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beesandbooks 's review for:
The Bright Side of Going Dark
by Kelly Harms
The Good:
Kelly Harms is a talented writer, and her stories are beautiful. So absorbing, with such real characters and emotions. I genuinely can’t get enough of her right now. This book is much younger in topic, audience, and characters than the previous book I read by Harms and it’s amazing how seamlessly she slipped into the younger mindset. The mistakes that Mia and Paige make, the way they talk and think, the things they take for granted about life are all spot on for their ages. And Harms clearly does real research. In The Overdue Life of Amy Byler Harms was very knowledgeable about library sciences and theory, and here she is able to write authoritatively on influencers and social media trends. It’s clear that Harms spends a lot of time being thorough and thoughtful on her subject matter and I admire that so much.
I love the characters in this story, how different each one is, and how well they interact with each other. Every person is so human, as well; no caricatures. Mental health is at the forefront of the story, and I thought there were some important messages being brought out: don’t ignore family history, be open about mental health struggles when you need help, be empathetic to others and be kind to yourself!
The Meh:
Once again, Harms writes a stunning build up and then strangely dramatic climax. This book, at least, the main drama of the conflict didn’t come out of nowhere. But it was still a lot of information, action, and dialogue packed into a couple of quick chapters, followed by more time on the wrap up. Maybe the conflicts need to be longer, or less dramatic?
Final Thoughts:
This book was so entertaining, honest, and beautifully written from start to finish. I love the difference in Mia’s perspective–where everything is out on the page–and Paige’s perspective–where she continues to hide as she always has. I thought it was nice to balance the way different characters viewed Mia with Mia’s actual thoughts and feelings, showing that nobody really had a firm grasp on what was going on behind the scenes. Though I preferred Mia as a character to Paige, it was easy to see that a lot of Paige’s mistakes came from a place of trauma and unhappiness that needed the unraveling they got. And I also appreciated that there were some people undeserving of forgiveness in the story, whose redemption was not wrapped up in a neat little bow, but withheld.
To read a more in depth review, click here to view it on my book blog!
Kelly Harms is a talented writer, and her stories are beautiful. So absorbing, with such real characters and emotions. I genuinely can’t get enough of her right now. This book is much younger in topic, audience, and characters than the previous book I read by Harms and it’s amazing how seamlessly she slipped into the younger mindset. The mistakes that Mia and Paige make, the way they talk and think, the things they take for granted about life are all spot on for their ages. And Harms clearly does real research. In The Overdue Life of Amy Byler Harms was very knowledgeable about library sciences and theory, and here she is able to write authoritatively on influencers and social media trends. It’s clear that Harms spends a lot of time being thorough and thoughtful on her subject matter and I admire that so much.
I love the characters in this story, how different each one is, and how well they interact with each other. Every person is so human, as well; no caricatures. Mental health is at the forefront of the story, and I thought there were some important messages being brought out: don’t ignore family history, be open about mental health struggles when you need help, be empathetic to others and be kind to yourself!
The Meh:
Once again, Harms writes a stunning build up and then strangely dramatic climax. This book, at least, the main drama of the conflict didn’t come out of nowhere. But it was still a lot of information, action, and dialogue packed into a couple of quick chapters, followed by more time on the wrap up. Maybe the conflicts need to be longer, or less dramatic?
Final Thoughts:
This book was so entertaining, honest, and beautifully written from start to finish. I love the difference in Mia’s perspective–where everything is out on the page–and Paige’s perspective–where she continues to hide as she always has. I thought it was nice to balance the way different characters viewed Mia with Mia’s actual thoughts and feelings, showing that nobody really had a firm grasp on what was going on behind the scenes. Though I preferred Mia as a character to Paige, it was easy to see that a lot of Paige’s mistakes came from a place of trauma and unhappiness that needed the unraveling they got. And I also appreciated that there were some people undeserving of forgiveness in the story, whose redemption was not wrapped up in a neat little bow, but withheld.
To read a more in depth review, click here to view it on my book blog!