Brightly Burning Review

Title: Brightly Burning
Author: Alexa Donne
Publisher: Titan Publishing Group
Publication Date: 12 June 2018
Source: Jonathan Ball Publishers
Format: Paperback
Pages: 400
Rating: 4 Stars


Goodreads Synopsis:


Seventeen-year-old Stella Ainsley wants just one thing: to go somewhere—anywhere—else. Her home is a floundering spaceship that offers few prospects, having been orbiting an ice-encased Earth for two hundred years. When a private ship hires her as a governess, Stella jumps at the chance. The captain of the Rochester, nineteen-year-old Hugo Fairfax, is notorious throughout the fleet for being a moody recluse and a drunk. But with Stella he’s kind.


But the Rochester harbors secrets: Stella is certain someone is trying to kill Hugo, and the more she discovers, the more questions she has about his role in a conspiracy threatening the fleet. 




Book Review:
Pre-reading Thoughts:

This is one of those books that I have been wanting to read for a very long time. This book managed to fit into my March TBR and it couldn't come at a better time as in my degree, one of the seminar classes worked through Jane Eyre and now I am sad that I didn't jump at the chance to read that book.

Thank you to Jonathan Ball Publishers for providing me with a copy of this book. Just a quick disclaimer for those reading this review, I have received this book for free. Please note that this does not affect my opinions in any way. All thoughts are my own

Writing Thoughts:

The writing style took me a while to get into but once I got into the grove, I found the writing simplistic and well-paced. I did struggle to visualise a lot of the details like the layout of the ships and the clothing. However, I really liked the engaging dialogue


Plot Thoughts:

I really enjoyed the plot of this book. I liked the various types of tension the story brought forward like romantic tension between Stella and Hugo as well as the tension caused but the mystery of who is trying to kill Hugo. The beginning and end of the novel did feel convenient for me. In the beginning, Stella, the main character, had a romantic interest in several characters who were around her age which did seem a little on the nose for me. However, another aspect that I did enjoy was seeing Stella interact with her charges, whether it was in a classroom or aboard the Rochester.

Character Thoughts:

I enjoyed reading about the different characters in the book, they all stood out for me and had their own personalities which made the book more interesting. However, they weren't well rounded or had substantial character growth.

Final Thoughts:

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. it was the perfect sci-fi read after Illuminae which is a lot heavier. It is one of those books that you can easily binge and enjoy yourself. This book is definitely not without its flaws but I found myself not really paying attention to them whilst I was reading. I liked the pacing of the writing but it did take me a while to get into, The plot was fun, albeit a little too convenient at times and the characters were a great cast but didn't really grow. I do recommend this book to people who enjoyed Jane Eyre as from what I know this book does a good job of retelling the classic in a modern way. Thank you so much to Jonathan Ball Publishers for providing me with a copy of this book!

Yours in Reading,
Melleny

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