The Bright Lands by John Fram

How I Heard About It:

*I follow avid reader and blogger @the.bookishworld.of.yrralh on Instagram.  He often has incredible and solid book recommendations.  What I appreciate most is they are titles I'm not normally familiar with.  After seeing his review of this story, I ordered the book, and read it in two days.  I could NOT put it down.


What It Is About - FIVE Things You Need to Know:

1.  *Joel Whitley has made a life for himself in New York City after fleeing the small Texas town of Bentley ten years earlier.



2.  *After a series of texts from his younger brother, Dylan, Joel decides it is time for him to return to the town he grew up in, the town he was humiliated in, and the town which drove him away.

3.  *Once in town, Joel is reunited with his former girlfriend, Clark, whose brother disappeared, but ten years earlier.

4.  *The two of them form a united front when Dylan disappears in a similar way to Clark's brother.

5.  *Many community members will go to great lengths to keep the secrets of their town and football program where they belong; out of sight and in the privacy of "the bright lands".


What I Thought Of It - Five Observations/Reflections:
1.  *One of my favorite things in life is starting a novel and knowing in my heart and mind I'm in for a wonderful and memorable read.  That is exactly what happened with this novel.

2.  *This was one of the most intense, shocking, disturbing, and raw adult stories I've read in a long time.

3.  *I was captivated by the current disappearance of Dylan and the past disappearance of Clark's brother.  The connection between the two was intriguing.

4.  *As I progressed through the pages, I enjoyed the multiple perspectives of the variety of characters and what they knew and didn't know.

5.  *The revelation of the mystery was difficult to read, but I also couldn't read fast enough to get through the conclusion.


Who Should Read It:
*I would recommend this novel published for adults for all readers with the stipulation there are some disturbing events and characters contained within the story.  I personally don't have a problem with this, but I know some readers don't like to read about dysfunctional subject matter.  Happy Reading!


Rating:  5 STARS out of 5 Stars