From the Bookshelf of SOS: Serious Overload of Series…

Burn Bright (Night Creatures, #1)

Marianne de Pierres

Start date: May 1, 2011

Finish date: May 31, 2011

Discussion: Book of the Month

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last updated Mar 15, 2012 06:15PM

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What Members Thought

May 23, 2012 D.G. rated it liked it

Shelves: reviewed, young-adult, paranormal

This book had a really interesting premise – young people escaping the tyranny of their parents/society to go to an island of ever partying - but the execution was weak, the dialogue was uninspired and the characterization was two dimensional. The story had lots of great potential but I don’t think it lived up to it.

~~Retard~~ (damn autocorrect!) Retra is a young woman from a sealed community – a sort of dystopian society where the women are veiled and people are controlled by their Elders, blah, b This book had a really interesting premise – young people escaping the tyranny of their parents/society to go to an island of ever partying - but the execution was weak, the dialogue was uninspired and the characterization was two dimensional. The story had lots of great potential but I don’t think it lived up to it.

~~Retard~~ (damn autocorrect!) Retra is a young woman from a sealed community – a sort of dystopian society where the women are veiled and people are controlled by their Elders, blah, blah, blah. She escapes to Ixion, an island of ‘ever night’ where “music and party are our only beliefs.” Predictably, our saintly heroine is not interested in any of that; she’s only there to look for her brother, who escaped there a few years earlier.

Retra is 16 going on 8. She’s so “innocent” that she’s repulsed when she sees other people making out and doesn't wonder why the people of Ixion would open their island to thousands of teenagers that don’t pay them any money or do any type of work. She immediately gets a posse even though she’s not particularly friendly, charming, smart or even attractive. At one point, she does something brave but by then, she seems to have called the attention of everybody in Ixion, including the Ripers (these are the ones in charge.)

The discovery that not “everything at Ixion is what it seems” (duh!) was not at all subtle but came like a mallet to the head. Immediately upon arrival there are creatures whispering in the dark, dire warnings of what happens if people don’t get their rest, rules of where to go and not to go, etc. Not all the carefree atmosphere that you think would prevail in a world where partying is the most important thing.

Soon enough, Retra is embroiled in all sorts of intrigues. Surprisingly, she’s able to crash meetings of several opposing groups where sensitive information is discussed and nobody ever wonders if she’s a spy. *rolls eyes* I really didn’t care for any of these factions and couldn’t care less who was right.

One of things the book got right was the really creepy atmosphere, which bordered on horror. The Ripers are not benevolent benefactors but frightening otherworldly creatures with secrets and the things that bump in the night are really dangerous and scary. You get the impression that these teenagers were better off wherever they were before.

Not sure that I’ll continue the series. The positives just didn’t outweigh the negatives. ...more

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Apr 17, 2011 Shelleyrae at Book'd Out rated it really liked it

Shelves: arc-are, aussie-author

I was gifted Burn Bright by the author after reviewing a book by her literary alter ego, Sharp Shooter. Fantasy YA is not usually a genre I would seek out and I admit I chose to read it because I was grateful for the gift and because it neatly coincided with a GR challenge. However from the beginning I was drawn into this imaginative and bold YA fantasy novel.
Retra lives on an island in a repressive society whose strict class structure segregates its inhabitants. As a 'Seal', Retra lives under a I was gifted Burn Bright by the author after reviewing a book by her literary alter ego, Sharp Shooter. Fantasy YA is not usually a genre I would seek out and I admit I chose to read it because I was grateful for the gift and because it neatly coincided with a GR challenge. However from the beginning I was drawn into this imaginative and bold YA fantasy novel.
Retra lives on an island in a repressive society whose strict class structure segregates its inhabitants. As a 'Seal', Retra lives under a repressive regime that denies free thought or speech. Retra's brother rebelled against the strictures and escaped to the rumoured island of Ixia leaving her to face punishment from her family and community leaders. Despite the cost, Retra follows in her brother's footsteps, and lands in Ixia - a haven of pleasure and self expression determined to reunite with him.
What particularly hooked me with this novel, was taking the journey with Retra as opposed to watching it unfold. Starting the book, I was pretty confused, not understanding why Retra was fleeing, crippled with pain, or where she was headed, but I wanted to know and I soon appreciated that this unusual beginning was a clever technique that mirrored Retra's own experience of disorientation and created an immediate bond between her character and myself as the reader. Even though the narrative is third person, the perspective always comes from Retra's experience maintaining that link throughout the story. Since we rarely learn any more than what Retra does and she knows very little, some details of the storyline have to be intuited or imagined, which can be frustrating if you prefer your fantasy world and it's rules to be clearly delineated. As a series debut there is some deliberate vagueness and mystery surrounding the characters and plot direction leaving the author plenty of scope to navigate in future installments.

The plot explores the extremes of repressive and hedonistic society and the natural inclination of teenage rebellion. Ixia is a pleasure island, constantly in darkness, that advocates freedom and constant partying. Everything is provided for it's refugees and there are few rules, but behind the glittering facade, the Ripers hide a secret. As the residents age they are withdrawn, though no one seems to know where it is they go, the teens are forced to take mind altering drugs under the guise of care and the Ripers seem more sinister than solicitous. Retra is not the only one who sees past the glossy surface, unsanctioned gangs like the League led by Dark Eve, and the mysterious Ruzalia. Events begin to spiral out of control and as truths are revealed, Retra sheds her Seal identity to become Naif who may well lead a revolution.

Burn Bright is an intoxicating and edgy adventure from accomplished Australian writer, Marianne de Pierres. I look forward to the second book in the Night Creatures series. ...more

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Apr 16, 2011 Deyara rated it really liked it

Exciting start to the series. Quite dark but very readable. Will definitely be picking up book 2.

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Feb 01, 2011 Literary Ames marked it as own-but-unread

Shelves: free-read, young-adult, kindle, 1st-in-series, dystopian-or-post-apocalyptic, paranormal, b-2-f-challenge

ETA: Free on Kindle right now.

Released March 1, 2011 but as of March 30, 2011 I can't find a copy of it anywhere, in any format and yet there are reviews so I'm guessing it's a limited release. Oh well. ...more

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