Review: Bright Before Sunrise by Tiffany Schmidt

Title: Bright Before Sunrise
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:

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