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halleycos's review against another edition
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
chococheesecake's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
I thought it would go the route of two boys who are family, fighting for the girl trope. I was pleasantly surprised by the ending. It subverted my expectations. The writing style is ok.I loved that the book addressed the main character's people pleasing flaw. I hated the whole Prosper family, not a single one of them was redeemable to me except for maybe Ivo. I'm glad Mae left and learnd to be indepenent as that was what I wanted from her from the very beginning of the book. Alasdair should be kicked back into the ocean.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Sexism, Slavery, Torture, Grief, Abandonment, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, and Classism
Moderate: Child abuse, Death, Physical abuse, Self harm, Toxic relationship, Murder, Gaslighting, and Toxic friendship
Minor: Cursing, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, and Deportation
lrose02's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I read this book fast. I didn’t know anything about the Tempest before reading this book so it was a surprise. You do pity Mae, especially when you find out alongside her than two of her only friends pity her. Especially the one she’s in love with. I don’t like the way Miles uses her and her romance with Ivo is lacklustre. Mae’s realisation around him isn’t a good shock or anything thrilling. The side characters aren’t two dimensional but their flaws are so strong they seem cartoonish. The Grandfather isn’t seen much but is talked about more than you see him. The twist isn’t predictable but it doesn’t feel like the best twist. The ending is surprisingly happy but in a way you don’t wish it for all characters. In my opinion, it didn’t need to end with that ambiguous thing. It didn’t add anything and just tried to tie up Mae being in love with Ivo
worldsunlikeourown's review against another edition
4.0
Thank you to the publisher, Wednesday Books, and NetGalley for providing me with an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
3.5 stars
Mae has lived on the Prosper family’s island all her life and has never seen the world beyond it. But with her 18th birthday approaching, her future is uncertain and all she wants is to stay, and above all, have some magic of her own, magic which has been closely guarded and controlled by the Prospers for generations, making them extremely wealthy. Most of the family lives away from the island, returning only for First Night, when they host an extravagant party, and Mae looks forward to seeing her best friend Coco and her longtime crush Miles each year. This year is different however, when the spirits, who are key to the island’s magic, start dying mysteriously. Mae sets out to unravel the mystery with her friends, but the island holds more secrets than any of them suspect, and this First Night will bring to light the dark truth about the Prosper’s magic.
I really enjoyed this author’s previous book, A Golden Fury, last year, so I was really curious to check out this book. This is technically supposed to be a retelling of Shakespeare’s The Tempest, but you don’t need to have read it to understand this story. The setting of the island, the spirits, the magic and the overall eerie feel it lent the narrative was my favourite part about this book. The magic system was an interesting one, if a little vague at times. The plot was intriguing and did not lack for twists, making this an engaging read, and with each reveal, I was more and more curious to see how it would all tie together.
This is probably the first time I’m ever saying this about a book, but it was the characters that ruined this book for me. They started out okay and Mae turning out to be an unreliable narrator was a good twist, but as the story went on and everyone’s motivations started to make sense, they all turned out to be either very unlikeable or extremely frustrating. None of them were as fleshed out as they could have been and it was really hard for me to connect to any of the characters, and the romance too, felt rather forced. Despite this, Mae’s growth from the sheltered girl terrified at the prospect of having to leave the only home she has ever known to being more independent and motivated as the story progresses was a great arc and a well written one.
I think much of this can be attributed to two things: a very short timeline and uneven pacing. This entire book takes place over the course of a day, which in an of itself is not bad – I’ve seen some amazing stories set over a short timespan – but for a story like this, it would have been great if it had taken place over more time, setting the scene better and building up the characters. The story felt too slow in the beginning and then too fast, with what I felt was a rather chaotic ending. This erratic pacing meant that I didn’t really get caught up in the story and felt like I was just watching from the outside, waiting for things to finally start moving.
I liked the concept behind this book and it definitely had potential, but the execution could have been handled better. I’m not entirely sure what to think of the ending, but it did have the shock factor. The epilogue was a nice touch as it showed how far Mae has come and how much she has learned. Overall, it turned out to be a decent reading experience, and I’m looking forward to seeing what this author writes next.
3.5 stars
Mae has lived on the Prosper family’s island all her life and has never seen the world beyond it. But with her 18th birthday approaching, her future is uncertain and all she wants is to stay, and above all, have some magic of her own, magic which has been closely guarded and controlled by the Prospers for generations, making them extremely wealthy. Most of the family lives away from the island, returning only for First Night, when they host an extravagant party, and Mae looks forward to seeing her best friend Coco and her longtime crush Miles each year. This year is different however, when the spirits, who are key to the island’s magic, start dying mysteriously. Mae sets out to unravel the mystery with her friends, but the island holds more secrets than any of them suspect, and this First Night will bring to light the dark truth about the Prosper’s magic.
I really enjoyed this author’s previous book, A Golden Fury, last year, so I was really curious to check out this book. This is technically supposed to be a retelling of Shakespeare’s The Tempest, but you don’t need to have read it to understand this story. The setting of the island, the spirits, the magic and the overall eerie feel it lent the narrative was my favourite part about this book. The magic system was an interesting one, if a little vague at times. The plot was intriguing and did not lack for twists, making this an engaging read, and with each reveal, I was more and more curious to see how it would all tie together.
This is probably the first time I’m ever saying this about a book, but it was the characters that ruined this book for me. They started out okay and Mae turning out to be an unreliable narrator was a good twist, but as the story went on and everyone’s motivations started to make sense, they all turned out to be either very unlikeable or extremely frustrating. None of them were as fleshed out as they could have been and it was really hard for me to connect to any of the characters, and the romance too, felt rather forced. Despite this, Mae’s growth from the sheltered girl terrified at the prospect of having to leave the only home she has ever known to being more independent and motivated as the story progresses was a great arc and a well written one.
I think much of this can be attributed to two things: a very short timeline and uneven pacing. This entire book takes place over the course of a day, which in an of itself is not bad – I’ve seen some amazing stories set over a short timespan – but for a story like this, it would have been great if it had taken place over more time, setting the scene better and building up the characters. The story felt too slow in the beginning and then too fast, with what I felt was a rather chaotic ending. This erratic pacing meant that I didn’t really get caught up in the story and felt like I was just watching from the outside, waiting for things to finally start moving.
I liked the concept behind this book and it definitely had potential, but the execution could have been handled better. I’m not entirely sure what to think of the ending, but it did have the shock factor. The epilogue was a nice touch as it showed how far Mae has come and how much she has learned. Overall, it turned out to be a decent reading experience, and I’m looking forward to seeing what this author writes next.
blurringpages's review against another edition
2.0
I like the idea of the story, but it wasn't really executed. I was never invested into any of the characters and Mae was an extremely annoying protagonist.
fernthepanda's review against another edition
3.0
I received an eARC courtesy of Wednesday Books via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.
I was beyond excited to get an advanced copy of this book. A retelling of The Tempest?! Yes please!
Overall, I was not terribly disappointed, but something in this just doesn't feel like a YA title. I don't know if it is the pacing, the story, the fact that the characters do not seem like teens at all.... I just think it is probably better classified as New Adult-maybe going into it with that in mind would have changed my expectations. This was not bad by any means, it was just not quite what I was hoping it would be.
For Libraries: If you have fans of retellings, this could be a good fit, but it might circ more in an adult collection rather than a teen one.
I was beyond excited to get an advanced copy of this book. A retelling of The Tempest?! Yes please!
Overall, I was not terribly disappointed, but something in this just doesn't feel like a YA title. I don't know if it is the pacing, the story, the fact that the characters do not seem like teens at all.... I just think it is probably better classified as New Adult-maybe going into it with that in mind would have changed my expectations. This was not bad by any means, it was just not quite what I was hoping it would be.
For Libraries: If you have fans of retellings, this could be a good fit, but it might circ more in an adult collection rather than a teen one.
booksarebetter's review against another edition
3.0
This was fine, but not quite my speed. 2.5 stars rounded up.
peony792's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
The relationships were not very complex or strong
cynsworkshop's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
A twist on Shakespeare’s The Tempest, Bright Ruined Things takes one night and turns into a fight for survival against magic and schemes.
I didn’t know what to expect when I started Bright Ruined Things, but I was impressed by the end.
Storytelling
Sometimes, when people hear, “Oh, it’s a spin/retelling of Shakespeare,” they want nothing to do with the book. I’ve learned that saying that isn’t exactly a huge selling point. That’s partly because we imagine Shakespeare as stuffy literature and associate it with schoolwork.
So, it’s understandable.
It’s funny; for me, it’s the opposite. The Tempest was the first work of Shakespeare I read back in 7th grade. My mom bought me one of those books, classics for kids, and this was the story I gravitated towards.
It has been a while since I read Shakespearean The Tempest, so I read the sparks notes (more like skimmed) for a quick refresher.
I’m going to be honest, I think that’s what everyone should do. It made me love Bright Ruined Things even more because Cohoe did a fantastic job of taking the elements of The Tempest and spinning out her unique story.
We follow Mae, who wants nothing more than to be magic, to be able to hold the magic of the island that has been her home, and to carve out a place with the Prosper family.
But she soon discovers nothing is as it seems. Taking place in a single day, Mae discovers so much more than she bargained for, especially with spirits suddenly dying.
The story keeps the reader guessing, but we get to see Mae grow more than that. She goes from a meek “mouse,” as they call her, always eager to please, to a woman who stands up, fights, and puts people in their places.
I loved that about her, how her story unfolded, how she grew into herself and literally flipped the islands on its head. I love how she puts people in their places and finally stands up for herself! It was refreshing, and it made me grin just reading it.
Final Thoughts
Bright Ruined Things starts off slow, making Mae a bit of a stiff character. However, the plot develops in a way that keeps the reader on their toes and keeps them guessing while allowing for some fantastic character growth.
libraryofdreaming's review against another edition
3.0
Thanks to the magic and generosity of Netgalley and Wednesday Books in gifting me an ARC I’m able to time travel and give you a sneak peek of an upcoming release hitting shelves In February of 2022. Bright Ruined Things is an inventive YA fantasy that takes inspiration from Shakespeare’s Tempest to craft a magical world where the Prosper family controls aether, a magical fuel source, in 1920s England.
Our heroine, Mae, was raised under the charity of the Prospers on their island, populated by spirits under control of Lord Prosper, the family patriarch. Mae is desperate to harness magic and prove herself to the elegantly cruel yet alluring Prosper family, but when spirits start turning up dead she’s forced to confront the dark underbelly of her beloved island and the secrets of her own past.
You say classic retelling and I am 100% in. Adding a 20s setting was the cherry on top of this story pitch and I applaud the author for creating such a fun mashup. This is not a direct retelling of Shakespeare but plays with its themes and characters within a classic YA format. Alas, I wish the story had been a bit more inventive as I predicted 99% of the plot after only a few chapters. It also takes quite a while to get going and grasp Mae’s situation or tell the Prosper family members apart.
While perhaps failing its ultimate potential, I did enjoy this book. It has intriguing magic, great characters, and a rich setting. It’s imperfect but good fun for my fellow fantasy fans. Keep your eye out for its release in 2022!
Our heroine, Mae, was raised under the charity of the Prospers on their island, populated by spirits under control of Lord Prosper, the family patriarch. Mae is desperate to harness magic and prove herself to the elegantly cruel yet alluring Prosper family, but when spirits start turning up dead she’s forced to confront the dark underbelly of her beloved island and the secrets of her own past.
You say classic retelling and I am 100% in. Adding a 20s setting was the cherry on top of this story pitch and I applaud the author for creating such a fun mashup. This is not a direct retelling of Shakespeare but plays with its themes and characters within a classic YA format. Alas, I wish the story had been a bit more inventive as I predicted 99% of the plot after only a few chapters. It also takes quite a while to get going and grasp Mae’s situation or tell the Prosper family members apart.
While perhaps failing its ultimate potential, I did enjoy this book. It has intriguing magic, great characters, and a rich setting. It’s imperfect but good fun for my fellow fantasy fans. Keep your eye out for its release in 2022!