Brightly Burning by Alexa Donne - ADVISABLE

Brightly Burning by Alexa Donne, 391 pages. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2018. $17.99

Language: PG13 (13 swears, 0 “f”); Mature Content: PG; Violence: PG

BUYING ADVISORY: HS – ADVISABLE

AUDIENCE APPEAL: HIGH

The earth is no longer habitable because of another ice age; people have survived by living in spaceships that orbit the earth as they wait for the day they can safely return. But the ships are starting to break down, and Stella is determined not to go down with the failing ship she is living on. When Stella requests to transfer ships, she did not expect for her simple life to lead her through so many difficult decisions that determine the outcome for hundreds of lives.

I found myself intrigued by Stella’s story from page one – from the lives that people live among the stars to the intrigue that Stella finds as she tries to change the course of her life. The way that Stella lives by doing what she believes to be right and overcoming her fears to try new things is a lesson that we should all take to heart. Those who enjoy the stories of Jane Eyre and Beauty and the Beast will also enjoy Brightly Burning.

Reviewer: Carolina Herdegen