You need to sign in or sign up before continuing.

A review by timelord10
Brightly Shining by Ingvild H. Rishøi

challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

Despite the beautiful cover and title, this novella is actually very sad. You follow two sisters who make their own way to survive since their father is an alcoholic who can't hold a job. It's written from the perspective of Ronja, the ten year old, who is always hoping their dad will stop drinking and things will be like they have been before. And her sister, Melissa, has kind of given up on hoping their dad will get better. Despite her lack of hope, she does what she can to take care of Ronja. The ending is very confusing and open ended. Ronja gets sick, and at that point, I couldn't tell if she was really delirious and dreaming or if it was actually happening. And then in the end, they both end up at their cabin in the woods that they talk about throughout the book, and I couldn't tell if they had died or if Ronja was in a delirious state still or if it was real. 

What I liked about the story was Ronja's character and especially the parts with her and Aronsen. I love how he saw Ronja and helped to take care of her. The scene when he comes to watch her sing at the Lucia Day concert thing her school had so that she wouldn't feel left out was really heartfelt. What I didn't like about the story was the open endedness of it all. I'm definitely a person who likes when a story's ending isn't up for interpretation. Although, I appreciate what the author was trying to do. I'd recommend this book if you like sadder stories, stories about sisters, and stories about hope even in dark times.
 
Expand filter menu Content Warnings