A propulsive, chaotic, engaging read. The writing was well-done, giving the reader the experience of the recovering person's psyche and all the chaos that surrounds the addiction and the struggles of recovery. Being inside the mind of our unreliable narrator as she tries to navigate her life both before and after using alcohol, gives us the sense of it all as it unfolds and we see her struggles. As some have said, the ending felt abrupt and I was hoping to see more of how things turn out but we are left to decide for ourselves how the rest of her life unfolds.

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and the author, for an ARC of this book, in exchange for an honest review.
The synopsis of this book sounded intriguing to me so I requested a copy to read.
Unfortunately, I have tried reading this book on 2 separate occasions and during this 2nd attempt, I have
decided to stop reading this book
and state that this book just wasn't for me.
I wish the author, publisher and all those promoting the book much success and connections with the right readers.

Sonya was an actress, but is no longer succeeding. Along the way she went into a black hole of mental illness and alcoholism. When her father steps in, she is sent to recover without her son and dog.

This was an authentic and raw look at alcoholism and mental illness. It was uncomfortable for me to read, but it is a difficult topic. There was rambling which was hard to follow at times, but it was true to the mind that we were in for the story. I liked her experience with recovery. It wasn’t as optimistic and cheery as many I’ve read. It showed the ups and downs, and the trials for the main character and the others. Her time while drinking was hard to read, but also important to read.

“This little head full of bad fairies and black birds of worry and his tummy that’s often sore, his filthy home and his mother who’s a lush, a selfish, selfish lush. How many more times am I going to say ‘tomorrow’? How many more times am I going to say ‘sorry’?”

Bright Burning Things comes out 12/7.

Bright Burning Things
by Lisa Harding
Pub Date: Dec. 7, 2021
Harper Via

Bright Burning Things is an emotional tour-de-force—a devastating and nuanced look at an addict’s journey towards rehabilitation and redemption. Thanks to Harper Via and NetGalley for the ARC. Beautiful story about a mother's journey through addiction. 4 stars
Fiction

Contemporary

Mental Health

BRIGHT BURNING THINGS by Lisa Harding is a heart-wrenching and thought-provoking story of motherhood, addiction and recovery that I couldn’t put down. Sonya Moriarty was once a successful stage actress, living a fast-paced and glamorous life. When her stint in the spotlight ended, Sonya’s life began spiraling out of control. She turned to alcohol to blot out the pain of her failed career and the memories of childhood trauma she never got over. The only things worthwhile in her life are her four-year-old son, Tommy and their beloved rescue dog, Herbie. She loves Tommy with a ferocity that is almost claustrophobic, yet her need for the bottle has repeatedly put his life in danger. When a neighbor and her estranged father stage an intervention and force Sonya into a three-month detoxification/rehabilitation program, it becomes clear that she must get sober or she will lose Tommy forever. Told entirely from Sonya’s point of view, we witness her gut-wrenching and deeply emotional journey back from addiction. At times Sonya’s story was so distressing, I had to set down the book for a moment. Yet, her plight is portrayed with an honesty and compassion that is powerful and moving. I highly recommend this compelling story of family and redemption. Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the chance to read an early copy.

Beautiful, heart-wrenching, glorious writing.  Visceral story of a mother's love for her son and the monsters that she fights for his love.  Highly suggested to anyone with difficult parent relationships who question their own skills.  I love Herbie and Marmie, Tommy and Sonya.  And I want Margherita pizza and orange soda.

Thank you to NetGalley for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Irish author Lisa Harding offers a searing portrait of addiction and recovery.

Sonya is a former actress and a raging alcholic. She doesn't think her problem is that bad. Sure the neighbors tut when they see her acting like a fool in public, but as long as her 4-year-old son, Tommy, is entertained, what's the harm? Then, one day, Sonya is making fish fingers for Tommy for dinner and she lies down to take a little rest, not realizing that the oven is still on high and the food is still in it. When she almost sets the house on fire, her father puts his foot down and sends her to rehab, if not for her sake, then for Tommy's. Once she's completed rehab, it's a difficult road to reintegrate into society. Her beloved son has been with a foster family, and he's changed - he dresses differently and he acts differently. Her dog has even been given away. Sonya's father thinks it's all for the best, but Sonya's little family, herself, Tommy, and Herbie the dog, are what she lives for, and she needs the will to live to overcome her addiction.

“I’m living in a hall of mirrors, my image distorted and bounced back at me: beautiful, grotesque, famous, grotesque, brilliant, grotesque. I’m a sad, needy clown.”

Sonya is a young single mother. Failed acting career. Full of sass and fire. Lacking any social support system, she turns to alcohol to quiet the “blackbirds of worry.” When a neighbor calls social services, Sonya must enter rehab or risk losing her son forever.

Harding’s writing is solid & lyrical. Since I went into this book blind, the first few chapters confused me. Soon, I found the disjointed voice in the earliest chapters to be the inner workings of Sonya’s mind when she was under the influence (or blackout drunk). The voice changes when Sonya sobers up. Harding handles this beautifully. I loved the brilliant imagery in this book. Sad, moving, gorgeous, and haunting. Talk about bright, burning things!

Critics compare this one to Room, and I see the likeness in that both explore motherhood in its rawest—the love, grief, claustrophobia. Motherhood can save a person.

This book deals with addiction, mental health issues, and loneliness. In this story, Sonya has no social support system to help her raise a child on her own (or get her through recovery). I can’t help but think of all the mothers who parent alone because society does nothing to support single parents.

I'm so glad this story found me.

I really enjoyed this one! I enjoy reading stories about people on the entertainment industry finding their way back or a behind the scenes look into the celebrity glamour filled life.
Premise
Sonya used to perform on stage. She attended glamorous parties, dated handsome men, rode in fast cars. But somewhere along the way, the stage lights Sonya lived for dimmed to black. In their absence, came darkness—blackouts, empty cupboards, hazy nights she could not remember.

Haunted by her failed career and lingering trauma from her childhood, Sonya fell deep into an alcoholic abyss. What kept her from losing herself completely was Tommy, her son. But her love for Tommy rivaled her love for the bottle. Addiction amplified her fear of losing her child; every maternal misstep compelled her to drink. Tommy’s precious life was in her shaky hands.

Eventually Sonya was forced to make a choice. Give up drinking or lose Tommy—forever.
I really enjoyed this one. Having a parent that battled addiction I could really relate to the journey Sonya went on and how she worked so hard to get herself together to be there for her son.

A heart wrenching story a book so well written characters that come alive.Emotional movi g a book I highly recommend #netgalley#harpervia

This book does an excellent job of placing the reader inside the experience of Sonya, an alcoholic mother of a young boy. As a retired children’s social worker, I am all too familiar with the trauma experienced by families affected by substance abuse, and I think this book paints an accurate picture of that. This book is heartbreaking, but ultimately hopeful. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Struggled a bit with this one. Well written, but coming from a family with alcoholism the story felt tired and similar to many I’ve heard before.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. Once the book got going I found this to be an enjoyable read. But before that I found the book very hard to get into and almost put it down a few times.

Heart-renching, emotional read with a flawed and relatable female protagonist. This novel examines choices, consequences, and coming back after being knocked down time and time again. Themes of addiction. A solid read, character driven

Wow wow wow. This book is unlike anything i've ever read. Once I started I could not stop. Written in a stream of consciousness kind of style, i found it propulsive and heartbreaking. Well done.

Oooh I did not want this book to end. I found myself dragging it out and finding things to do intermittently so that it wouldn’t be over, but I devoured it.

Rich detail and dialogue (internal and spoken). Unresolved hints of backstory. A striving, flawed, lovable protagonist.

A relatable addiction. Human circumstances. The journey to be a better human, one we should all be on.

Read it!

Thank you so much NetGalley for the book.
This book broke my heart on so many levels. Sonya, oh what a woman. Its so easy to look down on people who suffer from addiction but Sonya made it real. I'm not going to defend her "reasoning" for turning to alochol as it is a common story that you hear often. It's just a shame that it took losing her son to really open her eyes to the damage she was doing not just to him but also to herself.

The book starts off chaotic. Much like Sonya's life at that time. But as she does her journey to getting sober, the book seems to follow her behaviour.

Gripping prose, compelling characters and such a dynamically, well rounded account of a mother trying to reconcile her inner demons with the life she wants.

.
The story is told from the perspective of Sonya, a single mother of a four year old boy. She sees herself as an out of work actress that was destined for so many bright, shiny things. The demands of motherhood and well, life, made it so that the future she might have imagined for herself is just out of grasp. Pair that with a traumatic childhood and no support around her, she copes with her shortcomings by drinking. Eventually, she loses her grip on reality and her son is taken away from her. She goes through detox and fights for her son right along with her own life.

As hard as it is to read (addiction is brutal), I really appreciated this book. Especially when Sonya can’t reach a consensus about a higher power, she begins to worship what feels sacred: her furry friends (dog and cat), a cup of tea, the feel of water. It grounds her. Don’t get me wrong - I was also angry and disgusted by the addiction. But I was rooting for her to become stronger with every page.
I definitely recommend this one.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing an egalley for review. For Sonya, being Tommy’s mother is a bit overwhelming. Add to this, her failed acting career, terrible relationship with her father and genetic disposition for alcohol addiction and you have the recipe for a disaster. However, unlike most adult books on this theme, this book has a happy outcome. Sonya is able to work her program, find her inner strength and get a handle on her demons. Plus she is able to tell the wicked sketchy, scumbag “solicitor” to get out. A refreshingly hopeful take on a some very depressing topics.