Many thanks to Partners @bibliolifestyle @harperviabooks for a finished copy of Bright Burning Things by @hardlinglisa for review!
I knew almost nothing about this book going in, and at first I wasn’t sure if it was going to be the right book for me: a lot of internal monologue is usually a turnoff. But, I am also a sucker for excellent character and Sonya really drew me in as her fraught story unfolded. Calamitous and captivating, the writing is intimate in it’s tense and ominous tone.
“I can sense my joy as an external thing – a pink balloon with “LOVELY” scrawled on it – floating loose from my grip. I have to stop myself climbing on the table to draw it back down.”
I could not stop turning the pages to see how things would turn out for her and her little boy. If you have a hard time with young children in difficult circumstances, just make sure you come to this book at the right time. I felt stressed and worried from start to finish, and major trigger warnings for addiction and alcoholism. Though it is an honest and brutal look at addiction, it is an absolutely worthwhile and wonderfully written read.