Burn Bright by Bethany Frenette {Review}

Burn Bright by Bethany Frenette
♦publisher: Disney Hyperion
♦release date: February 25th, 2014
♦hardcover, 352 pages
♦intended audience: Young adult
♦ series: Dark Star, book 2
              review of book 1
♦source: from publisher for honest review

*Fair warning: description and review may contain slight spoilers for book 1.*

Audrey Whitticomb saved her entire city.

Well, kind of. The superhero Morning Star (who just happens to be Audrey's mom) might have played a small part, and her sidekick, Leon—Audrey's sort-of boyfriend, who is gorgeous... and frustrating—maybe helped, too.

But after two peaceful months, there is a vicious new threat in Minneapolis. Her name is Susannah, and she's a Harrower, a demon hell-bent on destroying people like Morning Star, Leon, and Audrey—the Kin. Like others before her, she seeks the Remnant, a Kin girl who has the power to unleash the inhabitants of the Beneath. But to what end?

Audrey already has a ton on her plate: dealing with her best friend Tink's boy drama, helping her other best friend Gideon figure out his nightmares, and exploring the highs and lows of "dating" Leon. But when she develops a powerful new ability, Audrey seizes on the chance to fight, despite her mother's protests and Leon's pleas.

As Audrey gets closer to figuring out Susannah's motives and tracking down the Remnant, she'll uncover more than she bargained for. The terrible truth is staring Audrey in the face. But knowing the truth and accepting it are very different things.

Review: Though I readily admit that it may have been a timing issue, I had a hard time getting into Burn Bright.  I recall that the very beginning of Dark Star was kind of slow for me as well, but this one didn’t really grab me until over halfway into the book. 

There were many things about the plot that felt like a “middle book”, lots of little details that are building up to a big battle between Harrower and Kin in book three. Still, it did have its own exciting story arc and some really great shocking moments and reveals, even a few touching moments that had me tearing up a little. It centers, however, around a Harrower trying to find the Remnant to bring down the Kin---which is much the same as the first book.  There is a new scary demon running amok, taking out Kin, but there is also a new rogue guardian on the scene carelessly taking out all demons, even the ones that live peacefully in the human world. Though he was far from being a likable character, I was captivated by his backstory.

The budding romance between Leon and Audrey takes an interesting turn.  They are still cautious with each other since they are unsure how their romance will affect Leon being her Guardian---which it does. Not in a good way.  They’ve gone from playful bickering in book one, to romance, to full-blown arguing through this book, so don’t expect a lot of warm-fuzzy romance.  Well, a little bit…but not a lot. :)

My favorite part of the story is still the dynamic between Audrey and her mother. They have such a complex relationship. Even with such outlandish situations all around them, the two of them, as mother and daughter, still ring true.

Despite a few issues, all the little details and twists that popped up in this installment definitely will have me picking up book three---I have the feeling that what we find out about Gideon is going to lead to a frenzy of excitement and heartbreak. 

Find Bethany Frenette online:  Website  •  Twitter

Purchase Dark Star: Amazon  •  BookDepository  •  Indiebound