Brightly Burning by Alexa Donne
Published by HMH Books for Young Readers on May 1st 2018
ISBN: 1328948935
Pages: 394
Goodreads

Brightly Burning by Alexa Donne is a dystopian retelling of Jane Eyre.  Stella, an orphan, is living aboard a ship orbiting the earth.  She is desperate to escape the ship for a better life and finds herself aboard a “haunted” ship.  Stella is a strong female lead willing to make unpopular decisions and at times chooses what is best for others rather than herself.  Readers who know Jane Eyre well may be a little disappointed by the predictability but will be surprised with the subtle twists made to the story line.  Characters are well developed and diverse from the quirky medical officer, Hana, to Rori, the AI on the Rochester.  Many characters are orphans resulting from illness, murder, suicide, or accident.  Class division is the major theme of this novel. Ships are divided by class as well as class divisions within some ships.  This manifests itself in water rationing for the lower classes, real meat for the higher classes, clothing, living quarters, technology, medical care, as well as the testing of viruses.  Brightly Burning is dystopian sci-fi for readers who may not have connected with this genre before or who need a safe introduction to the genre. Donne’s worldbuilding is relatable and realistic and readers will enjoy the romance and mystery without spending too much time figuring out the setting.  Readers from 14-18 will enjoy this novel.

Reviewed by Heather Hale, Easton School District, Easton