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Brightside #1
Brightside
Ein psychologischer Thriller
Stellen Sie sich eine Welt vor, in der sich die Person neben Ihnen – ein Fremder, ein Freund oder ein Liebhaber – in Ihren Geist einschleichen und Ihre intimsten Gedanken stehlen kann. Stellen Sie sich nun vor, Sie sind dieser Gedankendieb, der so große Angst hat, dass Ihre Freiheit und Ihr Leben bedroht sind. Willkommen in Brightside... Sie werden es nicht verlassen.
Brightside von Mark Tullius nimmt eine einzigartige Wendung in Bezug auf die psychischen Phänomene der Telepathie. Die ängstlichen Massen geraten in Panik und erschaffen Brightside, eine Stadt, die im Wesentlichen ein Gefängnis ist. Der Protagonist Joe Nolan ist einer der vielen Gedankendiebe, die zusammengetrieben wurden und gezwungen sind, in Brightside zu leben, ohne die geringste Hoffnung zu haben, jemals wieder abreisen zu können. Die Spannung spitzt sich zu, als Joe sich an seinem 100. Tag in Gefangenschaft auf der Mission befindet, sich zu befreien.
„DAS IST, WARUM SIE UNS ZUSAMMENGEROTTET HABEN, UNS IN DIESER KLEINEN STADT FESTHALTEN. ABER SIE KÖNNEN UNS NICHT FÜR IMMER HIER HALTEN. ES IST TAG 100 UND ES WIRD ZU ENDE GEHEN. SO ODER SO, ICH VERSCHWINDE AUS BRIGHTSIDE.“
Die Rezensionen zeigen, warum Brightside Ihre nächste Lektüre sein
„Eine gut geschriebene und gut ausgeführte Geschichte des erstmaligen Autors Mark Tullius. Sie liest sich wie ein grobkörniger, postmoderner Roman, der Blade Runner oder A Scanner Darkly ähnelt. Sehr interessante Charakterentwicklung und Handlungselemente, zumal der Protagonist es kann.“ Verstecken Sie nichts. Eine schnelle und schnelle Lektüre, die Sie auf den Seiten festhält.“ eNovel Reviews
„Brightside ist ein Roman über ein glaubwürdiges „Jetzt“, in dem ein Großteil der Weltbevölkerung telepathisch veranlagt ist oder „Gedankendiebe“ sind, wie sie im Buch genannt werden. Die ängstlichen und unwissenden Massen verursachen Panik und Massenverhaftungen und die Institutionalisierung dieser Personen, die auf eine „Insel im Himmel“ namens Brightside geschickt werden, bei der es sich im Grunde um ein Gefängnis auf einem Berg handelt. Das Buch begleitet Joe und seine Reise durch 100 Tage in Brightside und die Menschen, mit denen er unterwegs interagiert.“
Fügen Sie Brightside noch heute zu Ihrem Bücherregal hinzu!
Stellen Sie sich eine Welt vor, in der sich die Person neben Ihnen – ein Fremder, ein Freund oder ein Liebhaber – in Ihren Geist einschleichen und Ihre intimsten Gedanken stehlen kann. Stellen Sie sich nun vor, Sie sind dieser Gedankendieb, der so große Angst hat, dass Ihre Freiheit und Ihr Leben bedroht sind. Willkommen in Brightside... Sie werden es nicht verlassen.
Brightside von Mark Tullius nimmt eine einzigartige Wendung in Bezug auf die psychischen Phänomene der Telepathie. Die ängstlichen Massen geraten in Panik und erschaffen Brightside, eine Stadt, die im Wesentlichen ein Gefängnis ist. Der Protagonist Joe Nolan ist einer der vielen Gedankendiebe, die zusammengetrieben wurden und gezwungen sind, in Brightside zu leben, ohne die geringste Hoffnung zu haben, jemals wieder abreisen zu können. Die Spannung spitzt sich zu, als Joe sich an seinem 100. Tag in Gefangenschaft auf der Mission befindet, sich zu befreien.
„DAS IST, WARUM SIE UNS ZUSAMMENGEROTTET HABEN, UNS IN DIESER KLEINEN STADT FESTHALTEN. ABER SIE KÖNNEN UNS NICHT FÜR IMMER HIER HALTEN. ES IST TAG 100 UND ES WIRD ZU ENDE GEHEN. SO ODER SO, ICH VERSCHWINDE AUS BRIGHTSIDE.“
Die Rezensionen zeigen, warum Brightside Ihre nächste Lektüre sein
„Eine gut geschriebene und gut ausgeführte Geschichte des erstmaligen Autors Mark Tullius. Sie liest sich wie ein grobkörniger, postmoderner Roman, der Blade Runner oder A Scanner Darkly ähnelt. Sehr interessante Charakterentwicklung und Handlungselemente, zumal der Protagonist es kann.“ Verstecken Sie nichts. Eine schnelle und schnelle Lektüre, die Sie auf den Seiten festhält.“ eNovel Reviews
„Brightside ist ein Roman über ein glaubwürdiges „Jetzt“, in dem ein Großteil der Weltbevölkerung telepathisch veranlagt ist oder „Gedankendiebe“ sind, wie sie im Buch genannt werden. Die ängstlichen und unwissenden Massen verursachen Panik und Massenverhaftungen und die Institutionalisierung dieser Personen, die auf eine „Insel im Himmel“ namens Brightside geschickt werden, bei der es sich im Grunde um ein Gefängnis auf einem Berg handelt. Das Buch begleitet Joe und seine Reise durch 100 Tage in Brightside und die Menschen, mit denen er unterwegs interagiert.“
Fügen Sie Brightside noch heute zu Ihrem Bücherregal hinzu!
267 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 1, 2012
About the author
Mark Tullius
60 books1,357 followersMy writing covers a wide range, with fiction being my favorite to create, with two dozen or so titles under my belt. There are 21 titles in my YA interactive Try Not to Die series and 30 more in the works. I also have two nonfiction titles, both inspired by a reckless lifestyle, playing Ivy League football, and battering the hell out of my brain as an unsuccessful MMA fighter and boxer. Unlocking the Cage is the largest sociological study of MMA fighters to date and TBI or CTE aims to spread awareness and hope to others that suffer with traumatic brain injury symptoms.
I live in sunny California with my wife, two kids, five cats, and one demon. Derek. He makes special appearance on my social media
You can also get your 3 free books by signing up to my newsletter. This letter is only for the brave, or at least those brave enough to deal with bad dad jokes, a crude sense of humor, and loads and loads of death.
Derek and I would love to have you join us!
Here are all my links -
Newsletter - https://subscribepage.io/TulliusNews
https://youcanfollow.me/MarkTullius
I live in sunny California with my wife, two kids, five cats, and one demon. Derek. He makes special appearance on my social media
You can also get your 3 free books by signing up to my newsletter. This letter is only for the brave, or at least those brave enough to deal with bad dad jokes, a crude sense of humor, and loads and loads of death.
Derek and I would love to have you join us!
Here are all my links -
Newsletter - https://subscribepage.io/TulliusNews
https://youcanfollow.me/MarkTullius
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Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 65 reviews
December 7, 2020
Q: ... Brightside, where secrets are more precious than life. (c)
Well-well-well. Another telepaths get persecuted series.
Interesting how the MC manages to always be lame in his thoughts just enough to drive everyone around a teensy tad mad at him. Is that some sort of self-sabotage we are shown or is that a sort of the 'don't think of the write monkey' trick? Had it been the latter, probably most telepaths would've sufferent from this predicament, wouldn't they? So, it must be a provate personality quirk. Well, not so private considering we're speaking of Brightside. A city teeming with telepathic citizens.
That's some interesting weapons treatment:
Q:
I slide the shotgun down my back, inside my coat, and I use one hand to shove it in the back of my pants and into the crack of my ass. (c)
Other noteworthy stuff:
Q:
Secrets keep the world from burning. (c)
Q:
I’d gone two or three more blocks when the snow finally stopped, the clouds parted, the sun shining, and that made me feel better, like maybe there was a God. Like He was actually looking out for me. (c)
Q:
I guess that’s why I didn’t freak out like the others when I first got to Brightside. I was used to captivity. The others weren’t.. (c)
Q:
“Look, sometimes the things we love will die. Sometimes they won’t. But it’s always important to fight. Life’s worth fighting for. Don’t give up. Sunny’s not going to. You’ve given her a chance. I’m proud of you.” (c)
Q:
It was just easier to get rid of us, ship us here to this mountain, than to face the truth that our society was based on the ability to lie. Parents tell their kids they’re special, that they love them. Teachers tell students they can achieve anything. Bosses want their employees to know they’re valued, that they aren’t just a warm body underpaid and abused. It’s how everything keeps moving. Without the lie, people have to fix shit, face conflict, come to terms. (c)
Q:
I’ve been hearing other people’s thoughts for as long as I could remember, but no matter how many times I heard their lies, their excuses, their justifications for doing horrible stuff, I never realized that I was no better. Until Day 100. That’s when I saw who I really was, a coward, a fraud, a waste of potential. (c)
Q:
Sharon had suggestions, like climbing a tree or throwing rocks to get the pilot’s attention. Our brilliant leader is an idiot. (с)
Well-well-well. Another telepaths get persecuted series.
Interesting how the MC manages to always be lame in his thoughts just enough to drive everyone around a teensy tad mad at him. Is that some sort of self-sabotage we are shown or is that a sort of the 'don't think of the write monkey' trick? Had it been the latter, probably most telepaths would've sufferent from this predicament, wouldn't they? So, it must be a provate personality quirk. Well, not so private considering we're speaking of Brightside. A city teeming with telepathic citizens.
That's some interesting weapons treatment:
Q:
I slide the shotgun down my back, inside my coat, and I use one hand to shove it in the back of my pants and into the crack of my ass. (c)
Other noteworthy stuff:
Q:
Secrets keep the world from burning. (c)
Q:
I’d gone two or three more blocks when the snow finally stopped, the clouds parted, the sun shining, and that made me feel better, like maybe there was a God. Like He was actually looking out for me. (c)
Q:
I guess that’s why I didn’t freak out like the others when I first got to Brightside. I was used to captivity. The others weren’t.. (c)
Q:
“Look, sometimes the things we love will die. Sometimes they won’t. But it’s always important to fight. Life’s worth fighting for. Don’t give up. Sunny’s not going to. You’ve given her a chance. I’m proud of you.” (c)
Q:
It was just easier to get rid of us, ship us here to this mountain, than to face the truth that our society was based on the ability to lie. Parents tell their kids they’re special, that they love them. Teachers tell students they can achieve anything. Bosses want their employees to know they’re valued, that they aren’t just a warm body underpaid and abused. It’s how everything keeps moving. Without the lie, people have to fix shit, face conflict, come to terms. (c)
Q:
I’ve been hearing other people’s thoughts for as long as I could remember, but no matter how many times I heard their lies, their excuses, their justifications for doing horrible stuff, I never realized that I was no better. Until Day 100. That’s when I saw who I really was, a coward, a fraud, a waste of potential. (c)
Q:
Sharon had suggestions, like climbing a tree or throwing rocks to get the pilot’s attention. Our brilliant leader is an idiot. (с)
September 9, 2019
First, a couple thoughts upon finishing my first audio book: I was on a 7+ hour road trip by myself and I loved that I had this option. Second, it's a little odd having a male narrator affect a female voice, when if you're reading the book you can hear whatever voice you want in your head. And finally, in this book, the narrator's voice for female characters sounded just like Johnny Depp's voice as Willy Wonka and it sort of freaked me out. Lol
On to the review: what an interesting premise, that some individuals, thought takers, can hear what others are thinking when they are close enough to them. Imagine the possibilities! And the horrors.
We learn that the president has decided that thought takers are terrorists and rounds them up to live their lives together at the top of a mine or mountain, with no way to escape. They work, they play, they have relationships, they make mistakes. Their lives aren't bad, per se, but who wants to be told they can never leave a community they didn't want to join in the first place?
And that's the dilemma...when it becomes apparent that there may be an "escape" who gets to go? Who wants to go? How do you deal with the "boots" who are there to keep the thought takers in line?
Joe is our protagonist and he's likeable enough, if you can get past his many imperfections. I dinged a star because I felt like there was a little too much of Joe's background, unnecessarily. Otherwise a very well-written, thoughtful novel.
On to the review: what an interesting premise, that some individuals, thought takers, can hear what others are thinking when they are close enough to them. Imagine the possibilities! And the horrors.
We learn that the president has decided that thought takers are terrorists and rounds them up to live their lives together at the top of a mine or mountain, with no way to escape. They work, they play, they have relationships, they make mistakes. Their lives aren't bad, per se, but who wants to be told they can never leave a community they didn't want to join in the first place?
And that's the dilemma...when it becomes apparent that there may be an "escape" who gets to go? Who wants to go? How do you deal with the "boots" who are there to keep the thought takers in line?
Joe is our protagonist and he's likeable enough, if you can get past his many imperfections. I dinged a star because I felt like there was a little too much of Joe's background, unnecessarily. Otherwise a very well-written, thoughtful novel.
July 18, 2013
Have you ever wondered what it would be like to be able to read someones mind, to hear their every thought. Might sound good, but it really isn't. Joe Nolan is a Thought Thief, one of many who can hear the though of everyone around him. He is one of many who have that ability, including his father. Deemed dangerous by society and politicians Thought Thieves are rounded up and put into a place called Brightside, which is no more than a glorified prison camp dressed as a gilded cage. Hearing everyones thoughts would either make you adapt or drive you crazy, I know it would drive me crazy.
This book is dark and deep. It grabs you from the start and sinks its teeth into you. I finished this book in a matter of hours because I just could not put it down!
Mark Tullius is my new favourite author.
This book is dark and deep. It grabs you from the start and sinks its teeth into you. I finished this book in a matter of hours because I just could not put it down!
Mark Tullius is my new favourite author.
June 16, 2020
A few sad parts involving dogs. I’m a sucker about that but it didn’t make me quit listening. Overall a very enjoyable read.
October 25, 2012
For more of my reviews visit http://losttobooks.blogspot.com
Brightside follows the story of humans who have the power of telepathy. Written from Joe's point of view it engages you in the action and Tullius does a good job of relaying the feelings and thoughts of the character. The first few chapters really grabbed my attention, throwing me into a new world while explaining certain aspects about life as a telepath clearly. It made me want to read on and the name "Thought Theives" Tullius uses to describe the gifted humans intrigued me. The plot line was original and different and did keep my interest however there were a few things that made it a struggle to read the book around about the halfway mark.
The first was that the book is written in terms of days. It jumps to random points in Joe's life while leading up to day 100. In the midst of this there are constant memories and flashbacks which although were easy to figure out and understand, for me it made the story too disjointed as it was frequently jumping from one place to another rather than following a constant flow. Some memories and thoughts also seemed to repeat themselves continually and by the halfway mark it was becoming slightly repetitive and I found it a struggle to stay focused.
The start of the book lead me into a false sense of security and turned into something I wasn't expecting. I was told it was dark fiction but I didn't realise how dark and twisted it would get. I normally like darker books but this book became too much towards the end. It slowly got darker and more graphic as it went on and I found myself skipping long sections of description as it made me cringe and feel slightly nauseated. When being asked to review this book it was the different theme and the prospect of romance that sold it to me most but the romances were not exactly romances, they were more based on a sexual side of things or Joe berating himself about previous events which became slightly annoying towards the end.
Overall this book was interesting and different but I would not recommend it to the squeamish/faint-hearted or a young audience because if the graphic content and language. Although it started well and did make me read on the graphic content did become too much towards the end and the disjointed nature of the flashbacks and days made it hard for me to focus at times.
Brightside follows the story of humans who have the power of telepathy. Written from Joe's point of view it engages you in the action and Tullius does a good job of relaying the feelings and thoughts of the character. The first few chapters really grabbed my attention, throwing me into a new world while explaining certain aspects about life as a telepath clearly. It made me want to read on and the name "Thought Theives" Tullius uses to describe the gifted humans intrigued me. The plot line was original and different and did keep my interest however there were a few things that made it a struggle to read the book around about the halfway mark.
The first was that the book is written in terms of days. It jumps to random points in Joe's life while leading up to day 100. In the midst of this there are constant memories and flashbacks which although were easy to figure out and understand, for me it made the story too disjointed as it was frequently jumping from one place to another rather than following a constant flow. Some memories and thoughts also seemed to repeat themselves continually and by the halfway mark it was becoming slightly repetitive and I found it a struggle to stay focused.
The start of the book lead me into a false sense of security and turned into something I wasn't expecting. I was told it was dark fiction but I didn't realise how dark and twisted it would get. I normally like darker books but this book became too much towards the end. It slowly got darker and more graphic as it went on and I found myself skipping long sections of description as it made me cringe and feel slightly nauseated. When being asked to review this book it was the different theme and the prospect of romance that sold it to me most but the romances were not exactly romances, they were more based on a sexual side of things or Joe berating himself about previous events which became slightly annoying towards the end.
Overall this book was interesting and different but I would not recommend it to the squeamish/faint-hearted or a young audience because if the graphic content and language. Although it started well and did make me read on the graphic content did become too much towards the end and the disjointed nature of the flashbacks and days made it hard for me to focus at times.
April 9, 2013
When I first began "BrightSide" I wasn't sure I was going to like it. It began a little slow for me and I wasn't sure about the style of writing. However, because I was intrigued by the subject matter of the book, I continued...and was pleasantly rewarded. As the story progressed so did the energy. I liked the use of flashbacks and feel they worked better to explain the main character's personality and state of mind than if we had met him in childhood. While I was very happy with the ending, where I felt a definite acceleration of anticipation, I was surprised when I finished to realize I had not developed any emotional attachments to any of the characters.
All in all, I enjoyed "BrightSide" and see it being a good introductory novel to what I hope will be a continuing series.
DISCLOSURE: I did receive the book for free through Goodreads First Reads.
All in all, I enjoyed "BrightSide" and see it being a good introductory novel to what I hope will be a continuing series.
DISCLOSURE: I did receive the book for free through Goodreads First Reads.
August 7, 2016
You know sometimes when you wish you had the ability to do something extraordinary and how cool it would be? This book explores what could be the consequences of having this ability. Of how fear and paranoia can control a nation and how something as simple as choice is taken away because of that fear. This book is fantastic! I could not put it down (hence why it only took me a day to get through). It kept me hooked from beginning to heart-pounding end. I thought the timeline was easy enough to follow. This is a book that makes you think long after your done reading. One of my only criticisms was that I wanted more. I wanted to know what happened after the conclusion; that's the mark of a good storyteller, you get invested in the characters so much that you don't want it to end. Look forward to reading more of his books.
March 16, 2020
3,5*
Loved the fresh and interesting concept of the book and the main character's arc.
A thrilling story where all telepaths have been moved to a mountain to be isolated from society as they are considered a dangerous weapon. While they are there they get to have a 'normal' life with jobs and apartments, restaurants etc
However Joe has had enough and is looking for a way to get out
Loved the fresh and interesting concept of the book and the main character's arc.
A thrilling story where all telepaths have been moved to a mountain to be isolated from society as they are considered a dangerous weapon. While they are there they get to have a 'normal' life with jobs and apartments, restaurants etc
However Joe has had enough and is looking for a way to get out
September 18, 2021
Wow what an interesting premise. A world where telepathy is a crime! Would we act any different if we thought someone could read our every thought? Telepaths are arrested and placed in a camp in the mountains. They are surrounded by other telepaths, meaning every second of everyday their thought are being read and yours in turns are read! Our protagonist is slowly going crazy. The guards treated them as nothing less than rabid animals. But these people are gifted. Is there no way that they could band together and escape? A deeply compelling and compressing read. Think Stephen King, Dean Koontz, or Chuck Palahniuk, and you will want this book. I find Mark Tullius to be a talented, if not a little on the dark side author. I highly recommend this author. I gave this honest, voluntary review after being given a free copy of the book.
December 10, 2020
Great read!! Great imagination! The story in the book flows, and draws you in. I got interested in the main character. I rate Mark and his story telling close to my favorite authors. Great book!!
June 24, 2016
My original Brightside audiobook review and many others can be found at Audiobook Reviewer.
I was captured by the synopsis of Brightside by Mark Tullius. Sounding like a great and fairly unique science fiction story. I mean could you imagine if there were people that could hear your most intimate and private thoughts? And at all times!
As you can imagine the general public didn't like this very much, they could get all of the nation secrets! The government rounds up all of the thought thieves into, essentially, a large concentration camp. This "camp" was the town called Brightside, were the populous had jobs and apartments, relationships, go out to eat at restaurants. Making it seem as much as possible like nothing was wrong with the "camp". Aside from the enforcers roaming around to keep those that can hear everyones thoughts in line. Until one man can't take it any more.
The story starts off on day one hundred since Joe has been at Brightside. Giving a breif rundown of what has been going on, what thought thieves are and what Brightside is. Then the story jumps around a little bit giving key backstory to Joe. His childhood, how he came to Brightside.
For me, one the most entertaining parts of the story was when Joe interacted with women and when he would try to have a relationship with them. After all Joe, like most men, is a pig. Within a community of telepaths there is no way to hide it. Often times this gets him into trouble. However I found that the story, in parts, just didn't seem to move anywhere or moved along very slowly. And there were times where I was on the edge of my seat with anticipation. I thought there was going to be more action and science involved.
Brightside was a intriguing reimagining of concentration camps or refugee camps but with a science fiction spin on it all. If you want something unique and more of a cerebral sci-fi experience, you should check this out.
This was my first listening of Tee Quillin. He has a quite deep and booming voice that is also, strangely, velvety and soothing. He was able to bring identifiable voices to the different characters. I found that his reading pace was slow for my ears and increasing the playback speed made it worse, so I listened at normal speed. There were two instances of repeating sentences. While this does not really take away from the story. It does however take away from the overall audiobook experience. First on was in Chapter 10 at approx. 3:48, a sentence about a can of Lysol. First sentence was fine, then a longer than usual pause and then the second time instead of "Whoosh" Quillin made spraying sounds. The next was at approx. 7:09 "Because we knew, long pause, All because we knew...". On to something that I liked about the performance was the use of what I can only call a dreamy quality to the actual thoughts of the characters. Giving an immediate queue that it was a thought and not something said out loud, although in the end it didn't matter which the characters did.
Audiobook was provided for review by the author.
I was captured by the synopsis of Brightside by Mark Tullius. Sounding like a great and fairly unique science fiction story. I mean could you imagine if there were people that could hear your most intimate and private thoughts? And at all times!
As you can imagine the general public didn't like this very much, they could get all of the nation secrets! The government rounds up all of the thought thieves into, essentially, a large concentration camp. This "camp" was the town called Brightside, were the populous had jobs and apartments, relationships, go out to eat at restaurants. Making it seem as much as possible like nothing was wrong with the "camp". Aside from the enforcers roaming around to keep those that can hear everyones thoughts in line. Until one man can't take it any more.
The story starts off on day one hundred since Joe has been at Brightside. Giving a breif rundown of what has been going on, what thought thieves are and what Brightside is. Then the story jumps around a little bit giving key backstory to Joe. His childhood, how he came to Brightside.
For me, one the most entertaining parts of the story was when Joe interacted with women and when he would try to have a relationship with them. After all Joe, like most men, is a pig. Within a community of telepaths there is no way to hide it. Often times this gets him into trouble. However I found that the story, in parts, just didn't seem to move anywhere or moved along very slowly. And there were times where I was on the edge of my seat with anticipation. I thought there was going to be more action and science involved.
Brightside was a intriguing reimagining of concentration camps or refugee camps but with a science fiction spin on it all. If you want something unique and more of a cerebral sci-fi experience, you should check this out.
This was my first listening of Tee Quillin. He has a quite deep and booming voice that is also, strangely, velvety and soothing. He was able to bring identifiable voices to the different characters. I found that his reading pace was slow for my ears and increasing the playback speed made it worse, so I listened at normal speed. There were two instances of repeating sentences. While this does not really take away from the story. It does however take away from the overall audiobook experience. First on was in Chapter 10 at approx. 3:48, a sentence about a can of Lysol. First sentence was fine, then a longer than usual pause and then the second time instead of "Whoosh" Quillin made spraying sounds. The next was at approx. 7:09 "Because we knew, long pause, All because we knew...". On to something that I liked about the performance was the use of what I can only call a dreamy quality to the actual thoughts of the characters. Giving an immediate queue that it was a thought and not something said out loud, although in the end it didn't matter which the characters did.
Audiobook was provided for review by the author.
June 24, 2016
An unusual and somewhat dark story where society confines any telepath they find to an isolated mountain town called Brightside. Accused of stealing thoughts, they are taken away from all they love, stripped of all they own and sent to live in a controlled society where everyone can read your every thought and breaking the rules can have drastic consequences. The main protagonist, Joe Nolan, is an interesting man who does not always make good choices, but you can not help but feel empathy for him as you follow his story as it seamlessly flips back and forth between the past and the present. It is a well written, dark, gritty novel with scenes that tug at your heart and others that make you shudder. The characters are engaging and the plot is unique and keeps you captivated with its action and twists. The narration fits the characters well, he generally moved the story along at a good pace but did tend to have some pauses that were far too long. I would have liked to have seen an epilogue that told us how things went for everyone, but then maybe there is going to be a sequel that will tell just that. I received this audiobook from the author at no cost in exchange for an honest review
June 11, 2016
I really liked this book. When I first started it, I wasn't sure that was going to be case, but it drew me in and I couldn't put it down. I feel like there are lots of stories about telepaths out there, and I feared this would be a run-of-the-mill paranormal fantasy, but I was wrong. There is something different about this book, and that is a good thing. The characters were interesting, though not always very noble, and I found that I really cared about them. Maybe it is because this is an "adult" book, as opposed to "young adult," and it is dark and gritty - whatever it is, I'm really glad I had the opportunity to listen to the Audible version of this book. It sucked me in and wouldn't let go. The narrator was pretty good, but it took me a little bit to get used to his style. He seemed to have a lot of long pauses between sentences, but I got used to it and really thought he was perfect for the main character. This is the first book I have read by Mark Tullius, and I think I'm hooked. I will definitely check out more of his books, and I recommend this one to anyone who enjoys a dark, well-paced story.
September 28, 2019
Interesting concept. What if there were people who could hear the thoughts of others? What happens when one gets too close to the president and saves his life? Fear of the thought-thief has denied them their rights to live free. They are gathered up and put in a camp called Brightside to live out their lives. How does this group of people get along when everyone can hear everyone's thoughts? Not very well. We follow Joe through his days and escape from Brightside with flashbacks of his childhood growing up with messed up parents and the ability to hear everyone's thoughts. Joe is a very flawed hero and occasionally likable. There are few likable characters in this book, a lot of bad decisions and a ton of foul language. By over mid-way through, the story was making me anxious and I skipped every other chapter until the end. I do not feel I missed very much.
April 20, 2013
"Imagine if you knew every dark thought people had about you," hearing every nasty thought of your jealous co-workers or your girlfriend's torrid past or a political leader's burning secrets. Mark Tullius delivers an engaging, powerful story of an idyllic mountainside town, a community of telepaths. A place where these "Thought Thieves" are rounded up and kept away from the rest of society. The town is Brightside, the story is about what happens when one man wants to leave. When I was little, I used to wish I could read people's minds. Now I'm afraid to.
I received Brightside, by Mark Tullius, free through Goodreads First Reads.
I received Brightside, by Mark Tullius, free through Goodreads First Reads.
March 23, 2020
This really explores how effed up the world would be if we had abilities "out of the norm". Ever wonder what it would be like to be a telepath? Growing up that way? What about living in a town of nothing but telepaths? No secrets. So you think. The main character is so...average, and that's what makes it even better. When he does his 'big thing' it really brings to question the decision made that lead him there, not just for him, but for you too. What would you do? Well rounded, sometimes trashy, sometimes grotesque, and mostly intimately played out. How else could you do it when surrounded by everyone's thoughts??
April 18, 2013
Mark Tullius lets you take a long hard look at yourself and humanity. Are we really as humane, sympathetic and caring as we like to think? How many of us would stab each other in the back if we had the chance, new eachothers weaknesses? Would you be a Wayne? A Joe? A Sara? One of the boots?
We strive to be unique, but when it comes to it, would we rather stick with the crowd? Who would we betray, just to belong?
We strive to be unique, but when it comes to it, would we rather stick with the crowd? Who would we betray, just to belong?
March 29, 2020
Me ha gustado bastante encontrarme este libro en Amazon y modelo leer. Me ha sorprendido porque no esperaba nada de él, y finalmente me ha tenido enganchado mas de lo que me esperaba. Hay algunas cosas que no me han gustado, todo hay que decirlo, pero sobre todo por percepciones personales que nada tienen que ver con la creación de este autor.
January 3, 2023
Overall amazing
The book overall is an amazing story. The only downside for me was the side off stories of past instances. They happen a good bit and would occasionally throw me. Other than that, an amazing well written book.
The book overall is an amazing story. The only downside for me was the side off stories of past instances. They happen a good bit and would occasionally throw me. Other than that, an amazing well written book.
May 3, 2013
The book was a page turner. I couldn't hardly put it down till I finished it. At first I couldn't believe people react like this to mind readers but it could happen. I would recommend it to anyone.
January 1, 2020
Good idea, terribly written. If I didn’t know better, I’d assume the author was a hormonal 14 year old boy; he seemed obsessed with the nipples of every female character.
December 31, 2025
Welcome from Brightside!
No, you will never leave. You have heard the rumours.
No, I do not know who turned you in.
Do you have any questions regarding your stay?
Meet Joey, a telepath. You might think, oooooh, that is so cool!
No, no, it is not. In this future, it is forbidden to be a Thought Thief.
Get caught, and you get sent to the golden cage in the mountains for the rest of your life.
Just be ware not to stand out to the guards, or you will get a free stay at the dreaded cabin dribbling drool.
He hates it. He hates it all. Everything, right down to his horrible job to have a sense of purpose.
🔹️
'I've had to stand there and listen.'
🔹️
We meet Joe at day 100. However, he says it all started on day 39.
We follow Joe in his mundane life. As we get to know him, we follow his thoughts back in time before he was caught. We are wondering who it was turning him in.
🔹️
"To think that all started with that f***ing fish."
🔹️
I'd call this book intense.
I know it is just a matter of time before Joey ends up in that dreadful cabin.
When will he be caught doing something he shouldn't do?
He knows there is no way out from Brightside.
The characters are hateable and loveble, still, Joe's father's beautiful love stands out to me.
If you love Stephen King, Dean Koontz, or Chuck Palahniuk, grab this unputdownable psychological thriller.
No, you will never leave. You have heard the rumours.
No, I do not know who turned you in.
Do you have any questions regarding your stay?
Meet Joey, a telepath. You might think, oooooh, that is so cool!
No, no, it is not. In this future, it is forbidden to be a Thought Thief.
Get caught, and you get sent to the golden cage in the mountains for the rest of your life.
Just be ware not to stand out to the guards, or you will get a free stay at the dreaded cabin dribbling drool.
He hates it. He hates it all. Everything, right down to his horrible job to have a sense of purpose.
🔹️
'I've had to stand there and listen.'
🔹️
We meet Joe at day 100. However, he says it all started on day 39.
We follow Joe in his mundane life. As we get to know him, we follow his thoughts back in time before he was caught. We are wondering who it was turning him in.
🔹️
"To think that all started with that f***ing fish."
🔹️
I'd call this book intense.
I know it is just a matter of time before Joey ends up in that dreadful cabin.
When will he be caught doing something he shouldn't do?
He knows there is no way out from Brightside.
The characters are hateable and loveble, still, Joe's father's beautiful love stands out to me.
If you love Stephen King, Dean Koontz, or Chuck Palahniuk, grab this unputdownable psychological thriller.
October 10, 2022
Brightside by Mark Tullius and read by Tee Quillin is a sci-fi horror novel exploring the question: what if telepathy was real? Examining the frightful implications of some members of society possessing the ability to read the thoughts of others and our culture’s reaction to the revelation of such people, those branded as “thought thieves” are exiled to the mountain town of Brightside where they are compelled to live apart from the rest of America. Some, as you might imagine, are discontent with this dystopian fate. Brightside is a genre bending story that at its best wields speculative fiction to invite the reader to examining contemporary and historical “othering” in American culture. Yet I was sometimes a bit bored with the plot and disappointed by the quantity of male gaze in this book - even if it IS about the inner thoughts of male characters - and found some characters to be less developed than others. Overall this was an enjoyable book, and I’ve bought the sequel, but I don’t know how quickly I’ll get to it. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
February 11, 2021
I had won a copy of book #2 and the author's preface clearly indicates you need to read book #1 first. He even provides a free ebook via his website. So I read this book in anticipation of the sequel.
More a a horror story than I expected. The concept that you can read everyone's thoughts and can't turn it off I find frightening. The added concept that others can also read you and you can't stop them is terrifying. I would have to live in total solitude to keep my sanity.
So we follow our protagonist through is horrific life. It is all from first person perspective and I found it a bit hard to think of it as great writing, but it is effective in conveying his sense of dread. I really did enjoy this story. It is gruesome and blood along the way, but I thought it well done.
Have a GoodReads and I will be starting up the sequel.
More a a horror story than I expected. The concept that you can read everyone's thoughts and can't turn it off I find frightening. The added concept that others can also read you and you can't stop them is terrifying. I would have to live in total solitude to keep my sanity.
So we follow our protagonist through is horrific life. It is all from first person perspective and I found it a bit hard to think of it as great writing, but it is effective in conveying his sense of dread. I really did enjoy this story. It is gruesome and blood along the way, but I thought it well done.
Have a GoodReads and I will be starting up the sequel.
January 10, 2018
An interesting premise, telling the story of Joe, a telepathic 'thought thief' in an alternate world where they have been rounded up and made to live in their own secluded, patrolled city of 'Brightside'. Joe is an interesting if tricky narrator - his thoughts are very jumbled and we end up with random flashes of information, jumping timelines and flashbacks throughout which can be quite disorientating for the reader. It gets quite graphic both sexually and in terms of gore as well - be warned. Although Joe is quite relatable and the voice of the novel makes it an enjoyable read, the plot gets a bit far-fetched and a bit harder to follow after the middle of the book, but it's an interesting story none-the-less.
April 14, 2023
Great book
I loved how it starts when he's younger because it shows the things he has to grow through. The idea of having others be able to read your mind would be terrifying and finding out finally that he has someone in his life who's capable of doing the same thing as him would be comforting. Putting them all in Brightside wasn't a solution because there is definitely some that would get away due to having better control. It definitely would drive me crazy knowing everything you're doing is just for show. I have to say that you need to read it for the whole story.
I loved how it starts when he's younger because it shows the things he has to grow through. The idea of having others be able to read your mind would be terrifying and finding out finally that he has someone in his life who's capable of doing the same thing as him would be comforting. Putting them all in Brightside wasn't a solution because there is definitely some that would get away due to having better control. It definitely would drive me crazy knowing everything you're doing is just for show. I have to say that you need to read it for the whole story.
November 9, 2023
For me, this was a tad slow, but did have a lot of potential and the ending surprised me, in a good way.
Joe Nolan can hear everyone’s thoughts, aka a thought thief. He is one of many though, as there are more people just like him…
They are deemed as dangerous by society and politicians (which makes sense when you think about in ‘reality’ senses). The Thought Thieves, as they are called, are all gathered up and put into a place called Brightside, which is basically a prison camp.
This is dark, deep, yet insightful. I didn’t like the stuff involving dogs, but it was an okay read for me.
Joe Nolan can hear everyone’s thoughts, aka a thought thief. He is one of many though, as there are more people just like him…
They are deemed as dangerous by society and politicians (which makes sense when you think about in ‘reality’ senses). The Thought Thieves, as they are called, are all gathered up and put into a place called Brightside, which is basically a prison camp.
This is dark, deep, yet insightful. I didn’t like the stuff involving dogs, but it was an okay read for me.
January 31, 2026
Interesting concept, will read the sequel
I enjoyed the story and wanted to follow the main character and reach the conclusion and thought it was well written and easy to read. However, there was a lot of discriminatory language in this book that I found very uncomfortable to read. I'm not sure whether that is usual for this author. I've read books from his Try Not To Die series, but they were written mostly by other authors, with Mark as collaborator, so it wouldn't necessarily show in those.
I enjoyed the story and wanted to follow the main character and reach the conclusion and thought it was well written and easy to read. However, there was a lot of discriminatory language in this book that I found very uncomfortable to read. I'm not sure whether that is usual for this author. I've read books from his Try Not To Die series, but they were written mostly by other authors, with Mark as collaborator, so it wouldn't necessarily show in those.
August 11, 2019
Well written.
This was a good story but too dark for me.it was well written and that's a plus but I didn't care for any of the characters. The author does a great job of pointing out all the negative aspects of being telepathic. The was just too much negative feeling here and that made it hard to enjoy.
This was a good story but too dark for me.it was well written and that's a plus but I didn't care for any of the characters. The author does a great job of pointing out all the negative aspects of being telepathic. The was just too much negative feeling here and that made it hard to enjoy.
August 28, 2019
Very odd story. I feel like it was always in the verge of something big that just didn’t happen. All the characters seemed grey or vanilla. Interesting end, kinda curious where it goes next but not sure I’ll read the next book. The title? Not sure and why is that the name of the place? Doesn’t fit.
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