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Burn Bright

(Dark Star #2)

Bethany Frenette (Goodreads Author)

4.02 · Rating details · 913 ratings · 112 reviews

Audrey Whitticomb saved her entire city.

Well, kind of. The superhero Morning Star (who just happens to be Audrey's mom) might have played a small part, and her sidekick, Leon—Audrey's sort-of boyfriend, who is gorgeous... and frustrating—maybe helped, too.

But after two peaceful months, there is a vicious new threat in Minneapolis. Her name is Susannah, and she's a Harrower ...more

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Hardcover, 339 pages

Published February 25th 2014 by Disney-Hyperion

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Feb 22, 2013 Stacia (the 2010 club) rated it really liked it

Shelves: futuristic, science-fiction, paranormal-romance, young-adult, hybrid-multiple-genre, action-and-adventure, cute

3.5 stars. I'm pretty sure I've already made the Hex Hall meets Sky High comparison, but I can't not bring it up again. This is the kind of comparison which should be perceived as a good one, though. Burn Bright followed a promising (yet shaky) first book and amped up the danger, adventure, and (somewhat) forbidden attraction.

There's still one part superhero sci-fi...

"You just told us the world is ending. I'd like to know how much time I have to prevent it."

And several parts paranorm ...more

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Mar 05, 2013 Christina (A Reader of Fictions) rated it really liked it

Shelves: i-will-go-down-with-this-ship, the-adorbs, so-many-lols, right-in-the-feels, favorites-paranormal

Actual rating: 4.5 stars.

Doubting myself comes pretty naturally sometimes. Even when I really like something, when everyone else isn’t impressed, I think maybe I was wrong. That’s how I felt about Dark Star. Well, in this case, I’m TOTALLY right, because Burn Bright is every bit as fun, bantery and action-packed as I remember Dark Star being. These books are awesome, and more people need to get on the fan train with me to flail over the swoons and the laughs.

Read the full review at A Reader of F ...more

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Mar 19, 2013 Nicole marked it as to-read

Need this in my hands SO BAD.

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Jan 10, 2014 Paige (Illegal in 3 Countries) rated it really liked it

Shelves: arc

I NO CAN HAS WORDS. Well, I kinda have words, but not enough to throw together into a full review.

Burn Bright is much easier to get into than its predecessor and it's better paced too, but it's got a bit of Second Book Syndrome going on; you can practically see all the characters being moved into place like game pieces in preparation for Fire Fall. The plot is great sometimes, a bit stale at others. There were so many things I didn't remember because I read the first book well over a year ago a ...more

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Apr 15, 2014 Nasty Lady MJ rated it liked it

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The Dark Star trilogy is one of those series I really like, but hate its marketing.

First of all, I think this series does deserve more marketing than its getting. It has likable characters, a pretty good plot, and it doesn’t use tropes to that ridiculous point where you seemingly develop psychic powers when it comes to the storyline.

Seriously, after I read a few YA books I almost thought about starting my own version of Ms. C ...more

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Oct 18, 2013 That One Geek Girl rated it it was amazing

Shelves: wishlist

Review from ThatOneGeekGirl.com

This book was a great follow-up to Dark Star. Audrey really grows into her abilities and into being a more confident young woman. I really enjoyed the game of cat-and-mouse that Susannah was playing with the guardians. It was so sinister and fun (and yes, I might be a bit evil). I also really enjoyed Audrey and Leon’s growing romantic relationship. They both want to protect each other so much that it ends up causing so many problems. I love Leon. He is definitely o ...more

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Mar 22, 2013 YA Reads Book Reviews rated it it was amazing

Shelves: nichole

I'M SO SAD IT'S OVER!

Review coming soon! ...more

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May 03, 2013 Gillian rated it really liked it

Shelves: supernatural-shenanigans, premise-is-perfection, romance-to-root-for, bookish-boyfriends, slam-bang-ending, feelsy-feels, wonderful-worldbulding

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Rating: A solid sequel in a series more people should be reading.

My review of Dark Star, book one

More people should be reading this delightful superhero/urban fantasy series. It's funny, charming and full of twists and turns. The relationships are strong, and the heroine is wonderful. Like the first, this book got off to a bit of a slow start, but once it hits its stride, I couldn't put it down. We get more worldbuilding, more info, a super creepy bad girl demon who honestly will hau ...more

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Jul 09, 2013 Shweta Choudhary rated it it was amazing

Shelves: arc

ARC review
Provided by Netgalley

Better than the first. SO much suspense and action ..Not a single moment where there is not something happening. When You start this book. You can't stop. The author wrote in such a way that you couldn't guess the remnant till the end. When you think you got it ...there is again a twist. Romance , suspense ,action and humor...awesome character will keep you addicted to you :) ...more

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Jan 24, 2014 Amanda G. (Nellie and Co. rated it really liked it

Shelves: own, favourites-2015

I can't for the life of me understand why I left reading Burn Bright for as long as I did, not only when you consider that I really really enjoyed Dark Star, but that the series is a definite 'Amanda' series. It's character's have depth, feel real and are juicy and squishy, and it's plot is brilliant, twisting and full of reveals. It's world is.. a little lacking, but almost dismissible. It literally is a book that you could read and know, just know that I would like, and nothing makes me happie I can't for the life of me understand why I left reading Burn Bright for as long as I did, not only when you consider that I really really enjoyed Dark Star, but that the series is a definite 'Amanda' series. It's character's have depth, feel real and are juicy and squishy, and it's plot is brilliant, twisting and full of reveals. It's world is.. a little lacking, but almost dismissible. It literally is a book that you could read and know, just know that I would like, and nothing makes me happier than to know I certainly did more than just like it.

It's easier if I just get the tiniest, almost, insignificant issue out of the way now, and that's the same issue I had previously, the world. I feel exactly the same about the world as I did over a year ago when I read Dark Star, it's not fantastically explored, but I didn't feel as though this was a.. bad thing? Confusing as it may sound, there is a lot more going for this book and eventually, it's strength, or lack of strength in world building does fizzle out and, I, personally, did start to almost forget I had an issue with it, because the rest of the book was that good. It's urban fantasy focusing a lot on the urban and expecting you to forge your own world a lot of the time, I can't say that this is a bad thing, some people like the little and make a lot on their own, other's, expect a stage, something to set the scene all the time. Burn Bright doesn't do this, but it, surprisingly, doesn't hinder the book all that much.

What makes this book stand on it's own two feet, amidst the many urban fantasy, paranormal and magical-esk young adult reads out in the genre? Its's its character's and it's plot, both of which are some of the best I've ever read. Ever. It doesn't take writing that sounds like mythical poetry, it doesn't take character's that have many many layers of subtext, secrets and hidden emotions, it doesn't magic or power systems that are detailed and have travelled through history for millions of years to win me over, I like simple. Simple, but impressive, and this series, and this installment especially, was exactly that. The characters, Audrey, Lucy, Leon, Drew, Tink, Gideon, damn, even Shane, all of these characters feel real to me, as do their relationships with one another, and it's beautiful. Some relationships stand out more than others; Audrey and Lucy's relationship is just - it reminds me so much of my relationship with my Mother, a mutual care and protective stance over one another, a feeling of being more like friends than family, a feel of just, trusting, and having that mother/daughter relationship in a book that just matters, that's involved, that plays a big part in, not only how the character's grow and develop, but in the plot too. It's definitely my favourite mother/daughter relationship, and it really highlights how more authors can and should involve parents more, (in fact, just involve family, this book is full to the brim with active familie characters and relationships; grandparents, cousins, older characters in relationships that aren't marriage, dating while middle aged, adoption and adoptive parents and, father figures) in all stories, never mind those more action-packed and fantastical ones; Audrey and Lucy just make my heart smile.

What makes my heart flutter is Audrey and Leon's relationship, which really, along with that with her mother, really shapes Audrey into not just a realistic heroine, but a strong heroine, one that believes she's capable and believes in herself, and wants to be involved, wants to help people, wants to be the important character that she is in the series, and Leon is just the perfect love interest for her, and their relationship is - I hate to use beautiful again, but it is, it's so swoony, so sexy, so so damn adorable, my feels literally cannot take the cute. These two, their struggles, their personal battles, their respect and loyalty to one another, their protectiveness, their need, and want, to look after the other, their honest and realistic romance, it's just really rather perfect, and how they explore their feelings, and how things get pretty darn hot every now and then, and then switch to cheesy, happy smiles and holding hands, I just - I love them.

In fact, I just love pretty much everything about Burn Bright. It's brilliant plot and dark, eerie feel was the right direction to take for the sequel, and it's new enemies, new characters and it's interesting twist on previous characters we already knew and their relationships with one another, it was everything I thought I wanted from Burn Bright and more, Frenette is just a genius, and is not appreciated more for her work. She writes such entertaining and enthralling action scenes and she has such clear, yet detailed plots woven throughout her books, she creates the perfect amount of questions and answers and throughout her work, and she makes me cringe (but in a very good way), laugh, cry, howl and breakdown. I don't mind that I knew were most of the story was going and that I'd worked out a lot of what was to come, and I really don't think I mind the world not being as strong as it could be, because this series, and Frenette, deserve more notice, and deserved a chance to feel complete. Knowing that this series didn't get the love, or the attention it deserved when it was released breaks my heart, because it's such a good series, with so many brilliant characters and relationships and unanswered questions, and I feel so angry knowing that the final installment is going to be so difficult to find, but I love this series too much to let it go unfinished, and I will do anything within my power to get my hands on Fire Fall. In between my heartbreak over this series lack of love, I could not have wished for a better sequel, and this series definitely has a place in my heart.

4.5 stars. ...more

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Jan 02, 2014 Anya rated it really liked it

Burn Bright by Bethany Frenette is the sequel to Dark Star and continues the story of Audrey’s life with a superhero mother, demons after her, and friends that are crazy but in an awesome way. I was honestly only so-so about Dark Star, but Burn Bright has been able to not only avoid second book syndrome, but surpass Dark Star in terms of character development and plot. Burn Bright has some obvious setup for a third book towards the end, so I’m hoping that the series just keeps getting better :D. ...more

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Jan 05, 2014 Karla rated it really liked it

Shelves: favorites

Oh the feels I got this from this book! I loved this sequel! I found myself yelling at my Kindle, stopping myself from throwing it across the room during the frustrating parts, and groaning in exasperation when certain things were revealed or unexpected things happened. It was that good!

The book starts with an action sequence, sort of sets the pace for the rest of the reading. Burn Bright is action packed and it wasn't just that, there were moments that I found sad and shocking, scenes that kept Oh the feels I got this from this book! I loved this sequel! I found myself yelling at my Kindle, stopping myself from throwing it across the room during the frustrating parts, and groaning in exasperation when certain things were revealed or unexpected things happened. It was that good!

The book starts with an action sequence, sort of sets the pace for the rest of the reading. Burn Bright is action packed and it wasn't just that, there were moments that I found sad and shocking, scenes that kept turning the pages to figure out was going to happen next and what Susannah's next step would be (plus figure out what it was she up to exactly).

More secrets are reveled in this sequel and we finally get to know who the Remnant is, something I figured out halfway through the book (view spoiler)
Audrey's father appearing in the book was something that I did not expect. Seeing as how he was connected to Verrick and his powers were sealed, I had an inkling that something bad would happen and then her father's powers would come back and all hell would break loose but it didn't happen. I was left feeling sort of let down with the interaction between Audrey and her father. I get that he's basically a shell of the man he used to be and has no emotion now but it would have been nice to see a spark in him that connects him to Audrey and her mother, Lucy/Morning Star, but nope, he's lost and probably won't remember them again. My heart went out for Audrey during this part- it was nice to know that Audrey and her mother needed to know that he was okay in order to let go.

I found myself getting frustrated at Audrey for her fighting against the Guardian bond because it only caused problems for her and Leon. Then, when they couldn't get past the fact that Leon was Called to protect her and Audrey didn't want him getting hurt in order to do so and they ended up at an impasse. As much fun as it was seeing the both of them argue in the first book, it became sort of heartbreaking seeing them be mad at each other because of the broken bond. (view spoiler).

Thank god for no love triangle! Really enjoyed the romance, Leon and Audrey were more couple-y and had more scenes together than the first one, and I just liked how Leon still felt the need to protect her despite the fact that she thought the Guardian connection was gone after what had happened at Harlow Tower a few months ago. Despite all this, Leon and Audrey manage to make it work, which makes them one of my favorite couples so far. I would love to see what happens next in the last book of the trilogy and will be expecting more Leon/Audrey moments.

So many things happened in this one that my mind is still trying to process everything that has happened! Can't wait for the last book in this trilogy Fire Fall, here on Goodreads it says that the expected publication date is September 30th 2014 and if that's true, I can't wait for September to get here! Although I will be sad to see this world and characters that Bethany Frenette made up end, but I'll be happy for the time being anxiously awaiting to see what the last part of Val's vision has to do with Audrey saving the world! ...more

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Feb 19, 2014 Ruthsic rated it really liked it

Shelves: fantasy, young-adult

Audrey Whitticomb saved her entire city.

Well, kind of. The superhero Morning Star (who just happens to be Audrey's mom) might have played a small part, and her sidekick, Leon—Audrey's sort-of boyfriend, who is gorgeous... and frustrating—maybe helped, too.

But after two peaceful months, there is a vicious new threat in Minneapolis. Her name is Susannah, and she's a Harrower, a demon hell-bent on destroying people like Morning Star, Leon, and Audrey—the Kin. Like others before her, she seeks the R Audrey Whitticomb saved her entire city.

Well, kind of. The superhero Morning Star (who just happens to be Audrey's mom) might have played a small part, and her sidekick, Leon—Audrey's sort-of boyfriend, who is gorgeous... and frustrating—maybe helped, too.

But after two peaceful months, there is a vicious new threat in Minneapolis. Her name is Susannah, and she's a Harrower, a demon hell-bent on destroying people like Morning Star, Leon, and Audrey—the Kin. Like others before her, she seeks the Remnant, a Kin girl who has the power to unleash the inhabitants of the Beneath. But to what end?

Audrey already has a ton on her plate: dealing with her best friend Tink's boy drama, helping her other best friend Gideon figure out his nightmares, and exploring the highs and lows of "dating" Leon. But when she develops a powerful new ability, Audrey seizes on the chance to fight, despite her mother's protests and Leon's pleas.

As Audrey gets closer to figuring out Susannah's motives and tracking down the Remnant, she'll uncover more than she bargained for. The terrible truth is staring Audrey in the face. But knowing the truth and accepting it are very different things.

Dark Star had started on such a bright note - there was a whole new spin on the superhero thing, entire different kinds of paranormal creatures, good history to support the canon - and it was made more enjoyable by Audrey's POV. Burn Bright continues in the same vein - Harrowers are attacking the Kin again, and Audrey, even though relegated to the sidelines as she hasn't been Called, finds ways to keep helping out. She has an adorable boyfriend in Leon, but things are complicated by the Guardian bond. Being a superhero's daughter, she has done her fair share of worrying and doesn't want to see anyone hurt. When a new ability starts developing, she looks about as to how to best help out the Kin. Even dwarfed by the power of her mother, the Morning Star, she manages to shine on her own.

The major arc of the story is the mystery of the Remnant and how the Harrowers are trying to find that person. Audrey, equipped with her knowing, tries to find out before they can but sometimes Knowing itself is a curse, as evidenced by that amazing twist in the end. What I really liked was how the author had set up the twist from the first book itself - events that had been hinted at but not really pursued. The writing was smooth and well-detailed, with such depth and dimension given to each character, and voice through Audrey, a really perceptive individual. Even besides her Knowing, she herself is able to read people effortlessly, and how she empathizes with everyone is clearly a testament of her good heart. Her romance with Leon is delved into so beautifully - they are bonded but there is no co-dependence. It may seem like she has needed him to rescue her, but she is certainly not helpless. The dynamic of their relationship is quite interesting and I could go on and on about the other character relationships too. :)

My only disappointment was that the Calling of a Guardian and the inner working of the Kin are not so well-explained. Granted, the plotline's narrative is from the point of view of a character who is brushed aside for most events, it would have been nice if the author would have manged to slip in some more details on that front. Nevertheless, I enjoyed it immensely, even the way it was and hoping for another amazing sequel soon enough.

Received a copy from Disney-Hyperion via NetGalley for a honest review ...more

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Mar 28, 2013 Shelley rated it really liked it

Shelves: 2014-release, netgalley-arc, young-adult-sifi, disney-hyperion

*Genre* Young Adult Science Fiction
*Rating* 3.5

*My Thoughts*

Who has more on her plate than sixteen year old Audrey Whitticomb? It's hard to say! Audrey has had a quiet two months ever since finding the fire inside of her to help defeat Iris from unleashing the Harrowing on the world. Now, she is faced with even more difficult challenges while continuing to go to school, having a relationship with her mother and guardian, and trying to be a good friend to Tink and Gideon and not leaving them unde *Genre* Young Adult Science Fiction
*Rating* 3.5

*My Thoughts*

Who has more on her plate than sixteen year old Audrey Whitticomb? It's hard to say! Audrey has had a quiet two months ever since finding the fire inside of her to help defeat Iris from unleashing the Harrowing on the world. Now, she is faced with even more difficult challenges while continuing to go to school, having a relationship with her mother and guardian, and trying to be a good friend to Tink and Gideon and not leaving them under the bus and ignorant of what's happening to her.

As the daughter of the superhero Morning Star (Lucy Whitticomb), Audrey knows that her life will be anything but normal. She knows that one day she will also be called upon to fill her place within the Kin's guardian ranks like her boyfriend Leon Farkas, her best friend Tink, as well as her own father Adrian St. Croix. Until then, she will have to rely on Leon to save her life, and keep her out of trouble, especially since we are talking about Audrey who loves jumping in feet first and hates for anyone to get hurt because of her.

So, naturally it's the perfect time for a mega-villain to show up and throw everything into chaos. Susannah is a Harrower, a demon hell-bent on ridding the planet of the Kin and she is far from the typical villain who is boisterous, loud, and sits around waiting for the good guys to come defeat her. She's maniacal, intelligent, and extremely dangerous. Her desire to unleash the Harrowing on the world is one step away from completion. All she needs is the mysterious girl known as the Remnant who is said to have the ability to blow open the gates between worlds and unleash the Harrowing. But, the Remnants secret identity is buried so deep, that nobody within the Kin really knows who she is.

I will say that Burn Bright brings some interesting dynamics to the table including some interesting secrets. First there is Drew Reingold a guardian who lost his wife to Susannah and has come to the Twin Cities looking for payback. I truly felt for Drew and didn't feel the need to dislike him because of any of his actions. Grief and the need for revenges is a devastating thing to live with.

There is Audrey's relationship with Leon which takes some interesting turns because of Audrey's determination to not allow anyone, including Leon, to get hurt because of her. I still love the fact that Audrey, Tink and Gideon are best friends, and not love interests. It's genuine in its scope and depth and not just for the sake of the storyline.

There ARE a few surprises in Burn Bright which I won't touch with a TEN FOOT POLE! I do love how Audrey is portrayed in this series. She's got a solid foundation to stand on, and finds herself with new challenges, abilities, and questions that she doesn't break down, or run away from. She's got plenty of support from her own mother, Leon, her St. Croix family who has become an important part of Audrey's life and her desire to learn her abilities.

The final installment called Fire Fall (Dark Star #3) will be released September 30th 2014 by Disney-Hyperion and hopefully it will be even better than Dark Star, and Burn Bright.

**I received this book for free via NetGalley/Disney-Hyperion in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.**

*Recvd 10/11/2013 via NetGalley - Expected publication: February 25th 2014 by Disney-Hyperion ...more

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Aug 08, 2013 Sophia rated it really liked it

Uh oh! There’s a new Harrower in town, and her name is Susannah! She’s hunting the Kin, namely Guardians. What ever will they do? Meanwhile, Audrey wants to help, she and Leon are having problems and Gideon also is having identity issues. Audrey is developing a new power, but sadly, it’s not what I expected. By obtaining the power, I thought she would jump right in on the action, but sadly, she can’t. The power wasn’t explained very well, and I had a rough time trying to remember what happened i Uh oh! There’s a new Harrower in town, and her name is Susannah! She’s hunting the Kin, namely Guardians. What ever will they do? Meanwhile, Audrey wants to help, she and Leon are having problems and Gideon also is having identity issues. Audrey is developing a new power, but sadly, it’s not what I expected. By obtaining the power, I thought she would jump right in on the action, but sadly, she can’t. The power wasn’t explained very well, and I had a rough time trying to remember what happened in Dark Star, but Burn Bright was good. It was an easy, quick, fun read about superheros. It felt like they turned [insert superhero movie name here] into a novel. Everything that happened in the book followed a similar movie structure.

Audrey is a good character, but I want her to be more powerful. It’s great that she wants to fight, but I wish she had a better ability. I was excited when I thought that she would get a cool power, but she really didn’t. The power she gets could have sparked internal conflict, but it doesn’t do that either. I guess I admire Audrey for being so confidant about herself. Audrey can be such an awesome, headstrong character, but I want more conflict! Audrey has one major conflict through the book, which is letting Leon protect her at the cost of his life. That’s a good conflict for her to have, but it’s not enough. It doesn’t help her grow.

Leon isn’t in the book a lot. He’s mentioned a lot, but the relationship between him and Audrey doesn’t develop. There’s a gap between when they kissed and when they got together. When they get together now, it eventually ends in an argument. Normally I like when a relationship is on the sidelines, especially in an action-packed book like this, but I feel that Leon could make Audrey become a deeper character. The relationship doesn’t give me anything, and it doesn’t improve the characters.

The world building of the book is so-so. A lot of it was explained in Dark Star, and it was either unmemorable or boring. I was very confused for the first few chapters, though I got the main gist of the Kin. I also forgot what happened in Dark Star, and the book didn’t do a great job of catching me up. However, I do like how the book feels like a superhero movie. In that way, it’s unique–the style of writing is very direct. It’s easy to understand, nicely paced with some action peppered throughout but the “final battle” is saved for last. The author wrote the action scenes well; I never felt as if they got boring or overdramatic. People actually came out hurt, and there was a body count. This wasn’t like anything I’ve ever read before, which is why I like and enjoy these books. Overall, Burn Bright could have been better, but the story is good and I do want to finish the series. I hope the characters and emotions are strengthened in the final book, though, because these books lacked depth and a clear message. ...more

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Mar 05, 2013 papalbina rated it really liked it

Shelves: in-english, kindle-or-kobo-or-ipad, arc, i-luv-that-cover

I pre-ordered my copy of Burn Bright the moment it was available on the bookdepository. I requested an arc at netgalley anyway, becaaauuusseee... because i couldn't wait until February. I’m very bad at waiting.

I didn't know what to expect of this book. Dark Star's ending was pretty tied up with a couple of open questions ready for a second book, but no clue about the direction this second book would take. The thing after reading Burn Bright is that the direction is fantastic.

We have a new villa I pre-ordered my copy of Burn Bright the moment it was available on the bookdepository. I requested an arc at netgalley anyway, becaaauuusseee... because i couldn't wait until February. I’m very bad at waiting.

I didn't know what to expect of this book. Dark Star's ending was pretty tied up with a couple of open questions ready for a second book, but no clue about the direction this second book would take. The thing after reading Burn Bright is that the direction is fantastic.

We have a new villain who wants to find the remnant to open the Beneath and end this world. We have a bit of development in Audrey and Leon’s relationship, especially since we met a guardian that was once in the same situation as this two. Some shocking news about Audrey’s friends. Some supporting character development like for Mr. Alvarez.

I think there's very little in this book that I didn't like. If I had to name something that didn't sit well for me that would be the revelations about Audrey’s friends. I think it's too much at once, but I’m pretty sure there's a reason for that and we will be surprise in book 3.

The rest was excellent in my opinion. There was intrigue, there was mystery, but it was not too predictable; there was action; there was love, but not too much, not too cheesy, just the right bit to be satisfied. and there were more open questions left unanswered at the end... but NO cliffhanger, which I appreciate SOOOO much.

I like Leon as male character in this book; I understand his motivations, his needs. I like very much that we get to know Audrey’s mum better and that she too has her own story in the story. But above all, I love Audrey. She is a teenager, she shows that several times, but at the same time is mature and reasonable, but not in excess, just the right amount to make her believable. She’s young, a bit restless, sensible, and clever; she wants to be helpful but knows her limits, because she has limits, she's not the best at every thing she does. She's no Mary Sue. She's the type of person I would like to have as friend. That’s why she's one of my favourite female characters in books.

I like this series very much, it's not pretentious, it doesn't try to explain the inexplicable and get stuck mid-sentence, it's highly entertaining with good characters. Like its MC it is reasonable, knows its limits and acts clever around it to get the best out of the story. That's something to acknowledge nowadays in YA.

I’m very happy to know that Bethany Frenette is already working in the third book which is in revision... I hope it doesn't take too long to get published, I'm waiting!!! *______*

thank you to NetGalley and Disney-Hyperion for providing me with a copy of this book
...more

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Dec 07, 2013 Dani Shuping rated it really liked it

ARC provided by NetGalley

Audrey's mom is the superhero Morning Star, who has saved the city more times than anyone can count. But Audrey discovered the truth, that she and her mom are a part of a group that fight demons and protect the world. And two months ago Audrey, not her mom, saved the world. Since then Audrey's been training and getting to know her powers better...and oh yeah, dating her mom's partner Leon. But a new threat has arrived and she is a Harrower named Susannah, a demon hell-be ARC provided by NetGalley

Audrey's mom is the superhero Morning Star, who has saved the city more times than anyone can count. But Audrey discovered the truth, that she and her mom are a part of a group that fight demons and protect the world. And two months ago Audrey, not her mom, saved the world. Since then Audrey's been training and getting to know her powers better...and oh yeah, dating her mom's partner Leon. But a new threat has arrived and she is a Harrower named Susannah, a demon hell-bent on destroying the kin. Can Audrey figure out why Susannah is around and save the day again? Or will she discover things that were best left in the darkness?

I have to admit I was excited to see that Dark Star was just the first book in a series. Yes this book is probably most likely geared towards teenage girls, but come on! We've got a girl superhero. Do you know how often that happens? And one that isn't about being the "perfect" girl or trying to be Superman or one of the other male characters. Instead she's herself. A young, teenage girl attempting to figure out who she is, what powers she has, and just surviving normal everyday life. It's a great type of book and character to have around. In this book we get to see that Audrey has grown into understanding a bit more about herself and the world around her. We also get to see that she is beginning to learn, that evil isn't always evil...and good isn't always good. That the line blurs often and sometimes sacrifices are made for the greater good of the world. And that's what makes this book so different from other paranormal teen girl series. It isn't the focus on makeup and trying to be older, its the focus on figuring out who they are and who they don't want to be that makes this such a great series.

In the previous book one of the things I had the biggest problem with, was the romance angle between Aubrey and Leon. Not because it was a bad thing, but because in many ways it's one thing that makes it harder to sell readers on. I'm glad to say that in this book, while the romance is still there, it's matured. There's not the constant need for contact or the giddiness of being in a relationship. It feels...natural. And for me as a male librarian, it makes it easier to see people on reading the book.

This is engaging and fast paced book, with just the right combination of paranormal and hero all thrown together. I can't wait to see what happens next. I’d recommend this to teen readers + and give it 4 out of 5 stars. ...more

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Mar 06, 2014 Alicia (A Kernel of Nonsense) rated it it was amazing

In Bethany Frenette’s first novel Dark Star, Audrey Whitticomb learned of the Beneath and the demons, known as Harrowers, that inhabit the desolate realm. Her mother, Morning Star, is tasked with fighting the strongest of these fiends who are capable of crossing over into our world. Discovering a hidden power inside her, Audrey was able to thwart the plans of the Harrower Patrick Tigue.

In Burn Bright, a new enemy has emerged, a powerful Harrower who’s disguised herself as the young Susannah. She In Bethany Frenette’s first novel Dark Star, Audrey Whitticomb learned of the Beneath and the demons, known as Harrowers, that inhabit the desolate realm. Her mother, Morning Star, is tasked with fighting the strongest of these fiends who are capable of crossing over into our world. Discovering a hidden power inside her, Audrey was able to thwart the plans of the Harrower Patrick Tigue.

In Burn Bright, a new enemy has emerged, a powerful Harrower who’s disguised herself as the young Susannah. She seeks the Remnant, the Kin girl with the power to open portals, allowing the inhabitants of Beneath free access to our world. Now neutral Harrowers, those living peacefully with humans, are disappearing and Guardians across the city are being attacked. To make matters worse, a mysterious Guardian has arrived with a vengeful purpose and the link between Audrey and her Guardian Leon has gone awry. As the Guardians struggle to stop Susannah from finding the Remnant, Audrey finds herself getting closer to the truth, which is exactly what Susannah is counting on.

“I landed hard. The impact reverberated through me, even as Susannah jerked me back to my feet, turning me around to face her. Her grip was so tight on my wrist I feared she’d crush the bones. Her other hand went to my neck, squeezing–and then she lifted me, held me above her as I choked and struggled.”

One of my favorite adult characters in young adult fiction is Audrey’s mother Lucy. In a genre where adults are increasingly absent or clueless, it’s refreshing to read a book where adults are actually involved. Lucy is passionate, fierce, and sometimes very vulnerable. She is an intricate part of Audrey’s life and you can see why she inspires her daughter.

I was glad to hear more about Tink, Audrey’s boy-crazy friend, who I was pleased to discover is much more than the shallow girl she pretends to me. Frenette contrasts these two girls without belittling one or the other because of their differing personalities.

I mentioned Lucy’s fierceness earlier and it would be unfair of me if I didn’t mention the same fierceness in her daughter Audrey. This girl is extremely driven and throws caution to the wind in most situations, which can get her into a lot of trouble but I think I’d like her less if she wasn’t so audacious. More important is her refusal to let other people dictate her life, her personality is too strong and the need to find her own answers makes it impossible for her to simply accept what others tell her. ...more

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Apr 16, 2013 Nicole Wang rated it it was amazing

So, if you follow me on Twitter, you know that I've been dying for a book where the main character isn't the prophetic savior or bringer of doom. I mean, they're fun, but so typical nowadays. But this series definitely doesn't follow that road! While Dark Star was a fun read, it didn't really make an impression, but Burn Bright? It definitely did. I adored it and just loved reading it!

I was a bit fuzzy on what happened in Dark Star, but Burn Bright craftily weaves in the storyline from book one So, if you follow me on Twitter, you know that I've been dying for a book where the main character isn't the prophetic savior or bringer of doom. I mean, they're fun, but so typical nowadays. But this series definitely doesn't follow that road! While Dark Star was a fun read, it didn't really make an impression, but Burn Bright? It definitely did. I adored it and just loved reading it!

I was a bit fuzzy on what happened in Dark Star, but Burn Bright craftily weaves in the storyline from book one into this sequel. Soon enough I was traveling with Audrey on her wild adventures (and getting almost killed too. Well, that's not good) and getting into the Harrower-version of a catfight.
Yeah. It was fun!
The plot is unbelievably action-packed, filled with so many fights, new powers, new problems, and twists that just made me gape at the pages. I mean, seriously? It twisted my head around, and the twists were just so...wow.

And there was Audrey. Oh Audrey...Audrey, Audrey, Audrey. She was one stubborn character and I loved her all the more for it! While she did irritate me sometimes for keeping some very important things secret, she won me over with her obvious loyalty for her friends and anyone she loved. She was so headstrong and I just loved her determination and her snark! I also loved her best friend type of relationship with her mom--it was so sweet.

Leon was just an adorable character who I loved! Sure, he was uptight sometimes, but Audrey loosened him up when he need to stop being so stiff, and they were just such a cute couple. I loved their steady romance and their relationship was so fun! At first I didn't like him, but he grew on me. Sort of like moss. (I'm pretty sure it was that way in Dark Star too! It just says more that Leon was able to get into my good graces--again. *wink*)

This is pretty much the best sequel you could ask for! It doesn't disappoint and I just loved it! It was so amazing and I was pretty much gushing about it the days that followed after I finished! Also, you guys. Have you seen the gorgeous covers? ...more

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Feb 05, 2014 Kathy Martin rated it really liked it

BURN BRIGHT was an excellent sequel to DARK STAR. Audrey's mother is a superhero who fights demons. Audrey has a gift for Knowing which is a kind of intuition but she would like to be a Guardian like her sort of boyfriend Leon and fight demons too. Leon is her Guardian and he is fated to protect her for life. This causes some conflicts for Audrey because she doesn't know if Leon likes her for herself and just because he is her Guardian. Also, Audrey doesn't want Leon to risk his life to save her ...more

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Oct 14, 2014 Jiayun Chen rated it it was amazing

Shelves: read-this-school-year

This book was recommended to me when I finished reading the first book in this series, Dark Star. I was desperately wanted to read the continuous version of the novel because the last book it left me hanging when the going up the plot mountain. This book started out as sort of the climax of the story, so the plot were very intense and had gotten my curiosity up very quickly. As my curiosity is slowly speed and adding up, I started to wonder will Audrey continue resisting the bond between her su ...more

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Nov 06, 2013 Nucking Futs the Fire Fairy Book-a-holic rated it it was amazing

Shelves: netgalley, ya, ya-fantasy

received from NetGalley on Nov. 06, 2013.
Expected publication: February 2014

Burn Bright is the 2nd book in Bethany Frenette's Dark Star Series. I haven't read the first book yet but it's not a reason not to enjoy this series.
If you like YA fantasy then this book is for you. As a new YA reader myself, I pretty much enjoyed every page in this book. It has action, drama, romance, and of course, some teen angst. The storyline was good. The characters are well built and credible. I like the twists an ...more

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Feb 21, 2013 Matilda rated it it was amazing

Shelves: loved-books, books-people-need-to-read

I remember thinking after I finished the first one that I wasn’t sure whether I liked it or it was just ok yet I knew that I wanted second book. To this book made me realise that I don’t just like but love this series.
These book centre’s around Audrey who’ mum is a crime fighting hero called morning star who gets help from Leon, Audrey’s crush/ kind of boy friend.
Now I remember the first book wasn’t what I was expecting at all (you know when you expect the plot to take a different route that was ...more

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Feb 19, 2014 Sarah Cass rated it really liked it

Shelves: series, netgalley

Going in, I didn't realize this was book 2 in a series (that's what I get for not reading the full description). As a person that HATES reading books out of order, I had to fight off my cringes.

To be honest, the book managed to surprise me. I thought I had cleverly figured it all out and the end would be predictable, but I suppose not having read book 1 helped me here b/c I thought the suggested twist (is it really a girl?) WAS the twist/predictable ending...but it was something else I knew noth ...more

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Nov 16, 2013 JoAn rated it really liked it

Disclosure: I received a copy of this book from NetGalley and Disney-Hyperion for an honest review.
Burn Bright by Bethany Frenette is the second book in her Dark Star series. Although I haven't read the first book, I had no problems follwing the storyline in this book. This story starts 2 months after the first book had ended. Bethany provided enough backstory during the beginning of this book that I never felt lost as I met Audrey, Leon, Tink, Gideon, Morning Star and Mr. Alvarez.
Audrey grows s ...more

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Nov 06, 2013 Saf rated it really liked it

I really loved this book and think it was a great sequel to Dark Star! Audrey really grew as a character and became more confident which was really great to see! We all love a confident heroine!
There was so many twists and turns that I really thought would be predictable but honestly, everytime I guessed something, it just went the complete opposite way, which isn't really the case with many YA novels!
Leon and Audrey's relationship was just ahh. The way they needed to protect eachother was rea ...more

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Feb 04, 2013 Rachael rated it it was amazing

My friend got me to read Dark Star last year and ever since then I've been waiting impatiently for the second part. I got Burn Bright in my hands and didn't put it down until I was done with it. I shouldn't have read it so fast because now I know I have to wait another year for the next one, but I just could not put it down!! It was just as good if not better than the first one. It was action packed, plenty of great moments between Leon and Audrey, and several twists I did not see coming!
Everyo ...more

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Dec 16, 2013 Sandy rated it really liked it

Shelves: paranormal, series

Audrey is back again in this sequel to Dark Star.
There's a new Harrower in town, Susannah, who is trying to find the remnant in order to unleash an army of Harrowers on the world to completely annihilate it. Audrey, despite still not being called, wants to help, and throws herself into danger anyway. She and Leon are having some "issues" with their relationship, which just makes Audrey seek out more danger. How is Susannah planning to find the remnant and how can they prevent her from doing so? ...more

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Jan 23, 2013 Dr susan rated it it was amazing

Shelves: read-again

As I have said before, Young Adult books are like a decadent dessert, so tasty and gone too quickly. I wish I read my books as slowly as I savor cheesecake. I feel sorry for people who think YA books are for kids. Burn Bright, like Dark Star, has a richly imagined world with engaging characters and an enthralling plot, and NO love triangle. Although I guessed one plot twist during Dark Star, others totally blindsided me into stunned disbelief. I am very glad that Fire Fall is due out the end of ...more

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Sep 10, 2013 Natasha rated it liked it

Shelves: kick-ass-heroines, ya-fantasy

Just like its predecessor' Dark Star, this book has a really interesting protagonist but ultimately not enough meaty plot that I can really sink my teeth into.

And the made up words just seemed to make it so hard for me to get into. With terms like Remnants, Harrowers and Kin thrown around, I just had to read back the first book to understand what or who they really are. So between trying to figure out what the hell is going on and what makes Audrey the super special snowflake other being able t ...more

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About Bethany Frenette

Bethany Frenette

212 followers

I’m an author of YA books, a keeper of small cats, a fan of all things geeky, and a lover of the absurd. I was born and raised in the great snowy north of Minnesota, from which I have never yet managed to escape.

In my spare time, I read, play video games, and do everything within my power to annoy my friends. Parlor tricks include making an eerily accurate frog noise and the ability to recite Maur ...more

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Dark Star (3 books)

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Quotes from Burn Bright

“Incluso cuando morimos, solía decir Abuelita, seguimos siendo una parte de la gente que nos lleva consigo. Drew llevaba a Valerie. Era la única forma en que podía tenerla.” — 0 likes

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