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A review by bhrtng
Nothing Burns as Bright as You by Ashley Woodfolk
5.0
This is a stunning novel in verse about a tumultuous relationship between two girls. It alternates between the 24 hours after they set fire to a dumpster at their school and different vignettes of their relationship prior to that pivotal moment. I've read a lot of YA and I feel like it's so rare and wonderful to find a book that truly captures the intensity of your teenage years- this is one of them. Definitely a top read of the year for me so far! Everything the two girls feel is overwhelming, larger than life, and they feel like they're on fire in more ways than one. Their relationship is messy and toxic and all-consuming in the way that fires and first loves are and Woodfolk does an amazing job of balancing the beauty of poetry with directness that pushes the plot forward. I felt so connected to the main characters even though we never learn their names. Overall, this is an amazing exploration of queerness, Blackness, and youth. Highly recommend to everyone, but especially to queers who had that messy "we're more than best friends" relationship in high school lmao.