I thought the premise for this book was really great - it reminded me a lot of Emma Donoghue's Room. The story is narrated by six-year-old Aoife (that's EE-fah), who doesn't understand why her mother has to stay in a hospital while she goes to stay with Uncle Donovan.

We begin to understand that Aoife hasn't been living in the best conditions, as her mother has been struggling with mental illness and her grip on reality. Aoife, like any young child whose life is suddenly upended, doesn't understand what's wrong and is stubborn to change. She struggles with having a mother whose "different" than others, and with the fact that her older brother is most likely dead. Her best friend, Hannah, a wannabe detective, encourages Aoife to solve the "mystery" of her brother's death. With her imaginary friend, Teddy, Aoife sets off on a journey that is half fuelled by her vivid imagination.

I will admit this book had its great moments. Aoife's relationship with her uncle was supremely cute, since he's absolutely clueless about children. I also liked Aoife's stubbornness and wonder about the world, asking uncomfortable questions at inconvenient times to adults.

That said, I didn't necessarily love the ending. I felt like things could have been resolved much quicker if Aoife just asked the right question earlier. A part of the ending also felt too rushed and still left things (at least in my opinion) too unresolved.

Aoife, excuse me, eeeeFAH, thinks nothing is wrong in her family. She thinks it's ok that her mother hasn't picked up the house in months. It's ok that they make forts in their house, and use old pizza boxes and baseball bases. Aoife is ok with the obsession her mother has for the church and for the saints that protect them. Therefore, when Aoife's mother has a breakdown in the middle of a busy intersection, leaving Aoife alone and in danger she thinks nothing of it and doesn't understand why everyone is so upset. Six year old Aoife knows she used to have a brother, and that brother is gone now. She thinks that's why her mother is sick, and if she could just figure out what happened to him, she might be able to bring her mother home.

This novel is very complex and simple at the same time. It is told from the viewpoint of a young six year old girl who doesn't understand herself what is going on. Her brother is missing she believes if she finds out what happened to him it will solve all her problems. Aoife also has an imaginary friend that get her into trouble, and seems far too real to her. It's hard to say if I enjoyed this book or not. It is hard reading a story told by a six year old, because you have to think more and slow down to understand how this little girl is feeling. It's actually rather inconvenient, and maybe this novel would have been better if the author went into the different adult's head for awhile and we could get different perspectives of the story. If I'm giving an honest review I will say I don't regret reading this novel, but it won't be one I recommend. Some might really enjoy reading it, however, it wasn't for me.

Rate: 2/5
Fiction
Author: Eliza Nellums

**Thank you to Crooked Lane Books, Eliza Nellums, and Netgalley for providing me this ebook in exchange for an honest review**

Aoife (EE-fah) is a 6 year old girl who has been through a lot in her short life. Her mother has a mental illness that makes her act confused at times, and their living situation isn't always the greatest. Aoife knows her mom is trying and thinks their life is great fun. When her mom has a mental breakdown while driving, Aoife's world is turned upside down, because Mommy isn't home anymore. Her Uncle Donovan comes to take care of her, which trying to navigate CPS and an energetic, 6 year old with an imaginary friend, Teddy, that likes to get her in trouble.

I'm not sure I've ever read a book solely narrated by a very, young character, but I imagine this is exactly what it would sound like it this happened in real life. Eliza Nellums made this book so much more interesting by telling it from Aoife's point of view. It would have been easy to have the mom be the narrator, or even Uncle Donovan. But Aoife lends this story an innocent perspective, which I think really increased my enjoyment of this book, even if at times I (as an adult) just wanted Aoife to pay more attention to the adult conversations happening!

There is a lovely plot twist at the end that came as a shock to me (and Aoife). It also really brings into question the idea of imaginary friends, ghosts, and mental health. This book truly is a rich telling of life and family, and what happens when chaos starts to reign in the dynamic. All characters were interesting and helped move the story onward. There is a general "happy" ending, but not one that you expect in the beginning or middle of the book.

I really appreciated this story. It's a little out of my comfort zone of what I would normally read, but I knocked it out in one night. It is short, if not necessarily light in tone. Aoife does get herself into some trouble, and I spent a good section of the book worried about this little girl.

This book definitely reminded me of Jodi Picoult and a little of Sarah Dessen, so if you like those authors, check out All That's Bright and Gone.

it makes a change for me to read a book from a childs view and it was an enjoyable book, poor Alfie she has her imaginary friend teddy who gets her in to trouble as she tries to find out what happened to her brother.

This book was received as an ARC from Crooked Lane Books in exchange for an honest review. Opinions and thoughts expressed in this review are completely my own.

Immediately I fell in love with this book because of the name of the main character, Aoife! That is the coolest name of all time. On top of that Aoife has the mind of every six year old so imaginative and curious all about what happened to her mother and her brother. It's all thanks to her imaginary friend Teddy and her nosy neighbor next door to uncover the secrets and have them find answers to what really is going on in her life and what her role and future is with her family. Usually I do not like plots that have a young child tending to themselves and figuring out what their lives are all about but what made up for this story was the whimsical mindset Aoife had and how she used that as an advantage to uncover the secrets.

We will consider adding this title to our Mystery collection at our library. That is why we give this book 5 stars.

I really enjoyed this book. After all the thrillers I've been reading this book was a nice change. It's hard to believe this is a debut novel, though I believe the author has had a short story published. I loved Aoife and her vivid imagination. The author s writing as a six year old was just right. I would definitely recommend this book.

Thanks to NetGalley and Eliza Nellums for my copy.

Family secrets and mental illness told through the eyes of a 6 year old. I found the premise a little hard to get behind at first, I kept waiting for the actual book to start, but nope, that's it, the whole thing is told by a 6 year old. With all a child's literalism, naivety, and innocence imbued throughout. Aoife, our protagonist doesn't know much, except that she's now being kept by her uncle because her mother had a breakdown in traffic and left her daughter to chase her through traffic. She and the little neighbor girl decide to crack the case of why Ma had a breakdown, and what happened to her brother Theo, who is no longer with them, 2 years prior. She gets herself into a lot of dangerous situations because of the adults in this book. I genuinely wanted to shake them and scream TALK TO THIS CHILD, YOU'RE HARMING HER MORE BY KEEPING HER IN THE DARK. She makes her own assessments from the little information she has about what happened to her brother, and her "imaginary" friend Teddy encourages her in actions that could have gotten her killed in pursuit of the truth. A truly unique, sometimes heartbreaking tale of why children are little people and deserve to be treated as such.

I received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This book was so intriguing! I loved how the story was told from 6 year old Aoife’s perspective. I loved the mystery aspect and I kind of guessed the ending, but not quite. 5/5 stars for me!

This book was easy enough to get too; not too complicated writing or storylines. It is told from the perspective of a young girl, so the writing is rather simplistic. Sadly, it wasn't necessarily my cup of tea. While I was invested in the characters and the storyline, it dragged out a bit and parts seemed a bit far-fetched.

However, I think those that enjoy family dramas and young adult reads will find enjoyment in this novel.

This was an enjoyable read told from the perspective of six year old Aoife it is a story of misunderstandings, love, mental illness, and secrets, I think the author did a wonderful job in helping the reader to see the world through Aoife’s eyes.
Many thanks to Crooked Lane Books and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

This book deals with love, secrets, family, mental illness, and the potential of inheriting mental illness. Six-year-old Aoife navigates life agains the backdrop of major family predicaments. Her mother is institutionalized after nearly causing an automobile accident because she has a mental break while driving. Aoife’s older brother, Theo, is dead. Aoife tries to solve family secrets with the help of an imaginary bear names Teddy.

The tone throughout the story is childlike, told from Aoife’s point of view. yet astute. Her childlike innocence and concrete thoughts are evident even during family crises. At times, the vocabulary is at odds with that of the usual six year old’s range, but otherwise author Eliza Nellums captures a child’s voice, thought processes, and the concrete thoughts children are prone to, like Aoife believing her mother when Aoife is told that she was found in a cabbage patch. Nellums pulls the reader into the world of a this child while she searches for the truth about her dead brother. The ending is surprising, yet wholly believable.

This is a lovely and emotional book that portrays mental health and complex family relationships through the eyes of 6 year old Aoife.

As we entire Aoife's world, we are drawn into her search for the truth about her dead brother, the grief she experiences when her mother is committed, her unshakable hope and spirit and the love between a family. She is a strong narrator and very well-written. Nellums does a great job at creating a wise narrator that still feels real for a 6 year old.

It reminds us that children see more and feel more than adults may think.

Nellums does a great job portraying mental health without shaming characters.

I look forward to reading more by Eliza Nellums.

Thank you to #netgalley and Crooked Lane Books for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

A fascinating book about the bond between mothers and daughters under very stressful circumstances. I found most of this book to be heart wrenching due to the sadness of Aofie losing her brother and mother and trying not to talk to people who are not there. I love the relationship between Aofie and her uncle and her desire to figure out how her brother died. I look forward to more books from this author.

"All That's Bright and Gone" is a much needed story. The title and description was very captivating, and after reading the story I think the title is absolutely beautiful.

What's unique about this story is that it portrays our mental health views through the eyes of a six year old named Aoife.

Although the description offers Aoife's mother to be confused, there is a significant confusion in Aoife herself and she is determined to find some answers.

I adored the innocent thoughts Aoife had whilst navigating the confusion. The plot had an engaging manner, and the turn of events and the realisation that young children can sometimes be greatly impacted by experiences we think they forget was a unique one.

I would definitely encourage others to read this story.

Thanking NetGalley and Eliza Nellums for a copy of this story in exchange for an honest review.

I received a free e-copy of All That's Bright and Gone by Eliza Nellums from NetGalley for my honest review.

A surprisingly good book told from the point-of-view of a six year old girl, Aoife.

Aoife is trying to understand what is happening with her mother. Her mom is in the hospital after an episode she had so she can get better. Aoife's Uncle decides that he will take care of her, since her mom can't, so she doesn't have to be put in the foster system.

When her uncle comes to her home to take car of her he is disgusted by the conditions of the house. Also, Aoife has a friend (a teddy bear) that no one else can see. Aoife also has a brother who is deceased but sometimes her mom gets confused and talks about him like he is alive. Things get worse and Aoife wants her mom to come home. She decided that the only way she thinks her mom will come home is if she figures out who killed her brother.

And so the Aoife's search for the truth begins. Please be aware that there are conversations of abuse and mental illness in this book.

What’s the deal with cover designs featuring night skies and stars lately?

To be fair, the cover of "All That’s Bright and Gone" actually has fireworks on it, and it does tie into the plot. But still. It’s so generic compared to what’s within, which is a rollercoaster ride of mystery, told from the perspective of 6-year-old Aoife.

Aoife knows her brother is gone, and I guess she knows he’s been murdered because Hannah from next door told her so, and she’s always playing detective (plus, she’s eight). Mama knows Theo is gone too, but sometimes, like now, she gets confused. It’s up to Aoife to figure out who killed Theo and make things right so Mama can come home. The only problem is, no one wants to talk about him. Lucky for Aoife she has Teddy, her friend (and bear), to help her figure things out. Even if all the grown-ups say he’s imaginary, Aoife knows he’s real.

All I had to hear about this story was '6-year-old narrator' and 'imaginary friend' and I requested it immediately. Then I settled in for some twisted and possibly very strange stuff.

It sure was delivered.

What’s fantastic about this book is the way the narration allows us as readers to get both sides of the story; we understand more than Aoife about what the grown-ups are telling her, getting all the hints at what they don’t want to say, but also Aoife’s thinking, her memories, and what she sees when the adults aren’t watching. It always seems like we, as readers, are getting the most information, and so we’re always on the verge of discovery, always on the edge of figuring out what happened.

And yet…we’re not.

This, mixed with the perfect pacing and the natural tension caused by wondering what the heck happened to Theo, drives this story forward, making it an absolute page-turner. I couldn’t put it down. I raced toward the reveal, that moment in a book like this that can either make or break the rest of the story.

And then, when we finally do figure out what happened, it was nothing I expected.

It’s a rare and beautiful (yet highly sought-after) moment in mystery novels where the reveal is actually, well, a reveal, and not something we saw coming, but also makes total sense. Where suddenly all the clues become so clear, so much so that you want to start back from the beginning and see all the genius foreshadowing that I couldn’t piece together before.

This book had one of those moments.

I also admired how mental health was addressed here. Mysteries and thrillers often incorporate mental illness as an explanation or a plot device. I’ve read too many stories where trauma is caused to someone (often a young and innocent character) by a person (often a mother) who has an out-of-control mental health health issue. These characters are too commonly portrayed as being one and the same as their disease, and vilified. Their terrible actions are blamed on their poor mental health and lack of treatment, end of story.

If you think about it for a moment, I’m sure you’ll be able to think of at least one example.

But here, we see characters struggling with mental illness (which is never specifically categorized, an aspect I liked) but portrayed, still, as people who have their good days and their bad days; who are doing their best to cope with something that is trying to take over and ruin their life and don’t always have the means or funds to stave it off. Characters with mental illness here are misunderstood by others (as is, unfortunately, realistic) and could have easily been made into villains, but were not. And I applaud that.

Next, maybe we can have a mystery that…doesn’t need mental illness as an explanation for events??

No? Ok.

…Maybe in a century or so.

There is also a magical realism element to this story that some readers may not like but that I really enjoyed. It’s not clear going in to the story that it will be included, but I loved that it allowed some things to be left in question, open-ended, while everything else was coming to a close and being solved. I thought it also worked really well with the fact that Aoife is a 6-year-old girl with a wild imagination. I think it will definitely be a great source of discussion amongst readers (book-clubs rejoice).

My only true complaint was that I found the inclusion of the letters somewhat confusing. They came in a bit too late in my opinion, and so were somewhat jarring. I wasn’t sure at first whether they were from past, present, or future. I can see why they were included, but also think that a majority of the information in them was unnecessary. I like the idea but think it would have been better to incorporate them more throughout so that they felt more cohesive with Aoife’s chapters.

I rated "All That’s Bright and Gone" 4.75 out of 5 stars. I would highly recommend it, especially to those who enjoyed the narrative style of "Room."

It is a good thing I've met both a Siobhan and an Aoife in the last few years or I don't think I'd've gotten far with this one. ;)

Summary: six-year-old Aoife's mother is hospitalized after a bit of a breakdown and in the days that follow Aoife tasks herself with uncovering her family's tragic secrets.

Aoife is a charming narrator, and I think I mostly found her believable as six. Though there are absolutely a few times that that narrative voice slips older... which takes you out a bit.

Here's the thing though, and maybe this is just me... But, much of the drama and trauma of this book is the result of people keeping secrets from each other and just, not saying things. And, maybe this would be more believable to parents, but for this reader, I just kept thinking, 'maybe just find a gentle way to talk about this... Oh, no? We're just gonna shoot it down again? Coolcoolcool. gee, what a wonderful way to traumatize your child.' No, no one enjoys confronting ugly truths, but still if anyone in this family ever just talked to eachother about their mental health much of the bad stuff in the book wouldn't have had to happen.

Bonus points for the beautiful use of the imaginary friend, also for the use of religion from the perspective of a kid. Maybe less points for never answering many of the questions about what the mental health issues are in this family. Also for the glowing hallway... that was just weird.

My thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the arc to review.

Thank you Netgalley for the advance reader's copy in exchange for my opinion/review.
I really enjoyed this book. It's written from a child's point of view, and yes, us adults can be confusing. Family dynamics and struggles strengthen the families bond. The author really did great with a complex family, and tramatic events. Great read.

A tender story written from the point of view of six-year-old Aoife (Ee-Fah). Aoife’s mother is sick and her Uncle Donny comes to stay with her. She knows her mother’s illness has something to do with her brother Theo’s death. But no one will talk to her about Theo because Aoife is too young to understand they tell her. Aoife, with the help of her imaginary friend, must solve the mystery on her own.

This debut novel is certainly worth a read. It brought me back to my childhood and reminded me that adults really have no idea what children are thinking. That sometimes not finding ways to to talk about the “difficult” things can cause more anxiety to young children.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for loaning this eARC.

Eliza Nellums debut novel 'All That's Bright and Gone' is an unforgettable read. We are thrust into Aoife's world, a six-year-old girl who is searching for the truth around her brother whilst her mum is taken away to battle her own demons. We experience her grief and optimism as we go on this journey of discovery. It was a thoroughly enjoyable read and I couldn't put it down!