What do you think?
Rate this book
This Bright Life
SHORTLISTED FOR THE SALTIRE AWARD 2025
Margaret – an elderly widow who just wants to be left with her memories and her quiet, contained life.
Claire – newly divorced, downsizing into the neighbourhood and way too busy to mend a broken heart.
Gerard – a tearaway twelve-year-old who hates his name but loves his little brother and sister. Gerard is a bright kid, but trouble always follows him. No one really knows what it’s like at home; he’s used to carrying a lot on his small shoulders.
Gerard doesn’t always make good decisions. One morning, he makes a very bad one, upending not just his world, but the lives of Margaret and Claire too. Both heart-breaking and life-affirming, This Bright Life is a story of messy lives, second chances and the many hands it takes to build a boy.
Margaret – an elderly widow who just wants to be left with her memories and her quiet, contained life.
Claire – newly divorced, downsizing into the neighbourhood and way too busy to mend a broken heart.
Gerard – a tearaway twelve-year-old who hates his name but loves his little brother and sister. Gerard is a bright kid, but trouble always follows him. No one really knows what it’s like at home; he’s used to carrying a lot on his small shoulders.
Gerard doesn’t always make good decisions. One morning, he makes a very bad one, upending not just his world, but the lives of Margaret and Claire too. Both heart-breaking and life-affirming, This Bright Life is a story of messy lives, second chances and the many hands it takes to build a boy.
304 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 27, 2025
28 people are currently reading
535 people want to read
About the author
Karen Campbell
140 books81 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author by this name in the Goodreads database.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 83 reviews
March 23, 2025
I just finished This Bright Life by Karen Campbell, and I can't recommend it highly enough! I absolutely loved her last book, Paper Cup, so I went into this one with high expectations, and it completely delivered.
The story follows 12-year-old Gerard, navigating the streets of Glasgow with his gang, the Broncos. Despite his tough exterior, he carries immense responsibilities at home, looking after his younger siblings while his mother struggles with addiction. One fateful incident changes everything, throwing him into a world of concerned adults and the care system.
But this isn’t just Gerard’s story, it’s also about Claire and Margaret, two women whose lives become unexpectedly entwined after Gerard’s incident. Claire is trying to move forward from a painful break-up, desperate to make a fresh start. Meanwhile, Margaret, who has spent years keeping others at a distance, is faced with a choice: continue living in solitude or confront her past decisions. Their stories unfold beautifully, showing how connection and compassion can come from the most unexpected places.
Karen Campbell’s writing is stunning! Raw, honest, and full of heart. She captures the character’s voices so perfectly that you feel every moment of their struggle and triumph. It’s a book about resilience, hope, and the power of kindness in the most unlikely places. I was completely drawn in from start to finish, and if you love emotionally rich, character-driven stories, this one is a must-read!
The story follows 12-year-old Gerard, navigating the streets of Glasgow with his gang, the Broncos. Despite his tough exterior, he carries immense responsibilities at home, looking after his younger siblings while his mother struggles with addiction. One fateful incident changes everything, throwing him into a world of concerned adults and the care system.
But this isn’t just Gerard’s story, it’s also about Claire and Margaret, two women whose lives become unexpectedly entwined after Gerard’s incident. Claire is trying to move forward from a painful break-up, desperate to make a fresh start. Meanwhile, Margaret, who has spent years keeping others at a distance, is faced with a choice: continue living in solitude or confront her past decisions. Their stories unfold beautifully, showing how connection and compassion can come from the most unexpected places.
Karen Campbell’s writing is stunning! Raw, honest, and full of heart. She captures the character’s voices so perfectly that you feel every moment of their struggle and triumph. It’s a book about resilience, hope, and the power of kindness in the most unlikely places. I was completely drawn in from start to finish, and if you love emotionally rich, character-driven stories, this one is a must-read!
December 14, 2025
This Bright Life is the eighth novel by British author, Karen Campbell. New to the Glasgow suburb of Dennistoun, lawyer Claire Urquhart is witness to a mugging in front of the fruit shop: a wee boy in a grey hoodie knocks over an elderly lady. Claire runs to assist, acts to stop Margaret Camberg choking and is left holding her dentures as the ambulance drives off.
Back in her car, heading to her new home, she spots the boy: he can’t be more than twelve, and looks unexpectedly distressed. Her call to the polis sees Gerard Macklin carted off to face the consequences of his actions. This one incident leads to an unexpectedly close connection between the two women.
Both Claire and Margaret would be surprised to learn that Gerard is far from the delinquent they believe him to be, or that he acted out of pure desperation. When Gerard came home, his mum was out to it, drunk or stoned, the electric was off, his baby sister Miranda had a full nappy, and she and seven-year-old Anthony were hungry. His mother’s purse was empty.
But grabbing the old lady’s purse from her bag didn’t work out how he’d thought. And keeping his mouth shut at the Police Station, refusing to say anything at all, doesn’t end up protecting his siblings from the Social, from the one thing he fears most, not being there to look after them.
Instead, there are panels and meetings and hearings and foster carers: an interim Compulsory Supervision Order, whatever that means. No one will tell him if the old lady is alright after the fall, or if she’s even alive. He’s present, but much of what these well-meaning people say, peppered with jargon and complex words, goes right over his head. Leaflets? Useless, he can’t read.
“You could suffocate in panic, and he thinks that might be quite a nice thing, for the sky to push down into your face and for the ground to sook you up, everything caving in slow motion while your breath is speeding and your heart is going mental; for your heart to just go for it, just f###ing burst already, instead of kidding on it’s going to, like it always does. Because that’s exhausting.”
His temporary fosters, Craig and Kris, are wealthy and generous but, while their intentions are pure, their understanding of what he needs can be hit and miss. “He’s doing what he’s told, all these rules, all the time – here’s the box we want you to be in today, Gerard, here’s the place we need you to be, Gerard, here’s the thing we need you to say, Gerard. Other kids don’t get moved about like bendy f###ing toys. If they don’t treat you normal, how’re you meant to be ‘normal’?”
Gerard only gets to see his siblings fortnightly and misses them badly; there’s a tattooed man hanging around whom he feels is dangerous; and his mother demands he retrieve a certain item for her, which resurrects painful memories from his early childhood. Does Gerard have any chance at happiness?
Three narrators tell the story: recently divorced adoptee, Claire, who keeps her distance in relationships to avoid getting hurt; eighty-two-year-old widow, Margaret, who appreciates the generous help of her neighbours, but longs for the return of her independence; and twelve-year-old Gerard, whose perspective of the system into which he is absorbed rings with authenticity.
Several of Campbell’s characters use a lot of expletives which, given the setting and their situation, is appropriate rather than gratuitous, but may not sit well with some readers. She skilfully depicts the lack of agency a young person has, and demonstrates how pride and fear of humiliation that can result in a false affirmative to a closed question like “Do you understand?”
Many of the characters will surprise, while a few will disappoint, and there are many moments guaranteed to put a lump in the throat, a tear in the eye. A deeply moving and insightful read.
This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by NetGalley and Canongate Books.
Back in her car, heading to her new home, she spots the boy: he can’t be more than twelve, and looks unexpectedly distressed. Her call to the polis sees Gerard Macklin carted off to face the consequences of his actions. This one incident leads to an unexpectedly close connection between the two women.
Both Claire and Margaret would be surprised to learn that Gerard is far from the delinquent they believe him to be, or that he acted out of pure desperation. When Gerard came home, his mum was out to it, drunk or stoned, the electric was off, his baby sister Miranda had a full nappy, and she and seven-year-old Anthony were hungry. His mother’s purse was empty.
But grabbing the old lady’s purse from her bag didn’t work out how he’d thought. And keeping his mouth shut at the Police Station, refusing to say anything at all, doesn’t end up protecting his siblings from the Social, from the one thing he fears most, not being there to look after them.
Instead, there are panels and meetings and hearings and foster carers: an interim Compulsory Supervision Order, whatever that means. No one will tell him if the old lady is alright after the fall, or if she’s even alive. He’s present, but much of what these well-meaning people say, peppered with jargon and complex words, goes right over his head. Leaflets? Useless, he can’t read.
“You could suffocate in panic, and he thinks that might be quite a nice thing, for the sky to push down into your face and for the ground to sook you up, everything caving in slow motion while your breath is speeding and your heart is going mental; for your heart to just go for it, just f###ing burst already, instead of kidding on it’s going to, like it always does. Because that’s exhausting.”
His temporary fosters, Craig and Kris, are wealthy and generous but, while their intentions are pure, their understanding of what he needs can be hit and miss. “He’s doing what he’s told, all these rules, all the time – here’s the box we want you to be in today, Gerard, here’s the place we need you to be, Gerard, here’s the thing we need you to say, Gerard. Other kids don’t get moved about like bendy f###ing toys. If they don’t treat you normal, how’re you meant to be ‘normal’?”
Gerard only gets to see his siblings fortnightly and misses them badly; there’s a tattooed man hanging around whom he feels is dangerous; and his mother demands he retrieve a certain item for her, which resurrects painful memories from his early childhood. Does Gerard have any chance at happiness?
Three narrators tell the story: recently divorced adoptee, Claire, who keeps her distance in relationships to avoid getting hurt; eighty-two-year-old widow, Margaret, who appreciates the generous help of her neighbours, but longs for the return of her independence; and twelve-year-old Gerard, whose perspective of the system into which he is absorbed rings with authenticity.
Several of Campbell’s characters use a lot of expletives which, given the setting and their situation, is appropriate rather than gratuitous, but may not sit well with some readers. She skilfully depicts the lack of agency a young person has, and demonstrates how pride and fear of humiliation that can result in a false affirmative to a closed question like “Do you understand?”
Many of the characters will surprise, while a few will disappoint, and there are many moments guaranteed to put a lump in the throat, a tear in the eye. A deeply moving and insightful read.
This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by NetGalley and Canongate Books.
April 6, 2025
First of all, I merely share a name with the author. I genuinely wish I had half her talent!
Secondly, thank you to NetGalley for an arc of this book.
A young boy from a dreadful home background, appallingly neglected by his mother- an addict- and carer for his younger siblings.
A newly divorced woman, fearful and angry about what her new future holds.
An elderly widow, lonely and insular.
A desperate act by Gerard (he hates that name!) starts a series of events which cause their three lives to become intertwined.
Born and raised in a tenement in Glasgow ( a ‘Room-And-Kitchen’, though we were ‘posh’ enough to have an indoor loo), I still think of myself as a Glaswegian, though I’ve not lived there for over forty years, I love KC’s descriptions of the City. She captures its personality to a T.
Trying to describe how good this book is is so difficult…..KC writes her characters ‘from the inside out’. They become real people. You share Margaret’s fear and loneliness, and Claire’s uncertainty, but seeing the world from Gerard’s point of view…….it could tear your heart out.
I don’t want to get too gushy…so I’ll just say I loved this book.
Secondly, thank you to NetGalley for an arc of this book.
A young boy from a dreadful home background, appallingly neglected by his mother- an addict- and carer for his younger siblings.
A newly divorced woman, fearful and angry about what her new future holds.
An elderly widow, lonely and insular.
A desperate act by Gerard (he hates that name!) starts a series of events which cause their three lives to become intertwined.
Born and raised in a tenement in Glasgow ( a ‘Room-And-Kitchen’, though we were ‘posh’ enough to have an indoor loo), I still think of myself as a Glaswegian, though I’ve not lived there for over forty years, I love KC’s descriptions of the City. She captures its personality to a T.
Trying to describe how good this book is is so difficult…..KC writes her characters ‘from the inside out’. They become real people. You share Margaret’s fear and loneliness, and Claire’s uncertainty, but seeing the world from Gerard’s point of view…….it could tear your heart out.
I don’t want to get too gushy…so I’ll just say I loved this book.
October 4, 2025
Brb just full body sobbing 😭
This is my second Karen Campbell book (I've also read Paper Town), and it is an easy five stars.
I loved the fact that I could visualise the full story, the writing just leaps off the page. It's such a treat to read a book set in Glasgow (particularly Dennistoun and Shawlands).
Other reviewers have likened this book to Shuggie Bain, I think that's maybe a bit of a stretch. True they're both set in Glasgow and centre around addiction, but This Bright Life is much more hopeful and not as intense - but still amazing.
The research on children's panels and the care system is excellent. Can't say enough good things about it.
This is my second Karen Campbell book (I've also read Paper Town), and it is an easy five stars.
I loved the fact that I could visualise the full story, the writing just leaps off the page. It's such a treat to read a book set in Glasgow (particularly Dennistoun and Shawlands).
Other reviewers have likened this book to Shuggie Bain, I think that's maybe a bit of a stretch. True they're both set in Glasgow and centre around addiction, but This Bright Life is much more hopeful and not as intense - but still amazing.
The research on children's panels and the care system is excellent. Can't say enough good things about it.
December 14, 2025
This Bright Life is the eighth novel by British author, Karen Campbell. The audio version is narrated by Caroline Guthrie. New to the Glasgow suburb of Dennistoun, lawyer Claire Urquhart is witness to a mugging in front of the fruit shop: a wee boy in a grey hoodie knocks over an elderly lady. Claire runs to assist, acts to stop Margaret Camberg choking and is left holding her dentures as the ambulance drives off.
Back in her car, heading to her new home, she spots the boy: he can’t be more than twelve, and looks unexpectedly distressed. Her call to the polis sees Gerard Macklin carted off to face the consequences of his actions. This one incident leads to an unexpectedly close connection between the two women.
Both Claire and Margaret would be surprised to learn that Gerard is far from the delinquent they believe him to be, or that he acted out of pure desperation. When Gerard came home, his mum was out to it, drunk or stoned, the electric was off, his baby sister Miranda had a full nappy, and she and seven-year-old Anthony were hungry. His mother’s purse was empty.
But grabbing the old lady’s purse from her bag didn’t work out how he’d thought. And keeping his mouth shut at the Police Station, refusing to say anything at all, doesn’t end up protecting his siblings from the Social, from the one thing he fears most, not being there to look after them.
Instead, there are panels and meetings and hearings and foster carers: an interim Compulsory Supervision Order, whatever that means. No one will tell him if the old lady is alright after the fall, or if she’s even alive. He’s present, but much of what these well-meaning people say, peppered with jargon and complex words, goes right over his head. Leaflets? Useless, he can’t read.
“You could suffocate in panic, and he thinks that might be quite a nice thing, for the sky to push down into your face and for the ground to sook you up, everything caving in slow motion while your breath is speeding and your heart is going mental; for your heart to just go for it, just f###ing burst already, instead of kidding on it’s going to, like it always does. Because that’s exhausting.”
His temporary fosters, Craig and Kris, are wealthy and generous but, while their intentions are pure, their understanding of what he needs can be hit and miss. “He’s doing what he’s told, all these rules, all the time – here’s the box we want you to be in today, Gerard, here’s the place we need you to be, Gerard, here’s the thing we need you to say, Gerard. Other kids don’t get moved about like bendy f###ing toys. If they don’t treat you normal, how’re you meant to be ‘normal’?”
Gerard only gets to see his siblings fortnightly and misses them badly; there’s a tattooed man hanging around whom he feels is dangerous; and his mother demands he retrieve a certain item for her, which resurrects painful memories from his early childhood. Does Gerard have any chance at happiness?
Three narrators tell the story: recently divorced adoptee, Claire, who keeps her distance in relationships to avoid getting hurt; eighty-two-year-old widow, Margaret, who appreciates the generous help of her neighbours, but longs for the return of her independence; and twelve-year-old Gerard, whose perspective of the system into which he is absorbed rings with authenticity.
Several of Campbell’s characters use a lot of expletives which, given the setting and their situation, is appropriate rather than gratuitous, but may not sit well with some readers. She skilfully depicts the lack of agency a young person has, and demonstrates how pride and fear of humiliation that can result in a false affirmative to a closed question like “Do you understand?”
Many of the characters will surprise, while a few will disappoint, and there are many moments guaranteed to put a lump in the throat, a tear in the eye. A deeply moving and insightful read.
Back in her car, heading to her new home, she spots the boy: he can’t be more than twelve, and looks unexpectedly distressed. Her call to the polis sees Gerard Macklin carted off to face the consequences of his actions. This one incident leads to an unexpectedly close connection between the two women.
Both Claire and Margaret would be surprised to learn that Gerard is far from the delinquent they believe him to be, or that he acted out of pure desperation. When Gerard came home, his mum was out to it, drunk or stoned, the electric was off, his baby sister Miranda had a full nappy, and she and seven-year-old Anthony were hungry. His mother’s purse was empty.
But grabbing the old lady’s purse from her bag didn’t work out how he’d thought. And keeping his mouth shut at the Police Station, refusing to say anything at all, doesn’t end up protecting his siblings from the Social, from the one thing he fears most, not being there to look after them.
Instead, there are panels and meetings and hearings and foster carers: an interim Compulsory Supervision Order, whatever that means. No one will tell him if the old lady is alright after the fall, or if she’s even alive. He’s present, but much of what these well-meaning people say, peppered with jargon and complex words, goes right over his head. Leaflets? Useless, he can’t read.
“You could suffocate in panic, and he thinks that might be quite a nice thing, for the sky to push down into your face and for the ground to sook you up, everything caving in slow motion while your breath is speeding and your heart is going mental; for your heart to just go for it, just f###ing burst already, instead of kidding on it’s going to, like it always does. Because that’s exhausting.”
His temporary fosters, Craig and Kris, are wealthy and generous but, while their intentions are pure, their understanding of what he needs can be hit and miss. “He’s doing what he’s told, all these rules, all the time – here’s the box we want you to be in today, Gerard, here’s the place we need you to be, Gerard, here’s the thing we need you to say, Gerard. Other kids don’t get moved about like bendy f###ing toys. If they don’t treat you normal, how’re you meant to be ‘normal’?”
Gerard only gets to see his siblings fortnightly and misses them badly; there’s a tattooed man hanging around whom he feels is dangerous; and his mother demands he retrieve a certain item for her, which resurrects painful memories from his early childhood. Does Gerard have any chance at happiness?
Three narrators tell the story: recently divorced adoptee, Claire, who keeps her distance in relationships to avoid getting hurt; eighty-two-year-old widow, Margaret, who appreciates the generous help of her neighbours, but longs for the return of her independence; and twelve-year-old Gerard, whose perspective of the system into which he is absorbed rings with authenticity.
Several of Campbell’s characters use a lot of expletives which, given the setting and their situation, is appropriate rather than gratuitous, but may not sit well with some readers. She skilfully depicts the lack of agency a young person has, and demonstrates how pride and fear of humiliation that can result in a false affirmative to a closed question like “Do you understand?”
Many of the characters will surprise, while a few will disappoint, and there are many moments guaranteed to put a lump in the throat, a tear in the eye. A deeply moving and insightful read.
April 9, 2025
I was on a 5 hour flight and had intended/hoped to sleep a while. I started this book and read continuously for the entire flight. It was wonderful to get totally immersed in the story without any distractions. I love Karen’s style of writing. It is the third book I have read by this author and have just purchased my fourth!
November 20, 2025
Just absolutely gorgeous. Three people all struggling through their own situations, until a mistake is made with horrific consequences for those involved. Campbell writes so convincingly from a range of perspectives of all ages, and the book makes a strong case for understanding and utilising restorative justice.
October 8, 2025
Sad, beautiful and poignant
May 8, 2025
A sad but joyous book with Shuggie Bain overtones although not as bleak. I really enjoyed reading Gerard and Margaret's story with all its twists and turns and wordly wisdom.
Another gem unearthed on Indyreads.
3.5 stars.
Another gem unearthed on Indyreads.
3.5 stars.
August 4, 2025
Took me a while to get into & the start was pretty bleak but it does get more hopeful as it goes on 🙏🏻
March 9, 2025
Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.
This is a well written, occasionally hopeful but very sad book. My heart went out to little Gerard for what he was going through and how was did everything to protect his mum and siblings.
I’m glad there were moments of hope and a happy ending because everyone involved really deserved that.
Adored the writing and was gripped on the story from the very beginning.
This is a well written, occasionally hopeful but very sad book. My heart went out to little Gerard for what he was going through and how was did everything to protect his mum and siblings.
I’m glad there were moments of hope and a happy ending because everyone involved really deserved that.
Adored the writing and was gripped on the story from the very beginning.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 21, 2025
This is the story of Gerard a twelve year old boy living in Glasgow.
His mother takes drugs and he is left to look after his younger brother and his baby sister and provide for them.
This situation eventually leads to the children being taken into care.
This was a moving and harrowing story.
Thank you to NetGalley and Canongate Books for my e-copy in exchange for an honest review.
His mother takes drugs and he is left to look after his younger brother and his baby sister and provide for them.
This situation eventually leads to the children being taken into care.
This was a moving and harrowing story.
Thank you to NetGalley and Canongate Books for my e-copy in exchange for an honest review.
September 28, 2025
#gifted
Some stories you don’t just read; they take hold of you, squeeze your heart, and don’t let go. This Bright Life is one of those rare novels that shatters and soothes in the same breath.
We meet Gerard first — twelve years old, scowling at the world, hating his name, and already carrying burdens no child should have to. He loves his bike, he loves flying down the streets with his gang, but at home the reality is brutal: a mother numbed by addiction, a wee brother and baby sister relying on him, and the constant thrum of fear. Then comes one bad decision, one accident, and the fragile balance tips.
Across town, there’s Margaret, eighty-something, still talking to her Albert long after he’s gone. Stubborn, lonely, proud. And Claire, a lawyer recently divorced, trying to find her footing in Dennistoun. Three lives, colliding.
Campbell’s prose is pure Glasgow — gritty, musical, thick with dialect. It takes a moment to tune in, but once you do, it’s like hearing the characters speak straight into your ear. Gerard, in particular, tore me open: sharp, funny, vulnerable. I wanted to reach in and hug him, hand him a hot dinner and mind him. Margaret, too, with her sharp edges and lonely rituals, felt achingly real. And Claire pulls the threads together with quiet grace.
This is a book about survival when the odds are stacked against you, about the ripple effect of tiny choices and the chance, however slim, of forgiveness. It’s grim in places, yes, but Campbell always knows when to slip in a flash of humour or hope. By the final chapters, I had that hard lump in my throat that only the best books leave behind — equal parts sorrow and light.
If you loved Douglas Stuart’s Shuggie Bain or Margaret McDonald’s Glasgow Boys, this is one to add to your shelf.
I flew through it. Couldn’t leave it down. And when I turned the final page, I just sat there, not ready to let Gerard, Margaret, and Claire go. That’s how you know a book has done its work.
This Bright Life is out now, and I highly recommend it. Thank you to the publisher for sending me a copy; all opinions are my own.
Some stories you don’t just read; they take hold of you, squeeze your heart, and don’t let go. This Bright Life is one of those rare novels that shatters and soothes in the same breath.
We meet Gerard first — twelve years old, scowling at the world, hating his name, and already carrying burdens no child should have to. He loves his bike, he loves flying down the streets with his gang, but at home the reality is brutal: a mother numbed by addiction, a wee brother and baby sister relying on him, and the constant thrum of fear. Then comes one bad decision, one accident, and the fragile balance tips.
Across town, there’s Margaret, eighty-something, still talking to her Albert long after he’s gone. Stubborn, lonely, proud. And Claire, a lawyer recently divorced, trying to find her footing in Dennistoun. Three lives, colliding.
Campbell’s prose is pure Glasgow — gritty, musical, thick with dialect. It takes a moment to tune in, but once you do, it’s like hearing the characters speak straight into your ear. Gerard, in particular, tore me open: sharp, funny, vulnerable. I wanted to reach in and hug him, hand him a hot dinner and mind him. Margaret, too, with her sharp edges and lonely rituals, felt achingly real. And Claire pulls the threads together with quiet grace.
This is a book about survival when the odds are stacked against you, about the ripple effect of tiny choices and the chance, however slim, of forgiveness. It’s grim in places, yes, but Campbell always knows when to slip in a flash of humour or hope. By the final chapters, I had that hard lump in my throat that only the best books leave behind — equal parts sorrow and light.
If you loved Douglas Stuart’s Shuggie Bain or Margaret McDonald’s Glasgow Boys, this is one to add to your shelf.
I flew through it. Couldn’t leave it down. And when I turned the final page, I just sat there, not ready to let Gerard, Margaret, and Claire go. That’s how you know a book has done its work.
This Bright Life is out now, and I highly recommend it. Thank you to the publisher for sending me a copy; all opinions are my own.
May 3, 2025
A fabulous uplifting read about what happens when a young book makes an error in judgement and the ripples that come after it.
Gerard is struggling at home with a mum that is absent at best, abuse at worst. He is trying to look after his younger siblings, but there is only so much a 12 Yr old can do.
Margaret is closed off since the death of her husband, so when the pairs paths collide it sends her in a tailspin.
I really enjoyed this multiple POV book, following not only Gerard and Margaret, but also Claire a witness to the event.
The book delves into social care, foster care and caring in general. There are some tough storylines, but the book still felt hopeful overall.
Gerard is struggling at home with a mum that is absent at best, abuse at worst. He is trying to look after his younger siblings, but there is only so much a 12 Yr old can do.
Margaret is closed off since the death of her husband, so when the pairs paths collide it sends her in a tailspin.
I really enjoyed this multiple POV book, following not only Gerard and Margaret, but also Claire a witness to the event.
The book delves into social care, foster care and caring in general. There are some tough storylines, but the book still felt hopeful overall.
April 30, 2025
For anyone picking up This Bright Life, reading the title and seeing the light airy cover, please read the synopsis before diving in; otherwise you may not find the book you are expecting. Having said that, I loved the book that I found; or the book that was recommended to me, I should say.
Gerard, aged just 12, is enduring an extremely hard life. His Mum is an addict, leaving him to try his absolute best to care for his 7 year old brother Anthony, and baby sister Miranda. Gerard adores his family, and would, quite literally, do anything for them; which is how his already troubled life, becomes far more complicated and distressing.
This Bright Life has a similar feel to Shuggie Bain, but with more hope and light. The issues of addiction, poverty and child neglect, together with the Scottish setting, will inevitably lead to a similar vibe; especially if you listened to the audio of both books, as I have. The local vernacular and strong accent, brought by the words and narration, gave a huge sense of place and authentic grit to the story.
The book is told from multiple POV, alternating between Gerard, and two other perspectives. The writing brought the wonderful characters very much to life in my mind. My heart broke for Gerard over and over. I wanted to wrap him up in a big hug, and help to guide him through his life, which seemed to be perpetually boobytrapped, sometimes by his own actions.
I found the book to be filled with opposing emotions and energy. Selfishness and selfless love, hopelessness but also hope. I was gripped, completely absorbed, desperately hoping for the very best outcome for the siblings. I loved the book, definitely 5⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ from me.
Gerard, aged just 12, is enduring an extremely hard life. His Mum is an addict, leaving him to try his absolute best to care for his 7 year old brother Anthony, and baby sister Miranda. Gerard adores his family, and would, quite literally, do anything for them; which is how his already troubled life, becomes far more complicated and distressing.
This Bright Life has a similar feel to Shuggie Bain, but with more hope and light. The issues of addiction, poverty and child neglect, together with the Scottish setting, will inevitably lead to a similar vibe; especially if you listened to the audio of both books, as I have. The local vernacular and strong accent, brought by the words and narration, gave a huge sense of place and authentic grit to the story.
The book is told from multiple POV, alternating between Gerard, and two other perspectives. The writing brought the wonderful characters very much to life in my mind. My heart broke for Gerard over and over. I wanted to wrap him up in a big hug, and help to guide him through his life, which seemed to be perpetually boobytrapped, sometimes by his own actions.
I found the book to be filled with opposing emotions and energy. Selfishness and selfless love, hopelessness but also hope. I was gripped, completely absorbed, desperately hoping for the very best outcome for the siblings. I loved the book, definitely 5⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ from me.
May 8, 2025
Another great book by Karen Campbell, another character that we will all have preconceived ideas about and Karen has has the ability to readjust our moral compass.
Beautifully written.
Beautifully written.
April 15, 2025
I loved Karen Campbell’s Paper Cup and within just a few pages of This Bright Life, I knew I was going to love this one too. An misguided decision has unexpected consequences which bring together young Gerard, elderly Margaret and lawyer Claire. All have challenges to face and this chance event will change all their lives.
Gerard is a complicated wee boy. He’s full of anger, full of fear and full of love. Despite his mum’s inability to care for him, he is full of love for her too. He tries so hard to protect his younger brother and baby sister, and his mum too to a certain extent. I can see why he is described as having had ‘adverse childhood experiences’. I felt at times that I wanted to reach into the book, give him a hug and take him home. However, I have to be honest and say I am not sure that I would be able to cope with his rather challenging behaviour. His foster carers Kris and Craig were brilliant characters and I want to pay tribute here to the wonderful work done by real life foster carers, working hard to provide a safe environment for children and give them a chance. There were some scenes which were difficult to read and which really made me think about what some children must go through on a daily basis. These particular sentences brought a lump to my throat as Gerard wondered where his possessions were:
“What is it with kids in care, and bin bags? They manage to keep entire lists of who did what to who in your files, but they canny find a way to keep your toys and pictures safe.”
It is quite difficult to say more about the other two main characters without giving away some of the story. Margaret is a widow living in a Glasgow tenement surrounded by well-meaning neighbours who she sometimes wishes would just leave her alone. She is mourning the loss of her husband who sounded like a wonderful man but also has some guilt hanging over her from another loss. Claire is a hard-working lawyer who has recently separated from her husband and thrown herself into work. She finds herself caught up on Margaret’s life and despite usually trying to keep herself to herself, she begins to blossom as their unexpected friendship develops.
What kept coming back to me as I read this book was that each of the main characters needed safety and security, as we all do. The concept of family and home was very different for all of them. It’s a book which shows that loneliness can be experienced by people of any age in different ways and demonstrates clearly what a difference kindness can make in someone’s life.
This Bright Life is beautifully written, so touching, thought provoking and ultimately hopeful. Another outstanding read from Karen Campbell.
Gerard is a complicated wee boy. He’s full of anger, full of fear and full of love. Despite his mum’s inability to care for him, he is full of love for her too. He tries so hard to protect his younger brother and baby sister, and his mum too to a certain extent. I can see why he is described as having had ‘adverse childhood experiences’. I felt at times that I wanted to reach into the book, give him a hug and take him home. However, I have to be honest and say I am not sure that I would be able to cope with his rather challenging behaviour. His foster carers Kris and Craig were brilliant characters and I want to pay tribute here to the wonderful work done by real life foster carers, working hard to provide a safe environment for children and give them a chance. There were some scenes which were difficult to read and which really made me think about what some children must go through on a daily basis. These particular sentences brought a lump to my throat as Gerard wondered where his possessions were:
“What is it with kids in care, and bin bags? They manage to keep entire lists of who did what to who in your files, but they canny find a way to keep your toys and pictures safe.”
It is quite difficult to say more about the other two main characters without giving away some of the story. Margaret is a widow living in a Glasgow tenement surrounded by well-meaning neighbours who she sometimes wishes would just leave her alone. She is mourning the loss of her husband who sounded like a wonderful man but also has some guilt hanging over her from another loss. Claire is a hard-working lawyer who has recently separated from her husband and thrown herself into work. She finds herself caught up on Margaret’s life and despite usually trying to keep herself to herself, she begins to blossom as their unexpected friendship develops.
What kept coming back to me as I read this book was that each of the main characters needed safety and security, as we all do. The concept of family and home was very different for all of them. It’s a book which shows that loneliness can be experienced by people of any age in different ways and demonstrates clearly what a difference kindness can make in someone’s life.
This Bright Life is beautifully written, so touching, thought provoking and ultimately hopeful. Another outstanding read from Karen Campbell.
June 12, 2025
Rating 3.5 stars
When Karen Campbell begins her book This Bright Life by introducing a 12 yr old boy and an 80+ yrs old woman in successive chapters, you know their fates will be intricately intertwined. Just one mistake from the lad, an accident that nearly costs the old woman her life, we have the story rolling on. Gerard is going to enter secondary school soon, he hates his name - often construed to bully him - Gerard, the retard, or ‘gaytard’ etc . Even as he worries what nicknames will cling to him or get added in the new school year, his house’s deplorable condition hurts him, mixes him with fear, anger and anxiety, lots of emotions that his young shoulders shudder to carry at once. At home, there is a hungry younger brother waiting for food, a baby sister waiting for her red bum with dried potty sticking to it to be cleaned. Gerard’s mother is addicted to drugs, knocked out all the time and unavailable to her children. Outside home, there is a man with a strange tattoo whose presence is intimidating and asks about some money his mother is aware of. In the moments the mother is awake, she doesn't fail to point out that Gerard is all grown up, he is the eldest and has to shoulder responsibilities. There is a mix of fury, hatred, pity and love that Gerard’s mother elicits from him.
Margaret is about 84 yrs old, staying alone in her ground floor tenement, yet to come to terms with the death of her husband Albert. Claire, a recently divorced lawyer, new to Dennistoun, a residential district in Glasgow(where the novel is set), is struggling to settle down into a routine filled with work and plagued by loneliness. Gerard’s penury pushes him to commit a mistake and Margaret is his victim and Claire, the witness to the folly is a kinda glue who connects these two characters.
On a child’s bruised growing up years where a father isn't physically present and a mother emotionally or mentally unavailable, this book has parts so bleak that you feel like putting your hand into the book and giving Gerard a tight hug. But the world that shoves tragedy and challenges into your face also dries your tears and brightens it up thanks to some angels, this the book asserts convincingly, not without drama. The accident opens up secrets hitherto unknown, truths that need to be swallowed like a bitter pills for Gerard, Margaret and Claire. Read this novel that stands true to its title to know more and how.
The last three chapters lend a beautiful sense of closure, there is hope to start life anew, hope that one will be excused for their past follies, a tender assurance that despite failures, regrets, bleak and depressing patches in one’s life, there is always a second chance, something to make life bright. It's here that the book scores several points after a remarkably slow progress.
Though the language itself was a little difficult to get into, the prose explodes with expletives, the emotions are portrayed so well that they make you go weak in your knees. The novel undoubtedly shows how a big heart and lots of courage is needed to apologise and to forgive.
There are some beautiful lines that I will take back with me from this book -
“Sorry. Such a little word. You can pad it out with all manner of superlatives: deeply, abjectly. Pepper it with so, so, so. But it’s worthless, if not accepted.”
“Margaret never wanted to repeat the mistakes of her own mother. Which of course, you’re destined to do: DNA stitching and looping back. Love in a chainstitch. Until someone breaks the chain.”
“Solitude is a place of calm escape. Loneliness is spikes on the outside, and yearning within.”
“Nothing is unconditional. Everything is impermanent. So you should never assume.”
A tender novel that throbs with humanity , compassion and hope. Thank you Netgalley and Canongate Books for the copy.
When Karen Campbell begins her book This Bright Life by introducing a 12 yr old boy and an 80+ yrs old woman in successive chapters, you know their fates will be intricately intertwined. Just one mistake from the lad, an accident that nearly costs the old woman her life, we have the story rolling on. Gerard is going to enter secondary school soon, he hates his name - often construed to bully him - Gerard, the retard, or ‘gaytard’ etc . Even as he worries what nicknames will cling to him or get added in the new school year, his house’s deplorable condition hurts him, mixes him with fear, anger and anxiety, lots of emotions that his young shoulders shudder to carry at once. At home, there is a hungry younger brother waiting for food, a baby sister waiting for her red bum with dried potty sticking to it to be cleaned. Gerard’s mother is addicted to drugs, knocked out all the time and unavailable to her children. Outside home, there is a man with a strange tattoo whose presence is intimidating and asks about some money his mother is aware of. In the moments the mother is awake, she doesn't fail to point out that Gerard is all grown up, he is the eldest and has to shoulder responsibilities. There is a mix of fury, hatred, pity and love that Gerard’s mother elicits from him.
Margaret is about 84 yrs old, staying alone in her ground floor tenement, yet to come to terms with the death of her husband Albert. Claire, a recently divorced lawyer, new to Dennistoun, a residential district in Glasgow(where the novel is set), is struggling to settle down into a routine filled with work and plagued by loneliness. Gerard’s penury pushes him to commit a mistake and Margaret is his victim and Claire, the witness to the folly is a kinda glue who connects these two characters.
On a child’s bruised growing up years where a father isn't physically present and a mother emotionally or mentally unavailable, this book has parts so bleak that you feel like putting your hand into the book and giving Gerard a tight hug. But the world that shoves tragedy and challenges into your face also dries your tears and brightens it up thanks to some angels, this the book asserts convincingly, not without drama. The accident opens up secrets hitherto unknown, truths that need to be swallowed like a bitter pills for Gerard, Margaret and Claire. Read this novel that stands true to its title to know more and how.
The last three chapters lend a beautiful sense of closure, there is hope to start life anew, hope that one will be excused for their past follies, a tender assurance that despite failures, regrets, bleak and depressing patches in one’s life, there is always a second chance, something to make life bright. It's here that the book scores several points after a remarkably slow progress.
Though the language itself was a little difficult to get into, the prose explodes with expletives, the emotions are portrayed so well that they make you go weak in your knees. The novel undoubtedly shows how a big heart and lots of courage is needed to apologise and to forgive.
There are some beautiful lines that I will take back with me from this book -
“Sorry. Such a little word. You can pad it out with all manner of superlatives: deeply, abjectly. Pepper it with so, so, so. But it’s worthless, if not accepted.”
“Margaret never wanted to repeat the mistakes of her own mother. Which of course, you’re destined to do: DNA stitching and looping back. Love in a chainstitch. Until someone breaks the chain.”
“Solitude is a place of calm escape. Loneliness is spikes on the outside, and yearning within.”
“Nothing is unconditional. Everything is impermanent. So you should never assume.”
A tender novel that throbs with humanity , compassion and hope. Thank you Netgalley and Canongate Books for the copy.
March 17, 2025
Oh this is a hard, emotive read.
This story follows three different people whose lives tangle together in an unexpected way.
First we meet Gerard. He is 12 years old, dyslexic, and hiding a secret. His Mum is a drug addict who spends her days passed out on the bed leaving him to care for his young brother and baby sister. Due to his dyslexia, school is hard for him and he has had more than one brush with Social Services. Returning from spending some times with his gang, Gerard finds his sister has a wet nappy, raging nappy rash and there is no food or electric in the house. Leaving his mum unconscious in the bedroom and his siblings, he sets out to solve the problem - his plan: to steal money from the local store while the owner is distracted and then use that money to buy food and put some electric on the meter. Approaching the store he sees an elderly lady with her purse hanging out of her bag...
Next we meet Margaret. She is an elderly woman whose husband has recently died leaving her alone. As her story unfolds we learn that she has a son she is estranged from who lives in Australia with his wife and their son. Margaret has given up her husbands tailoring business and lives in a ground floor flat where she has even let her husbands beloved garden go to ruin. One day, while shopping, she is mugged and her purse is stolen. Knocked to the ground she is badly injured and ends up in hospital with no one sure if she will recover...
Finally we meet Claire. Claire is a property lawyer who is recently divorced. She is moving to the area having let her ex husband keep the house for his wife and his new baby. Claire is quiet and still healing from the trauma of the breakdown of her relationship. On the day she is moving in to her new flat she witnesses a young boy mug an old lady and knock her to the ground. Stopping to help, Claire sees that the lady is choking on her dentures and quickly scoops the teeth out, a decision she comes to regret as no one wants to take them back - the police don't know she has them and the hospital are unhelpful as she isn't a relative.
When next we meet these characters, things have changed. Margaret is home following her stay in hospital but missing her own teeth and no one will listen. Claire is tracking the story of the elderly lady she helped on Facebook as she is still desperate to return the teeth to the rightful owner. Gerard is living with a foster family, having been arrested for the mugging. His siblings live with a different couple near by as he is considered a bad influence on the children and his mother has seemingly disappeared...that is, until she needs him to find something hidden at his Grandmother's house that she believes will be the key to a bright future.
This is a heart-breaking tale of how the system treats people. Margaret feels abandoned and confused and people just disregard her because she is old and Gerard feels like he is the sum total of his Social Services file. Neither is really thought of as a person, but treated like a problem to be solved.
I have worked with children in care, and while their stories are different to Gerard's and his siblings, their distrust of adults in general and people who they perceive as being in charge of what happens to them is exactly as this book portrays.
On a side note, much of the speech or thoughts are written in Scottish Slang and I found this very confusing trying to work out what the words meant - Google search was no help either so a short guide would have been helpful!
Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
This story follows three different people whose lives tangle together in an unexpected way.
First we meet Gerard. He is 12 years old, dyslexic, and hiding a secret. His Mum is a drug addict who spends her days passed out on the bed leaving him to care for his young brother and baby sister. Due to his dyslexia, school is hard for him and he has had more than one brush with Social Services. Returning from spending some times with his gang, Gerard finds his sister has a wet nappy, raging nappy rash and there is no food or electric in the house. Leaving his mum unconscious in the bedroom and his siblings, he sets out to solve the problem - his plan: to steal money from the local store while the owner is distracted and then use that money to buy food and put some electric on the meter. Approaching the store he sees an elderly lady with her purse hanging out of her bag...
Next we meet Margaret. She is an elderly woman whose husband has recently died leaving her alone. As her story unfolds we learn that she has a son she is estranged from who lives in Australia with his wife and their son. Margaret has given up her husbands tailoring business and lives in a ground floor flat where she has even let her husbands beloved garden go to ruin. One day, while shopping, she is mugged and her purse is stolen. Knocked to the ground she is badly injured and ends up in hospital with no one sure if she will recover...
Finally we meet Claire. Claire is a property lawyer who is recently divorced. She is moving to the area having let her ex husband keep the house for his wife and his new baby. Claire is quiet and still healing from the trauma of the breakdown of her relationship. On the day she is moving in to her new flat she witnesses a young boy mug an old lady and knock her to the ground. Stopping to help, Claire sees that the lady is choking on her dentures and quickly scoops the teeth out, a decision she comes to regret as no one wants to take them back - the police don't know she has them and the hospital are unhelpful as she isn't a relative.
When next we meet these characters, things have changed. Margaret is home following her stay in hospital but missing her own teeth and no one will listen. Claire is tracking the story of the elderly lady she helped on Facebook as she is still desperate to return the teeth to the rightful owner. Gerard is living with a foster family, having been arrested for the mugging. His siblings live with a different couple near by as he is considered a bad influence on the children and his mother has seemingly disappeared...that is, until she needs him to find something hidden at his Grandmother's house that she believes will be the key to a bright future.
This is a heart-breaking tale of how the system treats people. Margaret feels abandoned and confused and people just disregard her because she is old and Gerard feels like he is the sum total of his Social Services file. Neither is really thought of as a person, but treated like a problem to be solved.
I have worked with children in care, and while their stories are different to Gerard's and his siblings, their distrust of adults in general and people who they perceive as being in charge of what happens to them is exactly as this book portrays.
On a side note, much of the speech or thoughts are written in Scottish Slang and I found this very confusing trying to work out what the words meant - Google search was no help either so a short guide would have been helpful!
Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
March 30, 2025
I am so grateful to the team at Canongate, as well as the team at NetGalley, for taking a chance on me, and allowing me to access the ARC of This Bright Life by Karen Campbell, in exchange for an honest review.
In This Bright Life, we follow a 12-year-old boy named Gerard, who has the weight of the world on his shoulders; his father is dead, his mother is a drug-addict incapable of looking after her children, and Gerard is desperately trying to be a de facto parent to his two younger siblings, stealing when necessary to keep them fed and warm. One fateful morning, in the blink of an eye, Gerard makes a poor decision, which turns his world upside down. Now a product of the care system, Gerard must cooperate with the authorities in order to keep his family together.
When I first started this book, I was a little unsure, as I struggled to understand the Glaswegian dialect, notably the use of local vernacular and colloquialisms. The frequency with which I had to look up words (Scottish Slang in particular), disrupted the flow of this book for me and it took me a little while to relax in to reading it. Furthermore, whilst there were words I could easily research (e.g. Glaikit), there were others I struggled to identify, so the meaning of the sentence was somewhat lost on me (e.g. Ingiefant). However, once I downloaded the audiobook, my reading experience improved dramatically, as the cadence of the narrators speech, as well as her intonations and inflections, helped convey the emotion and attitude of the storytelling.
Once I got over my initial barriers to enjoyment, I absolutely adored this book. At its heart, This Bright Life, is a hauntingly beautiful tale of redemption, loneliness, empathy, resilience and hope, as well as the power of kindness. The book also emphasises the importance of human connection, as we follow 3 disparate characters whose lives slowly coalesce, altering them irrevocably. This book is truly heartbreaking, eye opening and tender, but it is also interspersed with moments of genuine warmth and levity. The characters are wonderfully endearing, and I found myself heavily invested in the outcome of this book. Furthermore, I learned so much whilst reading This Bright Life, notably with regard to social services and the significance of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE's) in shaping the trajectory of our lives. Fortunately, whilst the book deftly tackles challenging subject matter, it is in no way somber or morose. In fact, I ultimately found this to be a hopeful, powerful and impactful book.
All in all, This Bright Life is a truly heartwarming, coming of age story, filled with characters I won't forget in a hurry. Whilst it is a difficult read in places, the audiobook truly helped me overcome challenges with the Glaswegian dialect and vernacular. Caroline Guthrie narrates the audiobook beautifully, which helps convey the nuance and sentiment of the story.
Overall Rating: 3.75 stars, which I rounded up to 4 on Goodreads and NetGalley.
In This Bright Life, we follow a 12-year-old boy named Gerard, who has the weight of the world on his shoulders; his father is dead, his mother is a drug-addict incapable of looking after her children, and Gerard is desperately trying to be a de facto parent to his two younger siblings, stealing when necessary to keep them fed and warm. One fateful morning, in the blink of an eye, Gerard makes a poor decision, which turns his world upside down. Now a product of the care system, Gerard must cooperate with the authorities in order to keep his family together.
When I first started this book, I was a little unsure, as I struggled to understand the Glaswegian dialect, notably the use of local vernacular and colloquialisms. The frequency with which I had to look up words (Scottish Slang in particular), disrupted the flow of this book for me and it took me a little while to relax in to reading it. Furthermore, whilst there were words I could easily research (e.g. Glaikit), there were others I struggled to identify, so the meaning of the sentence was somewhat lost on me (e.g. Ingiefant). However, once I downloaded the audiobook, my reading experience improved dramatically, as the cadence of the narrators speech, as well as her intonations and inflections, helped convey the emotion and attitude of the storytelling.
Once I got over my initial barriers to enjoyment, I absolutely adored this book. At its heart, This Bright Life, is a hauntingly beautiful tale of redemption, loneliness, empathy, resilience and hope, as well as the power of kindness. The book also emphasises the importance of human connection, as we follow 3 disparate characters whose lives slowly coalesce, altering them irrevocably. This book is truly heartbreaking, eye opening and tender, but it is also interspersed with moments of genuine warmth and levity. The characters are wonderfully endearing, and I found myself heavily invested in the outcome of this book. Furthermore, I learned so much whilst reading This Bright Life, notably with regard to social services and the significance of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE's) in shaping the trajectory of our lives. Fortunately, whilst the book deftly tackles challenging subject matter, it is in no way somber or morose. In fact, I ultimately found this to be a hopeful, powerful and impactful book.
All in all, This Bright Life is a truly heartwarming, coming of age story, filled with characters I won't forget in a hurry. Whilst it is a difficult read in places, the audiobook truly helped me overcome challenges with the Glaswegian dialect and vernacular. Caroline Guthrie narrates the audiobook beautifully, which helps convey the nuance and sentiment of the story.
Overall Rating: 3.75 stars, which I rounded up to 4 on Goodreads and NetGalley.
February 21, 2025
How my heart ached for ten year old Gerard who seems to carry the weight of the world on his small shoulders. For him, son of a drug addict Mum and elder brother of Anthony and the bairn Miranda growing up in the tenements of Glasgow is tough. When he comes home to a cold house to find his Mum comatose, Miranda crying with red raw nappy rash and both siblings hungry with no baby formula or food in the house he knows he must do something for the bairns and avoid any intervention by the authorities. Gerard or Jez, the name he is given by a good friend later in the book, will do anything it takes to keep his family together because even a bad Mum is better than no Mum at all when your Dad is no longer alive and is only a distant memory.
As Jez rushes out onto the Glasgow streets to help his siblings, the electricity top up card in his pocket,
he knows that he just has to get money from somewhere. Margaret, an elderly widow is out to get her daily shop at the greengrocers bent over the fruit display, her purse sticking out of her bag and in that split second Jez makes the decision to rush up and take the purse. As Margaret turns Jez slams into her and she goes flying to the ground. Knowing what a bad decision he has made Jez just keeps on running. Claire, a newly divorced solicitor who is just moving into the area that day sees everything that happens. When she later sees Jez in the street leading to her new home she calls the police and Jez is taken to the police station where all that he dreaded becomes a reality.
As Jez kicks against authority and yearns to be a family again with his Mum and siblings his story is told from the point of view of a very scared ten year old who is wary of the world and untrusting of those trying to help him.
Margaret and Claire are well developed characters on the periphery of Jez’s story and in many ways their lives keep intersecting in the book. I have only ever passed through Glasgow but the detailed description of the city brought it alive. The author also uses a good deal of local dialect which gives great atmosphere to the book even though it may have been a little tricky for me to decipher at times.
This is the first book I have read by this author and having discovered her from reading this ARC I am eager to read more of her other books.
As Jez rushes out onto the Glasgow streets to help his siblings, the electricity top up card in his pocket,
he knows that he just has to get money from somewhere. Margaret, an elderly widow is out to get her daily shop at the greengrocers bent over the fruit display, her purse sticking out of her bag and in that split second Jez makes the decision to rush up and take the purse. As Margaret turns Jez slams into her and she goes flying to the ground. Knowing what a bad decision he has made Jez just keeps on running. Claire, a newly divorced solicitor who is just moving into the area that day sees everything that happens. When she later sees Jez in the street leading to her new home she calls the police and Jez is taken to the police station where all that he dreaded becomes a reality.
As Jez kicks against authority and yearns to be a family again with his Mum and siblings his story is told from the point of view of a very scared ten year old who is wary of the world and untrusting of those trying to help him.
Margaret and Claire are well developed characters on the periphery of Jez’s story and in many ways their lives keep intersecting in the book. I have only ever passed through Glasgow but the detailed description of the city brought it alive. The author also uses a good deal of local dialect which gives great atmosphere to the book even though it may have been a little tricky for me to decipher at times.
This is the first book I have read by this author and having discovered her from reading this ARC I am eager to read more of her other books.
May 28, 2025
This Bright Life is a highly realistic portrayal of a poor, working-class suburb of the East End of Glasgow.
After the renowned Netflix series Adolescence, this novel might seem at first like a second visit to familiar territory, namely what makes a young person commit a crime. Whereas the series focuses on social media and toxic masculinity, Campbell’s gaze is fixed on disadvantage and desperation, and ultimately, pure survival.
Twelve-year-old Gerard doesn’t intend to commit murder when he leaves his home one morning, although that is very nearly the outcome. He simply attempts a mugging so that he can buy food and nappies for his baby sister while their mother lies comatose in a drug-induced stupor.
He might have got away with the crime, were it not for Claire, a recently divorced lawyer newly arrived in the area. Not only is she a witness to the crime, she also manages to save the life of the elderly victim Margaret by fishing her false teeth from her mouth.
As Gerard, a boy consumed with guilt and bravado in equal measure, navigates the bewildering world of police and social workers, a world he can scarcely make any sense of, thanks to those teeth, Margaret, an isolated widow, and Claire become acquainted. Three wonderfully crafted characters are put under the spotlight, and through them, Glasgow’s East End. I could see the streets, smell the stench in places.
Campbell uses a skilful mix of dialogue and action to evoke the confusion of emotion and thought that beset the main characters and their circles. It’s a style that goes with the story and the setting, a style that brings the reader up close to the action. The use of Scottish dialect may confuse some readers but I wouldn’t let that put you off.
Aside from the warmth and the wit, what makes this novel shine is the author’s uncanny knack for getting deep inside the mind of Gerard. I would recommend this to anyone who wants a rich understanding of the realities of Britain’s underbelly and how it affects children, and anyone who enjoys social realism. It is abundantly clear that the author knows her turf.
After the renowned Netflix series Adolescence, this novel might seem at first like a second visit to familiar territory, namely what makes a young person commit a crime. Whereas the series focuses on social media and toxic masculinity, Campbell’s gaze is fixed on disadvantage and desperation, and ultimately, pure survival.
Twelve-year-old Gerard doesn’t intend to commit murder when he leaves his home one morning, although that is very nearly the outcome. He simply attempts a mugging so that he can buy food and nappies for his baby sister while their mother lies comatose in a drug-induced stupor.
He might have got away with the crime, were it not for Claire, a recently divorced lawyer newly arrived in the area. Not only is she a witness to the crime, she also manages to save the life of the elderly victim Margaret by fishing her false teeth from her mouth.
As Gerard, a boy consumed with guilt and bravado in equal measure, navigates the bewildering world of police and social workers, a world he can scarcely make any sense of, thanks to those teeth, Margaret, an isolated widow, and Claire become acquainted. Three wonderfully crafted characters are put under the spotlight, and through them, Glasgow’s East End. I could see the streets, smell the stench in places.
Campbell uses a skilful mix of dialogue and action to evoke the confusion of emotion and thought that beset the main characters and their circles. It’s a style that goes with the story and the setting, a style that brings the reader up close to the action. The use of Scottish dialect may confuse some readers but I wouldn’t let that put you off.
Aside from the warmth and the wit, what makes this novel shine is the author’s uncanny knack for getting deep inside the mind of Gerard. I would recommend this to anyone who wants a rich understanding of the realities of Britain’s underbelly and how it affects children, and anyone who enjoys social realism. It is abundantly clear that the author knows her turf.
April 15, 2025
5⭐️
This author hit my watch list after I loved her book Paper Cup. I’d describe it as contemporary fiction, partly coming of age, quite a feel good vibe.
I had the audiobook read by Caroline Guthrie who is brilliant, she instills feeling really bringing it to life for me. The narrator definitely deserves a 5⭐️rating for her performance. There’s some Scottish vernacular although I don’t think it’s intense, just enough to add the flavour of the location, I mention for readers who have problems with it. I loved it, it adds another layer.
Gerard is 12 no one knows how tough his life is. It’s heartbreakingly sad. He’s doing his best to look after his brother and baby sister but what can he do. He’s bright but trouble follows him around, he doesn’t always make good decisions until one day he makes a particularly bad one which turns his world upside down. The other notable characters are Margaret an older lady, and Clare starting out again on her own who are drawn into each others orbit during an event.
Very character driven, with great characterisation which really makes the reader care. Their stories become entwined, it’s very moving particularly Gerard’s story which is heart breaking. His thread is by far my favourite. I felt for Margaret too, how she’s been affected mentally and physically by recent events in her life. Although I was so disappointed by her previous behaviour which altered my opinion of her, she’s somewhat judgmental. I enjoy when character’s personalities aren’t black or white but shades of grey. It adds depth and makes them more interesting, and of course allows me to be judgmental about them. The plot managed to keep you guessing a long the way. Just when I thought I knew what was going to happen it took a different turn. As a good book friend pointed out, it has more plot depth and diversity than Paper Cup which only had one main character.
This is a cracker, grab it!desperation, bad choices, consequences, is redemption possible?
This author hit my watch list after I loved her book Paper Cup. I’d describe it as contemporary fiction, partly coming of age, quite a feel good vibe.
I had the audiobook read by Caroline Guthrie who is brilliant, she instills feeling really bringing it to life for me. The narrator definitely deserves a 5⭐️rating for her performance. There’s some Scottish vernacular although I don’t think it’s intense, just enough to add the flavour of the location, I mention for readers who have problems with it. I loved it, it adds another layer.
Gerard is 12 no one knows how tough his life is. It’s heartbreakingly sad. He’s doing his best to look after his brother and baby sister but what can he do. He’s bright but trouble follows him around, he doesn’t always make good decisions until one day he makes a particularly bad one which turns his world upside down. The other notable characters are Margaret an older lady, and Clare starting out again on her own who are drawn into each others orbit during an event.
Very character driven, with great characterisation which really makes the reader care. Their stories become entwined, it’s very moving particularly Gerard’s story which is heart breaking. His thread is by far my favourite. I felt for Margaret too, how she’s been affected mentally and physically by recent events in her life. Although I was so disappointed by her previous behaviour which altered my opinion of her, she’s somewhat judgmental. I enjoy when character’s personalities aren’t black or white but shades of grey. It adds depth and makes them more interesting, and of course allows me to be judgmental about them. The plot managed to keep you guessing a long the way. Just when I thought I knew what was going to happen it took a different turn. As a good book friend pointed out, it has more plot depth and diversity than Paper Cup which only had one main character.
This is a cracker, grab it!desperation, bad choices, consequences, is redemption possible?
September 1, 2025
I love a good heartwarming story about complex family dynamics, and this one had me hooked. Twelve-year-old Gerard spends his days navigating the streets of Glasgow with his gang, until one incident changes everything. He accidentally pushes Margaret, an eighty-two-year-old woman, causing her to fall. At that age, a fall can have serious consequences, and as a result Gerard finds himself placed into the care system. His mother is an addict and often absent, but despite his gang involvement Gerard has always felt a strong sense of responsibility for his younger siblings, seven-year-old Anthony and baby Miranda. I felt so much for this boy and wished I could step into the book to hug him. His pain is written all over his behaviour, his constant anger a reflection of the burden he carries.
The story also unfolds through Margaret’s perspective. Not only is she dealing with the injury, but she is also grieving the loss of her husband and struggling with guilt over her estrangement from her son. Claire then enters the story after witnessing the accident and finding Margaret’s dentures on the street. When she returns them, an unlikely friendship begins to grow. Claire, a lawyer, is dealing with the aftermath of a painful divorce and throws herself into work as a distraction, yet this connection helps her to start healing.
The book started strong, but I have to admit that certain parts dragged a little, and at times I found it harder to stay engaged. That said, I really enjoyed the Scottish setting and the sense of community that shines through. The way people come together to support the children was beautiful to read. Gerard’s aunt stepping in during his lowest moments was one of the most heartwarming parts of the book, and the ending left me genuinely happy. I also enjoyed Kris and Craig, they did a splendid job in providing a safe environment for Gerard to heal and a second chance to grow.
The story also unfolds through Margaret’s perspective. Not only is she dealing with the injury, but she is also grieving the loss of her husband and struggling with guilt over her estrangement from her son. Claire then enters the story after witnessing the accident and finding Margaret’s dentures on the street. When she returns them, an unlikely friendship begins to grow. Claire, a lawyer, is dealing with the aftermath of a painful divorce and throws herself into work as a distraction, yet this connection helps her to start healing.
The book started strong, but I have to admit that certain parts dragged a little, and at times I found it harder to stay engaged. That said, I really enjoyed the Scottish setting and the sense of community that shines through. The way people come together to support the children was beautiful to read. Gerard’s aunt stepping in during his lowest moments was one of the most heartwarming parts of the book, and the ending left me genuinely happy. I also enjoyed Kris and Craig, they did a splendid job in providing a safe environment for Gerard to heal and a second chance to grow.
February 19, 2025
This Bright Life
With a drug addicted useless mother 12 year old Gerard (a name he detests) is desperately looking after his young brother and baby sister keeping them fed and cared for. When there is no money for food and his baby sisters buttocks are red raw he realises he must somehow find some money terrified that they may be taken into care and the family separated from each other.
A single act suddenly has terrible ramifications for Gerard leaving him haunted by what serious repercussions for his actions have caused. So starts the journey for Gerard of being placed with foster parents with his brother and sister in a separate home.
Social services have to decide what happens to Gerard and his family leaving him confused and distressed. Heartbreaking and emotional this is a hard hitting tale of events that unfortunately are only too prevalent in this country.
This is a story of hope, and how people come together to help those that need a helping hand to help make life safe and secure. With a cast of characters that have much depth and with humour and brilliant Scottish banter the words jump off the page into your heart.
The conclusion was particularly heartwarming but not at all final, Gerard and his family have a steep learning curve to living a normal life after such a hard start, but you feel very much but they’ll get there particularly with the love and support given.
My thanks to net galley and publisher for the opportunity to review this book honestly.
With a drug addicted useless mother 12 year old Gerard (a name he detests) is desperately looking after his young brother and baby sister keeping them fed and cared for. When there is no money for food and his baby sisters buttocks are red raw he realises he must somehow find some money terrified that they may be taken into care and the family separated from each other.
A single act suddenly has terrible ramifications for Gerard leaving him haunted by what serious repercussions for his actions have caused. So starts the journey for Gerard of being placed with foster parents with his brother and sister in a separate home.
Social services have to decide what happens to Gerard and his family leaving him confused and distressed. Heartbreaking and emotional this is a hard hitting tale of events that unfortunately are only too prevalent in this country.
This is a story of hope, and how people come together to help those that need a helping hand to help make life safe and secure. With a cast of characters that have much depth and with humour and brilliant Scottish banter the words jump off the page into your heart.
The conclusion was particularly heartwarming but not at all final, Gerard and his family have a steep learning curve to living a normal life after such a hard start, but you feel very much but they’ll get there particularly with the love and support given.
My thanks to net galley and publisher for the opportunity to review this book honestly.
March 2, 2025
Twelve year old Gerard comes home one day after staying out with his 'gang' to find his mother is near comatose with drugs and alcohol, and his younger brother and sister and hungry. His baby sister needs a nappy change and has a sore red bottom. There is no money in the meter so he can't make them any tea and he needs to get cream for his sister's skin.
So Gerard makes a decision that will change the course of his life.
As Gerard navigates the fall out from his actions we see through his eyes the despair and frustration with a system which doesn't understand him and believes it is doing the best it can for him.
The story is set in the poor end of Glasgow and told with a strong dialect. The reader is immediately pulled in an environment where the inhabitants don't always expect much from life. But Gerard is bright, despite being dyslexic and either ADHD or autistic. He is emotional but strong and determined to do right by his family and his voice runs loud and clear through the novel.
Without giving too much away there is another major character, almost the opposite of Gerard in all respects who also has a strong voice and sad background.
I loved the characters and the voice of this book and it is a tale that will stay with me for a long time.
With thanks to Netgalley and Canongate Books for an arc copy in return for an honest review.
So Gerard makes a decision that will change the course of his life.
As Gerard navigates the fall out from his actions we see through his eyes the despair and frustration with a system which doesn't understand him and believes it is doing the best it can for him.
The story is set in the poor end of Glasgow and told with a strong dialect. The reader is immediately pulled in an environment where the inhabitants don't always expect much from life. But Gerard is bright, despite being dyslexic and either ADHD or autistic. He is emotional but strong and determined to do right by his family and his voice runs loud and clear through the novel.
Without giving too much away there is another major character, almost the opposite of Gerard in all respects who also has a strong voice and sad background.
I loved the characters and the voice of this book and it is a tale that will stay with me for a long time.
With thanks to Netgalley and Canongate Books for an arc copy in return for an honest review.
March 19, 2025
This Bright Life is an extraordinary exploration of the nature of vulnerability, dysfunction and powerlessness. The intertwining of the characters who are each victims in their own way, yet also the liberators of each other. It explores the difficulties of poverty, childhood, old age, being female, addiction, crime, communication, and the complex consequences of trauma of various kinds. The complexities of difficult lives are laid bare in an unusual and revealing way. We live in a society which now tends to demonise those in such a position, there is a (false) belief that people bring their misfortunes upon themselves, and that if they could just sort themselves out their lives would improve. Here, the intricacies, histories and obstacles are all revealed, along with the consequences they brought about. That while change can take place, it is hard won, and there remain many obstacles. That we are often trapped by our own pasts. Those who are put in authority well meaning but often wide of the mark, unable to appreciate the reality of their charges’ lives, more often disempowering further rather than helping them find a route out. The ending creates a satisfying resolution without descending into sentimentality or predictable outcomes. I would highly recommend it.
March 27, 2025
‘This Bright Life’, by Karen Campbell delves realistically in the tough life and grim choices of youngster Gerard who is shouldered with the responsibility of looking after his younger sibling’s while his Mother languishes comatose in a state of drug use,poor mental health and constant bad decisions.
In an instant born of desperation,Gerard’s life changes through his hasty actions,impacting his family circle and altering the course of other people’s existence as well.
The widespread implications of one person’s actions are revealed in the parallel story threads of Claire,a property lawyer,and Margaret,an elderly widow who have chosen effectively to isolate themselves from life and others due to previous harsh experiences .
The limited options for some to thrive due to their birth parents' behaviour ,postcode and even the effects of being pigeonholed no matter how hard they try to escape the cycles of neglect and violence is authentically portrayed in a moving Glaswegian tale.
Almost like a parable for our times that could be set in many cities throughout the world and still ring painfully true.Absorbing,sad and wonderful in its own compassionate way.
Thank you to NetGalley and Canongate Books for an Advance Readers Copy.
In an instant born of desperation,Gerard’s life changes through his hasty actions,impacting his family circle and altering the course of other people’s existence as well.
The widespread implications of one person’s actions are revealed in the parallel story threads of Claire,a property lawyer,and Margaret,an elderly widow who have chosen effectively to isolate themselves from life and others due to previous harsh experiences .
The limited options for some to thrive due to their birth parents' behaviour ,postcode and even the effects of being pigeonholed no matter how hard they try to escape the cycles of neglect and violence is authentically portrayed in a moving Glaswegian tale.
Almost like a parable for our times that could be set in many cities throughout the world and still ring painfully true.Absorbing,sad and wonderful in its own compassionate way.
Thank you to NetGalley and Canongate Books for an Advance Readers Copy.
May 15, 2025
I stayed up until about 3am finishing this, I didn't want to put it down. As much as I enjoyed (and would recommend) Paper Cup by this author, I can say I preferred this.
Campbell's writing is so addictive & I love how she adds in little bits of humour to keep the general vibe light even when the main plot is pretty heavy at times, it all balances out really well. I loved the dual POVs in each chapter, I never once felt confused or lost whilst reading, it all just fitted to the story perfectly & made it easier to become attached to the characters. The Scottish dialect throughout never felt overdone, it made every character we meet in the story feel so real which just heightened the emotions right till the end.
The characters themselves were really well fleshed out, they each had their own stuff going on & were complex because of this but also so likeable— even our main protagonist Gerard, I couldn't help but feel sorry for & had so much hope for him, especially in the last chapter which left me with a hard lump in my throat.
I can't give a proper reason as to why I'm not rating this a full five stars; I think there was just something more I personally wanted from it but it's still a strong heartwarming story & I'd definitely recommend to anyone needing a great pick-me-up of a book.
Thank you Canongate & Netgalley for my digital ARC!
Campbell's writing is so addictive & I love how she adds in little bits of humour to keep the general vibe light even when the main plot is pretty heavy at times, it all balances out really well. I loved the dual POVs in each chapter, I never once felt confused or lost whilst reading, it all just fitted to the story perfectly & made it easier to become attached to the characters. The Scottish dialect throughout never felt overdone, it made every character we meet in the story feel so real which just heightened the emotions right till the end.
The characters themselves were really well fleshed out, they each had their own stuff going on & were complex because of this but also so likeable— even our main protagonist Gerard, I couldn't help but feel sorry for & had so much hope for him, especially in the last chapter which left me with a hard lump in my throat.
I can't give a proper reason as to why I'm not rating this a full five stars; I think there was just something more I personally wanted from it but it's still a strong heartwarming story & I'd definitely recommend to anyone needing a great pick-me-up of a book.
Thank you Canongate & Netgalley for my digital ARC!
November 16, 2024
This book reminded me a bit of Shuggy Bain, the hopelessness of the circumstances the young boy in both of them endured.
Gerard is 12 years old, his mother is a drug addiction and Gerard finds himself trying to care for his young siblings as best he can. Arriving home one day to find his mother passed out, his baby sister sitting in her filthy nappy and his 7 year old brother telling him he’s starving, starts the beginning of a tale of such despair.
Gerard can’t make a meal as the power is off. He takes the electric card and sets off to town with the idea of stealing some money to by cream for his sisters nappy rash and to top up the electric card.
He’s sees his opportunity when he spots an elderly lady (Margaret) shopping with her handbag open and purse on top. In his haste to grab the purse he accidentally pushes Margaret over and she is injured. Enter Claire, a passerby who witnesses what happened and ends up savings Margaret’s life as she is choking on her false teeth.
The story is told from these 3 main characters, it’s a grim tale as all 3 have sorry stories to tell and hard sad lives.
Having said that, it’s a great read. I loved it.
#NetGalley #ThisBrightLife
Gerard is 12 years old, his mother is a drug addiction and Gerard finds himself trying to care for his young siblings as best he can. Arriving home one day to find his mother passed out, his baby sister sitting in her filthy nappy and his 7 year old brother telling him he’s starving, starts the beginning of a tale of such despair.
Gerard can’t make a meal as the power is off. He takes the electric card and sets off to town with the idea of stealing some money to by cream for his sisters nappy rash and to top up the electric card.
He’s sees his opportunity when he spots an elderly lady (Margaret) shopping with her handbag open and purse on top. In his haste to grab the purse he accidentally pushes Margaret over and she is injured. Enter Claire, a passerby who witnesses what happened and ends up savings Margaret’s life as she is choking on her false teeth.
The story is told from these 3 main characters, it’s a grim tale as all 3 have sorry stories to tell and hard sad lives.
Having said that, it’s a great read. I loved it.
#NetGalley #ThisBrightLife
Displaying 1 - 30 of 83 reviews