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A review by girlonbooks
Bright Ruined Things by Samantha Cohoe
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I was given a free Advanced Reader Copy of Bright Ruined Things by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
🎆🎆🎆🎆 Four Stars (as rated in the fireworks at midnight)
On an island where the magical family Prosper rules supreme, “mousy” Mae is regarded as an outcast and even a nuisance. Known for her meek and eagerly obliging nature, all Mae has ever truly wanted is to be accepted by the family she depends on and to learn the magical skills for which they’re known the world over. On the eve of the summer solstice, Mae stumbles on something that could very well be her ticket into the world that’s always shut her out. With her days on the island numbered and her options limited, Mae is determined to finally take what she’s always wanted. But this magic comes with a price that Mae isn’t exactly in a position to pay. At least, not without a little help…
🎆🎆🎆🎆 Four Stars (as rated in the fireworks at midnight)
On an island where the magical family Prosper rules supreme, “mousy” Mae is regarded as an outcast and even a nuisance. Known for her meek and eagerly obliging nature, all Mae has ever truly wanted is to be accepted by the family she depends on and to learn the magical skills for which they’re known the world over. On the eve of the summer solstice, Mae stumbles on something that could very well be her ticket into the world that’s always shut her out. With her days on the island numbered and her options limited, Mae is determined to finally take what she’s always wanted. But this magic comes with a price that Mae isn’t exactly in a position to pay. At least, not without a little help…
“I had finally realized how little I could wring from the Prospers by trying to please them. If I wanted more, I would have to take it.”
Real Talk: Shakespeare’s The Tempest is just not that great of a story. The thing drags, the characters are tiresome and forgettable and I always leave it wondering what the actual point of it was. Understandably, I went into Bright Ruined Things (being a retelling of the former) with very low expectations. Its predecessor just doesn’t have that much for one to work with. So you can imagine my utter delight at what this turned out to be. Cohoe has taken one of Shakespeare’s most lackluster comedies and exponentially improved it by –*gasp*– turning the thing into a tragedy! What island magic is this!? BRT is the ultimate glow up for what is an otherwise pretty uninteresting story. So here I say, “Samantha Cohoe, if you’re reading this, what are the chances of us being gifted another Shakespeare retelling by you one day? And would you consider doing The Comedy of Errors next?”
✨ Read this book because: you’re into books set in the 1920’s, flawed characters, complicated friendships and love stories that aren’t at all what they seem – or even what you wanted them to be.
✨ Content warnings for this book: bullying, neglect, threats of sexual violence, adultery, abuse, imprisonment, kidnapping, trauma, fire, death, enslavement, gaslighting, toxic relationships
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Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Colonisation, Confinement, Death of parent, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Gore, Grief, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Mental illness, Murder, Slavery, and Toxic friendship