A Neon Darkness (The Bright Sessions Book 2)

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LA seemed as good a place as any to hit up next on my haphazard tour of the western United States. Anything’s better than goddamned Nebraska. But, in another boneheaded move, I haven’t looked at a calendar in weeks, which means I’ve somehow timed it so that I’m driving into Los Angeles on the night of Halloween.

The found family element of this book is still my favorite between Indah and Neon and Alex and Marley.Well…,” she begins, smiling. She smiles so easily. I’m so envious of that. The vodka turns in my stomach and suddenly the last thing I want is to watch her smile around another adorable quip. I wish she would stop smiling, rubbing her happiness in my face.

Indah Indrawati: A Muslim bartender and member of the Unusuals who Damien stays with his first night in the city. She has the ability to sense atypical abilities. This book makes it so easy to hate Damien. He is constantly messing up, which can be understandable, but he's refusal to learn and get better is so infuriating. Part of this is definitely because he's a white cis male and has privilege up the ass. Another part of it is his power and how it lets him use whoever he wants. I loved the friend group Damien was surrounded by, they were such an amazing group of people. I really hope we see more of them either in the podcast or in later installments of this series. Each of these artists uses the qualities of the night to add something special to their photos. Ekaterina Mishchenkova There’s a couple cozying up in one of the booths—ugh, no, I hate dealing with couples. That kind of closeness is alien and impossible to navigate, my desire always swinging from wanting to be more than a third wheel to wanting to break the whole damn bicycle. But my gaze lingers on the pair, watching the guy’s arm grasp his girlfriend’s shoulder, watching her put her hand on his face, and I feel the same pang I felt out in the street. I’m in a much smaller space now though—much closer to them than I was to the crowd outside—so if I’m not careful, I might find myself dealing with a couple all the same. I tear my eyes away.It's more power, more satisfying control, than I've ever experienced in my life, and it is completely intoxicating. I want to see how they fall, how they fly. All I have to do is ask. I tell them to jump." Okay, then why not?” I press. “Alcohol is great.” I smile wide at her but her giggles stop and her shoulders square off defensively. Y'all I still have no idea how to feel about this book! A Neon Darkness focuses on Damien's story. But before he was Damien, he was Robert Gorham running from his past and a power he doesn't quite understand. But in LA, Robert meets a group of Unusuals like him and he wants to be accepted into their group, so he is. But as the friends get to know each other, how much of it is real friendship and how much of it is Robert's will to belong. I really enjoyed reading about the group of 'unusuals' Damien met. Each of them had an interesting story and had very different views on their own powers. I loved the way they interacted with each other. I really, really disliked Robert from the start. At first I understood that he was struggling with his power (to make others want what he wants), and empathized a bit. It was an interesting twist to have a character who gets everything they want, but still isn’t happy. However, when it became clear that Robert’s arc wasn’t going anywhere, I was extremely disappointed. Neon, Indah, and the others just keep having the same “don’t use your powers on us” argument with him over and over, which eh would then ignore, and it got really tedious and repetitive.

I have to say I feel bad for anyone who actually saw the teaser. Why on Earth did Shippen, or perhaps the publisher, forecast the whole plot and it’s so-compelling transformation right there on the cover? I say this from the perspective of knowing absolutely nothing about these novels other than having read the first in the series, so perhaps my naïveté was rare. So I’ve never listened to the Bright Sessions, but I did read The Infinite Noise. I just wanted you to get my frame of reference before going into my review. I have always really loved the idea of the world in The Bright Sessions books. The concept of super powered teens trying to live their lives and navigate their powers. While I enjoyed A Neon Darkness, I definitely enjoyed it less than the first. Keep reading this book review if you also love that idea! Summary Shippen does a superb job of handling a swirl of complex emotions, ranging from subtle to fiery as the boys struggle to complete each other and share their differences. " — Booklist A Neon Darkness is Shippen’s second novel based on The Bright Sessions podcast world. Where The Infinite Noise focused on Caleb Michaels and Adam Hayes’ story, this time, it goes to a more complicated and darker route. We get a glimpse and origin story into the complex character of Robert Gorham and how he becomes and embraces the name Damien. She introduces us to LGBTQ+ characters and diverse characters that defy typical stereotypes. They have conversations about sexuality, religion, emotions, trauma, and life in general. If you have not listened to The Bright Sessions podcast, no worries, you will not be lost. These books are meant to be standalone stories. The beautiful cover art of the book was once again done by talented artist Victo Ngai. E-ARC provided by the publisher (Tor Teen) through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All quotations are not final. Thank you so much!What kind of twelve-step program has an alcoholic working in a bar?” She giggles, and it helps me not feel stupid for suggesting it. As readers, we want Robert to realize how manipulative his powers on. It’s also insidious and beyond terrifying, because it introduces doubt into all his interactions. And the wants, dreams, and plans of his friends and family. Did they really want to go out with him and confess their secrets to Robert? How can we ever really have an honest relationship? I think A Neon Darkness has the potential to be polarizing to readers, because it examines not only this, but what happens to Robert. Can Robert change, does he want to? Robert’s Power and His Own Heroism