I think it’s hard with YA fantasy to get the balance right sometimes as obviously there’s a huge gap in experience between a twelve year old and a seventeen year old but this author has done a credible job of bridging that divide. Her characters feel real and have idiosyncrasies particularly best friend Izzie but it’s Briony whose bravery and willingness to embrace any challenge thrown her way who quite rightly pulls the narrative along. I was a tad underwhelmed by her amnesia but did particularly enjoy her budding relationship with Alder who is a part of her past but also pretty much a unique entity but to say more would ruin the story. I can say I thought the villain was sneaky and whilst I wasn’t entirely convinced by everything and the way certain characters behaved it was imaginative, well written and a sweet little escape from reality.
This voluntary take is of a copy I requested from Netgalley and my thoughts and comments are honest and I believe fair

Something inside Briony is missing, she has amnesia and has to return to the place where all started to find any answer. True friendship and love are the clues to succeed in this adventure full of magic.

I will recommend this book to my friends.

Thank you Netgalley and Entangled Publishing for this opportunity. I enjoyed reading “Glow of the Fireflies”.

As someone who reads a lot of YA this is usually exactly my sort of thing. Sadly, I really found myself unable to get into this book. As I believe it is a subjective opinion, I do not feel it fair to leave a rating or provide a full review.

4.5 out of 5 stars

[[I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.]]

this was an adorable book. albeit formulaic... but honestly? sometimes we want that formulaic book to just take us away and keep us from our realistic thoughts. this book was very, very good. a wonderful little escape from reality. and it was just what i was looking for.

i enjoyed the characters, although flawed in some ways. regardless of all of that, they were special in their own ways, and different than each other so there was no confusion. it was very clear who would be doing what, and why they were written in the first place. that was very nice. i also felt as if these characters could be my friends in a way. they were welcoming and fun. no angst whatsoever.

what i loved MOST was the description of everything in this book. i felt as if i were actually there with our characters, living and breathing in the smoky mountains. the description was 5 out of 5 some of the best i have read. thank you for that, ms. duga!

i would absolutely suggest this book to my students to read. i can't wait for it to come out so that we can order it and i can start to do just that!

Scenic, imaginative writing. This clean, wholesome fantasy novel featuring a strong female lead coming to terms with her emotions and coming home again is best directed towards a a younger YA audience.

Enjoyed the story with the elemental gods. The elemental magic and overall magic of the valley was described well. Briony and Alder were good together. The ending left me with a few questions still. Mainly about what happens after, could go a few ways.

Absolutely magical and enchanting. I really enjoyed this book! Set in the gorgeous Smoky Mountains of Tennessee, Duga weaves to life a story about healing from past trama and coming home again. Briony is fierce, determined and incredibly strong for all she's endured. The descriptions were so beautiful in this book. You can't help but be transported to the Smoky Mountains and all it's beauty. The plot, characters and world were all mesmerizing. This is Duga's best book yet! 100% worth the read!

Glow of the Fireflies was amazing journey that I was very surprised I fell in love with. This was my first book by Lindsey Duga and it definitely won't be my last. Briony is an amazing character and the story had me hooked from the very start. I know this one will be a hit at my library and I can't wait to share it.