The Bright Unknown (Paperback)

Spectacular book that deserves 10 stars, as it is really a work of art. All the threads weave together in such an amazing way that it creates a masterpiece. This book will grab your heart and leave you breathless and in love with finely crafted characters. It is hauntingly real and deals with the difficult subject matter of atrocities in asylums. Not a light read, but so worth your time. I can't think of anything negative to say other than I wish it had never ended. You definitely need tissues as it will break your heart, but never leaves you without hope. I must admit it left me speechless and I can't find the right words to describe just how wonderful it is. I received a complimentary copy from CelebrateLit/publisher. The honest review and opinions are my own and were not required.

“Words are veils and masks, and there's always something more on the other side of them than we want to believe.” This is my first book by Elizabeth Byler Younts and I am totally captivated. The author writes with such haunting, powerful, heart-wrenching innocence through the eyes of Brighton, a child born in an asylum during the 1920s. The story chronicles her life in the asylum as she befriends an albino boy she names Angel, as she watches and then lives the horrors administered to the hospitalized under the guise of “therapy”, as she craves love and touch and receives what she can't process until much later in life. The despair and hopelessness of her teen years in the asylum are balanced out by her present-day 1990 voice in which we are aware that she's lived a good life after escaping the asylum and infuses the whole story with hope. The author addresses the atrocities that so many went through from the late 1920s through early 1940s, those who were considered “not normal”, in the physical and/or emotional sense. Elizabeth Byler Younts has found another fan in this reader who is still reeling from the beautiful complexity of this book. I received a copy of the book from Thomas Nelson via Celebrate Lit Tours and was under no obligation to post a positive review. All comments and opinions are solely my own.

In the dark and dusty hallway of the asylum lives a mother and daughter. I felt shivers race down my arms as I began to read this story . It is hard to imagine what it was like long ago to be in a place where there was no where to go. Day after day you see your mother tortured by the demons in her mind. Brighton grows up in this place where only the forgotten and unwanted are. There is no way this story will not get into the crevices of your mind as you weep and applaud the girl that wants to go beyond the four walls of a hospital. There are so many secrets buried between the cracks of the hospital that it is frightening. Brighton overhears something about her friend Angel that shakes her to the core. It was hard to read how Brighton was treated when she threatened to tell what was going on. A young girl tied to a chair and treated like one of the patients became a nightmare that was hard to wake up from. I enjoyed reading about Angel and Grace. I think with them being there with Brighton it helped her to cope with her need for stability. It was interesting to go back and forth in time and learn who Nell was. Each chapter is intense and the book consumed me. It was dark at times but the author is able to shine hope and forgiveness between the pages. Brighton wants so bad to live outside the hospital but knows it may never happen. You can feel her desperation to live a normal life as she accepts that she is trapped in a world where people are dropped off and forgotten. The power the hospital has over their patients in this story is unimaginable. What person thinks it is right to sterilize women to prevent pregnancy against their will? How can they justify medication to keep patients quiet and out of touch with reality? This hospital is an example of what happened to people long ago when they knew very little about mental health. Trapped in their bodies were people needing love and compassion, but instead received cold shoulders and uncaring attitudes. I don't think I have read a story that is so realistic as this one. The author has a knack for weaving characters that tear at your heart while at the same time wanting to pray for them. I am impressed with how the story flows so easily from the past to present. Along the way secrets are revealed that I didn't expect. The faith element is not overwhelming but with the perfect blend of hope. It is easy to get so caught up in the story that everything around you becomes a blur. The selfishness by adults in this book is deplorable. They were more worried about what others would think instead of accepting their own child. I have heard about getting lost in the system, but this became more of a cover up. There is a big significance in the meaning of names in this book. I know that I have never liked my name because people usually pronounce it wrong. What if you have always been called by a particular name only to find out it was not your given name? This is a big part of the story which I was fascinated by. A name is one's identity and it stays with you forever. The journey the author takes us on is one I will never forget. I couldn't wait to see if Grace would ever be found or what happens to Angel. One decision make by different people change the lives of three very important characters in this story. I admire the author for the way she is able to take words and create a story that gives you hope, forgiveness and most of all peace. I received a copy of this book from Celebrate Lit. The review is my own opinion.