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A review by nickgalentine
When We Were Bright and Beautiful by Jillian Medoff
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I started off loathing everything about When We Were Bright and Beautiful. Ultimately, it ended up teaching me a valuable lesson about books – beyond not judging them by their covers, we should also abstain from judging them before their endings. That's not to say I haven't had my fair share of DNFs, but that's also why I don't rate my DNFs, either. I can't accurately gauge the story in its entirety if I didn't read every last word.
All of that to say, Nate, Cass, Billy – the whole lot of the Quinns – disgusted me from the jump. I, the hyper-vigilant feminist and victim advocate, about threw in the towel on page seven when Nate mentions the current environment being "#believewomen" and talks about how unfairly rich white athletic men are persecuted for rape. Egad.
But, in true masochistic fashion, I ground my teeth and carried on. Suddenly, as the pages unfolded, I found what I usually find so lacking in legal thrillers – character development. Deep family drama. Twists and turns that weren't written for gasps but to tell an extremely important story about saving someone from themselves, the impossibility of family, and the limits of love.
It absolutely wasn't an easy read. But if you see a "review" discounting the book without having finished it, and you're contemplating doing the same, reconsider. Give it its due and finish the story; it's worth it. This is a heavy and emotionally exhausting novel, so please check triggers before picking up your copy. To the right person, this book could mean so much, and I recommend When We Were Bright and Beautiful to the certain audiences.
All of that to say, Nate, Cass, Billy – the whole lot of the Quinns – disgusted me from the jump. I, the hyper-vigilant feminist and victim advocate, about threw in the towel on page seven when Nate mentions the current environment being "#believewomen" and talks about how unfairly rich white athletic men are persecuted for rape. Egad.
But, in true masochistic fashion, I ground my teeth and carried on. Suddenly, as the pages unfolded, I found what I usually find so lacking in legal thrillers – character development. Deep family drama. Twists and turns that weren't written for gasps but to tell an extremely important story about saving someone from themselves, the impossibility of family, and the limits of love.
It absolutely wasn't an easy read. But if you see a "review" discounting the book without having finished it, and you're contemplating doing the same, reconsider. Give it its due and finish the story; it's worth it. This is a heavy and emotionally exhausting novel, so please check triggers before picking up your copy. To the right person, this book could mean so much, and I recommend When We Were Bright and Beautiful to the certain audiences.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence