Author: Tiffany Schmidt
Series: stand-alone
Publisher: Walker Childrens
Publication Date: February 18, 2014
Source: received from publisher via Netgalley
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble
When Jonah is forced to move from Hamilton to Cross Pointe for the second half of his senior year, "miserable" doesn't even begin to cover it. He feels like the doggy-bag from his mother's first marriage and everything else about her new life—with a new husband, new home and a new baby—is an upgrade. The people at Cross Pointe High School are pretentious and privileged—and worst of all is Brighton Waterford, the embodiment of all things superficial and popular. Jonah’s girlfriend, Carly, is his last tie to what feels real... until she breaks up with him.
For Brighton, every day is a gauntlet of demands and expectations. Since her father died, she’s relied on one coping method: smile big and pretend to be fine. It may have kept her family together, but she has no clue how to handle how she's really feeling. Today is the anniversary of his death and cracks are beginning to show. The last thing she needs is the new kid telling her how much he dislikes her for no reason she can understand. She's determined to change his mind, and when they're stuck together for the night, she finally gets her chance.
Jonah hates her at 3p.m., but how will he feel at 3 a.m.?
One night can change how you see the world. One night can change how you see yourself.
I read Send Me a Sign by Tiffany Schmidt back in 2012, and I really liked it. So I was pretty excited to see she had a new book coming out and even more excited when I was approved to read it early. I quite literally danced around my kitchen getting strange looks from my daughter.
Now
after reading Bright Before Sunrise, I can say all that dancing was
justified. I absolutely adored this book. There is just something
about books that take place in one night. One night really can change
everything and be downright magical.
The
story is told from both POV’s. That’s a favorite thing
of mine, because being in both heads is fun. You really feel like
you’re in the know. Jonah is broody and I loved him. He’s having
a really hard time adjusting to this new life he’s been thrust
into, and he takes it out on everyone around him. Though I can’t
really blame him, after getting the full story of how it all went
down. I wanted to wrap him up and give him a big hug... and other
things.
Brighton
has flaws. You see, Brighton on the surface looks perfect. Not a care
in the world. She’s popular, pretty and always has a smile on her
face. It’s been 5 years since her father’s death and she’s
still not okay. Not that it’s a bad thing, I found that it made her
feel real to me. She puts on a show for everyone, yet inside she’s
a mess.
Jonah,
hates everything about his new home, and the kids he now goes to
school with. Especially Brighton, until he spends one night in her
company and learns she’s not what she appears to be.
Through
the course of the evening, they both learn so much about each other,
but not only that, they learn about themselves. I think that was
really the best part of this book.
I
was brought back to my teenage years reading this. I lived for the
weekends I had plans with my friends and some nights felt like they
would never end. Shenanigans until the sun came up! We all gained so
much from those times, so I could completely relate to Jonah and
Brighton on this level.
Would
I recommend Bright Before Sunrise? Heck Yes!! It’s such a great
book. I cannot wait to meet the Author this spring. She is seriously
the one author I’m looking forward to meeting the most at YA
Fest. I might fan girl a little bit. Okay, maybe a lot. lol
About the author:
Tiffany Schmidt lives in Pennsylvania with her saintly husband, impish twin boys, and a pair of mischievous puggles. She's not at all superstitious... at least that's what she tells herself every Friday the thirteenth.
SEND ME A SIGN is her first novel. BRIGHT BEFORE SUNRISE will follow in Winter 2014. The ONCE UPON A CRIME FAMILY series begins with HOLD ME LIKE A BREATH in 2015.
Find Tiffany:
Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | Tumblr
This is the second review I read about this book and so far both glowing!! I love books that take place in one day... Like you said one day can change you whole life stories. I also thought this book sounded really cute from day 1, but sometimes that's not a good thing for me. A lot of times (esp lately) books I think look cute end up being disappointing. This one sounds like it will actually live up to expectations... Nice review :)
ReplyDeleteYay...I'm so glad you enjoyed this one, too! It was such a great story, and a lot less cutesy than I thought it would be, but in a good way, ya know? So jealous that you get to meet the author soon! (And I wanted to give Jonah a hug -- and other things -- too.) :P
ReplyDeleteOh yay! I love your love of Bright Before Sunrise, even though I've never read a Tiffany Schmidt book, I think that this might be the next ebook I read.
ReplyDeleteAlso, yes, I too remember being pumped about the weekend and staying up all night as a teen. Now I can barely manage to stay up past 10. Ah, those were the days.
Great review! I am so excited to read this one. Still trying to get to it this month. I haven't read Send Me a Sign, that is on my list too.
ReplyDeleteI'm a huge fan of books whose time sequence happened in only a day, so needless to say, I was anxious to read this book. I'm so glad it's as great as i'd hoped it would be.
ReplyDeleteGreat review!
Why is it that people disapprove of Happy Book Dances??! My entire family exchanges this "oh dear" look when I do my Happy Book Dance. LET 'EM DISAPPROVE. I WILL DANCE. I'm glad you liked this one! It's on my want-list...but a billion books are. *sigh* Why is there not 52 more hours in my day?
ReplyDeleteOne day/night books can either be hit or miss with me. But I'm happy to see how much you loved this one. I love seeing strong character growth in a short time, and especially flawed characters to begin with. Great, enthusiastic review!
ReplyDelete