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librarydanielle's review against another edition
3.0
This book started out really strong but ultimately fell flat. It seems to lose cohesiveness and just gets confusing after the first third or so. The narration was really well done, but the lack of organization made the book a bit less enjoyable.
friendlydisaster101's review against another edition
2.0
Thank you to Netgalley and Knopf Books for Young Readers for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
This book was confusing, to say the least.
'Bright Shining World' follows Wallace Cole after he moves to a small town in New York because of his dad's job, where kids at the local high school are experiencing cases of hysteria - anything from going crazy in the lunchroom to talking to trees. Wallace knows that his dad and his job are somehow inexplicably tied to it all, but it's up to him to figure out what exactly is going on.
The biggest reason that I, personally, couldn't enjoy this book was because of how disjointed everything felt. Despite the fact that I actually really like the concept of this book (abnormal happenings in an otherwise normal world), transitions between descriptions of reality and dreamlike visions were nonexistent, and it only served to make me feel even more confused than I already was. It was hard to picture the events that were taking place, as a result.
The plot attempted to merge parts of a dystopian-like world with the everyday life of a high school kid, and let me tell you, it did not work. Plot twists were sudden and random - no buildup, just a reveal that tried to explain paranormal happenings logically and scientifically. There were also quite a few time skips, so the pacing of the book was affected, making things even more confusing.
All of that isn't to forget the healthy dose of social commentary that was sprinkled in at random times, mostly concerning how the current generation and ones to come are absolutely screwed, and the risks of untested scientific innovations. (This, of course, was told by authority figures in the book. One of the best things about this novel was probably how accurate the author managed to capture the 'voice' of a teenager.)
The ending was about as open and abrupt as you'd expect from this book. That being said, most of my questions about what was happening had been answered by this point, so I wasn't too upset about it.
Overall, the best thing I can compare this book to is a fever dream. While I did really like the concept that this book is centered around (as well as the one that is revealed close to the end of the story), the execution could have been significantly better and more enjoyable. If shiny covers paired with a confusing plot in a dystopian-like novel is exactly your sort of thing, I would definitely recommend this book.
This book was confusing, to say the least.
'Bright Shining World' follows Wallace Cole after he moves to a small town in New York because of his dad's job, where kids at the local high school are experiencing cases of hysteria - anything from going crazy in the lunchroom to talking to trees. Wallace knows that his dad and his job are somehow inexplicably tied to it all, but it's up to him to figure out what exactly is going on.
The biggest reason that I, personally, couldn't enjoy this book was because of how disjointed everything felt. Despite the fact that I actually really like the concept of this book (abnormal happenings in an otherwise normal world), transitions between descriptions of reality and dreamlike visions were nonexistent, and it only served to make me feel even more confused than I already was. It was hard to picture the events that were taking place, as a result.
The plot attempted to merge parts of a dystopian-like world with the everyday life of a high school kid, and let me tell you, it did not work. Plot twists were sudden and random - no buildup, just a reveal that tried to explain paranormal happenings logically and scientifically. There were also quite a few time skips, so the pacing of the book was affected, making things even more confusing.
All of that isn't to forget the healthy dose of social commentary that was sprinkled in at random times, mostly concerning how the current generation and ones to come are absolutely screwed, and the risks of untested scientific innovations. (This, of course, was told by authority figures in the book. One of the best things about this novel was probably how accurate the author managed to capture the 'voice' of a teenager.)
The ending was about as open and abrupt as you'd expect from this book. That being said, most of my questions about what was happening had been answered by this point, so I wasn't too upset about it.
Overall, the best thing I can compare this book to is a fever dream. While I did really like the concept that this book is centered around (as well as the one that is revealed close to the end of the story), the execution could have been significantly better and more enjoyable. If shiny covers paired with a confusing plot in a dystopian-like novel is exactly your sort of thing, I would definitely recommend this book.
suspensethrill's review
3.0
[b:Bright Shining World|42119206|Bright Shining World|Josh Swiller|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1585582462l/42119206._SY75_.jpg|65711714] is a little bit Stranger Things mixed with some snarky humor and delightful bonding of a small town in crisis. The first half of this book starts out strong: we have Wallace's hilarious inner thoughts, while also a creeping sense of dread regarding the mystery overwhelming his new place of residence. If I were to rate the book solely on the first half, it would have been an almost 5 star read for me, but about halfway through the story takes a turn that felt disjointed and unbelievable (which feels difficult to type since this is not a realistic fiction novel). I think my issue lies more in the fact that I was completely confused and trying to catch up once the story changed. The talent is here, and I definitely would read another book from this author. Perhaps the YA crowd will roll with the sudden change of direction more easily than I was able to?
*Many thanks to the publisher for providing my review copy.
*Many thanks to the publisher for providing my review copy.
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