ARC kindly provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Despite me loving Shakespeare’s works, I have never read The Tempest. I knew that this book was based on it in some way but I hoped that it wouldn’t disadvantage me.

Bright Ruined Things follows Mae, a young girl who lives on an island in the care of the Prosper family, a family of which uses the magic of the island and turns it into clean energy to propel the outside world. Mae has never been on the mainland before and wishes to learn how to convert the magic from the island. She knows this will be impossible as Lord Prosper only teaches his kin however, that doesn't stop her from trying to learn as much as possible. Soon she starts questioning the very foundations of the world around her as she realises the cause of the Prosper's fortune is far more sinister than first thought.

Let's start with the positives, or the things I enjoyed. This book was very atmospheric and lushly written with this mysterious, intriguing and haunting quality to it especially in relation to the island, its magic and spirits. I really liked this quality as it made the Prosper's island seem magical in the dangerous sense. I also liked the overall theme and discussion surrounding capitalism and greed and the extremes people go for money and reputation.

I think my main negatives stems from wanting more from the story, the characters and the plot. I found the pacing quite slow as the main action happens towards the end of the book. Despite liking the world, I felt bored because nothing really happened in the first half apart from the main character pining for Miles while being proposed to by Ivo and also desperately wanting to learn magic. While I didn't mind Mae (she was an okay character but I didn't really connect with her), I did get a bit annoyed by the side characters (namely the Prosper's). I found them shallow and at times, annoying to read about. I couldn't connect to Miles' and Mae's relationship because I didn't really feel the chemistry between them.

At times, I shipped Ivo and Mae more than the main pairing. There were times I thought they had a great relationship and other times I would be proven wrong. At the end, as much as it hurts for me to say, I was sitting back, awaiting the book to finish because I felt disconnected from the story, plot and characters. That being said, I'm happy I read this book but I don't think I'd be reading this again.

ACTUAL RATING: 3.2 STARS

3.5 stars
This was an interesting book, I thought the concept was cool but executed a little eh. I know this is based on The Tempest which I did suffer through, but honestly I felt this book was a loose interpretation of that.

Well this book turned out not to be my thing. I can enjoy the plot and characters behind it. I just didn’t connect to any character and found myself wanting to just read to get it over with. The writing was good and I can see why people would love it. I did love the magical aspect and the island spirits. Mae wasn’t born on the island but she feels connected to it and doesn’t want to leave. But when a spirit lends up sick and her too, she tries to figure out what is going on.

The concept sounded amazing and the setting was so atmospheric but I just could not connect with the main character and after picking it up and abandoning it a couple of times, I've decided to DNF it after all.

Very disappointed that this one just wasn't for me.

BRIGHT RUINED THINGS was a fast-paced story set on a mysterious island that was beautifully developed. I really liked Mae and Ivo, and even felt sad for Miles, but I think the romance angle could've hit harder if we'd been able to see the development of that rather than rely on Mae narrating where things stand with both men. (I have not read THE TEMPEST, so I'm not sure if there is some backstory that's supposed to be understood from familiarity with the play?) I do think, though, that the pacing and the mystery surrounding what is going on with the island's magic and its spirits could appeal to students who might feel intimidated by some of the fantasy series that are currently popular.

Thank you to Wednesday Books for providing a review copy.

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for giving me a free advanced copy of this book to read and review.

I have The Tempest (the original play). I didn’t know anything about the play before I picked up this book – or at least I tried to pick this up. It was just absolutely terrible, all the way through. I’ve read Samantha Cohoe’s other book, A Golden Fury and that was mostly good.

It’s said to be set on an island in the 1920s – I took that to be a big, big lie because nothing in the book read that way. I would believe it more if you told me it was set in the late 2020s and the main character just lived on the island, away from social media and wifi. It honestly would’ve been more maybe more interesting if it was a modern retelling.

I could not tell you a SINGLE thing about the main character- in fact, I had to literally scroll to find her name in the arc because it’s a first person POV. Sometimes that POV works. Most times it’s difficult to write it in a way where it sounds good. This was most certainly not the case here. And me not remembering her name should definitely tell you something.

All the characters felt very one-dimensional and very forgetful. I could not tell you a single fact about them – barely even their names. And I read 45% of this – I should remember something without looking at my notes or rereading some pages.

There was sort of a love triangle going on. Mae, Miles, and this 25 year old guy (who are both part of the family) whose name I don’t remember. Mae is like super in love with Miles, even though she only sees him like once or something a year. And he’s rude to everyone Mae included – which is a trope I really dislike. And the other love interest is 25… while she’s 18 at the start of the book. No thank you to either of them. Send them both to the no-no zone on the island, faraway from this EIGHTEEN year old girl who barely knows anyone other than this super rich family.

*3.5 Stars* This retelling of the Tempest didn’t initially strike a chord with me, probably because I have not read the Tempest. Whoops, that’s on me. However despite my shortcomings, I did love this magical, mysterious plot. The story takes place over the course of a single day, which I felt lead to the world building being less than complete. It was such a unique and fascinating world/society, I would have loved to dig deeper. Overall, I enjoyed the story, characters, and the unraveling mystery.

Sincere thanks to NetGalley and Wednesday books for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

I struggled to get into this one for a long time. I enjoyed the author's writing, but unfortunately the plot just wasn't for me.

Thank you to Netgalley and Wednesday Books for sending me a copy of this book! All opinions are my own!

**This would probably have been a more enjoyable read if you know literally anything about The Tempest, and that one's on me!**

This is definitely a book that really grabs your attention and doesn't want to let you go, and I loved being immersed in such a unique world and feeling as though I needed to solve the mystery as well. I loved the way the spirits are so unique for such a familiar thing, and the way it drags you into the world is so fun.

I can't tell if I didn't connect with the characters because they were unlikable or because this story only takes place over the span of one day. It was hard for me to get to know them and to find a reason to root for them, despite my interest in the mystery of it. Especially toward the end as more and more came to light that made it hard for me to like the characters.

If you're a retelling fan, this may be the book for you though!

Bright Ruined Things originally caught my eye because of references to The Tempest and The Great Gatsby. Since either one of those alone would make me want to read a book, I immediately added this one to my TBR. Unfortunately, while I liked the general vibes of the book, this one fell a bit flat for me.

While the world was vibrant, beautiful, and flashy, it wasn’t fully developed. The world-building (particularly around the magic system) was disappointing. The characters were interesting, but felt a bit like caricatures. And finally, since the romance wasn’t shown, there was a relatively low emotional payout.

However, I think a lot of my feelings about this book would be different if I had read it as a teenager. So while I would have loved it then, I just tend to want a bit more depth from my novels now.

The book was very flat and I could not get into this story or really care about any of the characters at all. There were no even remotely likeable characters, and that generally makes it hard for me to get invested in a book. While it did read historical but had it not explicitly said it was supposed to be set in the 1920s, I wouldn't have known. As a standalone book it is kind of average. It's OK. Not bad, but it's pretty unlikely I will recommend it.

Thank you net galley for the advance reader copy of this novel. I did not finish this novel. The character, plot, and writing style were not for me.

BRIGHT RUINED THINGS is a great young adult read. Though I wasn't as captivated as others, I believe that the plot and the characters will enthrall a teenage reader.

I cannot wait to get this text in front of my students. Bright Ruined things is deeply immersive, and a fully atmospheric experience that is sure to enrapture readers.

"A deftly-plotted tale about ambition and belonging, Bright Ruined Things takes Shakespeare’s The Tempest and brilliantly reimagines its themes of family and love. Cohoe writes with a magic that dazzles and cuts right to the core." - Chloe Gong, New York Times bestselling author of These Violent Delights

Forbidden magic, a family secret, and a night to reveal it all...

The only life Mae has ever known is on the island, living on the charity of the wealthy Prosper family who control the island’s magic and its spirits. Mae longs for magic of her own and to have a place among the Prosper family, where her best friend, Coco, will see her as an equal, and her crush, Miles, will finally see her.

But tonight is First Night, when the Prospers and their high-society friends celebrate the night Lord Prosper first harnessed the island’s magic and started producing aether – a magical fuel source that has revolutionized the world. With everyone returning to the island, Mae finally has the chance to go after what she’s always wanted.

When the spirits start inexplicably dying, Mae realizes that things aren’t what they seem. And Ivo, the reclusive, mysterious heir to the Prosper magic, may hold all the answers – including a secret about Mae’s past. As Mae and her friends unravel the mysteries of the island, and the Prospers’ magic, Mae starts to question the truth of what her world was built on.

In this YA fantasy, Samantha Cohoe wonderfully mixes magic and an atmospheric setting into a fantastically immersive world, with characters you won’t be able to forget.

This is a pretty fast paced story that only took me a few hours to get through, and while it kept me interested enough to want to see what was going to happen next, and how everything was going to come together.. Out of all the characters the only that I really like was Ivo. I really wanted more of him, and to see what could happen between him and Mae... If she wasn't besotted with Miles.. The magic system was very interesting, and i really loved the setting of the island.

he whole Prospero family seemed only to have use for Mae when they need her for a specific reason. She wasn't really a servant or part of the family, but she did what ever she could to keep them happy with her for fear they would ship her off the island. The only home she has ever known.
In the beginning of the story Mae is definitely more of a doormat to the Prospero family, but towards the middle she really starts to realize where she falls in the family and starts to begin standing up for herself and questioning everyones motives. However this leads her to make some very hasty assumptions and decisions that end up making her act like a jerk. Thankfully towards the end she comes to her senses and realizes what a horrible mistake she almost made.
I really liked the way it ended, once the action started it was nonstop until we hit the finish line. Mae really finds herself and that she doesn't need the Prospero's to survive, she can and does land on her feet and can take care of herself... and with the way it ended I can still have some hope that a certain someone actually survived the destruction that Mae and a few others left behind.

I loved Samantha Cohoe's first book A Golden Fury, so I was super excited for this book. Unfortunately, this book fell flat for me. I really love the writing, but the plot didn't resonate with me. I think this is a me thing. YA books just aren't doing it for me anymore, and this book fell into that category. But I think YA fans would really love this book and it's themes.

Yes to a Shakespearean retelling! Cohoe does an amazing job rewriting The Tempest to have the same drama as the play but with an updated cast of characters. Her character development is strong and the tension throughout the novel is so much fun because (especially if you don't know the play) it's not clear who we should or shouldn't like. I'd love to read more from Cohoe in the future.

Full review to be posted soonish.

I would like to thank the publisher and netgalley for providing me a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

Bright Ruined Things by Samantha Cohoe is a standalone young adult historical fantasy novel. The story in Bright Ruined Things is a retelling of Shakespeare’s classic play of The Tempest set in a magical world. The story was a little all over the place but I loved the ending and how everything tied together.