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A review by stormwhisper
Bright Ruined Things by Samantha Cohoe
4.0
I received an advance copy of Bright Ruined Things from St Martin's Press via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Bright Ruined Things follows Mae, a girl who has lived her whole life on a magical island but never truly belonged. Tolerated but not embraced by the powerful family that controls the magic around her, Mae longs for respect, for belonging, and most of all, for magic of her own.
I loved the atmosphere of this novel. The author wove a rich tapestry featuring no end of mysterious characters and endless twists and turns, set against the backdrop of the roaring 20s.
My favourite part of this book was Mae's journey from a meek, passive girl who thought little of her own worth to ultimately finding her agency and refusing to allow herself to be mistreated any longer. Reading how she was mistreated time and time again by the Prospers in much of the book was painful, but more painful than that was how Mae thought she deserved nothing more, and groveled for any scrap of attention they deigned to give her. Watching Mae evolve throughout the story until she was finally able to stand up for herself was deeply satisfying.
Overall, Bright Ruined Things was a satisfying read, although it might have benefitted from faster pacing.
Bright Ruined Things follows Mae, a girl who has lived her whole life on a magical island but never truly belonged. Tolerated but not embraced by the powerful family that controls the magic around her, Mae longs for respect, for belonging, and most of all, for magic of her own.
I loved the atmosphere of this novel. The author wove a rich tapestry featuring no end of mysterious characters and endless twists and turns, set against the backdrop of the roaring 20s.
My favourite part of this book was Mae's journey from a meek, passive girl who thought little of her own worth to ultimately finding her agency and refusing to allow herself to be mistreated any longer. Reading how she was mistreated time and time again by the Prospers in much of the book was painful, but more painful than that was how Mae thought she deserved nothing more, and groveled for any scrap of attention they deigned to give her. Watching Mae evolve throughout the story until she was finally able to stand up for herself was deeply satisfying.
Overall, Bright Ruined Things was a satisfying read, although it might have benefitted from faster pacing.