Book Review: Bright Burning Things by Lisa Harding

In Bright Burning Things, Sonya is a devoted mother, she really is…well, she wants to be. She loves her son and their dog, Herbie, more than life itself. Unfortunately, Sonya struggles with alcoholism, which prevents her from being the parent she strives to be, the parent her young son, Tommy, needs. When her father, with the help of her neighbor, stages an intervention that leads Sonya to rehab, she has the opportunity to learn how to manage her addiction and find the support she needs to start again.  

I liked the book.  It was well-written and honest. I liked the way Harding humanized the characters - other than Tommy, no one was likable. But who, when laid completely bare, is likable? We are human and come complete with our dark sides. I can’t say that I liked Sonya, but I grew to respect her. The David storyline, as well as Sonya’s relationship with her dad, left me with so many questions, but maybe that was intentional.

This book comes highly recommended and I see why. The hard truths of alcoholism, especially for mothers (don’t forget, we are supposed to be perfect) need to be talked about. Overall, the inner workings of Sonya’s mind (which arguably are the brilliance of the book) were just a bit too scattered for me, but I can see why the book is so well loved, and yes, I wholeheartedly recommend that you grab a copy. Reader beware, this is not a light read. So. Many. Trigger. Warnings. I don’t have room for them all here, so if this is something you need to be aware of, please do your research first. 

Thanks to Lisa Harding, HarperVia and Netgalley for this ARC in return for my honest review.

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