Overall this was a fun read. It really reminded me of the Gone series in some of the best ways. I think the author did a great job with the characters and the mystery!

DNF - did not finish. I did not connect with the writing style/plot and decided to put this one down. Thank you, NetGalley and publisher for the early copy.

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.

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.

late to giving my feedback on this, but i found it lackluster. the writing was sadly pretty bland and didnt hook me like i was expecting. it was a fun ride, but it didnt do much for me, much to my dismay.

While I am continuing to post my regular content, the BLM movement is still going on. Please keep referring to my story and linktree to find ways to help out.✊🏻‼️
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I am really not doing well with my netgalley arcs, between dnfing them, or not liking them once I actually finish them. Hopefully I start enjoying more as the year goes on, but 2021 has not been great for them.😩
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Wallace Cole is moving against his wishes. Again. His father has some super important, super secret job, and he only shares one thing with his son: they are going to this town because it has mysterious outbreaks of hysteria. The catch? All the people that this happened to will be going to the high school that Wallace will be attending. Soon things start going from bad to worse in a town he knows nothing about, as well as people he doesn’t even know, leaving him to trust nothing and no one.😨
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This one started off strong, Wallace is very snarky, a trait I love in mystery thrillers, and I liked the short choppy chapters that kept me turning the pages. Wellllll I stopped wanting to turn the pages around the 100 page mark. I got pretty confused on where the plot was going, and not the good way thrillers keep you going, more like the ‘my writing is getting extremely sloppy and crappy as we go on, so you won’t know anything else going forward!’ the element of talking trees kinda creeped me out, again, not the good thriller creepy, the poorly written way. Because it got so confusing I got so confused, I didn’t care about anything going on, so when I finished it, it was more proud of the accomplishment, then love for the book. This was not a hit for me to see the least.😅
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What’s the last book that you read that was so confusing it took you out the story? Let me know!💋
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Dm me to talk about all things book or writing related! I’ll be looking forward to it! —Em😌

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Completely disappointing, unfortunately. The relatively open ending does not work with the story, and is unsatisfying.

This was not my favorite book. I had difficulty getting into it and did not care for the abrupt ending.

Bright Shining World is a book that, while it doesn't talk down to you, never really achieves any semblance of believability. Our main character is snarky and always has the perfect snippy one-liner to the adults, making him an instantly likable (though unrealistic) anti-hero. There are the usual "high school is weirder than science fiction" moments and in that way, this is kind of a fun play against type on the typical YA romance. But the eco agenda is heavy enough to be stifling (as well as very annoyingly repetitive).

Story: Wallace has followed his distant father all around the USA, often staying in a town for maybe a year until his father fixes whatever problem is at the nuclear power plant and they move on to the next one. Wallace is tired of saying goodbye, of never getting to stay with a girl long enough to get intimate, and with a father who barely acknowledges him and looks to be permanently traumatized by the death of his wife many years ago. But Wallace's new school in upstate New York is different: the students are suffering from 'hysteria' and there are rumors of bright lights in the forest and the trees talking. Wallace soon begins to suspect his father is involved in more than just fixing nuclear power plants.

While the blurb makes this book sound serious, its tone is anything but grave. Rather, because of Wallace's constant snarky observations on his life and others' lives, it feels much more like a rant on the silliness of American culture. There are countless 'hit you over the head with a sledgehammer' paragraphs about how the world is killing nature and the Earth - even the plot itself is a rant against humanity's insatiability. I have to admit, the lack of subtlety felt like the greatest weakness in the book: the author could have made the message more poignant with a bit more care. By the time we meet the bad guy, the characterizations get ludicrous.

The characters themselves are quirky, if cliche'd. The overachieving cheerleader, the geek who stays in his basement all night, the jock who randomly hates anything new and beats up other kids (especially new kids), etc. It makes the characters and plot feel paper-thin and unrelatable. Wallace looks to be the only sane one in a world created to destroy Earth's ecosystem and he'll make sure you know that ad infinitum.

Wallace as a character is very snarky and that was fun - for about the first 20%. Then the 'angry angsty teen' began to wear thin when there were no natural dialogue scenes to be found. I couldn't engage in the plot or characters, especially when the 'twist' at the end (the reason for the hysteria) and the 'big bad' were just silly. At one point, I have to admit I thought about Shyamalan movies The Village and The Happening often since this felt like one of those movies. The ending was just as anticlimactic and disappointing as in those movies.

In all, I didn't hate Bright Shining World. It was easy to read and there were a few laughs with the Wallace repartee. But it also was clearly a book with an agenda the author wanted to forward and with characters who were cliches and cardboard cutouts of high school life. Wallace never turned into a person I wanted to root for and especially the adults were disappointingly the typical 'self obsessed, stupid, dense' caricatures that are a hallmark of anything aimed at teens. Reviewed from an advance reader copy provided by the publisher.

This book is really interesting, but I overwhelming found it difficult to follow along with. Too many flowery allegories and a bit difficult to get immersed with. Worth a read, though, as I found the concept really cool.

I got a strong Stanger Things vibe after reading this description, and dark humor gets me every time.

I cannot emphasize how much I adored Wallace’s voice. I couldn’t contain my laughter at his internal monologue and snarkiness, but it was also easy to sense his vulnerability behind the humor. His past is heartbreaking, and his present isn’t much better with his father moving him around the country every few months. His awkwardness at his new school is endearing the supporting characters are just as likable.

The strange occurrences in the town – trees talking, weird visions, the outbreak of hysterics – and how it all relates to his father’s mysterious job had me forming theories (all incorrect) for several chapters, and the way the teens come together to fight for a common cause is admirable. Then the story spirals in a direction that was difficult to understand. I have no problem suspending disbelief in books – most of the time it increases my interest – but it still has to make sense to me within the confines of the story. Throughout the last half or more of the book, I was confused about what was going on, but kept reading because I assumed a logical explanation waited at the end – which is so abrupt I felt sure pages were missing. Maybe there’s a sequel?

The first part of this book is fabulous with a comedic, endearing MC, enjoyable supporting characters, and a curious mystery, but for me, the last half was difficult to follow and the abrupt ending left me baffled. Overall, it was an entertaining novel and maybe other readers will have a better understanding that I did.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I liked the initial 1/3 of this book, but then I felt like it spiraled out of control and got a little too science fictiony for me. It's not really my style, but someone else may like it more. I received a free copy of this book from netgalley and the publisher in exchange for my honest review.

As one reviewer mentioned, Bright Shining World by Josh Swiller does have a "Stranger Things" feel to the storyline. I read this book in one sitting because I needed to figure out what this story was about and what was happening to the young people of this town. There were times I had to suspend belief and questioned whether to keep reading, but overall the story was satisfying, had some good world-building elements, and the characters were interesting along with the storyline.

Overall, an okay read. I would give this 3.5 stars out of 5.

#BrightShiningWorld #NetGalley

This novel gives "Stranger Things" vibes in a modern-day America, and I honestly loved it!

Our dear protagonist, Wallace Cole, just wants to settle down and live his life like a normal teenager. He attempts to make friends only to be forced to travel across the country due to his dad's job. Before relocating to a small town in upper New York, his father warns him of a strange hysteria affecting the teenagers in the area. After meeting students from his new school, Wallace finds that there is something very strange going on, and many of the students believe Wallace is the cause as a newcomer. Wallace is warned about trees and night people, which he discovers are more real than just the hysteria that people claim. Will Wallace be able to figure out what is causing all this insanity, and how can he fix it?

This book will keep you on your toes trying to figure out what is happening to the high schoolers of this town! It will also leave you wondering/contemplating the meaning of it all.