John Fram | THE BRIGHT LANDS

Plot (via Goodreads):

The town of Bentley holds two things dear: its football, and its secrets. But when star quarterback Dylan Whitley goes missing, an unremitting fear grips this remote corner of Texas.

Joel Whitley was shamed out of conservative Bentley ten years ago, and while he’s finally made a life for himself as a gay man in New York, his younger brother’s disappearance soon brings him back to a place he thought he’d escaped for good. Meanwhile, Sheriff’s Deputy Starsha Clark stayed in Bentley; Joel’s return brings back painful memories—not to mention questions—about her own missing brother. And in the high school hallways, Dylan’s friends begin to suspect that their classmates know far more than they’re telling the police. Together, these unlikely allies will stir up secrets their town has long tried to ignore, drawing the attention of dangerous men who will stop at nothing to see that their crimes stay buried.

But no one is quite prepared to face the darkness that’s begun to haunt their nightmares, whispering about a place long thought to be nothing but an urban legend: an empty night, a flicker of light on the horizon—The Bright Lands.

Review:

The Bright Lands by John Fram is an immersive and unique read that was not only a thrilling and eerie novel but one hell of a reading experience. When it comes to thrillers and suspense, I love reading missing people stories because the plot can go in so many different directions and The Bright Lands is an exceptionally written missing person stories that is so character-driven and sensationally scary.

There is a supernatural element to this that I was not prepared for at all. I am super picky when it comes to supernatural things in thrillers and not only did Fram scare the living hell out of me, but he starts off this story with literally the best introduction to a small town including vivid characters. You could feel the heat on your neck, the wind tickle your skin, and the tension in the air in this town. So many characters were introduced and I didn't have a hard time keeping track of who was who and there were a handful of fantastic narrators to tell every side of this story. I was so immersed in this plot that even during the handful of scary supernatural times, I was creeped out but didn't even blink an eye because it just felt so natural to the story. The pacing was fantastic and really made this one so difficult to put down. I didn't want it to end at any point and as the reveals came and the tension was unbearable, Fram delivered one hell of a wild and action-packed finale that was like Stephen King meets Stanley Kubrick. I was completely blown away and honestly, I can't wait to read this one again. There is so much story jammed into one book and so many layers to peel back.

Another thing I liked about this one was the LGBTQ+ representation in this genre, which is rare and was not the least bit cliche. There are a lot of different things in this book that were either familiar or something that I was happy to see in this story because some of these topics are those that people shy away from or are afraid to get too in depth with, but John Fram is a damn good writer who is not afraid to give you a well-plotted story with amazing characters and will scare the living hell out of you. Basically, one of my favorite reads so far of 2020 and I cannot wait to see what he does next.

Special thanks to Hanover Square Press for this copy in exchange for my honest review.

Rating: 5/5