Review: Bright Before Sunrise by Tiffany Schmidt

Bright Before Sunrise by Tiffany Schmidt

Publication Date: February 18, 2014
Page Count: 288
Published by: Walker Childrens
Source: eArc received from publisher in exchange for an honest review

Synopsis from Goodreads:

Jonah and Brighton are about to have the most awkwardly awful night of their lives. For Jonah, every aspect of his new life reminds him of what he has had to give up. All he wants is to be left alone. Brighton is popular, pretty, and always there to help anyone . . . but has no idea of what she wants for herself. Her seemingly perfect life is marred only by Jonah, the one person who won't give her the time of day, but also makes her feel, well, something. So when they are repeatedly thrown together over the course of one night, anything can—and does—happen. Told in alternating chapters, this poignant, beautiful novel's energy and tension, amidst the humor and romance, builds to a new beginning of self-acceptance and hope.

I have to admit that my original interest in Bright Before Sunrise came because of the cover. But once I read the synopsis, I knew I just had to read it. I loved the premise of events taking place over the course of just one night. With wonderful writing and terrific characters, this was a fun and very entertaining book that I really enjoyed reading.

When we first meet Jonah and Brighton, they are each dealing with their own set of difficult problems. They really don't like each other very much, so when circumstances force them to spend time together, they decide to put aside their personal differences and make the most of the night. I thought Jonah and Brighton were realistic and very well developed. It took me a while to warm up to Jonah, as his honesty was a little off-putting. He was a self-centered jerk at the beginning, but he came around by the end, and I'm glad I didn't end up hating him. Brighton was pretty likable and originally portrayed as 'perfect', but end up being pretty complicated. She's intent on winning Jonah over, and he is intent on avoiding Brighton's well meaning attempts at interacting with him. There's no telling where these two will end up before the night is over.

Because it takes place over the course of one night, time is a real factor - knowing that whatever is going to happen it will be soon lends a bit of urgency to reading. I thought the slow building attraction between Jonah and Brighton was really believable. The story isn't all about romance though. The author manages to write a believable story about two characters who manage to learn so much about themselves and each other in such a small amount of time.

Bright Before Sunrise was an enjoyable contemporary that kept me entertained from beginning to end. I always enjoy dual POV stories, and the alternating chapters gave us insight into each character. I also liked that each chapter picked up where the previous one left off, so there were never any blocks of time missing. There were a ton of really great moments and a little bit of teenage drama that combined to make this a very good story. With a hopeful and open ending, the opportunity is there for the characters to explore their feelings and their relationship in the future. This was a satisfying contemporary that was quick and easy to read.

My rating: 4 of 5 stars