The Bright Lands by John Fram (#82 in 2020)
Joel has moved on from Bentley, Texas, and all the awful memories it holds. But when Joel's younger brother, Dylan, reaches out with concerns about needing to escape, Joel knows he needs to revisit his old stomping grounds to help. When Dylan goes missing, Joel sets out to try and uncover the mystery of what happened to his brother and what other secrets Bentley is hiding.
You'll be happy to know that I got my pic of this book prior to the dog-chewing incident... and I got my pic on the (look familiar?) FAMOUS coffee table at @pocketsized_pageturner house after she made me a glorious breakfast for queens.
This book. Was wild.
John Fram does such a good job at building a setting that I could vividly imagine the Texas landscape and the town of Bentley, itself. As for characters, Fram's purposeful use of diction helps to establish distinct voices for each of the characters. This is especially helpful with a large cast of characters because it helps the reader to keep track of each voice without having to flip back and forth. You all know I hate to compare authors to other authors because each writer is unique in his or her own way, BUT John Fram is new to the scene and you might need some comparison to get a feel for his style. I'm going to come out and say it-- his writing technique is similar to Stephen King. It's the eerie undertones, the dark scenes, the vivid setting, and the development of complex characters. Trust me (& Shaq who did a little chewing...), this is one you won't want to miss. 4.5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
& as always, thank you to @hanoversquarepress for my gifted copy
Comentarios