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We Burned So Bright
Not yet published
Expected 28 Apr 26Husbands Don and Rodney have lived a good long life. Together they’ve experienced the highest highs of love and family, and lows so low that they felt like the end of the world.
Now, the world is ending for real. A wandering blackhole is coming for Earth and in a month everything and everyone they’ve ever known will be gone.
Suddenly, after 40 years together, Don and Rodney are out of time. They’re in a race against the clock to make it from Maine to Washington State to take care of some unfinished business before it’s all over.
On the road they meet those who refuse to believe death is coming and those who rush to meet it. But there are also people living their final days as best they know how–impromptu weddings, bright burning bonfires, shared meals, new friends.
And as the blackhole draws near, among ball lightning and under a cracked moon in a kaleidoscope sky, Don and Rodney will look back on their lives and ask if their best was good enough.
Is it enough to burn bright if nothing comes from the ashes?
Now, the world is ending for real. A wandering blackhole is coming for Earth and in a month everything and everyone they’ve ever known will be gone.
Suddenly, after 40 years together, Don and Rodney are out of time. They’re in a race against the clock to make it from Maine to Washington State to take care of some unfinished business before it’s all over.
On the road they meet those who refuse to believe death is coming and those who rush to meet it. But there are also people living their final days as best they know how–impromptu weddings, bright burning bonfires, shared meals, new friends.
And as the blackhole draws near, among ball lightning and under a cracked moon in a kaleidoscope sky, Don and Rodney will look back on their lives and ask if their best was good enough.
Is it enough to burn bright if nothing comes from the ashes?
176 pages, Hardcover
Expected publication April 28, 2026
26 people are currently reading
6051 people want to read
About the author
T.J. Klune
69 books60.9k followersTJ KLUNE is a Lambda Literary Award-winning author (Into This River I Drown) and an ex-claims examiner for an insurance company. His novels include The House in the Cerulean Sea and The Extraordinaries. Being queer himself, TJ believes it's important—now more than ever—to have accurate, positive, queer representation in stories.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 73 reviews
December 7, 2025
This is one of those rare books that leave you utterly speechless — the kind that makes you exhale a long, trembling sigh, your gut wrenched, your eyes burning with tears. You sit there, staring at the wall, unable to move or even find words because they’re all lodged somewhere deep in your throat. I truly loved this book as much as it hurt me. It’s devastating, poetic, and breathtaking all at once — an epic romance at the end of the world, where love becomes both a compass and a curse.
The story follows Don and Rodney, two men who have spent forty years together, surviving a lifetime of battles — from social stigma and political pressure to the loss of dear friends during the HIV crisis. Rodney, the tougher and more analytical one, and Don, the sentimental and outgoing half of their pair, have built a life defined by love and endurance. Now, in their mid-seventies, they face the one obstacle no one can overcome: the end of everything. A black hole is approaching Earth. Humanity has only weeks left.
Instead of waiting for the inevitable in the quiet safety of their home, Don and Rodney decide to hit the road in their battered old RV — a vehicle that’s seen better days but still carries decades of memories. Their mission? To fulfill one last promise. But what exactly are they searching for — a person, a destination, a final act of love? The answer unfolds slowly, and the mystery surrounding their journey makes every mile feel achingly precious.
This isn’t a fast read — nor should it be. Every chapter deserves to be savored, every encounter lingered on. Don and Rodney meet strangers along their road to nowhere: a pregnant woman clinging to hope, a young girl who’s lost her first love in a massacre, a queer couple trying to survive in chaos, violent souls lashing out in despair. Each story adds another layer of heartbreak and humanity. And then there’s Jeremy — his part of the book completely shattered me. I screamed, I cried, I sat in silence. The encounter with Amelia filled me with unbearable tension and sorrow, amplifying the emotional gravity of their already haunting journey.
By the time I turned the last page, I knew — without hesitation — this book deserved five blazing, end-of-the-world stars.
It’s tragic yet tender, reflective yet raw — a meditation on love, mortality, and what it means to hold onto someone when the universe itself is falling apart. Get ready for a good, ugly cry. Keep a mountain of tissues nearby. This novel will break your heart open, but it will also remind you how beautifully fragile being human truly is.
Overall:
Powerful. Sentimental. Unforgettable. A masterpiece of love, loss, and the quiet bravery of choosing to live — even when the world is ending.
A huge thanks to NetGalley and Tor Publishing for providing this ARC of such a deeply emotional and soul-stirring novel by one of my favorite authors, in exchange for my honest review.
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The story follows Don and Rodney, two men who have spent forty years together, surviving a lifetime of battles — from social stigma and political pressure to the loss of dear friends during the HIV crisis. Rodney, the tougher and more analytical one, and Don, the sentimental and outgoing half of their pair, have built a life defined by love and endurance. Now, in their mid-seventies, they face the one obstacle no one can overcome: the end of everything. A black hole is approaching Earth. Humanity has only weeks left.
Instead of waiting for the inevitable in the quiet safety of their home, Don and Rodney decide to hit the road in their battered old RV — a vehicle that’s seen better days but still carries decades of memories. Their mission? To fulfill one last promise. But what exactly are they searching for — a person, a destination, a final act of love? The answer unfolds slowly, and the mystery surrounding their journey makes every mile feel achingly precious.
This isn’t a fast read — nor should it be. Every chapter deserves to be savored, every encounter lingered on. Don and Rodney meet strangers along their road to nowhere: a pregnant woman clinging to hope, a young girl who’s lost her first love in a massacre, a queer couple trying to survive in chaos, violent souls lashing out in despair. Each story adds another layer of heartbreak and humanity. And then there’s Jeremy — his part of the book completely shattered me. I screamed, I cried, I sat in silence. The encounter with Amelia filled me with unbearable tension and sorrow, amplifying the emotional gravity of their already haunting journey.
By the time I turned the last page, I knew — without hesitation — this book deserved five blazing, end-of-the-world stars.
It’s tragic yet tender, reflective yet raw — a meditation on love, mortality, and what it means to hold onto someone when the universe itself is falling apart. Get ready for a good, ugly cry. Keep a mountain of tissues nearby. This novel will break your heart open, but it will also remind you how beautifully fragile being human truly is.
Overall:
Powerful. Sentimental. Unforgettable. A masterpiece of love, loss, and the quiet bravery of choosing to live — even when the world is ending.
A huge thanks to NetGalley and Tor Publishing for providing this ARC of such a deeply emotional and soul-stirring novel by one of my favorite authors, in exchange for my honest review.
Follow me on medium.com to read my articles about books, movies, streaming series, astrology:
medium blog
anticipated-books
September 28, 2025Read the blurb and that book sounds fire! 🔥 Plus, I'm obsessed with the cover. So hyped for the release date!
Read
May 14, 2025Black hole you say? Queer family and a hurty plot? Sign me up...
November 1, 2025
ARC for review. To be published April 28, 2026.
4 stars
My enjoyment of TJ Klune continues to baffle me. I don’t really enjoy much fantasy and I don’t like overly sentimental stories. Klune’s are generally both but, for me, he gets that mixture EXACTLY right, I guess, and this new book, out in April, is no exception (I only read Klune at all as part of the Book Riot Read Harder Challenge and if I remember correctly I ended up reading two different books, two consecutive years. Challenges are fun!).
Don and Rodney are a gay, married couple who have been together forty years. They are charming, if a tiny bit stereotypical. They are making a cross-country trip in their old RV from their home in Maine to Washington state to do something Very Important regarding their son, but we, the readers, don’t know what that is.
Oh, and did I mention the world is ending? Soon. Within a few weeks. We’ve known for about a year that a black hole will be coming to take everything in our solar system. The book tells of Rodney and Don’s final journey and it’s both sad, scary, sweet (a little too much? Yes, of course.) and ultimately triumphant. Really enjoyed getting to know these gentlemen, their fellow travelers and the book.
4 stars
My enjoyment of TJ Klune continues to baffle me. I don’t really enjoy much fantasy and I don’t like overly sentimental stories. Klune’s are generally both but, for me, he gets that mixture EXACTLY right, I guess, and this new book, out in April, is no exception (I only read Klune at all as part of the Book Riot Read Harder Challenge and if I remember correctly I ended up reading two different books, two consecutive years. Challenges are fun!).
Don and Rodney are a gay, married couple who have been together forty years. They are charming, if a tiny bit stereotypical. They are making a cross-country trip in their old RV from their home in Maine to Washington state to do something Very Important regarding their son, but we, the readers, don’t know what that is.
Oh, and did I mention the world is ending? Soon. Within a few weeks. We’ve known for about a year that a black hole will be coming to take everything in our solar system. The book tells of Rodney and Don’s final journey and it’s both sad, scary, sweet (a little too much? Yes, of course.) and ultimately triumphant. Really enjoyed getting to know these gentlemen, their fellow travelers and the book.
Want to read
May 7, 2025New TJ Klune book!!!!!!!
Want to read
October 18, 2025How are you expecting me to wait until April of 2026. I need it now!
December 21, 2025
“We're all in this moment together. For perhaps the first time in human history, we're all experiencing the same thing. It doesn't matter what color you are. Your background. Your beliefs. Your heritage. Who you love. Everyone, right now, is all the same. There's something beautiful about that."
When the literal end of the world is mere weeks away, what lengths would you go to in order to fulfill a promise? This is exactly what Don and Ronald grapple with as an errant black hole threatens to rip the earth to shreds. We follow them along their cross country road trip, meeting a variety of people along the way who struggle in their own ways to come to terms with the end of the world.
Despite the urgency in their journey, the book’s pacing and tone are more slow, solemn, and contemplative. We are privy to Don’s internal thoughts, as well as flashbacks from the past that shed light into what the family has endured.
Thank you so much to Pan Macmillan Export for the advanced copy of this book!
Content warning: there is some heavy adoption trauma that occurs in the book, so be aware of that going in.
When the literal end of the world is mere weeks away, what lengths would you go to in order to fulfill a promise? This is exactly what Don and Ronald grapple with as an errant black hole threatens to rip the earth to shreds. We follow them along their cross country road trip, meeting a variety of people along the way who struggle in their own ways to come to terms with the end of the world.
Despite the urgency in their journey, the book’s pacing and tone are more slow, solemn, and contemplative. We are privy to Don’s internal thoughts, as well as flashbacks from the past that shed light into what the family has endured.
Thank you so much to Pan Macmillan Export for the advanced copy of this book!
Content warning: there is some heavy adoption trauma that occurs in the book, so be aware of that going in.
Want to read
May 17, 2025Update may 14: Holy Moly T.J.klune is Sooo backkkkk. As always, I add his books in a blink of an eye, but damn he really went with queer family with black hole??! I AM SAT.
November 19, 2025
Read my review (and more!) on my book blog here: https://erinewasserman.wixsite.com/so....
Currently writing this with tears in my eyes. This is pure magic, and TJ Klune has done it again.
Such a fantastic use of pages and word count. Only 150 pages, and every single word meant something and was important to the story and characters.
I am usually a short novel hater because there just isn't enough time to build up the world or the characters, but Klune did it masterfully here. The setting was, of course, our own world, so that was easier, but even just describing the way the world was ending was done so expertly and efficiently, but also not overindulgent, and used as a way to draw emotions. It was very matter-of-fact, and I loved that.
As for the characters, phenomenal. I was worried I wasn't going to care for the characters as much, since sometimes it is hard to believe in a relationship that formed off-page. But every conversation and mental note really made you believe in this effortless romance. It was so touching and meaningfully done. There are a few side characters and side storylines that you come across as our couple travels, and it is interesting how each person brings something new to the storyline. Some of them are absolutely gut-wrenching, others funny, and others make you think about the best kind of human existence.
Beyond characters and setting, this book truly prompts thought. Klune uses these characters expertly as devices to prompt reflection on the themes he is trying to convey, and boy, does this book make you think.
The ending was absolutely everything. You don't know why these two are traveling until the last chapter, and the way that it is explained and the backstory given there is so perfectly timed and brought everything together at the exact right moment. I finished the book crying, which is very rare. The last few lines were perfect, and I wouldn't change a single thing about this book.
5/5 stars. Incredible.
Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Currently writing this with tears in my eyes. This is pure magic, and TJ Klune has done it again.
Such a fantastic use of pages and word count. Only 150 pages, and every single word meant something and was important to the story and characters.
I am usually a short novel hater because there just isn't enough time to build up the world or the characters, but Klune did it masterfully here. The setting was, of course, our own world, so that was easier, but even just describing the way the world was ending was done so expertly and efficiently, but also not overindulgent, and used as a way to draw emotions. It was very matter-of-fact, and I loved that.
As for the characters, phenomenal. I was worried I wasn't going to care for the characters as much, since sometimes it is hard to believe in a relationship that formed off-page. But every conversation and mental note really made you believe in this effortless romance. It was so touching and meaningfully done. There are a few side characters and side storylines that you come across as our couple travels, and it is interesting how each person brings something new to the storyline. Some of them are absolutely gut-wrenching, others funny, and others make you think about the best kind of human existence.
Beyond characters and setting, this book truly prompts thought. Klune uses these characters expertly as devices to prompt reflection on the themes he is trying to convey, and boy, does this book make you think.
The ending was absolutely everything. You don't know why these two are traveling until the last chapter, and the way that it is explained and the backstory given there is so perfectly timed and brought everything together at the exact right moment. I finished the book crying, which is very rare. The last few lines were perfect, and I wouldn't change a single thing about this book.
5/5 stars. Incredible.
Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
December 3, 2025
Wasn't sure what to expect with this one.
Having read several of Klune's amazing works, I have remained steadfast in liking my initial read of his best. By a pretty substantial margin.
Under the Whispering Door had it all. Woven together masterfully. Characters, fantasy, life's reflections, guiding others, feeling lost-- and all of the emotions along the way.. and he made it seem so effortless. While turning pages fast and furiously.. and then heavily and tenderly.
From there, T.J. has crafted a good many tales that have been enjoyable. Several, even really great. .. but, nothing approaching the supremacy of Whispering Door.
Admittedly Whispering Door-biased here :) but have to say, We Burned So Bright feels ooohhhh so close!
It is heavy and thoughtful and chocked full of amazing moments throughout.
Seeing a more 'down-to-earth'? .. 'ordinary'? premise and reflective journey set more in a real-life setting-- besides the end of world fast-approaching black hole :) , I guess.. early pages had me wondering how he'd treat the development of 2 old gentlemen :)
He had me questioning whether their accumulation of Life and their reflections along the way would be believable. Would it be as Klune-Powerful? TJ-Touching and emotive? all in a way that not only resonates, but seems wholly believable? (Not to mention, scrambling away on an urgent mission, racing ahead of a fantastical Black Hole game of chase.)
He nailed it. On so many levels. The nuance and balance.. and interplay.. what was seen.. said.. left unsaid.. felt.. circulating and bubbling back to the top.. instigating lost moments and painful outcries that are still as raw as they were years ago for Don and Rodney..
Maybe, by reading Under the Whispering Door first, I will 'guard' it and protect its special place in my heart. Maybe my own timing in life's adventure will not allow for any of his others to resonate just quite as magically... and, trying to hold those biases at bay, We Burned So Bright comes pushing its way onto T.J. Klune's top shelf works. Nestling itself right beside Whispering Door.. and holding out a tissue towards each other for clearing up the sniffles.
Thank you, NetGalley and TOR Publishing Group, for the ARC.
Honored to have had this opportunity, emotional engagement, and sharing heaping praise.
Having read several of Klune's amazing works, I have remained steadfast in liking my initial read of his best. By a pretty substantial margin.
Under the Whispering Door had it all. Woven together masterfully. Characters, fantasy, life's reflections, guiding others, feeling lost-- and all of the emotions along the way.. and he made it seem so effortless. While turning pages fast and furiously.. and then heavily and tenderly.
From there, T.J. has crafted a good many tales that have been enjoyable. Several, even really great. .. but, nothing approaching the supremacy of Whispering Door.
Admittedly Whispering Door-biased here :) but have to say, We Burned So Bright feels ooohhhh so close!
It is heavy and thoughtful and chocked full of amazing moments throughout.
Seeing a more 'down-to-earth'? .. 'ordinary'? premise and reflective journey set more in a real-life setting-- besides the end of world fast-approaching black hole :) , I guess.. early pages had me wondering how he'd treat the development of 2 old gentlemen :)
He had me questioning whether their accumulation of Life and their reflections along the way would be believable. Would it be as Klune-Powerful? TJ-Touching and emotive? all in a way that not only resonates, but seems wholly believable? (Not to mention, scrambling away on an urgent mission, racing ahead of a fantastical Black Hole game of chase.)
He nailed it. On so many levels. The nuance and balance.. and interplay.. what was seen.. said.. left unsaid.. felt.. circulating and bubbling back to the top.. instigating lost moments and painful outcries that are still as raw as they were years ago for Don and Rodney..
Maybe, by reading Under the Whispering Door first, I will 'guard' it and protect its special place in my heart. Maybe my own timing in life's adventure will not allow for any of his others to resonate just quite as magically... and, trying to hold those biases at bay, We Burned So Bright comes pushing its way onto T.J. Klune's top shelf works. Nestling itself right beside Whispering Door.. and holding out a tissue towards each other for clearing up the sniffles.
Thank you, NetGalley and TOR Publishing Group, for the ARC.
Honored to have had this opportunity, emotional engagement, and sharing heaping praise.
November 15, 2025
Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for an early copy of this book! I love tj klunes writing and when I saw this one I knew I had to read it! This book had you feeling all the feelings. Don and Rodney were fun characters to read. It’s the end of the world what would you be thinking and feeling?! Who will you meet along the way, what will you do in your final moments? What kind of regrets will you possibly have. This book was heavy in parts especially the end. I really enjoyed this read!
Want to read
September 28, 2025
pre-read
જ⁀➴
╰┈➤ sci-fi with a black hole mention? also it is only 144 pages long 👀 count me interested!
╰┈➤ sci-fi with a black hole mention? also it is only 144 pages long 👀 count me interested!
December 14, 2025
TJ kills me yet again…any guesses on when will I stop crying over this book?? (answer is never)
Want to read
May 16, 2025Uhhhh I haven’t cared about TJ Klune in forever. But he said post apocalyptic? And I said my ass is sat.
i-don-t-know
May 7, 2025this is probably going to be a no from me, dawg
unless i hear spoilers that for some reason just kidding the world doesn't end
i don't need that shit, i'm still traumatized from the ending of Seeking a Friend for the End of the World
unless i hear spoilers that for some reason just kidding the world doesn't end
i don't need that shit, i'm still traumatized from the ending of Seeking a Friend for the End of the World
Want to read
May 7, 2025Getting existential are we 😭 this one is gone hit so hard
November 5, 2025
Finished in under 24 hours with a very packed day in between. I'm gonna need to sit with this one before a full review though. I just need a minute. *sigh*
______________________
TJ Klune has a new book?! How fast can I sign up to read it and what can I clear off my schedule so I can sit down and devour it in the way the universe intended? Turns out that yes, TJ Klune has a new book and "I'm gonna make time" were the answers! Started it Monday night, had to be an adult and do things on Tuesday before I could get back to it Tuesday evening. I hated that.
This was a relatively short read, and I wanted this book to be longer. I wanted to know more about their lives, I wanted to know everything I could so I could make things different for them. But much like in real life, we can't always make things different. The characters, even minor ones, were in my head so much and the weight of their situations was on my heart. I had to get back to it and finish it. Once I flipped the final page though, I didn't know how to talk about it without giving away parts of the story and it turns out that wanting the story to keep going might have been the whole point.
Don and Rodney are "elder gays" and have lived a life of love together. But they've also faced struggles, some because they are gay, but mostly because they're human and humans are faced with the highest triumphs of life as well as the deepest sorrows. With the ability to love comes the ability to lose, and sometimes we lose so deeply it alters how we love.
So how does one prepare for the end of the world? We can doomsday prep all we want, but emotional preparedness is never something you hear about. How would you face it? Would you be like one family Don and Rodney encountered? Would you take another path like Amelia? Or would you be like Don and Rodney and try to finish that one thing that you have to do?
Hear this loud and clear - this book is dark. Not a "what's jumping out at me?!" kind of dark. The kind of dark that lingers after life hurts us. This is the kind of emotional rollercoaster that life actually throws at us. And in true TJ Klune fashion, the ride was perfection.
Trigger warnings for mental illness, suicide, drug use, gun violence, murder.
My thanks to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for an advance reader copy in exchange for my honest review.
______________________
TJ Klune has a new book?! How fast can I sign up to read it and what can I clear off my schedule so I can sit down and devour it in the way the universe intended? Turns out that yes, TJ Klune has a new book and "I'm gonna make time" were the answers! Started it Monday night, had to be an adult and do things on Tuesday before I could get back to it Tuesday evening. I hated that.
This was a relatively short read, and I wanted this book to be longer. I wanted to know more about their lives, I wanted to know everything I could so I could make things different for them. But much like in real life, we can't always make things different. The characters, even minor ones, were in my head so much and the weight of their situations was on my heart. I had to get back to it and finish it. Once I flipped the final page though, I didn't know how to talk about it without giving away parts of the story and it turns out that wanting the story to keep going might have been the whole point.
Don and Rodney are "elder gays" and have lived a life of love together. But they've also faced struggles, some because they are gay, but mostly because they're human and humans are faced with the highest triumphs of life as well as the deepest sorrows. With the ability to love comes the ability to lose, and sometimes we lose so deeply it alters how we love.
So how does one prepare for the end of the world? We can doomsday prep all we want, but emotional preparedness is never something you hear about. How would you face it? Would you be like one family Don and Rodney encountered? Would you take another path like Amelia? Or would you be like Don and Rodney and try to finish that one thing that you have to do?
Hear this loud and clear - this book is dark. Not a "what's jumping out at me?!" kind of dark. The kind of dark that lingers after life hurts us. This is the kind of emotional rollercoaster that life actually throws at us. And in true TJ Klune fashion, the ride was perfection.
Trigger warnings for mental illness, suicide, drug use, gun violence, murder.
My thanks to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for an advance reader copy in exchange for my honest review.
November 24, 2025
Why is T.J. Klune so good at hitting you right where it hurts?
As much as this book was about grief and loss and the literal end of the world, it still managed to be a warm, cozy hug full of love and family and friendship and hope as well. And, as anyone who has read T.J.'s other books knows, that intersection is exactly where he shines.
We Burned So Bright follows Don and Rodney as they travel across the country to fulfill an important promise leading up to the end of the world, courtesy of a giant black hole that's about to destroy Earth. Throughout their journey, they meet an array of characters all dealing with the impending doom in their own ways, ranging from anger and violence to despair to peace and acceptance and joy for the little things, all while grappling with their own complicated feelings about their lives and relationships and histories.
While I perhaps didn't connect with this quite as much as I have some of T.J.'s previous books, it had a lot of heart and emotion packed into less than 200 pages and left me feeling a little contemplative and very melancholy. I especially enjoyed the chapter in which Don and Rodney met a young lesbian couple and talked about their experiences with queerness, both similar and different across generations. I loved the relatability of that and how well it captured the feeling of connecting with other queer people, something I know T.J. can also understand deeply.
If you've read and liked T.J.'s previous books, and especially his heavier ones, like Under the Whispering Door, I think you'll have a good (read: emotionally charged) time with this one, too.
Thank you to NetGalley and Tor for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!
As much as this book was about grief and loss and the literal end of the world, it still managed to be a warm, cozy hug full of love and family and friendship and hope as well. And, as anyone who has read T.J.'s other books knows, that intersection is exactly where he shines.
We Burned So Bright follows Don and Rodney as they travel across the country to fulfill an important promise leading up to the end of the world, courtesy of a giant black hole that's about to destroy Earth. Throughout their journey, they meet an array of characters all dealing with the impending doom in their own ways, ranging from anger and violence to despair to peace and acceptance and joy for the little things, all while grappling with their own complicated feelings about their lives and relationships and histories.
While I perhaps didn't connect with this quite as much as I have some of T.J.'s previous books, it had a lot of heart and emotion packed into less than 200 pages and left me feeling a little contemplative and very melancholy. I especially enjoyed the chapter in which Don and Rodney met a young lesbian couple and talked about their experiences with queerness, both similar and different across generations. I loved the relatability of that and how well it captured the feeling of connecting with other queer people, something I know T.J. can also understand deeply.
If you've read and liked T.J.'s previous books, and especially his heavier ones, like Under the Whispering Door, I think you'll have a good (read: emotionally charged) time with this one, too.
Thank you to NetGalley and Tor for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!
December 14, 2025
We Burned So Bright by TJ Klune ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
As an elderly gay couple, Rodney and Don have been through and seen a lot. The end of the world is new to them though. They go on a cross country roadtrip on a mission with the little time they have left.
This little novella packs a lot of powerful and conflicting emotions in it. The ending is a major emotional climax, as all of the history is revealed and brings meaning to Don and Rodney’s journey. Their journey was incredible, as they met other individual and couples and we see the different ways people react to the end of the world. This is a good one but there’s no way you’ll close it with a dry eye. It’s sad but also heartwarming.
“You have a choice. You get to choose who you love. No matter what happens next, no one can take that away from you.”
Read this if you like:
-End of the world stories
-Road trips with a mission
-Emotional journeys
-Elderly main characters
We Burned So Bright comes out 4/28.
As an elderly gay couple, Rodney and Don have been through and seen a lot. The end of the world is new to them though. They go on a cross country roadtrip on a mission with the little time they have left.
This little novella packs a lot of powerful and conflicting emotions in it. The ending is a major emotional climax, as all of the history is revealed and brings meaning to Don and Rodney’s journey. Their journey was incredible, as they met other individual and couples and we see the different ways people react to the end of the world. This is a good one but there’s no way you’ll close it with a dry eye. It’s sad but also heartwarming.
“You have a choice. You get to choose who you love. No matter what happens next, no one can take that away from you.”
Read this if you like:
-End of the world stories
-Road trips with a mission
-Emotional journeys
-Elderly main characters
We Burned So Bright comes out 4/28.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
T.J. Klune, how dare you. As is your superpower, this book literally ripped apart my heart while simultaneously making me fall in love with Don and Rodney. Their marriage, their struggles, their reminiscing as they faced the end of the world were beautiful and full of anguish. I loved every minute of this book and never wanted it to end. This book makes you question, how do you face the end of the world without regrets?
Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher for a chance to read this gorgeous book.
Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher for a chance to read this gorgeous book.
November 12, 2025
I really enjoyed this one!
It was really interesting to consider different ways people would handle the imminent end of the world. I enjoyed reflecting on this alongside the different characters we met on the road trip.
I also really loved the main couple. I always love a portrayal of a strong, loving marriage, and Don and Rodney were wonderful. I would have liked more time with them, more of their story, to get to know them more.
This was a lovely story set in tragedy. Along with the messiness, pain, fear, grief, regret, struggle... even at the end of the world, it flowed with hope and love. When literally everything is burning, what/who do we cling to?
My only complaint is that I just wanted MORE!
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC!
It was really interesting to consider different ways people would handle the imminent end of the world. I enjoyed reflecting on this alongside the different characters we met on the road trip.
I also really loved the main couple. I always love a portrayal of a strong, loving marriage, and Don and Rodney were wonderful. I would have liked more time with them, more of their story, to get to know them more.
This was a lovely story set in tragedy. Along with the messiness, pain, fear, grief, regret, struggle... even at the end of the world, it flowed with hope and love. When literally everything is burning, what/who do we cling to?
My only complaint is that I just wanted MORE!
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC!
December 10, 2025
I have very complicated feelings about this one. I wanted to love it but there wasn’t enough character development or story telling. It felt like show rather than tell, especially in the chapter about LGBTQ history. I also think the depiction of what adoption of a kid with trauma can look like was accurate and not sugar coated and yet there wasn’t enough time taken to tell a story that I was invested in. Overall a rushed and disappointing read from an author I love.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 2, 2025
Thank you to Edelweiss for the ARC!
I enjoyed the end of this more than anything, but the parts along the trip felt very monologue heavy. I enjoyed the stories the characters they met told, but it felt like huge swaths of the book were characters just delivering a monologue then moving on. I think it could have employed a little bit more show than tell in that case.
I enjoyed the end of this more than anything, but the parts along the trip felt very monologue heavy. I enjoyed the stories the characters they met told, but it felt like huge swaths of the book were characters just delivering a monologue then moving on. I think it could have employed a little bit more show than tell in that case.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
Well written, as always, but too depressing for me. Trauma with more trauma. Everyone on the road spouting the same thoughts so that I started to bristle at the lecture tone. I love a good apocalypse story, but this one didn't do it for me.
September 14, 2025
I’m interested in the shorter length of the book. Only 144 pages. Only very talented authors can tell a story filled with deep meaning in a short amount of time. I trust TJ Klune’s story telling ability.
November 8, 2025
Thanks to NetGalley and Tor Publishing for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!
This book felt very much like a more wholesome version of The Road by Cormac McCarthy. A married couple finds themselves trying to fulfill a promise as the world is ending and we see the most beautiful as well as the ugliest parts of humanity on their journey.
There is not much I can say without spoiling the book and the journey of Don and Rodney but if you enjoy found family, apocalypse, stories of love and relationships and choosing people even when it’s hard - you’ll love this quick read.
This book felt very much like a more wholesome version of The Road by Cormac McCarthy. A married couple finds themselves trying to fulfill a promise as the world is ending and we see the most beautiful as well as the ugliest parts of humanity on their journey.
There is not much I can say without spoiling the book and the journey of Don and Rodney but if you enjoy found family, apocalypse, stories of love and relationships and choosing people even when it’s hard - you’ll love this quick read.
Read
October 15, 2025For a novella TJ Klune doesn't hold any punches, an emotional roller coaster from start to finish.
November 8, 2025
4.5 ⭐️
The Earth is soon to be swallowed by a black hole, and the world as we know it is unraveling. People are looting, vandalizing, and giving in to chaos — some committing murder, others suicide. And then there are Don and Rodney, who pack up what little they have, take a precious box, and set off across the country in a beat-up RV. After forty years together, they’re determined to spend their remaining days on one final journey — to see their estranged son.
The reader doesn’t learn the full story of who or where their son is until the last quarter of the book, only small, heartbreaking hints that something went terribly wrong between them years ago. Along the way, Don and Rodney encounter others — some unhinged and dangerous, others curious or wise, each adding a layer to this quiet apocalypse.
As the days pass, the planets vanish one by one. The moon turns strange shades, the radio goes silent, and cell phones die — leaving the world disconnected and utterly alone. Still, Don and Rodney keep driving.
I will start by saying that I’m a huge fan of T.J. Klune and their ability to make readers deeply connect with characters. I’m conflicted with this novella because while I loved Don and Rodney — and felt for them as a gay couple who raised a son in a difficult world — the story was simply too short to leave the impact it could have. The pacing felt uneven at times, like two narratives trying to coexist but not quite blending seamlessly. It is also a much darker book than his previous works.
That said, it’s a story worth revisiting. There are so many beautiful lines that beg to be annotated. And that final 25% completely wrecked me — I was bawling. That alone speaks volumes. An emotional story, especially if you’re a parent.
A huge thank you to NetGalley and Tor Publishing Group for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
The book comes out on April 28, 2026.
The Earth is soon to be swallowed by a black hole, and the world as we know it is unraveling. People are looting, vandalizing, and giving in to chaos — some committing murder, others suicide. And then there are Don and Rodney, who pack up what little they have, take a precious box, and set off across the country in a beat-up RV. After forty years together, they’re determined to spend their remaining days on one final journey — to see their estranged son.
The reader doesn’t learn the full story of who or where their son is until the last quarter of the book, only small, heartbreaking hints that something went terribly wrong between them years ago. Along the way, Don and Rodney encounter others — some unhinged and dangerous, others curious or wise, each adding a layer to this quiet apocalypse.
As the days pass, the planets vanish one by one. The moon turns strange shades, the radio goes silent, and cell phones die — leaving the world disconnected and utterly alone. Still, Don and Rodney keep driving.
I will start by saying that I’m a huge fan of T.J. Klune and their ability to make readers deeply connect with characters. I’m conflicted with this novella because while I loved Don and Rodney — and felt for them as a gay couple who raised a son in a difficult world — the story was simply too short to leave the impact it could have. The pacing felt uneven at times, like two narratives trying to coexist but not quite blending seamlessly. It is also a much darker book than his previous works.
That said, it’s a story worth revisiting. There are so many beautiful lines that beg to be annotated. And that final 25% completely wrecked me — I was bawling. That alone speaks volumes. An emotional story, especially if you’re a parent.
A huge thank you to NetGalley and Tor Publishing Group for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
The book comes out on April 28, 2026.
November 11, 2025
Let's just start out by saying that this is NOT Cerulean Sea. Unlike all of Klune's other books, this one is grounded in reality. So there isn't the whimsical charm that we've grown to love in his other works. I think it's important to know this up front, because if you go in thinking it's going to have the same whimsical feeling, then you will be blindsided by what you are given. In my opinion, "We Burned So Bright" is easily TJ Klune's most personal and vulnerable book that he's written so far.
It's the end of the world, literally. A black hole has been devouring the solar system, and Earth only has a short amount of time left before it's consumed as well. Rodney and Don, a married couple in their 80s, attempt to drive from Maine to Washington to keep one last promise before everything is gone. Along the way, they meet people from all walks of life who are each coping with the inevitable end in their own unique ways.
For being a novella, this isn't a quick read. As Rodney and Don meet new people in each chapter, we get more layers that explore the human experience - a pregnant mother afraid to give birth, a hippie commune, a queer couple learning about LGBT history, and slowly discovering what Rodney and Don's promise is. It's funny, it's sad, it's heartbreaking, it's poignant. You definitely go through a range of emotions and will probably be crying for the last quarter of the book. There is a darkness and bleakness to it all, but at the same time, it's also breathtaking and reflective. It's a powerful piece of work that had me sitting in silence once I finished it.
Highly recommended, but trigger warnings for off-page death, guns, suicide, mental illness, and drug use.
Thank you to Edelweiss and Tor Books for providing me with a free digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.
It's the end of the world, literally. A black hole has been devouring the solar system, and Earth only has a short amount of time left before it's consumed as well. Rodney and Don, a married couple in their 80s, attempt to drive from Maine to Washington to keep one last promise before everything is gone. Along the way, they meet people from all walks of life who are each coping with the inevitable end in their own unique ways.
For being a novella, this isn't a quick read. As Rodney and Don meet new people in each chapter, we get more layers that explore the human experience - a pregnant mother afraid to give birth, a hippie commune, a queer couple learning about LGBT history, and slowly discovering what Rodney and Don's promise is. It's funny, it's sad, it's heartbreaking, it's poignant. You definitely go through a range of emotions and will probably be crying for the last quarter of the book. There is a darkness and bleakness to it all, but at the same time, it's also breathtaking and reflective. It's a powerful piece of work that had me sitting in silence once I finished it.
Highly recommended, but trigger warnings for off-page death, guns, suicide, mental illness, and drug use.
Thank you to Edelweiss and Tor Books for providing me with a free digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.
December 6, 2025
TJ Klune's works can be extremely hit or miss for me, but I'm delighted that this one was utterly beautiful, despite the potentially bleak premise. The world is ending and husbands Don and Rodney embark on a final journey, the purpose of which is dangled as a mystery unnecessarily for way too long, which is my only nitpick about this one. It becomes pretty obvious pretty quickly that it has something to do with their son, with whom things had some kind of tragic end. The beauty of the story, however, as cliche as it sounds, is the journey itself. There's a very believable landscape of humanity, reacting in all the plethora of ways you'd expect them to react faced with unavoidable obliteration. With despair, with horror, with resignation, with absolution. Klune is always good at writing new premises about found families, and there's something magical about how the encounters in this journey all circle back to something that I've felt many times during and after the pandemic -- a big, uncontrollably awful thing is happening to all of humanity and yet that is the reason you get to meet people you'd never meet otherwise, and grow into people who you were always meant to be. And there's also a journey of grief and reconciliation of loss as parents, as a generation of queer people who have lost so much, and the literal gravity of the world lifting away from your shoulders and marveling at the life and the world you've experienced. In this current time, this is somehow one of the most hopeful and compassionate books I've read this year, and it's literally at the end of the world. Thanks to Netgalley for the ebook ARC, I can't wait for people to find some solace in this upon release.
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