dance in one of the multiple clubs, and when you do need to rest (your 'petit nuit'), you do so in a church. That has a locker that refills itself with gorgeous clothes for you to wear. It's very much a goth teenager's wish fulfilment. I think that in future books (is this a duology? a trilogy? I'm not sure) there will be some reasonable explanation as to why all this effort is gone into to creating an island for drugged out teenagers to have a good time. I hope so, anyway.
Anyway, Retra heads off to the isle of eternal pleasure, finds it all terribly shocking (because she has been raised in a particularly restrictive society, unlike many of the other teenagers flocking to Ixion), and struggles to adjust while searching for her brother.
While this starts off as an apparent fantasy, it becomes clear that the reason for the perpetual night on Ixion is a planatery phenomenon, and I expect that many of the other fantastical elements in the story may be revealed to be science fictional. Which would make the story more interesting, I think. There's just too little revealed in Burn Bright to make it successful, I think - while I'm happy to have unanswered questions to be revealed in the next book, the unanswered question for me in Burn Bright was, "Well, what is the point of all this?" And that's too broad a question for the book to be satisfying.
Anyway, Retra heads off to the isle of eternal pleasure, finds it all terribly shocking (because she has been raised in a particularly restrictive society, unlike many of the other teenagers flocking to Ixion), and struggles to adjust while searching for her brother.
While this starts off as an apparent fantasy, it becomes clear that the reason for the perpetual night on Ixion is a planatery phenomenon, and I expect that many of the other fantastical elements in the story may be revealed to be science fictional. Which would make the story more interesting, I think. There's just too little revealed in Burn Bright to make it successful, I think - while I'm happy to have unanswered questions to be revealed in the next book, the unanswered question for me in Burn Bright was, "Well, what is the point of all this?" And that's too broad a question for the book to be satisfying.
astoryuntold's review
3.0
You gotta fight!
For your right!
To paaaaaaaaaaarty!
That is pretty much the concept of Burn Bright. The one I got from it, at least.
World in Burn Bright is not our own, so this is not a post apocalyptic-I was mowing my lawn when suddenly a terrible plague killed 2,75 gazillion people-world. It's completely fictional and contains a lot of "areas" one could have grown up in. The protagonist, Retra, is a Seal which basically means someone who is devoid of every pleasure in life, is very shy and doesn't have the right to express an opinion. On the other hand there is Ixion, where the sun never rises. A place where you don't have to sleep(only briefly)and you can party and indulge in pretty much anything you can think of all day. Retra, after enduring unbearable physiological and physical pain at home, risks her life to go to Ixion and reunite with her brother Joel who had run off to Ixion a while back.
So. Ixion- the party planet. At first I thought it was something new and original but then meh I don't know. I mean, an island you can party and have sex non stop? Granted, it sounds intriguing and I'm certainly not a prude, but how is this a solution to Retra's or Joel's problems, created by a dysfunctional environment? For not being allowed to look in a mirror because it was considered a sin to choking down "happy pills" everyday, it's kind of a long way. And I liked Retra in the first half because she refused to change. She felt free from her father's tyranny sure, but she didn't become a ho bag in a matter of hours.
Until of course, god-like Lenoir touched her thigh and she had an orgasm.
...
Then everything changed inside her and she decided to go with the flow and become like the other Ixion-ites, but slightly better since she was Lenoir's favorite.
I don't know what to tell you, I didn't connect with the story or the characters at all. Yes, the book had a nice gothic feel to it. While reading I kept imagining Ixion like a medieval Ibiza. With a bunch of churches and monsters lurking in the dark. Now, that's a pretty picture! But when it's all said and done, I am not sure the imagery alone is enough to make me like Burn Bright. I didn't get the romance between Retra and Lenoir, either. Story of Ruzalia was interesting, though.
When people at Ixion stopped being young(it doesn't say how young or how old that is), rumor has it that they are withdrawn from Ixion. What does that entail exactly? Nobody knows. Ruzalia claims that the Ripers(Guardians of the Ixion youth) get rid of them once and for all. The Ripers claim otherwise. So Ruzalia and her followers live in a huge pirate - like boat, fight the Ripers and have built a whole new world where people who are withdrawn can go. Second book is supposeed to be Ruzalia-centered so I may give the series another chance.
Burn Bright was an OK book I guess. Nothing special for me and I struggled a little bit to finish it. It's worth a try for dystopian enthusiasts.
For your right!
To paaaaaaaaaaarty!
That is pretty much the concept of Burn Bright. The one I got from it, at least.
World in Burn Bright is not our own, so this is not a post apocalyptic-I was mowing my lawn when suddenly a terrible plague killed 2,75 gazillion people-world. It's completely fictional and contains a lot of "areas" one could have grown up in. The protagonist, Retra, is a Seal which basically means someone who is devoid of every pleasure in life, is very shy and doesn't have the right to express an opinion. On the other hand there is Ixion, where the sun never rises. A place where you don't have to sleep(only briefly)and you can party and indulge in pretty much anything you can think of all day. Retra, after enduring unbearable physiological and physical pain at home, risks her life to go to Ixion and reunite with her brother Joel who had run off to Ixion a while back.
So. Ixion- the party planet. At first I thought it was something new and original but then meh I don't know. I mean, an island you can party and have sex non stop? Granted, it sounds intriguing and I'm certainly not a prude, but how is this a solution to Retra's or Joel's problems, created by a dysfunctional environment? For not being allowed to look in a mirror because it was considered a sin to choking down "happy pills" everyday, it's kind of a long way. And I liked Retra in the first half because she refused to change. She felt free from her father's tyranny sure, but she didn't become a ho bag in a matter of hours.
Until of course, god-like Lenoir touched her thigh and she had an orgasm.
...
Then everything changed inside her and she decided to go with the flow and become like the other Ixion-ites, but slightly better since she was Lenoir's favorite.
I don't know what to tell you, I didn't connect with the story or the characters at all. Yes, the book had a nice gothic feel to it. While reading I kept imagining Ixion like a medieval Ibiza. With a bunch of churches and monsters lurking in the dark. Now, that's a pretty picture! But when it's all said and done, I am not sure the imagery alone is enough to make me like Burn Bright. I didn't get the romance between Retra and Lenoir, either. Story of Ruzalia was interesting, though.
When people at Ixion stopped being young(it doesn't say how young or how old that is), rumor has it that they are withdrawn from Ixion. What does that entail exactly? Nobody knows. Ruzalia claims that the Ripers(Guardians of the Ixion youth) get rid of them once and for all. The Ripers claim otherwise. So Ruzalia and her followers live in a huge pirate - like boat, fight the Ripers and have built a whole new world where people who are withdrawn can go. Second book is supposeed to be Ruzalia-centered so I may give the series another chance.
Burn Bright was an OK book I guess. Nothing special for me and I struggled a little bit to finish it. It's worth a try for dystopian enthusiasts.
More...