This book would be a great entry point into dystopian fiction for young readers. The sense of danger that permits this book kept me turning the pages to find out what happens next.

It took me a while to get into this book but once I did I was hooked. It is well written and has a good storyline with well developed characters. A very good read.

The book was okay, I really cared about Lucien and what would happen to him when he was a kid, but his adult character seemed flat. The writing was okay not great. I could picture the setting but really only because it was familiar to me already. I was a little annoyed because the title and the blurb both made it sound like there would be a bigger element of fire and while it was there with the torches and the bonfire it just didn't feel big enough and I felt like I was missing something.

Highly recommend!! This book is a definite page-turner! You'll be left thinking about the story long after you put the book down. First book to read by this author but definitely not my last!

The Night Burns Bright by Ross Barkan is a heartbreaking story of power, ego, and masochism. It is a hard look into the abuse of minors for a “better” tomorrow. It is a story that would make your skin crawl even though Ross Barkan offers nothing new in his narration. We have read it all before, the subtle machinations and megalomaniacal obsessions that form a CULT and how every single one of them bites the dust eventually.

The Night Burns Bright opens thru the eyes of the young Lucien, who from the age of six grows up seeing what his mother and his mentor Jack allows him to see. Lucien’s growth in the collective with his friends, in harmony with the nature, his innocence in justifying the punishments being eked out to him, the ingenious and cunning ways the mentor’s approach to the children changes as they grow older, each bit of the life unraveling in the House of Earth is described thru Lucien and it is HARD. Abuse in any form is difficult to read about but when it comes to children, the words sometimes carve a bit of our soul and this is true for The Night Burns Bright.

There is neither any new information nor any twisty surprise that may come to knock your socks off, there’s a particular track that the story progresses to but the ending came at a very sudden pace after almost 90% going at a steady pace. In the blink of an eye, an expected ending had taken place but I was thankful that the author left the story with a hopeful epilogue of an adult Lucien. What the author, however, has captured efficiently is the desperation and frustration inside Lucien in not getting a clear picture of the things that are happening around him. One can feel the questions burning inside Lucien which have no answers and this has been conveyed brilliantly.

3 stars for the honest portrayal of a child’s life in a cult.

Many thanks to Net Galley, publishers, and the author for a chance to read and review this book. All opinions are expressed voluntarily.

This review is published in my blog https://rainnbooks.com/, Goodreads, Amazon India, Book Bub, Medium.com, Facebook, and Twitter.

4.5 stars

I’ve always been interested in stories about communes and cults, and this one grabbed my attention from the get go!

House of Earth seems like your typical tree-hugger, save-the-planet private school and commune, but there is much more to their peaceful and sustainable way of living.

After witnessing the horror of 9/11 on television, 12-year-old Lucien begins to grow curious about what is beyond their small, secluded community. The world is changing and so is House of Earth, as they gradually begin to develop stricter rules and increase security around the compound. It doesn’t take long for everything Lucien’s ever been taught to be brought into question, and when his friends start to disappear, he grows even more concerned that something in his world has gone terribly wrong.

Reading this story from a 12-year-old’s POV was really eye-opening in that it provided a perspective that was much more vulnerable and impressionable. Lucien was at an age where he wanted to believe that everything his mom and his mentors told him was true, but his inquisitiveness often got him into trouble. This quickly became an emotional read as things grew worse at House of Earth, and when the truth was revealed, my heart ached for Lucien, and I couldn’t help but be angry for him.

Overall, I thought this was a great book and highly recommend it!

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4515282585

I’m not sure what to think about this book. It really kinda made me mad. I’m sure this has actually happened and it’s rather horrifying that people are that gullible. To allow someone to basically abuse your own child for really no reason. It’s just appalling.
I thought the book was just ok.
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the early copy

House of Earth

A story of a young boy growing of age in a secluded commune sitting. He has food to eat, a place to sleep and friends. They live frugally off the earth. No Television, only approved books and instruction. All this under the leadership of O.C. Leroux.

All is well with Lucian and his mother in their small cottage, Lucian attended the House of the Earth private school. His mother was gone a lot, but he had the TV, his book which he borrowed from the library and his friend Gabrielle he met at the library.

Then it all changed. His mother went to work at House of Earth, they moved into new quarters at House of Earth and rules started to change. If any rule was infringed upon then there was dire punishment. Lucian met Gabrielle in the woods at playtime in secret.

When talking to Gabrielle he started questioning the rules and the ways of the commune. He still thought that O.C. Leroux and his mother had his best interests at heart and he just had to be a better person and obey the rules.

Then people who question the rules start disappearing and he knew something was wrong. He didn't know what to do, all he knew was his mother and the commune. Young Lucian is very confused, and he really doesn't know what to think. He knows what he had been taught, he doesn't know anything else. Then the wall goes up and he cannot visit Gabrielle or the forest. He knew somehow he had to get away.

I think it would be very confusing for a young man to see anything different that what he has known his whole life. It would be more confusing on the outside in the real world.

This story explores the feelings of a young adolescent trying to understand life, to understand right and wrong and understand himself.

I enjoyed reading the book, and I would recommend it.

Thanks to Ross Barkan for writing a great story, to Lake Union Publishing for publishing it and to NetGalley for making it available to me.

Lucien grew up in a nature commune outside of New York City, attending school at House of Earth, a private school focused on teaching children the importance of living with nature and preserving a sustainable future. But curiosity of the outside world has him sneaking away one day where he meets Gabrielle. When he sees how different her life is from his own he begins to question everything he ever knew. Then, after the events of 9/11, the commune becomes even stricter, building a wall and punishing anyone who dares to to break the rules.
I knew from the beginning this book was about a cult. The experiences through the eyes of a young boy who's been brainwashed his whole life, and finally beginning to question his reality and think for himself was a totally different perspective however. I could guess what would eventually happen, but the ending seemed rushed and left me disappointed. Overall just an ok read for me.
I received an advance reader copy of this book. The views and opinions expressed in this review are completely my own and given voluntarily.

Lucien is twelve and going to school at House of Earth, a small private school in upstate New York started by O.C. Leroux, when 9/11 happened. Everyone in the United States, and especially those so close to NYC are rocked to the core—those at House of Earth even more so. Our sense of security as Americans, as humans, in one morning is shattered.

House of Earth quickly evolves from a private school for families whose parents want them to respect nature into a commune. Housing facilities are built and entire families traumatized by 9/11 move to House of Earth to go back to a simpler time when we had more respect for our planet. Though, Leroux’s teachings have a point, it is the delivery method by mentors aka teachers on the commune that quickly evolve to the unthinkable. Kids like Lucien are groomed to follow the cult’s way.

It is outsider Gabrielle, who Lucien meets at the public library before he is restricted from leaving the compound that serves as his touchstone to reality and ultimately his redeemer.

The narrator is a twelve-year-old boy and because of this reads like young adult fiction. Lucien’s tale is heartbreaking to read because of his naïveté and somewhat predictable. I could have done with a shorter ending. It seems as though the author was closing all loose ends, and it truly wasn’t necessary at that point in the book—-his point was made. I would recommend Clover Blue by Eldonna Edwards over this novel.

Thank you to Netgalley, Lake Union Publishing, and of course Ross Barkan for the advanced copy. All opinions are my own.

Lucien doesn't realize how wrong things are going at the House of Earth, the school he's attended since he was six, until he meets Gabrielle, another 12 year old. It all seemed so nice in the beginning but everything changes in the wake of 9/11, This is Lucien's story, told in his voice as he grows from child to teen, and it represents his perspective on the movement to cult. The growing sense of horror as the rules (and punishments for breaking them) increase is well done. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A good read.

This is a very different perspective, the experience of a cult from a young child’s point of view. Lucien’s Mom joined the House of Earth when he was 6. Lucien is now 12 and doesn’t know any other way of life. This reminds me of Room, where we get a tragic story from a child’s eye. The early writing is that of a naive child, as Lucien ages and becomes aware of the situation the narrative becomes more cohesive.

*I received this book as an Advanced Reader's Copy (ARC) through NetGalley. I received this copy free in exchange for my honest review.*

Growing up is hard enough, but when you couple it with living in a commune with rules that don’t make sense and without explanation, it can be quite maddening indeed. As events unfold and more sinister secrets emerge, Lucien realizes the magnitude of the sacrifices within the only thing he’s known in life. Barkan’ s story drives home a lesson to question everything, and that your past doesn’t have to define your future and hold you captive, and as frustrating as its events were at times, I couldn’t put this one down.

If you’re a fan of books about cults then add “The Night Burns Bright” by Ross Barkan to your tbr pile. This was a straight-forward read and more of a YA to me, with a strong focus on our main teenage protagonist’s individual growth and understanding of himself and his community.

I like how Lucien’s narrative voice ages. While a thriller, it’s more of a coming-of-age story at it’s core. In the beginning we have a much younger Lucien and we see his world through his young naive eyes. As he ages, so does his narration and I liked that because it felt like we were growing up and realizing things right along with him (not that we didn’t see the truth all along, it’s pretty easy to guess). We get a lot of character development with Lucien and it’s truly his story as we don’t get nearly as much from other characters. As with any cult read, parts of it are hard, disturbing, maddeningly frustrating. There was nothing I didn’t like about the book, it was just lacking that next-level depth and conflict that takes a book from a three to four star or higher read for me. Everything you think is likely to happen does and while events in themselves are appalling, sad and shocking, you see all of them coming. It’s one of the mildest cult books I’ve read (again lending to my opinion towards a YA read).

The Night burns bright by Ross Barkan is story told by young boy called Lucien. Lucien lives with his mother in upstate New York His mother is his everything. He goes to school at the ‘House of Earth a nature focused group in the woods. He doesn’t have teachers he has ‘mentors’ who teach him to live peacefully and love the earth.
So, when 9/11 happens everything changes at the school. They build a Habitual facility and all the children with their parents all move in. Things at the school get stricter. Yes, the place is a Cult.
When Lucien on a rare outing meets Gabrielle and become friends and vow to meet each other at the woods but soon the rules at the House of Earth get stricter and they build a wall around the school so to protect themselves from the war coming. But Lucien knows things are not right after speaking with Gabrielle and his fellow friends keep going missing. But when he asks questions, he gets is shut down and told never to mention his friends again. Lucien wonders is there more to life than the House of earth.
Thank you, Lake Union publishing, for a copy The Night burns bright by Ross Barkan. This is not a book that I usually go for, but I found this to be an interesting tale of Lucien and his innocence to the world around him. At first though it was hard to get used to the style of writing because of its immaturity but as I read on it suddenly comes clear that the style was written like a child would. I felt sorry for Lucien. As he is trying so hard to do what’s right and fit in. but still has obstacles in front of him. Now after reading most of the book as it was from a child. I found the ending to be a bit strange and to be honest a bit disappointed with the ending. 3.5 stars from me.

‘We are building the future, the only future’ and they will inherit it. When 9/11 strikes Lucien is 12, ‘OC was right’ says Mama. Who exactly is OC? From the age of six, Lucien attends the House of Earth in Mater, New York State. Jack is his mentor, he teaches him to live in harmony with nature, to resist negative energy, to protect the earth and the planet. Innocent Lucien and his mama live a narrow existence with this environmentalist group. From 9/11 onwards things begin to change at the House of Earth such as security tightening. When Lucien meets Gabrielle from the town and a number of incidents occur at the commune, this leads him to begin to question everything he formerly holds to be true.

Well, they call themselves a collective or a commune but of course it evolves into a cult. First of all the positives. The environmental message that OC Leroux teaches is undoubtedly true, just ask Greta and it is very relevant reading during COP26. There are good descriptions of life at House of Earth and Lucien is an interesting narrator. Jack, his mentor, makes you feel very uncomfortable with his strengthening control exactly as you are meant to. The world that Gabrielle demonstrates to him, the ‘other world’ contrasts sharply with Lucien's ideas of reality. You witness his loss of innocence and his increasing awareness and admire his growing strength to question and challenge, you also feel his frustration as well as his fear and anger.

However, it’s more an account, a narrative so there isn’t much surprise in the plot as it follows a very predictable path and you are pretty sure you know how it will end. The ending is a bit of a damp squib, it fizzles out and finishes way too easily in my opinion. I would not describe this as a thriller, there is little suspense or plot twists though there is some tension.

Overall, it feels like a YA novel to me. It’s certainly an ok read but it doesn’t bring anything new or original to the party in my opinion.

With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Lake Union for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.

Lake Union
Thank You for this eARC!

The Night Burns Bright by Ross Barkan
Is a quick, good story.
I enjoyed the storyline, these characters are very interesting and well written.
This was an entertaining read from start to finish. Character driven stories are my absolute favourite when it comes to fiction.
I thought it was a bit predictable but nonetheless a great read!
⭐⭐⭐⭐

Lucien is a twelve year old boy who seems to have everything, an attentive mother, a nice home and a place at private school House of Earth, a private school that teaches children to love and respect the natural world. But his friendship with Gabrielle, a “townie” who attends public school and the events of September 11, change both Lucien and the loving environment he calls home. The House of Earth circles its wagons, cutting off any and all information from the outside world. Any member who violates these rules will be shunned. Like any young person, Lucien begins to chafe under the restrictions and question everything he thought he knew about the world. A unique and slightly disturbing coming of age story

I have to say that this wasn't my usual type of story. It's told from the point of view of Lucien, a young boy who attends a nature-focused school in the woods. It's no secret to the reader that this is more than just a peaceful commune of harmonious people. They have 'mentors' not teachers, there's no grading system, and the curriculum focuses on the teachings of it's founder about 'the darkness' and 'the light.' Yes, of course, it's a cult. And as always happens, it's full of well meaning people with absolutely no sense to see what's right in front of them.

After 9/11 everything at House of Earth becomes even stricter. Talk of 'the coming war' is rampant as they scare everyone into complete submission to their increasing demands. Only the 'true believers' will be safe from the evils of society, etc. They build on-campus housing because now all of the families must live there, with at least one parent from each family working at the school, also. Lucien rarely sees his mother, whom he still calls 'Mama' at age 12. She's frequently leaving him to run errands and he never asks where she goes or questions anything, really.

This is all called out right away by his only non-school friend, Gabrielle, whom he met in town. Where he's not allowed to go anymore. She knows his situation is strange and that he's different. But she's a good person and begins to meet him once a week in the woods to make sure he's surviving well enough. Slowly, Lucien becomes aware that House of Earth isn't all peace and light as he was taught, and he struggles with his new realizations. It takes quite a lot of missing people before he's convinced that he needs to act quickly and save himself and his mother from the very sanctuary that was supposed to protect them.

The plot itself isn't bad, although plenty predictable. The writing is very fanciful and Lucien's inner musings sound like those of someone far more worldly than he is. Other adults point out that he seems like an old soul - and I believe the author purposely includes these comments to explain why someone so naïve and sheltered would have such existential speculations. Constantly. But that's where the 'not my usual type of story' comes in - I know some people enjoy this style of prose, but I couldn't get into it. Especially when the plot itself held no suspense, it was just a long journey on a straight road - no twists or turns, and you could see your destination the entire time.