Brightly Burning

Well, I'm back after a massive break! School has started, and even though I am still busy with unpacking and getting settled in a new house, I am so far behind on my reviews.  I think it will be good to get back in a "routine." Even though it's a NEW routine!
This was a good book.  Not a great book, and certainly not an awesome book, but it was good.  The author did a great job with world building and creating her setting.
Now, I have never read Jane Eyre.  I have seen the 1996 movie.  And I read Jane Steele a couple of years ago.  Since this book was another take on Jane Eyre, maybe I should read it.  But due to the fact that I know how the story goes, I most likely will not...

Brightly Burning by Alexa Donne
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Okay, I am not sure how to review this book. It was described to me as a sic-fi take on Jane Eyre, and I received an ARC from the publisher. Although sic-fi is not my favorite genre, I did think the premise sounded interesting. Stella is an orphan who was sent to live on a farming ship years ago. She does not live in the best conditions, and applies for jobs off of her ship in an attempt to escape and find a better life. The only job she is offered is the governess to a young girl on an isolated ship that no one knows much about. Once on the ship, she meets the small crew and finds a place to fit in. Eventually the mysterious captain of the ship returns, and she finds herself drawn to him. As she gets closer to him, she begins to feel even more uncertain about her place on board the ship and the nature of his character.
The setting of this book, a small ship that is orbiting the moon, helps to create a feeling of isolation that contributes to the tone of the book. The bleakness of space is a big part of the story. I enjoyed the character of Stella. She was easy to identify with, and I found her relatable. The secondary characters were a bit flat, but not to the extent that it took away from the story.
The pacing of the book moved along very well, until about 1/3 to 1/4 of the way through. It was easy to tell that the story was moving towards a big event/reveal, but when it happened, it was rather anti-climactic. I found myself just thinking, "Really? That was it? Oh..." After that the plot dragged for several chapters. Then, all of a sudden, the story picked up in a very dramatic way, but the previous chapters had not helped to create a sense of tension or suspense, so the big action seemed kind of superfluous or inorganic. Huge exciting things were happening one after another--bang, bang, bang--but I did not feel invested in what was going on because the pacing was just all off.
All in all, I enjoyed the book until the very end. The lack of action, and then abundance of action in the last part of the book took me out of the story a bit. Nonetheless, it was still a good read.


View all my reviews