I have to admit, I am a HUUUUUUUGE fan of "The Infinite Noise," which led me to listen to the entire "Bright Sessions" podcast - which I am also, now, a huge of fan of as well. Admittedly, I missed the part where this said it was an origin story and was just so ready to be reunited with Dr. Bright and the rest of my favorites. So I think, initially, I was a little disappointed in the story because I was expecting something different. That is 100% on me though - because it clearly states that this is Damien's origin story. However, after realizing that and really getting into the narrative, I was fascinated by Robert's evolution into Damien. I love understanding how characters become the way that they are, so I appreciate Shippen's storytelling on this one especially because Damien is such an enigmatic character. The only thing I wish the novel would have explored more was how Damien found his way to Dr. Bright. I think Dr. Bright also played a huge role in the evolution of Damien and she is such a central figure to the entire series, it would have been interesting to see how they found each other too.

That said, I still enjoyed this one and would definitely encourage its addition to YA collections, especially where the first book is popular and/or for those who may be interested in checking out the podcast as well.

I was lucky enough to win a digital ARC of A NEON DARKNESS from Tor Teen's Shelf Awareness Sweepstakes. Thanks for the early look, and stay safe!

A neon darkness, in contrast to the infinite noise, tells a story that takes place before the events in the bright sessions podcast.

It is the story of Damien, a young man with the ability to make people want what he wants. He can basically control people. It is the story of his childhood and the way he (tries to) make friends.

I think I liked this one more than the infinite noise, simply because it is more surprising. It also has a very different, darker, tone.

You read this story knowing where Damien is going to end up, knowing you don't really like him in the end, but it keeps you interested because you want to know HOW he is going to get there.

I really enjoyed reading about the group of 'unusuals' Damien met. Each of them had an interesting story and had very different views on their own powers. I loved the way they interacted with each other.
I also really liked the way they all called Damien out on being a privileged, assuming idiot. I liked their talk about sexuality and wealth. It is super easy to understand these characters and they just feel super real.
Here's a gem from Neon:

"She knows that if she didn’t have the face she had, if she didn’t wear leather jackets and ride motorcycles, there would still be the same bullshit to deal with. Maybe from a different source—she does seem to attract a very particular kind of sleaze—but life would never be quiet. Not for a woman who refuses to be anything but her loud self. Not for any woman in this world. It used to scare her, the attention. She’s always been too small and too black and too queer besides—life was never going to be easy for her. It was never going to be safe.

but most of the time, she stands up squarely to the men who try to intimidate her, and she smiles with the knowledge that she could bring them down with a flick of her wrist. Neon knows that there are plenty of people who look at her and assume she’s nothing to fear. She knows that the men who know the truth and stick around anyway are men she can trust."

Then there's Damien. Luckily this wasn't some tragic back story to justify every terrible thing he ever did. It was more of an explanation of who he is, though he might be a terrible person, I couldn't help but feel bad for him and want him to be happy. Even when you know it can't end well, you still have hope.

I do still think the description of this and the first book isn't really that accurate. It is more a summary of the podcast itself than the books.

I love The Bright Sessions and I loved this book. The exploration of Damien made me see him in an entirely new way. There were some times when the prose was a little confusing (especially with pronoun usage) but overall the story here is enchanting.

I'm going to be completely honest: I loved this book, but only because I loved the Bright Sessions podcast and the sadistic evilness of Damien as the villain. Viewed as a book outside of that lens, it wasn't all that great. This book's audience is fans of the Bright Sessions. That's it. Unlike Infinite Noise, which at least had a teen love story and some more universal truths discussed, this book is just all Damien exploring his powers, meeting some other atypicals and messing with them in his way, and then a major event happening that I believe transitions into his meeting Dr. Bright. It doesn't stand alone as a book, but is a great companion to the podcast. That being said, Damien is a mess and I love his character. His line about how it has to be everyone else's fault because it can't be his, simply because he has to live with himself, summed up his character perfectly. He never takes the blame because to do so would be devastating. He's such an epic screw-up, pushing off his responsibilities on others seems almost a life-saving measure for him. And while this makes him more sympathetic a character, he's still an asshole. Shippen is an incredible writer, I just feel like this book doesn't have an audience large enough to make it successful.

A Neon Darkness ripped my heart out.

As I listened to The Bright Sessions (this book is based on a character from The Bright Sessions podcast) before, I already knew about Damien and what a character he’d be but let me tell you that you aren’t prepared for this.

This book follows Damien, a teenage boy without a home anymore trying to find a place in this world. But Damien isn’t just a regular boy, he has a very unusual ability. He can make people do what he wants. He thinks he’s the only one out there with such a power, but as he finds himself in LA he’s stumbling across a group of people who also have strange abilities.

I really liked all the characters and how well they worked together. How this group of strange people who call themselves The Unusuals stick together and become their own found family. But what if some don’t play by the rules and you can’t trust your own family anymore? Damien is sure very manipulative and sometimes does not know when to stop using his powers. It was very painful to read how he’s become to be the man he is now. You’re torn between feeling bad for him but also getting mad at his choices and the morally gray lines that come with this. It sure as hell can’t be easy to have this ability even if it sounds like a jackpot at first.

A Neon Darkness is a wild ride and it made me go through tons of different emotions while reading. It’s been a few days since I finished it and I’m still thinking about it. It’s raw and deep and surely left its marks on me. Lauren Shippen has a way to describe things and feelings that is just really captivating.

A Neon Darkness brings readers back into the world of Lauren Shippen’s podcast The Bright Sessions, this time following Damien before he became the person Bright Sessions fans have come to know and love. As with all of Shippen’s work, A Neon Darkness is full of poignant insight, sharp prose, and a ton of emotional resonance. Damien’s origin story does not go down as easy as Caleb and Adam’s did, and for that I’m grateful. As an eighteen year old Robert Gorham finds himself amongst a group of friends with abilities as strange and dangerous as his own, his mind goes to war between what he wants and what he needs.

Listeners of The Bright Sessions know how A Neon Darkness will end—at least for Damien, for he is certainly not a hero—but it’s the journey to that point and the company he keeps that makes this such a wildly fulfilling ride. We see how Damien becomes the morally questionable, power hungry, and manipulative person he is, but most importantly, we see the people who tried to help him and care for him through his struggles, and what those friendships had to say about consent, control, and what it means to truly care for someone.

Shippen ends A Neon Darkness on a dual note: by showing us a dark and dangerous path that we know will be recklessly tread, but she’s painted above it a golden sky’s worth of hope. As has become her signature, Shippen prioritizes compassion, love, and hope above all things and for anyone looking for a read that’s strange and vicious and revealing, this is an excellent one to keep in mind ahead of its release.