Being Tommy's mother is too much for Sonya.

Too much love, too much fear, too much longing for the cool wine she gulps from the bottle each night. Because Sonya is burning the fish fingers, and driving too fast, and swimming too far from the shore, and Tommy's life is in her hands.

Once there was the thrill of a London stage, a glowing acting career, fast cars, handsome men. But now there are blackouts and bare cupboards, and her estranged father showing up uninvited. There is Mrs O'Malley spying from across the road. There is the risk of losing Tommy - forever.

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Perhaps I'm being unfair in just giving this book 2 stars, it's beautifully written and the story flows along easily but I just didn't enjoy it. Too many relationship issues unresolved - her father, Mrs O'Malley, David her "therapist"- whilst Sonya continues on her path to either destruction (and loss of her son) or sobriety.

Her earlier life as an actress was referenced but not really explored, the same with her estrangement from her father and the death of her mother.

Overall I felt unsatisfied.

I received a free copy of this novel from NetGalley in return for an honest review.

Bright Burning Things is the story of a single mother who is battling addiction and is trying to take back control of her life. I found it a quick but difficult read as it was very emotional and I feel extremely true to life.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my ARC.

Bright Burning Things is a novel about a young mum battling addiction issues. She is a single mother to a young son and when she is threatened that he's going to be taken away from her, she seeks help at a residential facility. I've seen some recommendations comparing Bright Burning Things to other bestsellers and I think that maybe set my expectations a little too high. This is an ok read, and it didn't take me long to get through it. It's quite a sad story but I didn't find that it really gripped my attention.

A constellation of :bright, burning moments

Sonya’s life is not rosy: she is a single mother on benefits, abandoned by the father of her child, and an actress who is not acting anymore. She has a history of abusive relationships, a judgmental, absent father, a nasty stepmother and now prying neighbours to deal with. She also lives for her child, with whom she has the most tender relationship. But the fact that she drowns her fear and insecurities in alcohol makes her dangerous and leads her to rehab. Once out, abusive people have not changed, her son has been estranged from her, and it is not easy to find a valid belief system to sustain sobriety. That’s when the real challenge begins.

I don’t know if I can do justice to Sonya’s wonderful, captivating voice. Her gripping account, her emotional turmoil, her rage and her way to see things ring true and authentic; her self-scrutiny honest, devoid of self-indulgence, and often brimming with humour. Some moments in the narration are heartbreaking, other sheer tenderness and filled with a beautiful sense of wonder: the relationship with her son and shaggy dog is one of the most endearing things I have read about recently. A real page-turner for me, a constellation of “bright, burning” moments.

I am grateful to Netgalley and Bloomsbury Publishing for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Sonya is ex actress struggling with an alcohol addiction whilst looking after her 4 year old son, Tommy. It's not an easy read as we watch her spiral out of control forgetting to feed or dress her son as her focus is her next drink, but felt it portrayed the chaotic lifestyle well of someone with an addiction.

Sonya epitomizes the out of work actress with a few highlights in her early career, ricocheting through life believing she could have been a star given a chance. Her spiraling moods and addictive behavior make compulsive reading, not least in your desire for her child to reach a point of safety, with (preferably) or without her.
Following her hoped for recovery in a clinic she seems to almost get a handle on things but then falls back on acting her way through instead of really seeking the truth about herself. Not much is really revealed of her past until the battle to get her child back out of the system and into her home, when it comes to light that her problems are rooted at least part in family.
I found her extremely difficult to like although the glimpses of her love for her child make her easier to empathize with, as does her struggle to get the creeps out of her life and forge forward to a better future.

This was certainly a thought-provoking read in the style of a stream of consciousness and first-person narrative, which deals with mental instability in a profound way.

Unfortunately, I was given a pdf file, which doesn't read well on a Kindle, and there were typos and errors, however, I'm told this version is a rough cut of the final product, but still, it was a powerful story.

Sonya suffers from addiction and mental issues that appear to be rooted in her past, although that remains a mystery. Those who surround her are not likeable characters, except for Tommy, who is also a sympathetic character. Themes of insanity, love, betrayal, jealousy, addiction, and many more, give this story much depth and Sonya's 'voice' is a mix of crazy, desperation and confusion - I couldn't help but feel sorry for her life, whilst despising those who used and abused her. David was creepy in the extreme.

Her relationships were certainly complex but her love for her son was in no doubt - each on the fringes of what is deemed 'normal', whatever that is.

This was a disturbing and maddening read but, I imagine, will forever stay in my mind.

Recommended, but not an easy read because of the subject matter.

A unique take on alcoholism and the strength of a women’s determination to bring her family back together

A truly heartbreaking, journey with an alcoholic mother trying to regain control of her life and family. This is not an easy read, definitely lots of trigger warnings needed. It’s feels extremely raw, and real. Nothing in this journey is linear, perfectly reflecting reality. Well written by the author. Good luck with the release.

Bright burning things was a strange book I felt! Detailing Sonyas battle with alcoholism and struggling to parent her son Tommy whilst under the influence.I have read many books about alcohol abuse and child neglect but just didn’t really click with this one and how it was written, I felt that although Sonya was reunited with Tommy ultimately we would never know if she remained dry and managed to parent successfully.
Thank you net galley for this early read.

A raw and gripping account of a mothers struggle with her responsibilities, while battling her bad relationship with alcohol.
Did feel that a few loose ends remained, by the end.

When love is not enough

Lisa Harding’s harrowing novel about alcoholism, dysfunctional family dynamics, alcoholism , mental health, co-dependency and coercive control (phew!) is almost unremitting in its bleakness

She writes well, inhabiting her first person narrator, single mother Sonya, and the obsessively close relationship between mother and four year old, preternaturally responsive Tommy.

Sonya was/is an Irish actress, on the verge of some kind of stardom, dangerously intense in her work, exposing authentically her considerable psychological wounds and instability. She had a tendency to live too much, too large, too excessively in every way. This included, includes her use of alcohol. Abandoned by her lover when she became pregnant, she now struggles to keep things together, her sanity, her rage and pain, the loss of her career, her finances – and, most importantly, to keep her child with her, and not have him removed for his own safety. Alcohol is both the solution she finds, and the loaded gun of destruction

The big challenge I found with this raw, achingly painful book is the unremitting, almost unending spiral of one note down down darkness. There needed some leaven. Otherwise, there is little journey, the book started in an extremely dark place, getting progressively darker for almost its entire journey. This meant that movements against that journey , when they came, seemed paradoxically incredible, and a little like a ‘wrap’ . Variety coming somewhat late to the table

I would certainly be interested in reading more by this writer, but hope for more colours in her palette, whilst still keeping the strength and courage to explore serious issues at depth

A heartbreaking and difficult read about a young mother struggling with alcoholism. As a daughter of a parent who also battled this addiction and lost I was rooting for Sonya and her lovely little boy Tommy. Its hard to read in some places but the author has written about this subject really well we see why Sonya has mental health issues leading to her alcohol dependency, it's not a pretty read but a must read. I don't want to add any spoilers so won't go into much detail but it is definitely a book worth reading.

This was an insightful and engaging read about alcoholism.
It really captured the pain and chaos it can cause. It was strangely a poetic read and everything flowed with ease, I struggled to put it down.
Written from a one person point of view, a story of mother and son, daughter and father. A story that will sit with me for a while, it just could’ve done with a bit more at the end

Bright, Burning Things is my favourite read this year.

Lisa Harding does a remarkable job of painting the relationship between Sonya and her four year old son, Tommy. Tommy's dialogue reminded me of Room by Emma Donoghue. The story is told from a first person viewpoint, which made it come alive. I really felt invested in Sonya's story.

The key issue is Sonya's addiction to alcohol and we follow her journey through rehab and beyond, exploring her relationships with her father and his partner, her neighbour, Sister Ann at the rehab facility and her love interest, David.

What stood out for me was the unique relationship between mother and son and how it prevails over every hurdle. The author brings the threads to a good conclusion.

This was a thought provoking read, which I will highly recommend.

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for the ARC.

Bright Burning Things is a unique novel. Told from the perspective of single-parent Sonya - mother to Tommy and her crippling alcohol addiction.
This is a very raw novel and at times I had to take a break, as some of Sonya's actions were very hard to comprehend. There is no doubt the Sonya loves her son when she has had a drink - she loves him too much almost suffocating him whilst hugging him.
It is clear the further you read that Sonya has not come to terms with issues in her past and she drinks to block out her ability to face this head-on.
Harding's characters are believable and her writing very emotive. This was a pleasure to read.

Bright Burning Things is the heartbreaking story of Sonya and her battle with alcoholism. Sonya lives with her four year old son Tommy and their dog Herbie (Tommy’s best friend) in Dublin. As Sonya’s addiction spirals, Sonya’s father (who has been largely absent from her life) stages an intervention and forces her into rehab. The story follows Sonya as she tries to deal with her addiction and get Tommy and her dog back. The story is told from Sonya’s point of view and perfectly depicts how unreliable a narrator Sonya is during her addiction and when she suffers emotionally during her rehabilitation. The relationship between Sonya and Tommy is beautiful and full of love but because Sonya is the narrator you never truly get the full extent of or feel for how terrifying and traumatising the experience is for Tommy. The experience of reading Bright Burning Things is almost like watching a disaster movie through your hands - you know the awful things that might happen, you are willing them not to take certain routes because it will be disastrous but you can’t stop watching either. The subject matter is dark and upsetting but it never truly feels that you are bogged down in that because you are rooting for Sonya and Tommy throughout. Bright Burning Things is a very cleverly written, emotional rollercoaster of a story about addiction, family relationships, trauma and finding your way.

Bright Burning Things is a psychological thriller about a young women and her troubles bringing up her son. It's a powerful story of single motherhood, addiction, and womanhood. I really enjoyed this, and highly recommend it. Thanks to Netgallery for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

A difficult, brilliant, fascinating read. “Enjoy” is the wrong word here, but I certainly devoured this novel. That said, like the metaphor throughout, I felt it fizzled out too quickly at the end leaving too many unanswered questions.

A very strong read.

‘Bright Burning Things’ -Lisa Harding
⭐️⭐️⭐️- 3.5 stars
⚠️ Child neglect, alcohol misuse and addiction ⚠️

In the deepest throes of alcohol addiction, Sonya is scarcely recognisable to her family but most notably, to her 4 year old son, Tommy. As the sole carer for Tommy, she repeatedly fails catastrophically to provide adequate care for her little boy. Racked with guilt and desperate to become a better mother, she must swiftly address her addiction and learn to live without alcohol if she is ever to see her son again.

This story is simply heartbreaking, it deals with the complexity of substance abuse and addiction head on. Despite their unforgivable flaws, these characters are wholly redeemable and worth rooting for. The reader can’t help but to to feel empathy and an aching longing to fix the damage emerging before it causes a chasm and separates mother and child for good.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bloomsbury books UK/NZ for this ARC.