A Neon Darkness (The Bright Sessions Book 2)

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When a tall figure, immune to their powers, discovers them, the first family that Robert has ever wanted is at risk of being destroyed. The only way to keep them all together is to get his powers under control.

I’ve spent a lot of time here on Fantasy Literature and elsewhere talking about how I am a character-driven reader first, everything else second. So maybe, maybe this kind of plot-lite book that centres on one guy’s decent into villainy would work for me. And maybe it would, but not this time. The main character is almost interesting. He gets so, so close but ultimately the author just completely fumbled the landing for me. While trying to kidnap Adam, Damien was beaten severely by Caleb. After spending several weeks in a coma, Damien woke to discover his ability no longer worked. Damien can still feel thinking minds in the vicinity, but he can no longer influence them. Chloe also still cannot read his mind. The Bright Sessions] combines shades of The X-Files and the HBO psychotherapy drama In Treatment, plus the youthful characters of a WB drama like Roswell or Smallville, into one compulsively listenable tale.... A testament to the simple power of good storytelling.” — Vox Shippen's prose acts as not only the second best facet of this novel, but also the primary conduit through which she gets the reader to understand if not sympathize with Damien. The strongest quality of her writing is undoubtedly her ability to express emotion with a type of poetic clarity I've rarely seen before. I'd describe the way Damien's emotions are described in this novel as akin to the sensation of drinking sparkling wine: liquid gold on the outside, but with a bitter aftertaste. Her writing strikes the perfect balance between showing his thoughts and the insidiousness undercurrent that underlies even the brightest of them. It is because of the way Shippen uses her prose in this narrative to tie Damien and his often conflicting emotions to the reader that she is able to somehow get the reader to both empathize and hate Damien, in equal measure. Like I said before, what really affected and touched me in this book was the characters. I will never get over how much of a grey character Damien is and how complex and multi-layered. For those who are not aware, Damien has the ability to make people around him want the same thing he does and manipulate them that way. That sounds pretty cool right? For the user itself that is. But you actually see how much it has actually ruined him, how it has affected him and his view of the world since he can’t control it (or doesn’t seem to be able to). You can’t help but sympathize with him. This book towards the end starts feeling much like a villain origin story only you are not even sure how to feel about Damien in the end. Throughout the story, there were so many times I understood how he felt, I thought that in his place I would had probably acted the same way. Subjects on morality are touched and it’s all so complicated that you don’t know how to feel in the end. As for the other characters, they are all so well written and it’s obvious that there has been a lot of thought put into them. Marley was definitely my favourite because I have a weak spot for tough looking guys that are actually big softies and basically the mom of the group. They were also diverse as hell and there were a few times when the issues of racism and sexism were touched.

The power of night bestows many types of photography with hints of mischief, magic, and possibility… He exhales. More smoke. More squinting. I stand perfectly still and focus on what I want, and then: I read The Infinite Noise before I discovered the Bright Sessions podcast, and right out the gate, Damien was my favorite. Charlie Ian's drawling sneer had me in four words. I had to fight not to buy this book right away. To anyone like me, coming in already hooked, be aware that this is a prequel. The Damien of the Bright Sessions is ten years away. Instead, we are introduced to Robert, an eighteen-year-old boy who has spent most of his life using a gift for persuasion to get what he wants. But getting what you want all the time, by force, has an undeniable cost...

The found family element of this book is still my favorite between Indah and Neon and Alex and Marley.I did enjoy reading this after listening to the podcast episodes, especially after the college tapes and seeing Marley as a professor. I do still wish this book had more development and that we either get an epilogue of the friend group or of Damien after the fact. Preferably of the friend group since we do get more Damian content in the podcast and in Caleb's book. The introduction of Isaiah and the mysterious organization is interesting and eerie at the same time, leaving the reader and the characters to wonder who are they, what do they want, where are they, a shadow on their lives. Listeners of The Bright Sessions know how A Neon Darkness will end—at least for Damien, for he is certainly not a hero—but it’s the journey to that point and the company he keeps that makes this such a wildly fulfilling ride. We see how Damien becomes the morally questionable, power hungry, and manipulative person he is, but most importantly, we see the people who tried to help him and care for him through his struggles, and what those friendships had to say about consent, control, and what it means to truly care for someone. He's lonely, hurt and his past and power burden him, leaving him lost and unable to connect to anyone, his power both a blessing and a curse. His desire to belong and be part of something is absolutely understandable and he's a grey character.

I don’t know,” I say again quietly, the irony of it all hitting home. The boy whose wants infect everyone else can’t even articulate what he wants, even though it’s as simple as wanting to be wrapped up in someone’s arms. To feel loved. To feel safe, for just one goddamned second. Which is, of course, exactly what happens and in the following scene he’s completely unsure again if he used his ability at all even when Neon tells him that he very much obviously did. It’s easily my favourite scene in the book because it shows how many layers of messed-up Damien is and how few things he’s able to admit to himself. Like the deep desire to be understood, held, feel safe and part of a group that cares about you is deeply human and nothing to be ashamed of. Though when the therapist he sees briefly points that out, Damien only sneers that he’s not human. Mark surely didn’t buy it when Damien admitted this as his motivation to him. Emotional and inventive, Lauren Shippen has written a queer love story for anyone who’s ever felt like an outsider. The Infinite Noise managed to make me swoon even as it broke my heart. A thoughtful and tender exploration of mental health, it will make you want to go to therapy, whether you have superpowers or not.” —Britta Lundin, Riverdale screenwriter and author of Ship It She huffs a laugh as she puts down the vodka bottle and starts wiping down the bar, not meeting my eyes. A serene landscape transforms into a magical underworld by moonlight. City streets can take on an uncanny or cinematic quality.

A Molotov … did you give me a bomb?” I ask patiently, nervous excitement building in me. Her grin grows wider. Created by the brilliant Lauren Shippen, The Bright Sessions is probably my number one favorite podcast right now.” —Patricia Thang, Book Riot Her images of fireworks displays from cities worldwide celebrate the night as a canvas for explosions of joy. A Neon Darkness is about the formation of an identity; Damien – The Making Of is the supervillain origin story I have been terribly curious about (even though he’s mediocre by supervillain standards, let’s be real). In The Bright Sessions I couldn’t really figure out his motives when we first met him as a kinda weird annoying guy; then he makes grand mistake after grand mistake that ultimately ends with him becoming that unforgivable person he is at the end of season 4. I was always blown away by his morals and justifications for his actions (when we got to hear those), though in season 4 (specifically episode 48) where he has it all out with Mark, we get the final peek behind the veil as he says