Burn Bright by Marianne de Pierres

Burn Bright (Night Creatures #1) by Marianne de Pierres
Released: March 1, 2011 (Australia and New Zealand only)
Random House Ausralia
ISBN13: 9781864719888

5/5 Stars

Goodreads Synopsis:
Into a world of wild secrets and deadly pleasures comes a girl whose innocence may be her greatest strength.
In Ixion music and party are our only beliefs. Darkness is our comfort. We have few rules but they are absolute . . .
Retra doesn’t want to go to Ixion, the island of ever-night, ever-youth and never-sleep. Retra is a Seal – sealed minds, sealed community. She doesn’t crave parties and pleasure, experience and freedom.

But her brother Joel left for Ixion two years ago, and Retra is determined to find him. Braving the intense pain of her obedience strip to escape the only home she’s ever known, Retra stows away on the barge that will take her to her brother.
When she can’t find Joel, Retra finds herself drawn deeper into the intoxicating world of Ixion. Come to me, whispers a voice in her head. Who are the Ripers, the mysterious guardians of Ixion? What are the Night Creatures Retra can see in the shadows? And what happens to those who grow too old for Ixion?
Retra will find that Ixion has its pleasures, but its secrets are deadly. Will friendship, and the creation of an eternal bond with a Riper, be enough to save her from the darkness?

Listen well, baby bats. Burn bright, but do not stray from the paths. Remember, when you live in a place of darkness you also live with creatures of the dark.

Wow. I am utterly amazed after finishing Burn Bright by Marianne de Pierres. It's incredibly difficult to describe, because I'm really unsure of exactly how to classify it. I suppose it's a horror novel, but even that doesn't do it justice.

Burn Bright is truly unlike other YA books I've read; in my opinion, it currently stands alone and is doing a terrific job of keeping the spotlight on itself. The writing is captivating, the plot is terrifically creative, and this world created by de Pierres is utterly intoxicating. It draws you in and you just can't leave- kind of like Ixion. It's no wonder Ixion's habitants are so drawn to it, how can they not be when I'm just reading about it and I feel the same way without actually living it?

The story of Retra's journey in Ixion is haunting. It plays with your mind, just as Retra finds herself lost in the grasp of this strange place. There is nothing predictable about this, and the discoveries are both disturbing and intriguing at the same time.

I don't want to give anything about this book away, except it's frighteningly hypnotizing.

The one fault I found was how confusing it could be at times; but then again, it's supposed to be. No one is supposed to understand what exactly takes place at Ixion, and every glimpse of a layer revealed only complicates the story further. As well, it's the state in which Retra lives at Ixion (drugged at times, and in a constant state of denial) which makes it even more difficult to comprehend the events taking place when the character's perspective is flawed. But that's the exactly the way it's supposed to be told.

Right now, Burn Bright is only available in Australia and New Zealand from Random House Australia. There is hope that it will become available in North America in the next year or so, but nothing has been decided yet. In the meantime, I ordered my copy from the Australian Online Bookshop which I found to have the cheapest options for book purchase and shipping.

UPDATE: I received an e-mail from Adva, letting me know that Fishbond Books has Burn Bright and offers free shipping. And as well, you can buy Burn Bright from the Book Depository in e-book format (click here to go to the page to buy it). Great news, and thank you for sharing, Adva!