A female friendship unfurls into something dangerous and disastrous. This emotionally intense novel-in-verse explores the trials and trauma of a very dysfunctional and destructive relationship between two best friends. This title is a quick and captivating; a must read examination of the lessons learned from a first love. This is the best book Ashley Woodfolk has ever written.

Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful. I have read very few novels in verse but I'm so glad i picked this one up. It so perfectly captures the teenage love experience, that even at almost thirty, it brought me right back to that feeling, The out of control, but you never want it to stop way. I highly recommend this book to any reader looking for a romance that inst quite, and just something that will be a little different than anything you've ever read before. Than you to Netgalley and the publisher for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

I'm usually a fan of novels-in-verse but for this book that format didn't work for me. I don't think the format allowed for the intensity of the relationship to be fully conveyed. It also made the dysfunction of the relationship a bit skewed. Perhaps I wasn't in the mood to read about an ultra-intense, ultra-dysfunctional relationship. And perhaps this will work better for its intended audience - teens.

Thank you NetGalley for providing me with an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Nothing Burns as Bright as You is a testament to queer romance, the complexities of female friendship, and the tragedy (seemingly) unrequited love. It's often joked among sapphics in the LGBTQ+ community that sapphics had an oddly intense and all-consuming friendship with another girl in their teenage years that ended catastrophically, giving a hint to a part of their identity they hadn't yet understood. Nothing Burns as Bright as You is a novelized record of this small yet immense aspect of queer girlhood. Ashley Woodfolk depicted all the seemingly unexplainable aspects of these not-quite-relationships with heartbreakingly elegant prose. I found myself highlighting and annotating almost every single page of this book because every single line of writing in this book was earth shatteringly beautiful and struck me to my core. My heart broke and was strung back together along with the unnamed characters of the novel. When the characters relationship was going up in flames, I felt the licks of fire too; when their relationship was going well, I felt relieved because like the primary narrator of this book, I too felt foolishly hopeful that things would work out for the two of them. Woodfolk has proven herself a literary talent multiple times in her other books, and this book is no less impressive.
*4.20 stars*

NOTHING BURNS AS BRIGHT AS YOU 🔥

“The truth?
Sixteen isn’t sweet.
Or maybe it’s so sweet it makes you sick.
Makes you ache.

Whoever came up with that phrase must
have forgotten
what it’s like to be a teenager.”

✨

I’ve been waiting & waiting to scream about this book since I read it two months ago -

Release date is around the corner (APRIL 5TH) so I guess I can scream about it now.

WHAT I LOVED:
✨let’s start with the writing itself. This is a novel in verse, and had me sobbing & underlining every single passage

✨This book really surrounds the relationship between two girls & what happens to them when ~lines become blurry~ between friendship and more. Because of that, we get to know these characters on such an intimate level (which as a character reader I adored)

✨I have never !!!! In my life !!! Seen a YA book that so accurately represents toxicity in young relationships. The in between of friendship & more, the confusion of being in love for the first time…. 😩 all of it felt so so so vulnerable & real

✨Books like these have me appreciating poetry and language more than ever - how Ashley Woodfolk can describe such real feelings growing up in such few words astounds me.

I don’t know what I have to do to get this book on everyone’s radar… BUT I WILL DO IT. so yeah, buy this & then dm me crying if you do 🥲

As a Black Girl, it is difficult to navigate the world, let alone interpersonal relationships and an understanding of self. I completely felt where these characters came from, dealing with their heavily feelings around their main friendship, self-advocacy and balancing what is right and wrong. This book did feel heavy but only because it didn't shy away from the realities of what it means to be a Black Girl in this world. It was beautifully written and I appreciated every moment of it, now I just feel like I need to hear Ashley read it to fully feel what this book brought to the table. Anyone who has cared for a Black Girl, her experiences or is Black could appreciate this book. I hope it finds its way into so many hands.

I do love Ashley's work and always look forward to her books. I can't wait to see what she writes next!

In Ashley Woodfolk’s latest novel, Nothing Burns as Bright as You, readers journey through the fierce relationship of two teen girls after they set a fire. In the hours following the event, the narrator unravels the relationship (past, present, and maybe future), chronicling the friendship that blooms into much more – and into something wild that teeters on the edge of dangerous.

Truthfully, I don’t even know where to begin with this review. This. Book. Is. Everything. So rarely do I get pulled into a story the way Woodfolk pulled me in with this one. From the first spark down to the last ember, her words paint a vibrant, enrapturing picture. Every description, whether literal or figurative, is deliberate and purposeful. Woodfolk’s gorgeous, lyrical style brought every scene to life and will make readers feel as though they’re right there with the characters, experiencing the events with them. Woodfolk also conveys the highest peaks and deepest valleys of her two characters’ relationship. They feel as real as you and me, bursting off the page in a messy and glorious blaze of love and friendship.

Every ounce of this book is wholly absorbing, but I was especially taken by Woodfolk’s decision to write in second person. For starters, it immediately grabs readers and yanks them into the story. While it’s obvious the actual person the narrator addresses is the other girl, it’s so easy to believe it could be you. Moreover, the POV shapes the raw, profound honesty of the narrator. As she relays the major beats of the story, she provides insight into the complex nature of a deep, deep friendship and a first love – one that’s tumultuous and all-consuming and worth it in the end, no matter what happens. Woodfolk constructs a timeline that brings readers through her characters’ past and present. She intermingles curious interludes of lies and truths (titled as such) that highlight the hurt and longing and growth of the narrator.

In general, I was positively captivated by Woodfolk’s two main characters: the narrator and her person (who I will refer to as “You” from here on out). Early in the book, the narrator establishes herself and You as opposites: the former being like water, and the latter like fire. She draws a contrast between the two of them that seems as beneficial as it is precarious; water may tame a fire, but the narrator only works in tandem with You, never trying to smother her flame, only stoke it in a way that’s affectionate. While nearly everything readers learn about You comes from the narrator, Woodfolk manages to write her in a way that still allows intrigue and some sort of attachment to her. Like the narrator, readers want to go beyond You’s guarded nature, to learn more about her. I find this is especially true with the avoidance of names, and the comparisons the narrator draws to sacredness. As the narrator and You know precisely who’s being addressed, names aren’t necessarily needed. However, for me it felt as though the narrator (and Woodfolk) avoided naming You because doing so would somehow tarnish her sanctity, as though her name is this ineffable prayer meant only for the two of them. And there’s just something so utterly beautiful about that.

Similarly, the significance of opposites remains in play through the entirety of the book, and it’s perhaps the most powerful aspect. Along with the contrast between the characters, I was struck by the relationship the narrator has with her body. Woodfolk examines how young girls’ – especially Black girls’ – bodies are perceived and how detrimental that perception is. Through the narrator, readers see how it causes her to feel foreign and powerless in her own skin, even if she also recognizes it as entirely hers. But despite this, the narrator also has steadfast agency. She gives You agency in the way she describes (and, really, worships) her.

Furthermore, the narrator and You carry an immense power. They are filled with chaos, their actions stemming from love and anger and a general protectiveness. They take up space and are unapologetic about it. Still, they forget sometimes that they should be unapologetic, that they deserve to take up every last inch of space. Yet with every ebb and flow of their story, that power remains as they (but particularly the narrator) learn to love and be loved, by themselves and each other.

Nothing Burns as Bright as You is a mesmerizing wildfire of a book. It’s an incendiary, passionate queer love story that burns bright, fast, and refuses to fizzle out. And while the book ends, the story doesn’t; readers will most certainly feel the lingering effect of the book long after they finish reading. It overflows with lightness that mixes with just as much darkness. Its urgency and aching can feel intense and overwhelming (in the best way), but it never loses sight of the immense tenderness blanketed within. Woodfolk doesn’t waste a single page, or a single word. She creates an art piece that viciously demands to be read in one sitting, and then re-read, and then re-read again.

WOW. This book is stunning. It is the story of two unnamed friends who are definitely more than friends, and all the ways in which we are capable of loving and hurting people at the same time. I knew when Nic Stone got a tattoo of a line that it was going to be good, but I was still wowed. Loved it and will be adding copies to my classroom library as soon as possible.

5 stars

In this verse novel, Woodfolk employs style, structure, diction, and character development to arrive at an important focal point: the passionate and explosive nature of relationships.

Though readers are restricted from some typical details, Woodfolk still manages to create an overpowering sense of intimacy and revelation throughout the piece. The characters start as friends, but their relationship evolves into much more than that, and the journey is not direct. Neither is the powerful conclusion. Woodfolk effectively captures the all-consuming nature of young adult relationships here, but if we're all being honest, these are the kinds of things we just get a little better at managing - at least externally and sometimes - when we're adults.

For me, this book is much more about a culmination of feelings than a series of events, and I really appreciate the inventive and arresting ways in which Woodfolk accomplishes this unusual task. I'll absolutely be recommending this one to students.

This Gorgeous novel took all of my attention from the very first page. This novel explores the intense dynamic between teen girls as their relationship flirts between friendship, romance, and strangers with every step in between. I will suggest this book to both teens and adults, as I think readers will recognize these characters from their own lives as young people. I am so excited to have this title on my shelf!

The cover says it all! How two become one. How someone you love seeps into your soul.

Such a beautifully written novel in verse about an intense, consuming relationship. At times I was reminded of my first love.
Woodfolk had me all in my feelings. My heart was breaking right along with the MCs. She is a metaphorical genius. I've never read anything like this and hope to see it made into a movie.

Nothing Burns as Bright as You is about two girls, who’s friendship bloomed into something more. It is told in verse in a way that lends more into the poetic spectrum than other novels in verse I’ve read – which I loved! Woodfolk’s prose is rich, and she threads the theme of fire throughout. Fire is such a perfect symbol for what this book represents, the raging chaos of first love and the uncontainable emotions that love entails. It’s messy, reckless, dangerous, but absolutely beautiful and will swoop you away before you feel the pain of the flame.

The story of these two girls spans over a single day, which starts at dawn with a dumpster fire (and no this isn’t a metaphor haha)! In between the present chapters we get scenes of “before the fire” which gives insight to the complexities of this friendship and love. If you’ve ever experienced a toxic relationship, or simply a relationship where you loved a person so deeply but at the same time knew you both burned too hot and that it wasn’t sustainable then you’ll feel the nostalgia.

Then ending and conversation with the main speaker and her mother was so powerful. I can only imagine the impact this story would have had on my younger self when I experienced my first heartbreak and love that it will be available for teens this summer. I love the message of this novel and hope to see it get all the love it deserves on publication day April 5, 2022.

This book was beautiful and lyrical. At times, the emotional intensity was hard to read. Overall, I think it should be difficult to pin down what reader to recommend this title to.

LOVE LOVE LOVE.. No one writes like Ashley Woodfolk and I so appreciated that we got to see her writing in verse format. I will continue to read anything and everything she writes.

Wow. This was everything I hoped it would be and more.
Firstly, the writing was beautiful. I hadn't realised/had forgotten when I picked it up that this was a novel written in verse, but it added so much to the story.
Secondly, the story itself was beautiful, not only did it contain love and joy, but also commentary on bisexuality, race, and human relationships. It was a great balance between narrative, character, and writing, and I read it all in one sitting.
I loved the ending and the author's note was perfectly written.
I love Ashley Woodfolk more with every book I read.

My students are huge fans of novels in verse and this will be a total smash hit with them I am sure!!

I'm excited that this book is coming into existence. It is definitely for a specific reader, but I think that that's the best part. It is intense and may not appeal to all readers, but it doesn't have to. Woodfolk's words are beautifully woven together and show how high school friendships and relationships can burn hot and fast. The vibe reminded me of Every Body Looking.

Author Ashley Woodfolk explores the struggles of love in her novel in verse titled NOTHING BURNS AS BRIGHT AS YOU. Two girls form a fast friendship that takes them on an emotional ride. One girl is looking for more than friendship and believes there is room in the relationship for more than the other girl is willing to give.

SO GOOD!!

A gripping, gutting novel-in-verse about a toxic, unofficially romantic relationship between two Black teen girls.

**Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy of this title in exchange for a fair and honest review**

Young Adult titles in verse are few and far between, they're very popular at the library where I work and I'm always on the look out for new ones.

This was a beautiful book. I found the verse flowed very well and the imagery was strong. Teenagers in love burn bright and this was certainly demonstrated in the book. I found it very believable.