Bright Burning Things
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- Create Date：2021-12-10 02:21:42
- Update Date：2025-09-06
- Status：finish
- Author：Lisa Harding
- ISBN：0063097141
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Summary
Sonya used to perform on stage。 She attended glamorous parties， dated handsome men， rode in fast cars。 But somewhere along the way， the stage lights Sonya lived for dimmed to black。 In their absence， came darkness—blackouts， empty cupboards， hazy nights she could not remember。
Haunted by her failed career and lingering trauma from her childhood， Sonya fell deep into an alcoholic abyss。 What kept her from losing herself completely was Tommy， her son。 But her love for Tommy rivaled her love for the bottle。 Addiction amplified her fear of losing her child; every maternal misstep compelled her to drink。 Tommy’s precious life was in her shaky hands。
Eventually Sonya was forced to make a choice。 Give up drinking or lose Tommy—forever。
Bright Burning Things is an emotional tour-de-force—a devastating and nuanced look at an addict’s journey towards rehabilitation and redemption。
Haunted by her failed career and lingering trauma from her childhood， Sonya fell deep into an alcoholic abyss。 What kept her from losing herself completely was Tommy， her son。 But her love for Tommy rivaled her love for the bottle。 Addiction amplified her fear of losing her child; every maternal misstep compelled her to drink。 Tommy’s precious life was in her shaky hands。
Eventually Sonya was forced to make a choice。 Give up drinking or lose Tommy—forever。
Bright Burning Things is an emotional tour-de-force—a devastating and nuanced look at an addict’s journey towards rehabilitation and redemption。
Reviews
Flannery Buchanan
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Really sad story told from the mind of the alcoholic。 If you like depressing Irish people as I do， then this one is for you。
WeLoveBigBooksAndWeCannotLie
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Bright Burning Things by Lisa Harding is a touching story of Sonya， a young single mother in the grips of alcohol addiction。 She has rapidly fallen deep into alcoholism and has become a danger to her 4 yr old son。 Finally her neighbor alerts Sonya’s long estranged father and he steps in before the authorities are called。 He gives her an ultimatum: voluntarily submit to rehab or lose her son。 We follow her through her recovery as she works tirelessly to win her son back and discovers her true str Bright Burning Things by Lisa Harding is a touching story of Sonya， a young single mother in the grips of alcohol addiction。 She has rapidly fallen deep into alcoholism and has become a danger to her 4 yr old son。 Finally her neighbor alerts Sonya’s long estranged father and he steps in before the authorities are called。 He gives her an ultimatum: voluntarily submit to rehab or lose her son。 We follow her through her recovery as she works tirelessly to win her son back and discovers her true strength。Thank you so much @harperviabooks for sending us this amazing story！ This book publishes on December 7！！！ Check out our TikTok feature for Bright Burning Things by clicking the link in our bio🌺🧜🏻♀️ 。。。more
Caitlin （CMAReads）
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3。5 Thanks to Libro。fm and HarperAudio for the ALC。This book has such a unique voice。 The author captures the character so well， and it completely immersed me in this story。 It was an audiobook that I didn't want to put down， yet it was so hard to listen to because Sonya is an alcoholic and neglects her child。 My heart broke over and over while listening to this book。 I rooted for the characters and hoped this family could come out of all of this tragedy。I struggled a bit with the ending。 I unde 3。5 Thanks to Libro。fm and HarperAudio for the ALC。This book has such a unique voice。 The author captures the character so well， and it completely immersed me in this story。 It was an audiobook that I didn't want to put down， yet it was so hard to listen to because Sonya is an alcoholic and neglects her child。 My heart broke over and over while listening to this book。 I rooted for the characters and hoped this family could come out of all of this tragedy。I struggled a bit with the ending。 I understand why it was done the way it was - but I think I would've liked an epilogue to give me a bit more closure。The narration was wonderful。 The author narrates and she captured the erratic behaviors and thoughts of her character so well。 It was so easy to get caught up in this story， and I binged in less 24 hours。 。。。more
Patty
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I am sorry I spent time reading this because I found it to be unkind， and unbelievable。 The main character may have alcohol issues but mostly she is mentally ill and no one in the story seems to address that。 She is pitiful （as in deserving pity）， her father and his second wife are despicable and there are not enough negative words to describe David。 I find it highly unbelievable that Sonya would not come across SOMEONE （Jimmy doesn't count， he was just sympathetic and Sister Anne was a human ba I am sorry I spent time reading this because I found it to be unkind， and unbelievable。 The main character may have alcohol issues but mostly she is mentally ill and no one in the story seems to address that。 She is pitiful （as in deserving pity）， her father and his second wife are despicable and there are not enough negative words to describe David。 I find it highly unbelievable that Sonya would not come across SOMEONE （Jimmy doesn't count， he was just sympathetic and Sister Anne was a human band-aid） who did not help her。 Everyone seems to want to turn her in and take away her son。 For 2021/22 this is not too realistic， despite the fact that mental illness still carries a certain unfair stigma to this day。 。。。more
Daniel O。
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At first I did not understand the story very well， but I was very fascinated
BookBagDC
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This is a story about addiction。 After a challenging childhood following the death of her mother and the arrival of a stepmother who always treated her with disdain， Sonya finds success as an actress in London。 Her life is full of fancy parties， several suitors， and lauded performances。 But as her career， and the associated life， fades， Sonya finds herself back in suburban Dublin where she grew up， depending more and more on drinking to get through the day。 The only bright spot in her life i This is a story about addiction。 After a challenging childhood following the death of her mother and the arrival of a stepmother who always treated her with disdain， Sonya finds success as an actress in London。 Her life is full of fancy parties， several suitors， and lauded performances。 But as her career， and the associated life， fades， Sonya finds herself back in suburban Dublin where she grew up， depending more and more on drinking to get through the day。 The only bright spot in her life is Tommy， her young son。 As much as she loves Tommy， Sonya finds herself needing to drink to get through the day and the pressures of motherhood and life， leading to questionable behavior and even blackouts。 When her neighbor and somewhat estranged father become increasingly concerned about Tommy's well-being， they force Sonya into a choice: go to rehab or risk losing Tommy。 Sonya agrees to go but finds that the path to redemption is not a straight line -- and who to trust， including yourself， is not always obvious on the surface。 This was a well-crafted novel。 The author did a terrific job of taking us inside the mind of the main character。 The reader gets a strong sense of Sonya's struggles， how they are informed by her childhood experiences， and how they in turn inform the choices that she is making， even when those choices seem hard to understand or support， as well as， despite her best intentions， the impact of these choices on her son。 Through Sonya’s journey， and her interactions with her father， a counselor， and her neighbor， we also come to understand how those that society tends to treat as upstanding or respected often have questionable motivations or act in problematic ways behind closed doors。 This is not an easy read， but it is a powerful one with insights about addiction， the bonds between parents and children， and generational trauma。Highly recommended！ 。。。more
Natalia Weissfeld
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ARC provided by publisher in exchange for honest reviewThis book is truly brilliant。 It's an intimate story about motherhood， told in the first person by a woman who struggles daily to control her demons manifested in her excessive alcohol consumption。 The novel tells the story of Sonya， a former actress， and her unconditional love for little Tommy， his 4 years old son。 Overwhelmed by the burden that represents for her， as a single woman， assuming the responsibility for raising her child alone， ARC provided by publisher in exchange for honest reviewThis book is truly brilliant。 It's an intimate story about motherhood， told in the first person by a woman who struggles daily to control her demons manifested in her excessive alcohol consumption。 The novel tells the story of Sonya， a former actress， and her unconditional love for little Tommy， his 4 years old son。 Overwhelmed by the burden that represents for her， as a single woman， assuming the responsibility for raising her child alone， the threat of losing him forever， places her on the （definitive？） path of recovery。 The book is so full of heartbreak and hope， that reading it is like a rollercoaster of emotions。 The characters are so well developed that it is possible to understand the reasons behind their decisions， even when you don't agree with them。 A wonderfully crafted novel that I would highly recommend。 。。。more
Valerie in Nebraska
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I haven't experienced a loved one being addicted to alcohol， but feel I've glimpsed the roller coaster of emotions by reading Bright Burning Things by Lisa Harding。The premise: In present day Ireland， Sonya is an unemployed actor living with an out-of-control addiction。 She loves her 4-year-old son Tommy very much， but alcoholism has an tight grip on her life。 Their days swing widely from manic excitement to real danger， depending upon Sonya's level of intoxication。 Tommy and their dog Herbie of I haven't experienced a loved one being addicted to alcohol， but feel I've glimpsed the roller coaster of emotions by reading Bright Burning Things by Lisa Harding。The premise: In present day Ireland， Sonya is an unemployed actor living with an out-of-control addiction。 She loves her 4-year-old son Tommy very much， but alcoholism has an tight grip on her life。 Their days swing widely from manic excitement to real danger， depending upon Sonya's level of intoxication。 Tommy and their dog Herbie often fend for themselves， attempting to care for Sonya on her worst days。 Every emotion Sonya experiences is intense and extreme。After a particularly dangerous event， Sonya's mostly-absent father intervenes and demands she participate in a three-month inpatient treatment program。 She's devastated to be away from Tommy but has little choice。 To her own surprise， she completes the program and begins re-entry to daily life without alcohol。 Predictably， all does not go smoothly， but the novel has a hopeful yet abrupt conclusion。Many thanks to HarperCollins for the review copy of the audiobook expertly narrated by the author， a former London stage actress。 I began listening at 1。0 speed because the narration is quick and disjointed， perfectly conveying Sonya's manic thoughts and actions。 At times， it felt like being caught in a whirlwind。 I could listen for only an hour or so before I needed a mental break from the intensity。 。。。more
Liza Markling
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⭐️⭐️⭐️ Sonya is a single mom trying to care for 4-year old Tommy， but Sonya struggles with alcoholism。 When Sonya’s estranged dad intervenes and sends her into rehab， Sonya struggles but does it so that she can get Tommy back。I kept hearing about #brightburningthings by #lisaharding so I wanted to give it a read even though it wasn’t something I would normally read。 Thank you to @netgalley for providing a copy in exchange for an honest review。 #netgalley #netgallyreviewer #netgalleyreader #netga ⭐️⭐️⭐️ Sonya is a single mom trying to care for 4-year old Tommy， but Sonya struggles with alcoholism。 When Sonya’s estranged dad intervenes and sends her into rehab， Sonya struggles but does it so that she can get Tommy back。I kept hearing about #brightburningthings by #lisaharding so I wanted to give it a read even though it wasn’t something I would normally read。 Thank you to @netgalley for providing a copy in exchange for an honest review。 #netgalley #netgallyreviewer #netgalleyreader #netgalleyarc #fiction #booklover #bookreviews #whatimreading #whatiread#bookish #bookstagram #bookworm #booknerd #bookaddict #bibliophile #bookgram #bookstagrammer #instabooks #bookreviewer 。。。more
Booksandcoffeepleasemx
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𝘙𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨， 𝘦𝘯𝘨𝘳𝘰𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘵-𝘸𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨！Prepare yourself for an emotional roller coaster wild ride。 I was completely invested in this story and it was impossible to stop。 Moving， disturbing， heart-breaking， unflinching， captivating， hopeful and addictive。 I was completely invested in this story and it was impossible to stop。 All the stars。Thank you Libro。fm and Harper Books for this ALC。Bright Burning Things by Lisa Harding releases tomorrow December 7， 2021。𝘙𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘪𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦: 𝘍𝘪𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯， 𝘔𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘭 𝘏𝘦 𝘙𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨， 𝘦𝘯𝘨𝘳𝘰𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘵-𝘸𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨！Prepare yourself for an emotional roller coaster wild ride。 I was completely invested in this story and it was impossible to stop。 Moving， disturbing， heart-breaking， unflinching， captivating， hopeful and addictive。 I was completely invested in this story and it was impossible to stop。 All the stars。Thank you Libro。fm and Harper Books for this ALC。Bright Burning Things by Lisa Harding releases tomorrow December 7， 2021。𝘙𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘪𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦: 𝘍𝘪𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯， 𝘔𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘭 𝘏𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘵𝘩 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘴， 𝘚𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘢𝘥𝘥𝘪𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯， 𝘍𝘢𝘮𝘪𝘭𝘺 𝘋𝘳𝘢𝘮𝘢， 𝘓𝘪𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘳𝘺 𝘍𝘪𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯， 𝘐𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘴𝘦 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘴。https://www。instagram。com/booksandcof。。。 。。。more
Tammy
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Rtc
Susan
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For the first part of this book I wasn't sure what I was reading。 It sounded like the internal thoughts of a woman with a serious mental illness。 Finally things started opening up and making more sense and I thought the story was moving。 But， really until the very end of the book if felt like Sonya was stuck in the same place。 I think what I was missing was what got her to this place。 Sure the summary mentions her life as an actress but since the reader never gets to know her as she was then， th For the first part of this book I wasn't sure what I was reading。 It sounded like the internal thoughts of a woman with a serious mental illness。 Finally things started opening up and making more sense and I thought the story was moving。 But， really until the very end of the book if felt like Sonya was stuck in the same place。 I think what I was missing was what got her to this place。 Sure the summary mentions her life as an actress but since the reader never gets to know her as she was then， the flashback references are incredibly disjointed and are more confusing that enlightening。 Finally it feels like Sonya and the story start making progress and that's when the book ends。 I wish this book had offered more。 More before and more after。 Thanks to NetGalley and HarperVia for a copy of the book。 This review is my own opinion。 。。。more
Lucy Nichol
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 Bright Burning Things is about former actress and current single mum Sonya and her destructive relationship with alcohol that soon devastates and jeopardises her relationship with her four year old son， Tommy。The book opens in chaos。 We know Sonya is drunk， and we’re pretty much sharing in her double vision and broken thoughts。 It’s exhausting， and incredibly difficult not to feel frustrated at the neglect that she is putting Tommy and their lovable dog Herbie through。 Even though this is writte Bright Burning Things is about former actress and current single mum Sonya and her destructive relationship with alcohol that soon devastates and jeopardises her relationship with her four year old son， Tommy。The book opens in chaos。 We know Sonya is drunk， and we’re pretty much sharing in her double vision and broken thoughts。 It’s exhausting， and incredibly difficult not to feel frustrated at the neglect that she is putting Tommy and their lovable dog Herbie through。 Even though this is written from the point of view of Sonya， you can practically feel her boys’ hunger pangs， as she falls in and out of consciousness， leaving Tommy and Herbie to fend for themselves。 We don’t need to read Tommy’s mind to know how scared he is and how much of an adult he is trying to be in the absence of an attentive mother。 His actions and words show us just how frightened he is， regardless of how our unreliable narrator sees them through her warped intoxicated mind。Without going too much into the plot and sharing too many spoilers， this is a story of getting sober， facing a past and trying to become a good mum。 Having looked on the Goodreads reviews， most of which are great， I wonder if perhaps the reason that some readers are left feeling dissatisfied is because Sonya’s problems don’t disappear neatly and tidily once the alcohol has dried up。 She doesn’t automatically become a good mum overnight because she’s sober。 And I think this is why I found the book so compelling。 In many ways， I feel that this is shining a light on the fact that problems with addiction are less about the substance， and more about an underlying pain or trauma。 That’s definitely what comes to mind in Sonya’s case。Her problematic relationship with her dad might be due to her drinking。 But it might also be due to the fact that he is also a broken man， having lost his wife， Sonya’s mum， many years ago。 With two broken people there’s rarely a clear right or wrong， just a case of neither being especially present for the other。We also meet a love interest who， sadly， appears to be gaslighting Sonya and controlling her。 You might be tempted to wonder if Sonya’s simply over-reacting， putting up barriers， not allowing herself to fall in love。 But then you remember his words。 And regardless of what Sonya thinks and feels about him， there’s definitely something disturbing about his behaviour。 Another broken soul perhaps？Recovery can be an amazing， life-changing experience for those who find it。 But it’s rarely a straight line of upwards progression and positivity。 And I think that’s what we’re seeing here。 That alcohol was covering something up， hiding some pain， allowing Sonya to function – until she could function with it no more。 But without alcohol， Sonya is still clearly unwell – and she has to almost rebuild her life from scratch， learning how to be a mum just as any new mum might。 It’s frustrating because you want things to be OK。 You want to believe that， with the wine bottles out of the way， Sonya will be responsible， and she’ll put her son and her pets first。 And you can see her try – in the packed lunch she rushes to buy for Tommy’s school dinner， only to be reprimanded for getting it wrong。And， once again， she’s off swimming in the sea leaving Tommy and her dog and kitten shivering on the beach。 Or she’s racing around the park in the rain while they run free and alone…Sonya is clearly trying to escape her demons。 She’s desperately trying to calm her racing thoughts and keep herself on track。 She’s putting her sobriety first。 Which is a good thing – she might not be perfect， but she’s not dangerously drunk。 And if she wants to look after her family， she has to put sobriety first。 The problem here isn’t her approach， more， it’s her circumstances。 She has nobody she can trust to lean on。 She has to battle the bad fairies while simultaneously being a mum。 Some people might come out of rehab with a partner or close friend able to pick up on the day to day responsibilities giving them time to invest in recovery。 Sonya doesn’t have that – she’s just doing her best。Sonya is flawed and often infuriating – but she isn’t unlikeable。 You feel frustrated with her just as you do any character you’re cheering on who’s doing something you know， as the reader or viewer， is no good for them whatsoever。 Whether it’s someone going it alone into the darkness outside to check where the strange noises were coming from， taking back an abusive partner， or， in Sonya’s case， swimming in the sea and leaving her son alone on the beach。The ingredients for recovery from any mental health problem are multi-dimensional – just as the causes of them are。 Which is why we don’t see a healthy and happy ending here。 Sonya doesn’t have the support networks around her。 She doesn’t have the therapy she needs to face her past trauma。 She doesn’t have the coaching she needs to learn to be a good mum again。Don’t read this book looking for a happy ever after。 But if you want to really understand the complexities of addiction and recovery – including the ugly bits and the darker bits – through beautiful writing and real characters， then this book will be an eye opener to how some people strive to survive， and how a talented writer uses her craft to take you directly into her character’s chaotic mind。I don’t think we need to relate to a character to find a book invaluable and powerful for whatever reason。 I didn’t relate to Sonya， but I found empathy for her。 And I feel as though the book concludes with Sonya at the very beginning of her recovery journey。 And that’s OK。 Because recovery， surely， lasts a lifetime。 。。。more
Drea
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This is a lovely， heartfelt， heart wrenching， heartwarming novel about a single mom with overwhelming obstacles to overcome。 It’s， at times， painful to read as a child is involved and it’s an unflinching portrayal of addiction。 Brutal。 The writing is spot on and I spent the entire time truly rooting for this family。 I wholeheartedly recommend this beautiful book and am grateful to Harper for the advanced copy。 Read this one！
Kathleen Gray
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A powerful frantic novel about Sonya， who has fallen down the rabbit hole of alcoholism， and her four year old son Tommy。 Sonya isn't keeping it together- even she knows that。 She loves Tommy and her rescue dog Herbie but there's no food in the house， no clean clothes， no clean dishes， and Tommy knows too much about her demons。 Then， her father steps in and she's sent to rehab but Tommy is taken into care。 This isn't an easy story at all。 It's told in a stream of consciousness， with small detail A powerful frantic novel about Sonya， who has fallen down the rabbit hole of alcoholism， and her four year old son Tommy。 Sonya isn't keeping it together- even she knows that。 She loves Tommy and her rescue dog Herbie but there's no food in the house， no clean clothes， no clean dishes， and Tommy knows too much about her demons。 Then， her father steps in and she's sent to rehab but Tommy is taken into care。 This isn't an easy story at all。 It's told in a stream of consciousness， with small details about Sonya's back story coming out slowly and others， such as her vegetarianism， always in the forefront。 She has a chance encounter with David at a pizza restaurant where things go horribly wrong and he becomes， later， part of her life。 It's beautifully written。 Thanks to Edelweiss for the ARC。 There are no easy answers here。 Great read。 。。。more
Christina
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“Actions speak louder than words， and actions takes time to prove。”A very raw and real story about a woman who previously was an actress who stopped performing， became a mother， and her life took a nosedive into an addiction into alcoholism。 Sonya， is having trouble curbing her addition even in the face of her toddler。 She is seen around town looking like she needs help， but runs from every person who asks her questions about what’s going on。 Her son， Tommy， is a doting 4 year old， who is watchi “Actions speak louder than words， and actions takes time to prove。”A very raw and real story about a woman who previously was an actress who stopped performing， became a mother， and her life took a nosedive into an addiction into alcoholism。 Sonya， is having trouble curbing her addition even in the face of her toddler。 She is seen around town looking like she needs help， but runs from every person who asks her questions about what’s going on。 Her son， Tommy， is a doting 4 year old， who is watching his mom succumb to the power of addiction to alcohol， and is trying to warn his mom in his little ways to stay away from what he sees in the bottles she consumes。 However， the addiction is too powerful， and her absent and estranged father is forced to step in to intervene before the worst can happen。 This is a heartbreaking story that shares the power of alcoholism and addiction， the journey of recovery and redemption， and absolute love of a mother and her child working through the stress and trials of recovery。 Sonya， is a very troubled woman， difficult， and hard to understand right away， but as you get to know her in this story， you are just absolutely drawn to her and Tommy。 This book is indescribable， and brilliant， and one of the most insightful viewpoints into the world of addiction from a single mother’s perspective。 Your heart is just gripped from the very moment you meet Sonya， to the last page， and I could not put this book down。 Harding， absolutely brought Sonya to life in such a vivid way， that as a reader， you truly get caught up in the life and drama and heartache that happens through this book。 You become protective of Sonya， even through all the things she does， and the story just pulls on your heartstrings over and over。 As much as I was mesmerized， I was also equally fearful， avoidant， and desperate an distressed to know what was going to happen with Sonya and the people in her life。 This book is emotionally taxing on your soul， and you feel every push， pull， whim， fancy… all the emotions just goes through you。 Ugh， this book hit me in my feels！ This book was a powerful account of woman who struggles with addiction， and how everyone associated with the one addicted is involved whether they like it or not。 The book also shines a light on mental health， parental relationships， support systems， available resources for families and those addicted， and the residual consequences to the actions of the addicted。 So many powerful moments in this book that displayed the power of a person’s will and ability to survive through hard life situations。 I was deeply moved， and will remember this book for such a long time。 Topics that were discussed: - Addiction （alcoholism）- Recovery/sobriety - Mental health - Family support- Government assistance - Relationships - Betrayal *TW: addiction， alcoholism， CPS， foster care， partner abuseThank you to HarperVia and Lisa Harding for providing this book in exchange for a fair and honest review。 。。。more
lou
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this story was。。。 overwhelming， but at the same time， kind of enjoyable， as wrong as that could sound。 the amount of emotions that i went through in the 3 days i read this were countless。 it was really powerful， the way the author described each feeling was just mesmerizing。 loved the way she constructed each character， all of them being intriguing and complex。 so glad i got to read this， dont think i'll ever forget it。 also， jimmy has a soft spot in my heart from now on。 alcoholism is hard to p this story was。。。 overwhelming， but at the same time， kind of enjoyable， as wrong as that could sound。 the amount of emotions that i went through in the 3 days i read this were countless。 it was really powerful， the way the author described each feeling was just mesmerizing。 loved the way she constructed each character， all of them being intriguing and complex。 so glad i got to read this， dont think i'll ever forget it。 also， jimmy has a soft spot in my heart from now on。 alcoholism is hard to portray since i do think it could be easily generalized and stereotyped， but the author did an amazing job， as someone who had close ones suffer from this （first or second hand） it hit the spot。thank u netgalley for providing me with a copy of this book ！！ （e-arc） 。。。more
Jastuart314gmail。com
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At first the audible edition was so frantic， I thought something was wrong with my download。 As I continued to listen， I realized that this was the way the author and narrator choose to portray it。Sonya has traumas from her past， her failed stage career， and an addiction that threatens her life in a most devastating way。 If she cannot give up drinking， she will lose her most precious thing， her young son， Tommy。#NetGalley #BrightBurningThings #Addiction
Nancy Mijangos
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I received an ARC of this novel from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review。 Sonya falls into alcoholism and loses her child。 Her struggle to regain her son and herself is difficult but inspiring。
Julie
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Actual rating: 3。5Intense read。。。 I've heard this title is a mix of Glass Castle and Room。 I couldn't agree more。 Addiction， mental illness， and a single mom trying to make it all work。 A special thank you to the publisher for an advance copy of this title Actual rating: 3。5Intense read。。。 I've heard this title is a mix of Glass Castle and Room。 I couldn't agree more。 Addiction， mental illness， and a single mom trying to make it all work。 A special thank you to the publisher for an advance copy of this title 。。。more
Ashley
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3。75🎧Audiobook thoughts。。。Uffda。 This book was heavy and triggering。 This story follows a woman， Sonya， who's battling alcohol addiction and faces losing her four year old son， Tommy。 When her barely present father steps in to help protect Tommy， Sonya agrees to go to a detox program。 This story is raw and heartbreaking。I grew up in a home with an alcoholic and this was very triggering and emotionally difficult to read。Thank you @librofm for the gifted audiobook。 As always， all opinions are my o 3。75🎧Audiobook thoughts。。。Uffda。 This book was heavy and triggering。 This story follows a woman， Sonya， who's battling alcohol addiction and faces losing her four year old son， Tommy。 When her barely present father steps in to help protect Tommy， Sonya agrees to go to a detox program。 This story is raw and heartbreaking。I grew up in a home with an alcoholic and this was very triggering and emotionally difficult to read。Thank you @librofm for the gifted audiobook。 As always， all opinions are my own。 #partner 。。。more
Jo
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Book Review - Bright Burning Things by Lisa HardingBeautiful， heart-wrenching and tender， ‘Bright Burning Things，’ is an emotional roller-coaster of a read about the relationship between four year oldTommy， and his alcoholic mother， ‘Yaya，’ aka Sonya。 Sonya， previously an actress， is now a single mother， living with her son and their pet dog， Herbie。。。and her ‘mad imp’ - Sonya’s personification of the alcohol that controls her life。 Sonya’s alcoholism is spinning madly out of control; she can se Book Review - Bright Burning Things by Lisa HardingBeautiful， heart-wrenching and tender， ‘Bright Burning Things，’ is an emotional roller-coaster of a read about the relationship between four year oldTommy， and his alcoholic mother， ‘Yaya，’ aka Sonya。 Sonya， previously an actress， is now a single mother， living with her son and their pet dog， Herbie。。。and her ‘mad imp’ - Sonya’s personification of the alcohol that controls her life。 Sonya’s alcoholism is spinning madly out of control; she can see it， her son can see it and those around her can see it。 Forced to make a choice between her beloved child， who she risks losing forever， and her alcoholic ‘imp’， Sonya finally faces up to her demons！ I was totally absorbed by this story which depicted Sonya so sensitively and poignantly。 It will tug at your heartstrings。I give this book 4 stars。 。。。more
Kim Fox
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This was such an interesting book！ I read/listened to the audio book and I think that added to the book。 In this book， Sonia Moriarty lives in a one bedroom apartment with her son Tommy。 Sonia definitely has anxiety and depression and chooses to self medicate with alcohol。 She drinks so much that people around her start to notice how it is affecting not only her but her son。 Her neighbor gets in touch with her father and he persuades Sonia to check into rehab。 Now listening to that and hearing i This was such an interesting book！ I read/listened to the audio book and I think that added to the book。 In this book， Sonia Moriarty lives in a one bedroom apartment with her son Tommy。 Sonia definitely has anxiety and depression and chooses to self medicate with alcohol。 She drinks so much that people around her start to notice how it is affecting not only her but her son。 Her neighbor gets in touch with her father and he persuades Sonia to check into rehab。 Now listening to that and hearing it in a fast jumbled way， added to this book for me。 You hear the anxiousness in Sonia， you hear how scared and withdrawn her son is。 You hear how manic Sonia is。 This book broke my heart。 It hit way close to home for me， and that also added to the book。 When you see （ what Sonia is feeling） play out before your own eyes， then you have a better sense of why the character is behaving the way she is， and why Timmy is the way he is。 Even though this book hit an emotional nerve， I found the audio book enjoyable。。。 All except the ending。 As far as endings go， it was ok 。。。 I guess I just wanted more。 Thank you to Libro。fm for the ALC in exchange for my honest opinion。 。。。more
Lori L （She Treads Softly）
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Bright Burning Things by Lisa Harding is a highly recommended and emotional literary fiction about addiction and rehabilitation。Sonya lives for her son Tommy， rescue dog Herbie， and drinking。 Her previous career as a London stage actress is over， as is her relationship with Tommy's father， but she knows her love is all Tommy needs。 What she doesn't recognize is her love of alcohol is resulting in blackouts， and she is grossly neglecting her son。 After a neighbor informs him about her neglect and Bright Burning Things by Lisa Harding is a highly recommended and emotional literary fiction about addiction and rehabilitation。Sonya lives for her son Tommy， rescue dog Herbie， and drinking。 Her previous career as a London stage actress is over， as is her relationship with Tommy's father， but she knows her love is all Tommy needs。 What she doesn't recognize is her love of alcohol is resulting in blackouts， and she is grossly neglecting her son。 After a neighbor informs him about her neglect and a terrifying incident， her father， whom she hasn't seen in years， comes to her home with the choice of going to rehab or risk losing Tommy forever。 Sonya enters a 12 week program and Tommy is put into care。 Now she faces finishing rehab and staying sober， so she get her son back。 This is a difficult novel to read， especially at the beginning because Sonya is a mess and completely unlikable， unpredictable， and obviously neglecting Tommy。 Even though you know she loves him and is trying to make life fun and magical for Tommy， it is also clear that with her drinking and blackouts， he would be better off with someone who could take care of him。 Her thoughts are manic， scattered， and disorganized; she doesn't remember when or if she fed Tommy and Herbie。 She relies on Herbie to watch Tommy。 It is horrifying。 Once Sonya enters rehab and starts detox you hope she sticks with the program for Tommy's sake。The characters are all complex and flawed， many of them deeply flawed。 The narrative is heartbreaking throughout。 This is one of those novels that it might be best to prepare yourself for reading because it is so emotionally disturbing and tragic。 Even when it seems that there may be hope， it is clear that Sonya will always be struggling and， perhaps， is not a good judge of character。 You will hope there is redemption in the end but it is clear that nothing is guaranteed and her current choices might be due to deeper issues from her past。 The ending is sudden and resolves nothing。 3。5 rounded upDisclosure: My review copy was courtesy of HarperCollins。http://www。shetreadssoftly。com/2021/1。。。 。。。more
Stacey Bene
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I received an ARC of Bright Burning Things。 The writing was lovely， even though the story was often brutal。 Great read！
Leah M
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Thank you to Libro。fm for providing me with an ALC of this audiobook。 I am offering my honest opinion voluntarily。 CONTENT WARNING: alcoholism， addiction， animal abuse， mention of death of a parent， mental illnessThis wasn't an easy read， and initially I wasn't sure that this was a good fit for me。 But I'm glad that I stuck with it， because it did get better。 The subject matter is tough， since it focuses on Sonya， a young mother struggling with alcoholism， and her extremely close， codependent re Thank you to Libro。fm for providing me with an ALC of this audiobook。 I am offering my honest opinion voluntarily。 CONTENT WARNING: alcoholism， addiction， animal abuse， mention of death of a parent， mental illnessThis wasn't an easy read， and initially I wasn't sure that this was a good fit for me。 But I'm glad that I stuck with it， because it did get better。 The subject matter is tough， since it focuses on Sonya， a young mother struggling with alcoholism， and her extremely close， codependent relationship with her four year old son， Tommy， and their dog， Herbie， a rescue who was abused。Sonya isn't the most reliable narrator， and at times she was difficult to follow， especially in the beginning。 It's hard to discern what is the truth from what is fantasy or dreams， and I got the feeling that even Sonya didn't know for sure what was real and what wasn't。 As her drinking escalates， her parenting skills worsen and she's forced to choose between her son and the bottle。 And the consequences push her to make a choice。Unwillingly， she goes to rehab， and is forced to participate in treatment。 But realistically， attending treatment doesn't fix everything and the stress mounts even in the program。 I found myself wanting to see Sonya succeed， and becoming invested in her story。 Sonya came across as a highly unorthodox but incredibly devoted mother， and I was truly hoping that she'd improve as a parent once she was sober， even though sobriety isn't a magic cure。 I loved seeing the author portray that alcohol was just the most glaring symptom of a deeper issue， and in Sonya's case， there were various issues at play。 And that as mentioned， sobriety doesn't cure all her problems and even clarifies some。 As I listened， there were some parts that made me outraged， but I still found myself pulling for Sonya， and Tommy。 I loved seeing the little boy's personality portrayed throughout the story， as a person all on his own， rather than just being a side character。 Overall， I'm glad that I stuck with the story because it really did get better， even if it was a difficult one and there were many parts that I didn't love about it。 It's got somewhat of an open ending， so I can kind of fill in my own ending for it。 。。。more
Naihommy
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Overall， I’d say it’s an OK read。 It started a bit slow but did get a little better half way through。 Although I liked the storyline， I feel like it fell flat at the end。 There was no “closure”。 It’s as if half the story was untold。 I didn’t appreciate the foul language。 Thought it was unnecessary。 But that’s just my opinion。 So overall an OK read to pass the time
Susie
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Woah， this was such a powerful book。 Couldn’t put it down， definitely one I would recommend。Thank you NetGalley for my complimentary copy in return for my honest review。
Melissa
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Emotional， raw and dark。This is a story of addiction and alcoholism， but it was also the story of what drives those addictions—anxiety， fear， trauma。 It was itself an addictive read that I didn’t want to stop listening to。 This book was heartbreaking and filled with grief and pain， some disturbing thoughts and scenes that made me upset。 But I also loved this book that felt so honest。
Kirstin Swartz
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A near perfect story about an imperfect family。 Sonya， a former actress with lingering trauma， hits rock bottom due to juggling her alcoholism and raising her toddler son and their adorable dog Herbie。 She needs help， she knows this， but it takes catching herself in a dire situation and a visit from her estranged father to push her to realization。 We follow Sonya through the trials of her rehabilitation， fighting for custody of her son back， and unhealthy dominant relationships with the men in h A near perfect story about an imperfect family。 Sonya， a former actress with lingering trauma， hits rock bottom due to juggling her alcoholism and raising her toddler son and their adorable dog Herbie。 She needs help， she knows this， but it takes catching herself in a dire situation and a visit from her estranged father to push her to realization。 We follow Sonya through the trials of her rehabilitation， fighting for custody of her son back， and unhealthy dominant relationships with the men in her life。 I grew to love and resent Sonya， gripped by her battle with addiction and proud in a way that family would be as I obsessively read her growth into a better–sober–person。 It’s colorful， it’s fiery， and it’s bright–even in the darkest moments during Sonya’s road to redemption。 Great read for fans of Shuggie Bain。 。。。more
Reference
google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=Bright Burning Things
hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=Bright Burning Things&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft
The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,Bright Burning Things&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0