"Today had been a day of dreams coming true, as nightmares."

I feel like I need to go read The Tempest after finishing Cohoe's newest release. After I fell in love with A Golden Fury last year, it was easy to see Cohoe's talent for capturing an era and incorporating magic and otherworldly manifestations.

Bright Ruined Things is just that. Another exquisite work of author talent that captures the growth of a multitude of characters all while pressing the boundaries of love, family and desires.

Imani Jade Powers elevates each character's voice as the plot escalates through family drama and secrets. She captivated Mae's spirit and determination as she struggles between acceptance, power and rising above her station in life. I was ecstatic when I heard she was the narrator for Cohoe's second novel. Her talent has fit both novels perfectly.

Though this is set in the 1920s, I felt readers were given the feel of island isolation and ghostly servant upbringing Mae experienced. Yes, I wanted a smidge more of the specific era vibe but I also found myself drawn to the drama and mystery of the Prospers and their secluded home.

A touch of romance, a haunting mystery and characters that area easy to love or almost hate in equal measure. Cohoe is quickly becoming an author I keep on my watch list. This is a novel I recommend to young adult readers who love magic and mystery with a historical flair.

Thank you Wednesday Books and Macmillan Audio for the gifted digital and audio copies in exchange for an honest and unbiased review. All thoughts are my own.

Listen, if you have followed my reviews or my #bookstagram for any length of time you will know that Samantha Cohoe's previous book, A Golden Fury, is one of my underrated favs. I loved it and have always felt it was deserving of more readers. Cohoe's sophmore novel, Bright Ruined Things, is perhaps even more deserving. I loved this one too and struggled with rating this because it is objectively not perfect, but that ending was just brilliant so I am rounding up to 5 stars because personally I loved it that much.

This is a retelling of The Tempest with A Great Gatsby vibe. I mean... if that does not call your name, I don't know what will. It is full of flawed characters and a flawed protagonist. Somehow this story is compelling despite each character's flaws. I think in part because there is something very human about each character. I do have to say that Ivo is possibly the only likable character and I am not lying when I said he made the book for me. You know I get unreasonably attached to characters and Ivo is a favorite.

I do wish some things had been explained further as I have a few questions about the world-building and its characters, but I could not put this one down and I pretty much loved every second of reading it so I can forgive some lack of depth on its absolute readability alone. It has been hard for me to read lately so huge props to this book to have captured my attention so fully. Despite some holes, I think it is just brilliant. This is definitely up there as another favorite read.

Thank to you to Netgalley and Wednesday Books for letting me read this gem in exchange for an honest review.

This is an interesting rendition of Shakespeare's The Tempest. I just couldn't find myself to get into it. If anything, it kind of drew me into a reading slump I can't quite get out of. I might return to it in the future to see if I can get back into it. The cover, however, 10/10. It's what drew me to the book in the first place.

"The Tempest" meets "The Great Gatsby" in this fantasy YA novel from Samantha Cohoe.

Mae has never truly belonged on the island she grew up on, a source of great magic owned and controlled by the rich and dazzling Prosper family. But she’s always wanted to. Just like she’s always wanted to have a hand in the magic.

At eighteen, Mae is afraid that her time on the island will end and she’ll be sent away forever to the mainland, where spirits don't fill the air with song and magic is an anomaly, or worse, an impossibility. As the Prosper family and their friends gather for the largest celebration of the year, Mae must figure out how to find her way into becoming a part of the family at all costs…not knowing how many secrets she’ll uncover in the process.

In this new take on a classic, Cohoe quickly builds a world of wonder, magic, and mystery. In only a few chapters, readers are thrown into the compulsively readable drama of the Prosper family and will find themselves avidly flipping through pages to see what the story will unveil next.

A fast-paced and fun read, "Bright Ruined Things" is not only a nod to Shakespeare's earlier piece but an ode to those deeper concepts the late, great writer weaved into one of his last works. Yet, the story makes these themes much more digestible and entertaining for a younger audience. With a plot full of murder, romance, backstabbing, gossip, and more, this story would likely have made ol’ William proud, although it may lack the nuance and literary prowess of the original.

Highly recommended for fans of the characters and intriguing plot of "A Winter’s Promise," I gave "Bright and Ruined Things" 4 out of 5 stars.

When I read the blurb this book seemed like it had everything I look for in a book. And it did, for the most part. The first half was amazing, I loved the mystery and intrigue and getting to know the characters and what made them tick. The second half felt kind of meh to me. The magic bits were kind of confusing and I wish there was more explanations. And the ending kind of dragged on and I lost interest several times.

Overall a solid book and worth reading!

4 stars

A magical retelling with an amazing setting!

Reading Bright Ruined Things was so much fun! The author does a great job of creating a spellbinding story. I especially enjoyed the 1920s era setting. I also enjoyed the characters and their dynamics. I found myself not wanting to put the book down!

I always am interested in reading books inspired by Shakespeare. I love that Cohoe lifted some character names and general plot points from The Tempest for Bright Ruined Things. Overall, I enjoyed the book. The plot was interesting and I liked the magical elements of the spirits and that Lord Prosper was a sorcerer. Mae's character was a little wimpy in the beginning, but I liked the growth arc she showed as the book developed. The dysfunctional Prosper offspring could have been a little more developed, but generally, the story was well done.

I am hoping for a sequel based on the ending.

This was a one day read for me, not because of simplicity, but due to pure desire to solve the mysteries and find clarity to the relationships in this book. To me, this book read as a cross between Gatsby, the Tempest, and Wuthering Heights. It combined elements of historical fiction, fantasy, and gothic romanticism. I loved it! And the ending of the Epilogue…gah! My only complaint…add more Ivo! The development of Mae’s and Ivo’s relationship lacked for me a bit, but maybe that is the making of a good book, it leaves you wanting more. I will be purchasing a hard copy of this text to add to my classroom library. Thank you to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for an e-ARC copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

This ya fantasy standalone shows us 1920s wealthy family intrigue through the eyes of a girl on the periphery. The orphaned Mae is largely ignored by the Prospers even though she has been permitted to live on their magical island since her father died in childhood. Terrified that they will send her away from the only home she's ever known, she has trouble saying no to even their most high-handed demands, including an unwelcome engagement to the eldest grandchild of the patriarch (cue uncomfy age gap: 18-year-old girl meets 25-year-old boy ew). Ivo is the family heir, responsible for harnessing the island's magic through the labor of spirits, thus perpetuating the family's vast wealth. Unfortunately, Ivo's been pining for Mae while she's been obsessing over his cousin Milo, so no one is on the same page here. Mae feels unseen and cornered, panicking about a future outside her control as well as a mysterious and believed impossible malady striking the island spirits.

While I know the story intended to show the dark side of this family and their relationships, I struggled with the fact that even the ones meant to walk on a slightly lighter shade of the morally grey spectrum still felt sticky and toxic to me. Mae's gaslit by her best friend about some seriously traumatic experiences, belittled by one romantic interest and controlled by another, and generally insulted and managed by everyone. I don't think it's necessarily bad to have Mae learn to protect herself more and gain confidence despite these putdowns. However, her path descends into bitterness, revenge, and schemes as if her past role as mediator and dreamer is as embarrassing as her tormenters would have her believe. Essentially, I didn't mind the growth or loss of innocence but didn't feel like she retained some of her initial strengths after remaking herself.

Also, I didn't care for the ending, to be honest. It's a bit open (not, I believe, for a sequel, but for drama). It's also a sort of stilted ending for some of the relationships rather than a smooth or powerful conclusion that might have felt more meaningful. I only felt irritation towards Mae's final moments with each Prosper.

I think readers who enjoy morally grey characters, vicious drama, and dark magic will enjoy this more than I did. Thanks to Wednesday for my copy to read and review.

The magical world and history of the island and the prosper family were interesting. The mysteries and tied-up relationship kept me engaged.

5-Star Read! I loved this book and was pleasantly surprised by it and how much I enjoyed it. After reading this book, I realized I've read Samantha Cohoe before with Golden Fury and that book was amazing also and got me a bit creeped out, but this book was just as good maybe even better. There was swoon-worthy romance, family/friends, a different magic setup than I've seen before which was great and intriguing. I'm hoping that there will be another book where I can maybe learn more about the magic with the spirits on the island. This is about Mae who's only ever lived on the island with the Prosper family and wants to figure out a way to learn and have the magic of her own. It's also about Mae deciding who she is, what she wants, and what she wants to do to get it. This is about how the magic and the system of things with the spirits on the island for years basically fall apart and chaos breaks loose and they're all left to figure out what to do. I'm so glad that I got to read this book and can't wait for the next one hopefully there's a continuation and a next book because the way the end was left I am going crazy to know what happens next. This is a fantastic read, go get it, you won't be disappointed.
Thanks so much to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press/Wednesday Books for the chance to read and review this amazing story. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This was a brilliant read and I loved the historical aspect to this book. This had such a fun atmosphere and I would recommend this to any historical fiction lovers.

This was a story about the dark, menacing reality under the bright glittering facade.

I’ve been struggling for a couple days to review this one. It was a well written book, with a compelled protagonist & an interesting magic system.. all good things! But I strongly disliked all of the side characters- and as a reader I prefer a supporting cast I can enjoy. I do think this was purposeful, and the ending was very satisfying, so overall I would recommend this for anyone who loved The Great Gatsby, but has wished that green light had been magical.

Thank you so much netgalley, Macmillan audio Wednesday books & St. Martin’s press for the e & audio Arcs! The audio narration was excellent 🖤

Bright Ruined Things by Samantha Cohoe
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Mae has only ever known living on the Island with the wealthy Prosper family. But she has never been considered a part of them. This summer she is determined to change that, she is determined to make a place among them. And also a place for her to do magic.
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What I liked:
-The story flowed well and there was no lag in it. It was very easy to just keep reading and find out what happened that night.
-Mae was a great underdog. Not a part of the family but not quite a servant. I couldn’t help rooting for her at times.
-Ivo was my favorite character.
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What I didn’t like:
-There were moments I wanted to shake Mae. 😂
-The whole book was a bit melancholy. But it IS based on a Shakespeare play so it is a “tragedy”.
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3.5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 I enjoyed this story. I really wish that I could know more about the ending. I’m not familiar with The Tempest, so this was a whole new story to me. After reading a little about the Tempest online, I am impressed with the way the author made this story her own and think the story she told was much more interesting!

Mae lives on an island. The island is owned by the Prosper family, and Lord Prosper rules the island with his magic. Mae’s parents died when she was young, but the Prospers promised her father that they would take care of her until she was 18. Now she was 18, and she’s uncertain about her future. Will they ask her to leave the island now? It’s not what she wants. What she wants is for Lord Prosper and his grandson Ivo to teach her the magic that they use, but she doesn’t think that will happen.

Tonight is First Night, the night once a year when the island is filled with people. It’s the biggest party of the year, and while Ivo lives on the island, Lord Prospero’s other 4 grandchildren do not, and they are all expected to show up for First Night. But before they show up, before all the party arrangements are in place, before the champagne is flowing, Lady Vivian calls for Mae to help her out.

It’s rare for Lady Vivian to ask anything of Mae, so she goes to find out what she wants. Vivian asks Mae to try on her daughter’s wedding dress. Apollonia is known for her fashion sense and extravagant tastes, and at First Night, she will be announcing her engagement to Rex. Mae tries on the dress, feeling how exquisite it is, and wonders what Vivian is wanting from her. Finally, Vivian lets Mae know—she is hoping that Mae will agree to marry Ivo.

While most of Lord Prosper’s grandchildren are stylish and popular, Ivo is not. He’s unkempt and antisocial, keeping to himself on the island, not caring about the fashions or the parties or the traveling that the others fill their time with. Mae and Ivo had been spending some time together on the island, but then something happened, and Mae couldn’t remember exactly what it was, but it was upsetting. However, in this moment, as she is wearing Apollonia’s gorgeous dress, and Vivian is looking at her with such energy that she agreed to. Or at least, she hadn’t said no. And she wanted to say no. Because she really wanted to marry Miles.

Miles didn’t live on the island, but he’s coming back for First Night with his mother, Imogen, Lord Prospero’s daughter. Imogen had always been a little wild, and she got pregnant with Miles without bothering to get married. So while Miles was a Prosper, he was also illegitimate, making him something of an outsider in the Prosper world. Just like Mae.

Lord Prosper made his fortune by mining the powerful aether, an energy source more powerful than coal, gas, or oil. The aether wells are mined by the spirits indigenous to the island, who also add music to the winds and serve the Prosper family in their home. Mae had never thought much about the spirits, until she saw one with Ivo that day, and it looked like it was dying.

As Mae gets ready for the First Night, waiting for her friend Cordelia to come back home, and for Miles, and wondering what will happen to her if the Prospers ask her to leave, she is also coming to the conclusion that there is something wrong with the magic on the island. The spirits are unwell. Ivo is unhappy. And Imogen never shows up. Is it possible that Ivo is creating chaos on the island? Mae likes that idea, because that would give her the perfect excuse to get out of her engagement. And when she figures out that someone had used their magic to bind her thoughts, her memories, of something she saw, Mae feels betrayed. But as she and Miles and Cordelia try to figure out what is going on around them, Mae wonders if maybe everything she ever thought she knew about the island and its magic was wrong.

Bright Ruined Things is a powerhouse of a novel. A modern retelling of Shakespeare’s The Tempest, this novel is filled with all the social politics and class struggles of the play. Author Samantha Cohoe melds a world of magic and its potential corruption with the young, wealthy, carefree, partying of The Great Gatsby or Evelyn Waugh’s Vile Bodies. Set in the 1920s but touching on modern themes, Bright Young Things is a young adult novel with depth and panache.

I wasn’t entirely certain of what to expect with this book. I loved The Tempest, so I had to read this, but I am less excited by books about magic. I thought I’d give this a shot and see what happened. And what happened is that I got sucked into this beautifully written book almost immediately and was all in for whatever happened. Reading Bright Young Things felt a little like reading The Great Gatsby for the first time and discovering that I loved being in that world. It wasn’t anything like the world I live in, but there is a grace and a power to this novel that is enticing, playful, and unstoppable. Read a few pages, and if you can just walk away from it not needing to read more, then go ahead. But if you find it pulling you in, then jump on for the ride. You won’t be disappointed.

Egalleys for Bright Ruined Things were provided by Wednesday Books through NetGalley, with many thanks.

I am not at all familiar with Shakespeare’s The Tempest and was not aware this book was a retelling. So, I cannot compare the two. Sadly, I did not like this story too much. There were interesting ideas, but the execution lacked. The tempo of this story was slow, but that was not an issue for me. With what type of story this was, if executed well, it would have worked. The ending was not a favorite of mine; it did not give me the satisfaction I was looking for.

Mae, who is the main character, did nothing to impress me as a reader. I tried to like her, but the more I read, the more annoyed I ended up being. Her decisions throughout the story were not surprising for me, as a reader, but they helped with her character arc. Even though I did not feel for the character, Mae had a character growth and was a well-written character.

For the rest of the cast, I could not connect with them as I would have liked. The only thing I liked about Coco was her spunk. Ivo, for me, was someone I was not sure if I was supposed to hate him or like him. Miles was only thinking about helping his mother, who never showed up in the story itself. The rest of the family felt like rich brats, which I guess would be very in character for them with this type of story feel. As for the romance, it felt forced and, as a reader and myself, I was trying to figure out if it was a love triangle or if there were four like a…. love circle?

This story setting was based on an island, but where, was not clarified, and when spoken about the mainland, there was still no clarification. The world building was interesting but felt like it needed more. I did not understand the spirits even though it was explained; it did not grasp for me. The time era felt kind of like the 1920s, but even that was not clear. The speech tempos and slang did not scream 1920s. I had to guess by how the women dressed and acted. The magic in this story was interesting, but I did not feel the author flushed the magic out as it should have been.

Even though this book was not for me, it does not mean I will not recommend it. If this book intrigues you, then I would encourage you to read it. You never know, you may like this story. If you like this style of writing, fantasy, magic, 1920s era, and Shakespeare retellings, then I recommend you giving this a try.

You can find this review on my website:
https://www.charliadamswriter.com

Bright Ruined Things is my first book by Samantha Cohoe. A 1920s great Gatsby setting on a mysterious island with magic was such an enticing premise. Mae has grown up on the island with the rich and magical prosper family. The island and the spirits that inhabit and help with the magic there is all she’s ever known. Mae wants to study magic but she is not a part of the family and also won’t be allowed because she’s a woman.
The story gets into the mystery and drama during First Night when some of the Prosper family that lives off the island come back and other rich families come to the island to experience magic, but something is wrong with the spirits and Mae gets tangled in the secrets of the Prosper family.
Interesting concept and love the idea of a mysterious magical island but I was a little bit underwhelmed with the story and characters. Mae was not my favorite character and I didn’t believe the romance as well.

I received an advanced copy from the publisher via Netgalley for an honest review.

1.5 stars rounded up.

First, the cover of this novel is beautiful and I do really like it. However, the style if very Art Deco and 1920s when this novel is supposed to be after World War II in the late 40s ish, at least that is what is seems like.....
Otherwise, I have more questions then answers and this was painful to get through. All of the characters are flat and not really likable. The magic in the world makes ZERO SENSE AT ALL, the family dynamics (and even tree) is so confusing, and this immediate hate to love transitions are strange. On top of that, we have no backbone Mousy Mae who all of the sudden is fierce and ready to kick some ass.......ummm no. The ending is ridiculous, rushed and a lot of nonsense like a bad, bad, bad action movie. Then the epilogue! The epilogue is even worse! Let's tie this haphazardly written, ridiculous nonsense story up with a pretty bow and act like we accomplished greatness! You did not. Your cover art is fabulous, the book was utter trash on every level.

Happy (belated) pub day to Bright Ruined Things!

Going into this story, I was both excited and pretty hesitant. On the one hand, saying a story is a magical realism set in the 1920s is all you have to say to get me excited. On the other hand, my knowledge of The Tempest is pretty limited, and I wasn't sure how that would affect my reading experience.

I needn't have worried - even only knowing the basic details of the original story, this was such an exciting novel! It took until around the halfway mark for me to get into the story, but once I did, I was HOOKED.

I think the best thing this story has going for it is the characters. None of them are particularly likable, but that's what makes them so good. They all make poor choices and have questionable morals, which is what really makes the story great. Writing unlikable characters that the reader still cares about can be hard, but Cohoe pulled it off well! (I will admit that Ivo was definitely my favorite character.)

I also really liked how the majority of the story was sent in one day. That's a format I don't see too often, so it was pretty cool.

Spoiling the story is not something I want to do, but I will say that the twists and turns keep coming right up until the last page. There was one in the last couple of chapters, in particular, that stunned me. And the last sentence! I don't know if there are plans to write a sequel to this or just have it be an open ending, but I'd love to know how Mae ended up!

Overall, this was even better than I was anticipating, and I highly recommend it!

What would you do if you discovered that everything you have results from pain? This intriguing novel follows Mae as she transforms from a quiet, mousy nobody into a strong woman who will give it all up rather than cause pain. Mae has never known life outside of the island. Her life is a solitary existence, living off the charity of the magic Prosper family. Mae longs to learn the magic of the Prosper family, hoping it will help secure her a permanent place in the family. She learns her friends are not all they seem to be. Mae questions everything in her life. Is Coco a genuine friend? Mae always loved Miles, but what about the sad and moody Ivo? This story has romance, intrigue, a love triangle, friendship, and betrayal. The deftly woven story flowed well and kept me interested. 

Ambition and belonging are powerful themes throughout the story. The characters were the typical snobby rich kids and the poor girl wanting it all. Well-developed characters added depth to the tale. The author successfully wrote serious character flaws of each into the tale. My only issue with this book was the ending. As they marketed this novel as a stand-alone, the ending did not satisfy me. I wish the ending had given more closure. I am not a major fan of books that leave me with lingering questions at the end. This book was a solid 4 out of 5 stars for me.