A Neon Darkness

The second novel in the Bright Sessions series, A Neon Darkness, follows 18-year-old Rob struggling to connect with others while managing his powers.

A Little Frustrating
A Neon Darkness was a little frustrating to read because half the time, I wanted to smack all the characters, and the other half of the time, I found myself agreeing with them.

Rob can impart his wants onto others. It is a little bit like mind control or using the Force on people. He has an easy life, going from one place to another getting everything he wants. However, unfortunately for him, this leaves him quite lonely and with no control over his power.

There are times in the book when others accuse him of using his power on them, and even you, as the reader, do not know if it is intentional or not. How does someone stop wanting something? Sometimes those wants just pop into our heads unbidden, and it happens for Rob in much the same way.

Rob is a sympathetic character because the reader understands his perspective. He asks the question all the time: how do I stop wanting something? Of course, there are plenty of times when he forcefully imparts his will on his friends, but even then, the reader pities him because he does it so he will not be lonely.

However, that does not make it right, which is why, half the time, the reader wants to yell at him alongside his friends. However, then there are those times you want his friends to shut up. Both sides of their arguments have merit, and both are wrong. It was so frustrating to be caught in the middle of their arguments, finding yourself agreeing with both sides of the argument.

A Bit of a Struggle
What also made this novel frustrating was the hypocrisy of the other characters. They all berate Rob and tell him he needs to stop abusing his power, but they again offer no real help. However, when he uses his ability to help them get an apartment, find a lost friend, buy food, they have no problem with it.

He is eighteen, yes, he is an adult who should take responsibility for his actions, but his power acts at times without him thinking about it.

So, the reader pity Rob because he cannot just live normally and cannot make regular connections because of his ability. However, he also has a lot of baggage.

However, it is difficult to get around those dynamics because the reader is torn between the characters being both right and wrong. These characters are a tight family, and while they care about one another, they take advantage of one another, making them toxic to one another. Nevertheless, their powers bring bind together; this idea that they can be honest with one another without hiding the deepest part of themselves.

However, that does not make their friendship any less toxic, so it is hard to lose oneself in the narrative because connecting to the characters is frustrating.

Final Thoughts
A Neon Darkness has a compelling story; it has grey characters and makes the reader think. However, it does make it difficult to connect to the cast of characters when their relationship comes off as toxic. Nevertheless, Rob does make a sympathetic protagonist.

Thank you to the author/publisher for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

~Quick Statistics~
Overall: 3.5/5 Stars
Plot: 3/5 Stars
Setting: 2/5 Stars
Characters: 4/5 Stars
Writing: 3.5/5 Stars
Memorability: 3/5 Stars

~Quick Review~
A Neon Darkness is listed as a standalone within The Bright Sessions series, and it was my introduction into the world. I was not confused throughout the books, but for me, at least, A Neon Darkness was just another book that I’ve read. It did not have the gravity on me that I probably would have felt had I have read the first novel in the series. Regardless, it was an okay book, I just didn’t enjoy it as much as I could have.

~Other Information~
Publisher: Tor Teen
Page Count: 256 pages
Release Date: September 29, 2020

~Book Description (via Goodreads)~
Los Angeles, 2006. Eighteen-year-old Robert Gorham arrives in L.A. amid the desert heat and the soft buzz of neon. He came alone with one goal: he wants to see the ocean. And Robert always gets what he wants.

At a very young age, Robert discovered he had the unusual ability to make those close to him want whatever he wants. He wanted dessert instead of dinner? His mother served it. He wanted his Frisbee back? His father walked off the roof to bring it to him faster. He wanted to be alone? They both disappeared. Forever.

But things will be different in L.A. He meets a group of strange friends who could help him. Friends who can do things like produce flames without flint, conduct electricity with their hands, and see visions of the past. They call themselves Unusuals and finally, finally, Robert belongs.

When a tall figure, immune to their powers, discovers them, the first family that Robert has ever wanted is at risk of being destroyed. The only way to keep them
all together is to get his powers under control.

But control is a sacrifice he might not be willing to make.

~Characters~
A Neon Darkness is the origin story of Damien, who was previously (and in this novel) known as Robert Gorham. Robert/Damien has the ability to make other people want what he wants, effectively always having people do what he wants. As the travels across the US, he meets other people who also have power, Neon, Marley, and Blaze; they call themselves the Unusuals. I have to say, that as a “villain” origin story, this is actually amazing in fulfilling its purpose. There is not much character development in the novel, instead, Robert just comes to terms with the fact that he wants to control people, creating a whole landslide of problems for his ‘friends’, Neon, Marley, Blaze, and Indah to deal with.

I felt that the characters themselves were well written, however, I found it hard to like Robert/Damien, and it was unclear whether or not that was the author’s intention. Also, I greatly appreciated the LGBTQ+ representation in the novel. However, Neon, who is Bisexual, is portrayed as a promiscuous girl who can’t commit to anyone. With all of the bi-erasure inside and outside of the community, I felt that it was a bit harmful.

~Writing and Setting~
I honestly felt that there was too little detail throughout the novel. Nothing related to the Unusuals is explained, though I’m assuming that more detail is provided in the first novel, An Infinite Noise.

While A Neon Darkness takes place on Earth, nothing about the Unusuals world is explained, which I found very frustrating as it is a huge part of the novel’s story and the character’s lives.

~Plot~
The plot itself was nothing horrible, but it was not incredibly special either. A large portion of the story is devoted to the Unusuals finding out what a mysterious man needs with Blaze and his power (fire). All to be solved very quickly (though horribly) at the end of the novel, which was pretty disappointing.

~Overall Review~
Overall, I felt that A Neon Darkness was an okay novel, but would have been better had I read An Infinite Darkness beforehand. Needless to say, I will not go back and read An Infinite Darkness, as I just don’t feel that I need/want to at this point. Fans, however, will most likely enjoy this novel more than I did.