Ivo who had to bear the secrets of the island while everyone got to leave to the mainland and live their lives. Ivo who was perceived to be peculiar and anti-social. My lack of satisfaction may have largely been due to my dislike of nearly all the characters except for Ivo. Ivo who was the heir. The book was well-written and thoughtfully plotted out. Overall, I enjoyed the book but was left feeling somewhat unsatisfied. My anxiety kept building as I became embroiled in trying to figure out who was lying and who was telling the truth. I struggled with waiting to discover what lay at the end because I wanted the answer sooner than later–this is why I don’t do well with thrillers and mysteries. Frustrating because I wanted to peer into the minds of a few individuals but was limited to only what Mae could see or hear. It contributed to a sense of mystery, amplifying it at certain points in the book especially when Mae could only hear one side of a conversation. Refreshing because the books I’ve been reading have been those with multiple viewpoints. There are no other viewpoints, which was both refreshing and frustrating. This particular day has more going for it than usual as the spirits on the island begin to die, and Mae starts to suspect that Ivo, the Prosper heir, may be behind it. It’s the one night a year that high society mainlanders are invited onto the island to celebrate First Night. Mae is the central character of the novel, and it’s through her that readers experience the day’s events. From my limited understanding, a lot gets turned upside down in this reimagining. If anything, those who have read The Tempest will be able to point out these things as well as recognize how the story diverges. For the most part, knowing the source material isn’t vital to understanding the book, but it was interesting to see what was borrowed from the play. Because I haven’t read The Tempest, I did read a few summaries beforehand. All opinions are my own.**īright Ruined Things is a reimagining of Shakespeare’s The Tempest.

**I was provided a copy of the book through NetGalley.

Bright ruined things by samantha cohoe