Burning Britely

Burning Britely By Deidre Huesmann Rated 5 stars I really REALLY liked this story! You know how some books are written purely for the enjoyment and others seem a little deeper. That is this book! There is the surface but if you look deeper there is a whole other level to this. The way this was written this could be about your brother, cousin or best friend. That makes it more relatable to the reader. You get a look Inside the life of a boy who is abrasive, cranky and prefers to be alone. He is protecting himself and trying to survive high school and figure out he fits in. I really empathized with boy. I was right there with him through all his good and bad times. Even though it’s a shorts book it still packs a punch. One thing i really like about Jeff is how he thinks about things. Like basketball for example or lunch at school.....or a kiss. This is a story I won’t forget. In fact I will reread it when I need to lighten up a little. Thank You Deidre Husemann for this outstanding book!

I kept seeing this pop up on my recommendations but kept passing it up and finally decided to give it a try. The storyline was strong as well as the character development. Honestly, this had better characters then a lot of some MM romance books I've read recently so I would recommend it.

There were a few things that kept the book from being 4 stars (5 stars is extremely rare for me). For one, it's nearly halfway through the book before it's explained why Jeff is so solitary and shut off from people. He does have some good reason, to a degree, 2 good reasons, but after changing schools and the passing of nearly 10 years, still having the mindset that absolutely everyone in the world is against him or out to get him just doesn't really make sense. Talking to and treating everyone, who have literally done nothing to him, like trash or just with indifference makes no sense to me. He was constantly cold and disdainful for no reason, and it wasn't even intentional; it seemed to be his personality. That combined with his linear thinking - scrutinizing and analyzing even the most trivial things - made me think there were deeper issues going on that he should have been in counseling for. Jeff's mom seems kind of nice, but honestly she came off as a bit of an airhead in certain situations. It's hard to explain but that's what I got. Maya, his best friend, was ok, but I hated that she and Jeff's mom called him "Jeffy" as if he were 4 years old (which still would be cringey even then). Braeden was ok, but he kind of fell into the whole "maybe I'm not really straight" thing way too easily. He had shown no more-than-friends type interest in Jeff at all, then after not seeing or speaking to him for 4 days, oh hey, I want you. Not really believable. And I feel like there was a bit of a hole in the story behind the relationship between Braeden and his mother. But outside of some typos here and there, the writing seemed to be good enough to at least make me interested in the second book.

This was a good story that is full of stress and angst. Just like the lives of teenagers that go through the exploration of who they are and how to fit into the everyday life of those around them without being misfits pr pharaohs. Jeff is a kid that faces many challenges, one of them being small for his age. The other is that he is discovering that he is bisexual. Braeden is straight, but finds out he is a little crooked on the straight line scale. Both boys have to deal with life at school and life at home. Neither is easy. An excellent YA book with a HFN ending as life goes on after high school.

Interesting characters - starting as one-dimensional, stereotypical adolescent labels evolving to independent individuals examining & defining themselves authentically. Quick, entertaining read!

This thin book shows that a lot can be said in fewer words - a lesson for many authors who tend to go on and on as if they are struggling to get their own thoughts together while writing their books. A few threads in Burning Britely are a little over the top, but the two main characters are wonderful to get to know as the story unfolded. This book is incomplete without also reading the next one in the series (?) so the reader is advised to get them both. For those interested in doing gay reading this summer, you can't go wrong with this one. I hope you enjoy it (and it's sequel) as much as I did.

I love that. Love isn't black and white. Love isn't straight or gay or bi. It can be anything. It is everything.

I thought it was too short .it was a nice story however it could've had more intense drama .the downside of coming out would've helped this feel more realistic .I feel like it needed more but I'm excited to read the next book which will be in a few seconds day lol

4 Stars Burning Britely by Deidre Huesmann is a great YA/coming of age story, full of self-discovery, angst, drama, friendship, expectations, emotions, and self-acceptance. I am familiar with Ms. Huesmann’s other work, and really liked the Modern Greek Tale series, and The Alpha’s Pride- but this book is something different - and again it just proves that Ms. Huesmann can work with any genre/subject and create an engrossing story. The book is a short story and is a very quick and easy read. It has a great pace and a smooth flow. The story and characters were interesting and quite relatable. I loved the strong character development and growth that occurred over the course of the story. For such a short story, the characters were fully realised, and the story had a depth that’s not so easy to achieve in a short amount of space- but Ms. Huesmann certainly succeeded where many have failed. I am not going to give away spoilers, or rehash the premise of the story- as the blurb does a better job than I ever could. But, I do recommend reading this book, especially to those who love a great YA novel that has all the angst and inner turmoil that come with being a teenager- exploring the characters ‘coming of age’. Thank you, Ms. Huesmann!