Reviews with content warning for Racism - Nothing Burns as Bright as You

So much angstier than my usual reads; focuses on a quite toxic and realistic relationship that is just full of heartbreak and unhappiness and not like the usual romcoms I tend to go for. This book is also written in a lettered poetry verse format addressed from one of the main characters to the other, never once saying either of their names, a fascinating stylistic choice by the author I quite like. I felt like I was very much in the head and situation of the main character writing in first person (and second person too I guess), every line written in verse so beautiful and so much more personal when it’s written by the characters themselves. There are also time skips in this book, jumping from the present to the past that all comes together at the end to explain “the fire” event titling one timeline’s chapters. The fact that the author was able to tell a story that could be recounted through solely verse, plus skipping through events in time, was incredible and so fascinating how similar it was to a story told in first person but so different at the same time because of this lettered structure that is the main character addressing her love interest, and makes what is being written so much more personal and raw than it would’ve been if it had of been written in any other way.

And the story. So incredibly heartbreaking and something that is so real and relatable to a large majority of relationships that don’t always go perfectly and showing the bumps along the way and heartbreaks and acceptance that when you aren’t getting something you want and deserve, to understand you deserve better and to move on in order to be okay with yourself independently from a relationship and knowing your worth. Such a beautiful piece and so different to anything I’ve ever read before.

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betweentheshelves's review against another edition

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emotional reflective fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

An emotional novel in verse about first love, friendship, and the possibility of losing that love. There are some absolutely gorgeous lines in this book. Woodfolk definitely gets to the core of the emotions of the main characters, and they are emotions that some teens will relate to. Love can feel so devastating at that age, and Woodfolk absolutley captures that.

At times, the jumping between timelines does get a little confusing, especially since none of the characters are named. Despite this, you still get fully developed characters, and even some of the side characters. Once you start it, it will be difficult to put down.

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amivireads's review against another edition

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emotional sad tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes

4.0

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foreverinastory's review against another edition

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dark emotional medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Thank you to the publisher for an eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Rep: Black bisexual female MC, Black sapphic female love interest, Black male side character.

CWs: Alcohol consumption, drug use (marijuana), fire, toxic relationship. Moderate: racism, sexual content.

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