Bright Ruined Things is a reimagining of Shakespeare’s The Tempest. Because I haven’t read The Tempest, I did read a few summaries beforehand. For the most part, knowing the source material isn’t vital to understanding the book, but it was interesting to see what was borrowed from the play. If anything, those who have read The Tempest will be able to point out these things as well as recognize how the story diverges. From my limited understanding, a lot gets turned upside down in this reimagining.

Mae is the central character of the novel, and it’s through her that readers experience the day’s events. Because we only get Mae's point of view, it could be frustrating at times. I wanted to peer into the minds of a few individuals but was limited to only what Mae knew. However, it was a good kind of frustration because it contributed to a sense of mystery, amplifying it at certain points in the book especially when Mae could only hear one side of a conversation. My anxiety kept building as I became embroiled in trying to figure out who was lying and who was telling the truth.

Overall, I enjoyed the book but was left feeling somewhat unsatisfied. The book was well-written and thoughtfully plotted out. My lack of satisfaction may have largely been due to my dislike of nearly all the characters except for Ivo. While I was rooting for him, I couldn’t decide how I felt about Mae. Despite living on the island her entire life, Mae longs for the island to belong to her like she feels she belongs to it. This desire underlies her ambitions to learn how to use magic. The book is also a maddening read because Mae can’t seem to decide what she wants. Then there were those few times I wanted to cheer her on. I often had to remind myself that the book takes place in a single day, so it makes sense why she can’t seem to commit to a decision. Despite being frustrated with Mae, I believe Cohoe does a great job at showcasing how fickle emotions can be and Mae is fickle.

Bright Ruined Things is a search for belonging and family framed in the larger context of the mysteries surrounding the Prospers and the island. Although I didn’t care much for many of the characters, it was still a book I couldn’t put down because I needed to find out the ending.

(3.5 stars rounded to 4 stars)

I loved Ms. Cohoe’s debut book Golden Fury and I was delighted by her next book, Bright Ruined Things. The era and the atmosphere of this dark YA fantasy offers the perfect mix of Shakespearean tragedy, magic and adventure.

While the setting is phenomenal, it’s the characters that really drew me in. The main character, Orphan Mae’s plight, is full of family drama and revenge, and completely and utterly complicated! This is said in the best way possible. The world building is unique and complex but never difficult.

This is one I truly enjoyed and I look forward to what Ms. Cohoe brings next!

I'm sorry! I lost my entire review that I thought I had saved!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press/Wednesday Books for providing the arc of Bright Ruined Things by Samantha Cohoe in exchange for my honest review.

Bright Ruined Things is called a reimagined Tempest, one of Shakespeare’s last plays. It’s been a while since I read The Tempest but let’s see.

We meet our MC Mae, who has only ever lived on a private island owned by the wealthy family, the Prosper family, who control all the magic and spirits who inhabit the island. Mae herself is not magical, but she craves it. Dreams about it. She wants to be like her BFF, Coco, especially if that will catch the attention of her crush, Coco’s brother Miles. Mae has just turned 18, and she’s scared the family will ask her to leave. Instead, it’s “suggested” that she marry the heir to the family, the eldest son Ivo. After a falling out with Ivo, Mae believes Ivo hates her. Meanwhile, deep and dark family secrets begin to unravel everything Mae thought she knew about them and herself.

For me, world-building is not great. The characters could use some development. I wouldn’t say I liked most of the characters for more than half of the book. At times, Ivo found tolerable, but I wish he had been more developed than a cliché spoiled narcissist. The entire Prosper family was wealthy and powerful cliches. The addition of Sebastian was decent, I wish he was in the story earlier, but when you’re not rooting for the MC, it makes it tough to stay interested.

Bright Ruined Things has a gothic atmosphere that I know many will love, and the magic and secrets will work for sure tick boxes for many. It just didn’t work for me. I felt that being compared to the Tempest did not work. I mean, there’s a boat in it, some magic and family secrets that ruin them…I guess.
The other thing that made me sad, it’s supposed to be set in the 1920s; however, if I didn’t know that, I never would have figured it out. The language was very modern for the ’20s, and I never could figure out where this was taking place in America? Europe?

The good, it never dragged, I was able to read it fairly quickly considering I never really got into it, and I know plenty of people will enjoy the world; I just wanted more. Also, the ending didn’t disappoint.

This is a wonderful YA fantasy about fae, aether, an island, and is based on Shakespeare's Twelfth Night. It's fast-paced, and the protagonist, Mae, is someone you root for. I loved reading about the magic and family secrets that make up a lot of YA novels in a new and fresh way. Definitely recommmeded.

I do tend to enjoy most things Shakespeare even reimagined/inspired by stories....so when Bright Ruined Things was pitched as a YA historical fiction fantasy inspired by the Tempest I was sold. As it's original source material, Bright Ruined Things is told over the span of 24 hours on the day of the First Night; a party thrown by Lord Propser to celebrate his harnessing of the island's magic and ability to turn it into a fuel source.

The story follows Mae, an orphan that has grown up on the island with the family. In order to solidify her place on the island, she reluctantly accepts a proposal from Ivo, the oldest grandson, despite preferring the other grandson, Miles. Only Ivo and his grandfather are bestowed with the power to wield magic, much to the disappointment of other family members. Mae decides to team up with another character in order to learn the secrets behind the magic during First Night and things don't go as planned.

The story felt Shakespearean in nature. There were a ton of characters, eavesdropping, misunderstandings, part comedy/part tragedy, magical elements, a bit of romance and plenty of family drama to go around. The magic was subtle and I wish it had been more prevalent. I tend to enjoy stories set in the 1920s (I love big jazz bands, prohibition, Gatsby, the fashion, art deco, etc...) but there isn't much to remind you of the time period within this book. The cover sold me on this one....it's so pretty.

BRIGHT RUINED THINGS is a story about wealth, privilege and magic. I've never read The Tempest, but I am always here for a story that has Shakespearean vibes and BRT has it in droves. While I was expecting more of a flapper 1920s feel based on the cover, I will say that Cohoe did a fabulous job with her world-building and bringing an atmosphere full of mystery on the Island where the Prosper family resides that is plagued by ghosts and spirits. This book has a super fun ghosty feel that I also adored. I came around to really enjoying Mae as a MC with her ambition of being able to harness magic, and I loved seeing her character develop as she comes to terms with how the Prosper family and their wealth has impacted her life and the darker temptations she faced as a result. Seeing that really sealed the deal with how much I liked her. I also adored Ivo's character and thought that his and Mae's chemistry was off the charts. I also liked Coco and Mae's friendships and how it gets more complicated as the novel goes on. Unfortunately, I wasn't buying Mae with Miles who seems to be the main ship of this novel. I just didn't like how he treated her in the beginning and though I warmed up to him I was not a fan of that particular romance. And that ending. I am not sure how to feel about that, but overall I did enjoy BRIGHT RUINED THINGS quite a bit.

To be transparent, I’ve never read The Tempest, William Shakespeare’s play that Bright Ruined Things retells, so I can’t speak to the novel’s ability to repurpose elements from the original material. However, I can say that while this novel started off slow, the ending thrilled me, as did the characters’ developmental arcs.

Throughout the novel, I couldn’t decipher many of the characters’ emotions or motivations because lies and secrets surround every family member. At first, this frustrated me, but I came to enjoy their peculiarities—Mae’s naivety due to her insular upbringing on the island, Coco’s off-beat ways of dressing and showing her friendship, Apollonia’s coldness around everyone except Sebastien (their relationship actually reminded me of Mermista and Sea Hawk from She-ra and the Princesses of Power).

Mae’s character growth was especially rewarding. As an introvert, I easily related to her timidness and self-consciousness, even if there were times when I still wanted to yell at her for being such a pushover. Her infatuation with the Prospers irked me, though I understand that her confinement gave her no choice but to latch onto the only consistent company she had.

For this reason, I didn’t like the romantic subplot. I also struggled with the setting. Although the novel is clearly set on the island, which brims with magic and spirits that fascinate the mainland, the island feels under-described and not obviously set in the 1920s. I wanted to know a lot more about its beauty, particularly the spirits that, although ever-present, don’t feel urgent until the final climax.

The climax, then, was amazing. The pacing was perfect, and even characters that I disliked at the moment (cough cough Coco and Apollonia) experienced growth in the right direction. The most satisfying part, honestly, was watching Mae finally shrug off her timidness. She managed to shock me as well as all of the Prospers with her boldness. Even Ivo and Miles seemed unaware of her capacity for confidence, which is why I’m glad Cohoe let Mae be romantically independent in the epilogue.

Despite some initial misgivings, Bright Ruined Things was a strange but solid read filled with magic, family intrigue, and finding freedom from confinement. It might even convince me to read The Tempest!

I hate rating books 1 star. I really do. I would much rather DNF and move on with my life. But I liked the initial mystery surrounding the island, and I wanted to see how it all played out. I knew I wasn't going to be blown away, but I certainly didn't expect how the conclusion was handled. I see a lot of people are enjoying this book, so if you're interested in it, I suggest checking it out for yourself to formulate your own opinions. But I can't get over how the LGBTQ+ rep was presented nor can I ignore the use of slavery in the plot. It was just ick.

As an English major with a focus in literature, you can about imagine I've read a LOT of Shakespeare. So any chance I get to check out a re-telling of one of his plays, I am instantly down. With that being said, "The Tempest" (which this story is based on) is not one of the plays I know best. That didn't stop me from enjoying this book though. Even if I didn't know it was a retelling, I would have enjoyed it. There's romance-ish, magic, and insane characters-- what else do you really need?

Bright Ruined Things is a retelling of The Tempest, and it's set in a 1920s-esque world much like our own, except for the magic. One thing I liked about this book was that all of the characters are extremely flawed: the main character, Mae, is a people-pleaser to the point that she annoys those around her, even her 'best friends.' You don't often see main characters with such obvious character flaws, and I think hers in particular were depicted very realistically. However, that also meant that I didn't like Mae. Her thought process was annoying to read at times and I spent a lot of the book wishing that she would just leave the island and stop worrying about the rich people who clearly saw her as more of a pet than a person. 3/5.

Bright Ruined Things by Samantha Cohoe is a Shakespearean-inspired tale for the modern YA reader. Told by Mae, a ward of the Prosper family patriarch, this tale is full of magic, spirits, greed, unrequited love, and tragedy. I enjoyed the setting inspired by The Tempest and all the other aspects that are very in keeping with the intent of Shakespeare's plays which was to entertain the masses and allow them to see traits reflected exaggeratedly. The only character I felt sympathy for is Ivo, one of the many Prosper grandchildren. Even though Mae did not want to admit it, he is truly a tragic hero. He was caught up in a world that he disapproved of but felt powerless to change until the stakes became too high, and he could no longer look the other way. The other characters tend to be vain and selfish and the perfect foil to make Ivo's actions stand out for his heroism . The first-person narration pulls you into this atmospheric tale and keeps the tension high and the story very personal, but I wish I could more easily tell that it is set in the 1920s. There is very little in the story that reflects the period. If you are looking for a different kind of YA Fantasy, Bright Ruined Things is just the book you are looking forward to as your next read.

Fast-paced and overall enjoyable! Btw when I say fast-paced I mean it... the entirety of the book (apart from the short epilogue) took place within a single day. That being said any character development felt very abrupt and a little unbelievable.
But hey, creepy magic!

{3.5 stars}

I feel like I walked into the middle of a story with this one. Mae is an orphan living on an island in the orbit of the wealthy Prosper family. A family that controls all of the magic, magic others want... including Mae. As the First Night celebration approaches, Mae finds an opportunity to gain a foothold within the family. But she also begins to discover just what is fueling the magic everyone is so desperate for. She is faced with some tough choices as the truth is revealed.

The story is based on the classic The Tempest and a lot of the themes around family, magic and revenge are core to this story. The main characters are in their teens and it certainly has the intense emotions you'd expect from characters of that age. Everyone has feelings about everyone and they are the good, bad and the ugly. Mae is a bit naive but she is not the only one in the dark about what's really going on and it was fun to unravel the mystery and just who to trust along with her.

I felt like the magic could have been a little more fleshed out but other than that the story had pretty good world building. It does start off a little slow as we get to know all of the key players but the last quarter is non-stop action. I also really enjoyed the ending.

Thanks to Netgalley for access to an advanced copy of this novel. All opinions above are my own.

This was not a bad book but it was a boring book. It had some pretty good ideas but when put together, I was just bored. Even during the final "action" scenes, I didn't care at all and found myself stopping mid-chapter to get a glass of water. It did not hold my attention at all. It's billed as a fantasy but the magic in here is really not important to the story except for being the reason for the mystery.

The cover and description seem to promise a 1920/30s backdrop but it really isn't discussed at all. There's a mention of jazz music and no real technology so I think that is the setting but there is so little description in this one that it could be set in any time period and the impact would be negligible. This was true of the overall setting as well. They're on an island and there's a house, some shacks, and wells. But as to what any of this looks like or how big the island is, I have absolutely no idea, the author never cared to divulge that information. A lot of the information on the plot was also given to the main character second hand. There was just way too much telling and not enough showing in all aspects.

The characters were pretty mediocre. I didn't hate them but couldn't really get invested in them either. Ivo was definitely the most interesting but every time it seems like Mae, the main character, was going to get to know him, it took a turn and we were back with the rest of the mediocre bunch. Mae herself was pretty boring and while I liked some of her revelations about herself, she made stupid choices and was really naïve, not at all what I want in a main character, especially for a book marketed as YA fantasy.

Overall, this was pretty forgettable and just wasn't for me. It had the feel more of a historical fiction book (yet without clearly defining the point in history) and kind of felt like it was trying to mimic the pacing of a classic so if those are more to your taste and you're good with a touch of magic, then this one might work better for you.

*I received a free ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

**Apparently this is a retelling of Shakespeare's The Tempest which I didn't know until after reading it. I don't think that changes any of my opinions. I don't really know that story so I judged this purely on my enjoyment of this book.

Full disclosure, I haven't the foggiest idea what the premise of The Tempest is, so I could not tell you in what ways or how this compares to it. Regardless, I enjoyed the story! At first, I was a little put off by the characters, especially Mae. Mae lives with this hoity-toity family who is kind of... extra, they're all really extra. And Mae is of course enamored with them all, in a very eye-rolling way. But here's the thing I realized fairly quickly: you can't really blame Mae for that. It's all she knows. And it's kind of saying a lot that she isn't even more messed up, living with these people her whole life, never leaving this weird island full of magic and secrets and elitist bullshit.

So, the crux of the story kind of becomes wondering who, if anyone, can break free from the bonds of this island, and the only life they have ever known, to become their own person. The atmosphere of said island is very on point, too. You know it hides all kinds of secrets and magic and madness, and I loved that part of it, too. Most of the book takes place in a very short time span, while all the cousins and family friends have gathered for a party. Obviously, we know there will be some stuff happening at this party!

The book moves pretty quickly, and was easy to read. I liked that Mae underwent a lot of development in a short amount of time, and the pacing of the story was great.

Bottom Line: Overall, a fast, entertaining story featuring magic and mayhem, and a lot of learning about oneself.

Bright Ruined Things by Samantha Cohoe is a standalone young adult historical fantasy novel. The story in Bright Ruined Things is a retelling of Shakespeare’s classic play of The Tempest set in a magical world.

Mae has grown up an orphan living on the isolated private island of the wealthy Prosper family. Surrounded by magic Mae doesn’t have any of her own and is worried of her future when she turns eighteen.

Mae doesn’t want to leave the island when she’s of age being the only place she knows and where her best friend and her long time crush live too. When spirits start dying on the island Mae finds herself caught up in the mystery of what is happening around her.

First, I’ll note that I am not familiar with The Tempest and cannot say how close to the original Bright Ruined Things by Samantha Cohoe actually turned out to be. I picked this one up having read the author before and enjoying her book, A Golden Fury. While I did enjoy this one I felt I found myself wishing for a faster pace as I often do in fantasies. I did enjoy the character and the magical island so this one was just alright for me in the end but others seem to enjoy it more so I’d say give it a try for yourself if it sounds interesting to you.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

The author, in my opinion, did a good job crafting the world. It was a very fascinating island with peeks into how the rest of the world operates. I found the main character a little too wish washy for my tastes, but I really liked Apollonia and Coco. Apollonia has one of my favorite personality types. She’s smart, cunning, and willing to do whatever to get what she wants all while being very feminine. I love the hyper-feminine, cutthroat, get-out-of-my-way kinda gals. Coco is such a free-spirit type, which is always fun.
I think teens will like the drama of the story and the draw of will Mae won’t Mae decide to do something bad. I don’t want to give much away in terms of plot because, even though the book is a little lengthy, it is a very fast read. Once you make it further in and the pace picks up, it’s a super fast and fun read.
Overall, I would give this a 3.5 since it didn’t fit my tastes exactly but I think it was a solid story.

This story, loosely based on Shakespeare’s The Tempest, is not a happy book. It is filled with not-happy people. Powerful. Wealthy. Beautiful. But not happy. In fact, for all but Mae, that wealth and power are directly related to their unhappiness. Some of them stay unhappy throughout; others are able to see the destructive spiral they are in and escape it.

The story takes place in the “Roaring ‘20s”, though it’s not explicitly stated. We are left to infer it through comments on fashion, personalities of the day, etc.

Mae is naïve, and rightly so. She has never left the island. She has been on the periphery of the Prosper children’s lives, an addendum, but never truly part of it. Everything she knows, she’s learned from the books she borrows. She has friendships of sorts with some of them, but not a true place. She yearns to be allowed to learn the magic that is the source of their wealth and power so she will always have a place on the island that is the only home she has known. She is also deeply in love with Miles, the son with an unhinged mother and no father.

But the family has other plans. They decide Mae should marry Ivo, the heir to the family’s magic, on whom they all depend for the future of their wealth and power. He’s a bit wild and scary, but it is made clear to Mae that this is the only way she will be able to stay on the island.

Mae does a lot of jumping to conclusions. She’s certain from the first dead spirit she finds that Ivo is responsible, and she sets out to prove it. When we have already decided what’s true, of course, we will look for things to prove that conclusion. (Inductive vs. deductive reasoning.) I understand that she has a good reason to want him to be guilty, but that desire colors her actions.

Of course, things are not what they seem. A series of discoveries, and sometimes bad decisions, brings Mae to the point where she is about to have everything she thought she wanted—and she has to decide if those are really what she wants.

I won’t say more about the plot, because there are some definite surprises there.

The entire story, apart from the epilogue, takes place in a single day. It is a lot to pack into a day. Descriptions are vivid, allowing us to visualize the setting and characters. Dialogue is natural.

And that ending! I’d maybe like to have two more sentences, just so I would know for sure, but I’m going to assume the best possible ending for Mae. (And, on a side note, it’s very similar to the ending of that book I’ve been working on for 20ish years. Maybe someday…)

Possible Objectionable Material:
Magic. One intense kissing scene where some clothes come off, but nothing else happens. References to sex, drinking, and drug use. A gun. A murder. Blackmail of various types. One character is lesbian.

Who Would Like This Book:
Those who like retellings (however loose) of Shakespeare. I think if you like The Great Gatsby and its commentary on wealth, you’d like this. I don’t know if the moral about the destructive nature of wealth and power is intended, but it is certainly there. There’s a little bit of romance.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

This book is also reviewed at https://biblioquacious.blogspot.com/2022/02/power-wealth-and-magic.html

i had this book in my netgalley for almost a year now, and i finally found the will to pick it up. when i heard this was a retelling of the tempest, it peaked my interest. but after a few times of trying to read this book, i had a lot of trouble at understanding the beginning of the story, but i think this was due to my lack of understanding of the tempest. the copy that i read was an unedited one though, so i'm hoping that the final version is much more digestable and i will be looking forward to rereading it.

THAT ENDING THOUGH.

Bright Ruined Things is a magical twist on Shakespeare's The Tempest and brings it. I'll be honest in saying that I've never read The Tempest or seen a retelling, but this is so powerful and beautiful. I loved Mae and seeing her journey from beginning to end. I'll admit I felt it dragged on at points but BRT was action packed and gave me a bit of Gatsby vibes. The writing style is impeccable and the storyline will have you falling in love.

Thank you to NetGalley, Samantha Cohoe and St. Martin's Press for the chance to review an ARC copy.