Growing Up & Facts of Life
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Nothing Burns as Bright as You
Five starred reviews!
From New York Times bestselling author Ashley Woodfolk, Nothing Burns as Bright as You is an impassioned stand-alone tale of queer love, grief, and the complexity of female friendship.
Two girls. One wild and reckless day. Years of tumultuous history unspooling like a thin, fraying string in the hours after they set a fire.
They were best friends. Until they became more. Their affections grew. Until the blurry lines became dangerous.
Over the course of a single day, the depth of their past, the confusion of their present, and the unpredictability of their future is revealed. And the girls will learn that hearts, like flames, aren't so easily tamed.
It starts with a fire.
How will it end?
From New York Times bestselling author Ashley Woodfolk, Nothing Burns as Bright as You is an impassioned stand-alone tale of queer love, grief, and the complexity of female friendship.
Two girls. One wild and reckless day. Years of tumultuous history unspooling like a thin, fraying string in the hours after they set a fire.
They were best friends. Until they became more. Their affections grew. Until the blurry lines became dangerous.
Over the course of a single day, the depth of their past, the confusion of their present, and the unpredictability of their future is revealed. And the girls will learn that hearts, like flames, aren't so easily tamed.
It starts with a fire.
How will it end?
Editorial Reviews
"A tautly written, fast-moving novel…that captures the unbalanced experience of an all-consuming love." - Publishers Weekly (starred review)
"Tight and energetic, effective and deeply affecting… An uncommon exploration of girlhood and its messier relationships." - Booklist (starred review)
"The rich language describing the way the two love each other is magnificent... A beautiful, emotionally charged novel." - Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
"All of Woodfolk's choices-every line break, indentation, and italicization... Even the blank space on the page helps to carry this piece to its full potential as a feverishly gripping, immersive, and emotional ride that will stick with readers for a long time... A masterfully crafted love letter to tumultuous, young, queer love and its lessons." - School Library Journal (starred review)
"An emotional inferno and Woodfolk's best book yet." - BookPage (starred review)
"Prepare yourself, because this stunning novel is packed with an emotional intensity that's sure to touch your heart." - Popsugar
"Unapologetically shows the more challenging elements of falling-and staying-in love… This book has completely transformed the way I think about what it means to love unconditionally." - Nic Stone, #1 New York Times best-selling author of Odd One Out
"Nothing Burns as Bright as You is a beautiful exploration of first love with the emotional resonance that only an Ashley Woodfolk novel can bring. Exquisite from beginning to end." - Angie Thomas, #1 New York Times best-selling author of The Hate U Give
"Nothing Burns as Bright as You is utterly captivating, brimming with passion and heartbreak and the beautiful complexity of the human heart." - Nicola Yoon, #1 New York Times best-selling author of
"Tight and energetic, effective and deeply affecting… An uncommon exploration of girlhood and its messier relationships." - Booklist (starred review)
"The rich language describing the way the two love each other is magnificent... A beautiful, emotionally charged novel." - Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
"All of Woodfolk's choices-every line break, indentation, and italicization... Even the blank space on the page helps to carry this piece to its full potential as a feverishly gripping, immersive, and emotional ride that will stick with readers for a long time... A masterfully crafted love letter to tumultuous, young, queer love and its lessons." - School Library Journal (starred review)
"An emotional inferno and Woodfolk's best book yet." - BookPage (starred review)
"Prepare yourself, because this stunning novel is packed with an emotional intensity that's sure to touch your heart." - Popsugar
"Unapologetically shows the more challenging elements of falling-and staying-in love… This book has completely transformed the way I think about what it means to love unconditionally." - Nic Stone, #1 New York Times best-selling author of Odd One Out
"Nothing Burns as Bright as You is a beautiful exploration of first love with the emotional resonance that only an Ashley Woodfolk novel can bring. Exquisite from beginning to end." - Angie Thomas, #1 New York Times best-selling author of The Hate U Give
"Nothing Burns as Bright as You is utterly captivating, brimming with passion and heartbreak and the beautiful complexity of the human heart." - Nicola Yoon, #1 New York Times best-selling author of
Readers Top Reviews
Ashlireadin_robin
I wish the first time I read it, I read the hardcover because of the style of writing. I listened to the audiobook version to and from work, I wish I had just bought the book. I, personally, would not recommend the audiobook without following along physically, either in kindle or the book itself. It has nothing to do with the narrator, she did a wonderful job, for me, the format just didn't work without seeing it for myself. But the content of the book was amazing. I related to quite a few things and loved the way the author wove the story together. Definitely worth the read.
Lea PearlAshlirea
Written in verse, this book really hits with all the feels. It's a beautifully heartbreaking story about first love. There's a certain...power that really pushes through with each word, each phrase, each page. Nothing Burns as Bright as You bounces back and forth between timelines adding in little truths and lies that connect the story of these two girls seamlessly. Little bits of the puzzle get told on each page and it really pulled me right along, I was genuinely unable to put the book down. While I did feel that the strength of the words got blurred roughly midway through the book, overall this story just felt...right, like their first kiss. "It just felt right. Like sun on sea-wet hair. Like paint thick and bright on canvas." There is no way I'm able to do this book justice with any review I leave so I'll just say this...read it. Truly, read it. Thank you Clarion/Versify for the ARC to read and honestly review!
Lea PearlAshlire
I'm a few weeks past having finished this book and STILL thinking about it. Only really special books tend to stay with me for a long period of time, and this is hands down one of them. This is a new favorite book, and that's coming from someone who almost exclusively reads adult genre MM romances with HEA/HFNs that aren't written in verse. This book has made me want to seek out more books written in verse because it was so hauntingly beautiful. I don't know how Woodfolk did this, but the subtle foreshadowing had me realizing from the start that certain things weren't what they seemed, and that the book would end a certain way. I laughed with these girls, cried with them, felt for them, felt WITH them. Ups and downs and twists and turns, I was along for the ride. ALSO, I read this over the course of 24 HOURS, starting from the moment it arrived in my April Rainbow Crate. It takes me MONTHS to read a book, no matter how good it is, no matter if it's from a favorite author of mine, no matter how long I waited for the release of it. I'm just a slow reader, but I could NOT put this book down. This review doesn't even come close to doing this book justice, and it deserves way more than 5 stars. I highly suggest giving it a try, even if verse isn't your favorite, because the story is so incredible and beautiful and just plain perfect. Thanks to Woodfolk for sharing her outstanding prose with the world.
Alexis-Mrs. Bookd
This book made me feel so many emotions so deeply. Great portrayal of strong, sometimes toxic, relationships and how they grow and change. It is a young adult book and has mature content.
SachaAlexis-Mrs.
5 stars In this verse novel, Woodfolk employs style, structure, diction, and character development to arrive at an important focal point: the passionate and explosive nature of relationships. Though readers are restricted from some typical details, Woodfolk still manages to create an overpowering sense of intimacy and revelation throughout the piece. The characters start as friends, but their relationship evolves into much more than that, and the journey is not direct. Neither is the powerful conclusion. Woodfolk effectively captures the all-consuming nature of young adult relationships here, but if we're all being honest, these are the kinds of things we just get a little better at managing - at least externally and sometimes - when we're adults. For me, this book is much more about a culmination of feelings than a series of events, and I really appreciate the inventive and arresting ways in which Woodfolk accomplishes this unusual task. I'll absolutely be recommending this one to students.
