Member Review
Review by
Georgina H, Reviewer
DISCLAIMER: I received a review copy of Bronze from the publisher via NetGalley UK in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to the author B. B. Shepherd, the publisher China Blue Publishing and to NetGalley UK for the opportunity to review this title.
Bronze is the first instalment in B. B. Shepherd's Glister Journals series, following 14-year-old Allison Anderson as she makes the move from bustling Los Angeles to the rural town of Douglas in the Sierra Nevada foothills. Starting at her new school, Allison expects to be as unpopular and undesirable as she seemingly was at her previous one, however she quickly finds new friends in Melanie, an older girl in her Art and P.E. classes; Robin, a strong-willed but loyal girl in her Algebra and Health classes; and the charismatic Caldera brothers Dave and Cris, who are local celebrities due to their good looks and well-known family ranch. Allison finds herself enamoured by Dave, and it is through her friendship with him and the others that she is introduced to many new things including horse riding, snowboarding and extreme sports. Over the course of the book, we see Allison's freshman year of high school unfold, bear witness to her discovering more about her true self and her newfound love of horse riding, and also her discovery of Gold - a seemingly wild young horse living in the wilderness surrounding her new home.
As described above, the plot of Bronze encompasses a lot of different aspects of Allison's life. The book not only focuses on her school life, but also her family life, social life, romantic interests and personal development. We watch her experience true friendship for the first time, learn the importance of unapologetically being herself and standing up for her beliefs, and ultimately begin the tough process of growing into a young woman. Despite this wide focus, the plot of Bronze never feels overwhelming or confusing - though at times it did feel somewhat slow-paced. It was genuinely thrilling to read such a relatable narrative, with a protagonist that is so down-to-earth and realistic. I shared many of Allison's emotions as they were expressed - in particular her frustration at the presumptuousness of her overbearing and overprotective father, and her longing for Dave to look at her as more than just a friend or sisterly figure. The subplot with Gold and his own journey to rehabilitation was beautifully done, as were the various moral / ethical teachings concerning Allison's avoidant and secretive actions.
The ending of Bronze was bittersweet, rounding off Allison's first year of high school in a satisfying way, though it was perhaps slightly predictable. Despite this, the ending leaves the reader wanting to know where Allison's journey will take her next. I find myself slightly disappointed that a romance between Allison and Dave did not quite make it to fruition in this instalment, but am fully expecting things to heat up in the future between them. I also hope that several "mysteries" - such as the truth about the Calderas' mother, and the whereabouts of Robin's parents - will be addressed in a future instalment. Though the book was quite long at 604 pages, it never felt dull, and I am eager to see where the story is taken next in the first sequel.
Each of the main characters in Bronze has their own unique personality; Cris stands out for his sullen, quiet disposition in complete contrast to his sociable, extroverted brother, as does Robin for her determined and self-assured attitude. There are some integral shared traits for the main members of the friendship group Allison finds herself part of - such as loyalty, generosity, and protectiveness - and it was genuinely heart-warming to see Allison accepted by so many of her peers despite being labelled as a dork and not always fitting in with social norms due to her autism. All of the characters are well-developed and engaging, though not all are made to be likeable (looking at you, Brenda), and I found myself particularly intrigued by the controversial aspects of each character, such as Dave's immediate desire to defend Allison against her bullies in a physical encounter. No character was portrayed as perfect, or without their flaws and faults, and this really resonated with me. I liked that I could relate to each one of them in some way, and could really see myself as wanting to fit into such a dynamic in my own life.
Shepherd's writing was easy to lose myself in throughout, and I never found myself tiring of the narrative. Although as mentioned previously the book is quite lengthy, I did not feel fatigued while reading, and found that the words flowed well on the page. There are perhaps parts of the story that could have been more concise, or else shorter chapters that perhaps did not add as much to the overall plot, but I valued these all the same for the additional context and detail that they offered in order to bring Allison's story to life. I can easily see myself re-reading Bronze in the future, most likely before the release of the second instalment "Copper", and hope that other readers would not be intimidated by the page count when considering whether to pick the book up.
Overall, Bronze is a refreshingly authentic coming-of-age story, with a neurodiverse protagonist and a strong focus on the difficulties any atypical young person faces when standing out from the crowd. If you are a fan of YA, love horses, and enjoy reading about relatable protagonists and slice-of-life stories, then you should definitely give Bronze a try. Look out for the upcoming sequel "Copper" as well, which promises to continue Allison's story in a meaningful way.
Bronze is the first instalment in B. B. Shepherd's Glister Journals series, following 14-year-old Allison Anderson as she makes the move from bustling Los Angeles to the rural town of Douglas in the Sierra Nevada foothills. Starting at her new school, Allison expects to be as unpopular and undesirable as she seemingly was at her previous one, however she quickly finds new friends in Melanie, an older girl in her Art and P.E. classes; Robin, a strong-willed but loyal girl in her Algebra and Health classes; and the charismatic Caldera brothers Dave and Cris, who are local celebrities due to their good looks and well-known family ranch. Allison finds herself enamoured by Dave, and it is through her friendship with him and the others that she is introduced to many new things including horse riding, snowboarding and extreme sports. Over the course of the book, we see Allison's freshman year of high school unfold, bear witness to her discovering more about her true self and her newfound love of horse riding, and also her discovery of Gold - a seemingly wild young horse living in the wilderness surrounding her new home.
As described above, the plot of Bronze encompasses a lot of different aspects of Allison's life. The book not only focuses on her school life, but also her family life, social life, romantic interests and personal development. We watch her experience true friendship for the first time, learn the importance of unapologetically being herself and standing up for her beliefs, and ultimately begin the tough process of growing into a young woman. Despite this wide focus, the plot of Bronze never feels overwhelming or confusing - though at times it did feel somewhat slow-paced. It was genuinely thrilling to read such a relatable narrative, with a protagonist that is so down-to-earth and realistic. I shared many of Allison's emotions as they were expressed - in particular her frustration at the presumptuousness of her overbearing and overprotective father, and her longing for Dave to look at her as more than just a friend or sisterly figure. The subplot with Gold and his own journey to rehabilitation was beautifully done, as were the various moral / ethical teachings concerning Allison's avoidant and secretive actions.
The ending of Bronze was bittersweet, rounding off Allison's first year of high school in a satisfying way, though it was perhaps slightly predictable. Despite this, the ending leaves the reader wanting to know where Allison's journey will take her next. I find myself slightly disappointed that a romance between Allison and Dave did not quite make it to fruition in this instalment, but am fully expecting things to heat up in the future between them. I also hope that several "mysteries" - such as the truth about the Calderas' mother, and the whereabouts of Robin's parents - will be addressed in a future instalment. Though the book was quite long at 604 pages, it never felt dull, and I am eager to see where the story is taken next in the first sequel.
Each of the main characters in Bronze has their own unique personality; Cris stands out for his sullen, quiet disposition in complete contrast to his sociable, extroverted brother, as does Robin for her determined and self-assured attitude. There are some integral shared traits for the main members of the friendship group Allison finds herself part of - such as loyalty, generosity, and protectiveness - and it was genuinely heart-warming to see Allison accepted by so many of her peers despite being labelled as a dork and not always fitting in with social norms due to her autism. All of the characters are well-developed and engaging, though not all are made to be likeable (looking at you, Brenda), and I found myself particularly intrigued by the controversial aspects of each character, such as Dave's immediate desire to defend Allison against her bullies in a physical encounter. No character was portrayed as perfect, or without their flaws and faults, and this really resonated with me. I liked that I could relate to each one of them in some way, and could really see myself as wanting to fit into such a dynamic in my own life.
Shepherd's writing was easy to lose myself in throughout, and I never found myself tiring of the narrative. Although as mentioned previously the book is quite lengthy, I did not feel fatigued while reading, and found that the words flowed well on the page. There are perhaps parts of the story that could have been more concise, or else shorter chapters that perhaps did not add as much to the overall plot, but I valued these all the same for the additional context and detail that they offered in order to bring Allison's story to life. I can easily see myself re-reading Bronze in the future, most likely before the release of the second instalment "Copper", and hope that other readers would not be intimidated by the page count when considering whether to pick the book up.
Overall, Bronze is a refreshingly authentic coming-of-age story, with a neurodiverse protagonist and a strong focus on the difficulties any atypical young person faces when standing out from the crowd. If you are a fan of YA, love horses, and enjoy reading about relatable protagonists and slice-of-life stories, then you should definitely give Bronze a try. Look out for the upcoming sequel "Copper" as well, which promises to continue Allison's story in a meaningful way.
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