booksnbrains 's review for:

The Bright Lands by John Fram

4.0

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Plot

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Complicated

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

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 I grew up in Texas, and I can tell you that the priorities run as follows: football, God, and guns (in that order). And, despite some progress over the years, hatred, discrimination, and fear of the unknown remains, particularly in the more rural areas of the state. In this somewhat allegorical novel, Fram explores this reality. It's not perfect - the ending goes on a bit too long, in my opinion, - but it's well-executed and very suspenseful (I'll need extra coffee this morning after staying up WAY too late to finish). It's also a reminder that hatred ruins multiple lives. There's a lot to unpack here, and I have a feeling I'll be thinking about it for a while.