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The Bright Forever
A dark, harrowing novel about a nine-year-old girl's disappearance and the lasting impact it has on her close-knit community
On an evening like any other, nine-year-old Katie Mackey, daughter of the most affluent family in a small town on the plains of Indiana, sets out on her bicycle to return some library books.
This simple act is at the heart of The Bright Forever , a deeply affecting novel about the choices people make that change their lives forever . Fact, speculation, and contradiction play off one another as the details about Katie's disappearance--and about the townspeople--unfold, creating a fast-paced story that is as gripping as it is richly human. A nuanced portrayal of the complicated give and take among people struggling to maintain their humanity in the shadow of a loss, The Bright Forever is a compelling and emotional tale about the human need to know even the hardest truth.
On an evening like any other, nine-year-old Katie Mackey, daughter of the most affluent family in a small town on the plains of Indiana, sets out on her bicycle to return some library books.
This simple act is at the heart of The Bright Forever , a deeply affecting novel about the choices people make that change their lives forever . Fact, speculation, and contradiction play off one another as the details about Katie's disappearance--and about the townspeople--unfold, creating a fast-paced story that is as gripping as it is richly human. A nuanced portrayal of the complicated give and take among people struggling to maintain their humanity in the shadow of a loss, The Bright Forever is a compelling and emotional tale about the human need to know even the hardest truth.
282 pages, Paperback
First published May 3, 2005
195 people are currently reading
3284 people want to read
About the author
Lee Martin
12 books141 followersLee Martin is the author of the novels, The Bright Forever, a finalist for the 2006 Pulitzer Prize in Fiction; River of Heaven; Quakertown; Break the Skin; Yours, Jean; The Glassmaker's Wife; and the soon-to-be-released, The Evening Shades. He has also published four memoirs, From Our House, Turning Bones, Such a Life, and Gone the Hard Road. His first book was the short story collection, The Least You Need To Know, and he recently published another, The Mutual UFO Netwlrk. He is the co-editor of Passing the Word: Writers on Their Mentors. His fiction and nonfiction have appeared in such places as Harper's, Ms., Creative Nonfiction, The Georgia Review, The Kenyon Review, Fourth Genre, River Teeth, The Southern Review, Prairie Schooner, and Glimmer Train. He is the winner of the Mary McCarthy Prize in Short Fiction and fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts and the Ohio Arts Council. He teaches in the MFA Program at The Ohio State University, where he was the winner of the 2006 Alumni Award for Distinguished Teaching.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 759 reviews
August 28, 2015
The Bright Forever by Lee Martin is not only a thoughtful contemplation on the nature of regret but also a dynamic page-turner that this reader could not put down. The story itself is truly riveting, and the characters are so real that I felt totally drawn into their world. One of the book's greatest successes is that Martin makes the character of Katie come so alive in the beginning of the book that as the narrative progresses the reader cares deeply about finding out what happens to this sweet-natured little girl. With two simple words--"holy moly"--Martin establishes more depth of character and more empathy for Katie than other writers do in an entire book. With such effortless prose, Martin creates a layered world of believable characters that the reader comes to simultaneously both fear and love. In this way, Martin allows so many of the characters--especially Mr. Dees, Claire, Raymond, and Junior--to convey their own individual sense of sorrow, of loneliness, and especially of regret. It is to Martin's credit that the reader is able to relate to even the most distrustful of his characters. For all of these reasons, this book was both truly moving and a great read. Because of its subject matter, I would recommend this book to readers who enjoyed books like Alice Sebold's The Lovely Bones and Frederick Busch's Girls.
May 22, 2010
Lee Martin's sad, but compelling novel has remained in my thoughts as I mull over the events and their significance. He has written a deeply nuanced, complex account. A lovely nine year old girl, from a widely respected, affluent family, has disappeared. The story is narrated in the voices of various inhabitants of town. These speakers blend seamlessly and vivdly to recount their simple lives and their actions relative to the missing child.
Life in this small, insignificant,Indiana town during a sweltering hot summer in the early 70's is vividly portrayed. The disparity of living conditions between the wealthy and the destitute are clearly revealed to the reader.
Martin has created a morally intricate chronicle, addressing the compromises and decisions that people make in their lives and the manner in which they face isolation and grief. Throughout this novel, Martin has woven scenes of self-reflection, tension and suspense which carry the reader to the final pages.
Life in this small, insignificant,Indiana town during a sweltering hot summer in the early 70's is vividly portrayed. The disparity of living conditions between the wealthy and the destitute are clearly revealed to the reader.
Martin has created a morally intricate chronicle, addressing the compromises and decisions that people make in their lives and the manner in which they face isolation and grief. Throughout this novel, Martin has woven scenes of self-reflection, tension and suspense which carry the reader to the final pages.
July 26, 2019
just plain sad.
December 16, 2015
My mind boggles that this book was a Pulitzer prize finalist for fiction. It depresses me to think this is the level of writing that was considered possible prize winning fiction in 2011.
Everyone in this story is a blank and they all lived in one very small town. To think the desperate teacher, Mr. Dees was (just to name one odd side of his nature, afraid to try on a jacket in a store) was around any children gave me the creeps. The writing was not even very good, just unusual in that occasionally a chapter would have only one sentence. Maybe that is what impressed the Pulitzer judging?
Thank goodness for my speed reading abilities!
Everyone in this story is a blank and they all lived in one very small town. To think the desperate teacher, Mr. Dees was (just to name one odd side of his nature, afraid to try on a jacket in a store) was around any children gave me the creeps. The writing was not even very good, just unusual in that occasionally a chapter would have only one sentence. Maybe that is what impressed the Pulitzer judging?
Thank goodness for my speed reading abilities!
May 3, 2010
I lived in Indiana in the 1940's, and this book perfectly evokes the horrible summers. The handling of various points of view was masterful: we understand each narrator and his/her flaws. Henry Dees emerges as a sympathetic character--lonely, yearning for connections in life he has missed, acutely aware of his mistakes and the quirks in his character that have contributed to them, an intelligent, gentle, dignified man.
April 7, 2021
3,5 - stiu cã e fãrã de jumãtãti aici pe gr, dar ar fi o nedreptate sã ^colorez doar trei stelute. O carte trist-tensionatã, un fel de carte-detectiv care m-a dus pe urmele fermecãtoarei Katie si a criminalului ei (* sau a criminalilor ei, cãci au ucis-o toti din prea multã dragoste). As vrea sã nu mã ajungã bãtrânetile si sã fiu o Claire.
June 12, 2016
I read this book in two days, not because I enjoyed it, but because I paid money for it (rather than checking it out from the library) and I simply wanted to hurry up and finish it so that I wouldn't have to read it any longer. To be honest, I did speed read through some chapters because I just didn't have patience for the horrible writing and unnecessary details that served no purpose other than filling pages. I cannot agree more with the comment another reviewer left, which is that it boggles me how this novel actually won a Pulitzer prize. I keep thinking about the book I just read, and I'm trying to figure out where in those pages was anything prize-worthy. Not one single chapter stood out to me. At times the narrator even begged the reader to keep going, don't stop now, please hear me to the end. It's almost as if the author knew his writing was terrible. I was never gripped to this story, at any point. If I had checked it out from the library, I never would have read past the first couple chapters. I would not recommend this book to anyone.
May 13, 2015
If I had to choose a few words to describe this novel, it would be a raw examination of guilt, somberly illustrated through the everyday lives of small town individuals, their loneliness and unspoken sacrifices relating to the murder of a treasured nine year old girl.
Avid readers will immediately recognize Lee Martin's novel's similarities to Alice Sebold's iconic novel (also made into film), The Lovely Bones. With not only near identical core storylines (The older, friendless, seemingly gracious though lonely teacher in small Southern town has an improper, pathetic, but almost empathy-inducing predilection towards a pre-teen student, eventually guiding him to involvement with her kidnapping and subsequent murder), the tone of the entire novel is also very similar (somber, depressing, desolate, raw; an honest but difficult read), as well as how it is written (differing individual's perspectives of the events, with impressive depth in characterization).
A reread is likely necessary, but I can say that the conception, although a direct copy, is where Lee Martin's own words, own creative talents, illustrative characterization, and abilities to masterfully set an almost tangible tone, begin to shine. Although Alice Sebold published first, for all we know Lee Martin had the idea first. I, for one, have read many titles that seem almost carbon copies of an idea I have written down for my own novel writing interests. So, maybe easier said than done psychologically, but this should not seriously count against Lee Martin's The Bright Forever.
What I was impressed by was Martin's capability to set the nearly tangible tone, visible within the first few pages.
The multiple perspectives lent itself to proficient characterization by Lee. An example of one sentence that easily gives readers a very visual impression of Dees's personality and mannerisms:
Another foray into the loneliness felt by two characters:
More regrets:
None of us know the dark pain any of us could be harboring. Sometimes, we deny this even to ourselves. Life is a lot more difficult for some than for others; hardships cannot always be overcome. We all do our best to survive, to prosper, but some achieve this with much more ease and grace.
Avid readers will immediately recognize Lee Martin's novel's similarities to Alice Sebold's iconic novel (also made into film), The Lovely Bones. With not only near identical core storylines (The older, friendless, seemingly gracious though lonely teacher in small Southern town has an improper, pathetic, but almost empathy-inducing predilection towards a pre-teen student, eventually guiding him to involvement with her kidnapping and subsequent murder), the tone of the entire novel is also very similar (somber, depressing, desolate, raw; an honest but difficult read), as well as how it is written (differing individual's perspectives of the events, with impressive depth in characterization).
A reread is likely necessary, but I can say that the conception, although a direct copy, is where Lee Martin's own words, own creative talents, illustrative characterization, and abilities to masterfully set an almost tangible tone, begin to shine. Although Alice Sebold published first, for all we know Lee Martin had the idea first. I, for one, have read many titles that seem almost carbon copies of an idea I have written down for my own novel writing interests. So, maybe easier said than done psychologically, but this should not seriously count against Lee Martin's The Bright Forever.
What I was impressed by was Martin's capability to set the nearly tangible tone, visible within the first few pages.
"I'm an old man now, and even though more than thirty years have gone by, I still remember that summer and its secrets, and the way the heat was and how the light stretched on into the evening like it would never leave."
"I couldn't have explained this then, but now I suspect that I had started to sense that he carried his own secrets, that he was expert in covering them over, that we were bound together by the dark lives we tried to hide."
“When someone you love disappears, it's like the light goes dim, and you're in the shadows. You try to do what people tell you: put one foot in front of the other; keep looking up; give yourself over to the seconds and minutes and hours. But always there's that glimmer of light-that way of living you once knew-sort of faded and smoky like the crescent moon on a winter's night when the air is full of ice and clouds, but still there, hanging just over your head. You think it's not far. Your think at any moment you can reach out and grab it.”
The multiple perspectives lent itself to proficient characterization by Lee. An example of one sentence that easily gives readers a very visual impression of Dees's personality and mannerisms:
"It was a small thing like that, a thing I can barely stand to say how foolish it makes me look, but what I hope you'll understand, despite how I've sometimes deceived you, how far a lonely man like me might go, how much he might risk for anything.... "
Another foray into the loneliness felt by two characters:
"So that was how their friendship began, with this moment in the garage when they both admitted, without saying as much, that they were less than satisfied with the way their lives had turned out. They never said the words. They never said "lonely." They never said "afraid." They never spoke of the yearning or the wrong turns they'd taken over the years and the hard places they'd come to, but it was all plain in what they did say, which was, as Mr. Dees knew, as much as they could risk because they were just starting to get to know each other and how much could anyone stand to feel pulsing in another person's heart?"
More regrets:
“You can pretend that your life is going on when really, all along, you’re trapped in a moment you’ll never be able to change.”
“Life had gone on. It always did. that's what you learned as you got older. Time. It kept moving. You wished you could change. They were gone."
That's the way it was, always will be. nothing we can do to make it different. It's a story now, and stories have endings even when you don't know- fools like me- that you're already in the middle of one, and you're already making choices... Choices that will bring you to places you'd never thought you'd be, places in your heart you'll mourn and love the rest of your life."
“I thought to myself then that it didn't matter where I ended up; I'd always be living that summer in that town, wishing that I had done things differently, tormented by the fact that I hadn't. I'd never go far enough to be able to escape it. Maybe you're happy about that. Maybe not. Maybe you're carrying your own regrets, and you understand how easy it is to let your life get away from you. I wish I could be the hero of this story, but I'm not. I'm just the one to tell it, at least my part in it, the story of Katie Mackey and the people who failed her. It's an old one, this tale of selfish desires and the lament that follows, as ancient as the story of Adam and Eve turned away forever from paradise.”
None of us know the dark pain any of us could be harboring. Sometimes, we deny this even to ourselves. Life is a lot more difficult for some than for others; hardships cannot always be overcome. We all do our best to survive, to prosper, but some achieve this with much more ease and grace.
“I think it was this: like most of us, he was carrying a misery in his soul. I don't say it to forgive what he done, only to say it as true as I can. He was a wrong-minded man, but inside- I swear this is true- he was always that little boy eating that fried-egg sandwich in that dark hallway while the steam pipe dripped water on his head. I don't ask you to excuse him, only to understand that there's people who don't have what others do, and sometimes they get hurtful in their hearts, and they puff themselves up and try all sorts of schemes to level the ground- to get the bricks and joints all plumb, Ray used to say. They take wrong turns, hit dead ends, and sometimes they never make their way back."I would not be exaggerating to say that it is a depressing read; one turns the last page needed some sunshine to feel more positive about life. Alas, sometimes the truth needs to be expressed. To have it expressed with eloquence makes it easier to accept. What truth? The truth that all of us have secrets, hide our regrets; we can all only do our best to survive. Two of my favorite quotes this novel brought to mind:
"Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle." attributed to Philo
"Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around." by Leo Buscaglia
May 22, 2009
"If you want to listen, you’ll have to trust me. Or close the book; go back to your lives. I warn you: this is a story as hard to hear as it is for me to tell."
I have very mixed feelings about this book. First and foremost, had this not been assigned for class, I would have taken the character up on his offer and closed the book. This kind of literary device seems amateurish, stemming only from a writer’s insecurity. And unfortunately, it occurred all throughout the book. While I understand it was assigned to the character as one of his traits, it doesn’t make it any less annoying, and I stand firm by my assumption that it was really the writer’s insecurities coming through the character.
This book was fairly predictable. It’s about a little girl who goes missing one evening when she goes to return some library books. Martin writes small-town Indiana very well; I could relate, being from small-town Ohio, but at the same time, I wish there would have been a bit more psychology regarding the characters and how the town works.
I absolutely loathed one of the characters, Clare. She is a widow who re-married and she is portrayed as being a victim. I understand that she feels like a victim, and that women like her exist, but my feminist heart wishes there would have been some hope for her.
I think more fascinating than the story itself is the construction of the novel. One of the characters has chapters of his speech that are only one sentence long—and this is, apparently, the character whose voice he wrote his first draft in. Cutting his speech down to sentences is a complete turn-around, and I think it was beneficial for the book... and makes me wonder if someday I might have to do something as drastic in order to save one of my own novels.
The past and present and future are all interwoven together, with one character talking from the future, and then glimpses into what happened the day the girl disappeared, with the present being represented as mystery (although the characters all know what is going to happen, you as a reader don’t).
If you like contemporary fiction that has a fair conclusion and a fair amount of mystery, or like books that unfold gently, or are about little girls who go missing (apparently this is becoming a trend??), then this would be a good book for you.
I have very mixed feelings about this book. First and foremost, had this not been assigned for class, I would have taken the character up on his offer and closed the book. This kind of literary device seems amateurish, stemming only from a writer’s insecurity. And unfortunately, it occurred all throughout the book. While I understand it was assigned to the character as one of his traits, it doesn’t make it any less annoying, and I stand firm by my assumption that it was really the writer’s insecurities coming through the character.
This book was fairly predictable. It’s about a little girl who goes missing one evening when she goes to return some library books. Martin writes small-town Indiana very well; I could relate, being from small-town Ohio, but at the same time, I wish there would have been a bit more psychology regarding the characters and how the town works.
I absolutely loathed one of the characters, Clare. She is a widow who re-married and she is portrayed as being a victim. I understand that she feels like a victim, and that women like her exist, but my feminist heart wishes there would have been some hope for her.
I think more fascinating than the story itself is the construction of the novel. One of the characters has chapters of his speech that are only one sentence long—and this is, apparently, the character whose voice he wrote his first draft in. Cutting his speech down to sentences is a complete turn-around, and I think it was beneficial for the book... and makes me wonder if someday I might have to do something as drastic in order to save one of my own novels.
The past and present and future are all interwoven together, with one character talking from the future, and then glimpses into what happened the day the girl disappeared, with the present being represented as mystery (although the characters all know what is going to happen, you as a reader don’t).
If you like contemporary fiction that has a fair conclusion and a fair amount of mystery, or like books that unfold gently, or are about little girls who go missing (apparently this is becoming a trend??), then this would be a good book for you.
February 9, 2017
S'il faut résumer ce roman dans un seul mot ça sera: REGRET! une vraie contemplation réfléchie sur la nature du regret, mais aussi un page-turner qu'on ne peut lâcher une fois entamé.
chronique complète sur mon blog: http://liseuseenserie.blogspot.com/20...
S'il est des romans qui brillent d'emblée par le style de l'écriture, Cet été-là en fait certainement partie. Ce qu'on pourrait prendre à tord pour de la préciosité s'avère être un soin exceptionnel apporté à la narration, sans fioritures et sans artifices.
Ce roman triste mais envoûtant hantera vos pensées des jours après l'avoir terminé.
Katie Mackey, une charmante jeune fille de neuf ans, originaire d'une famille très respectée et aisée, a disparu. L'histoire est racontée par divers locuteurs, tous habitants de la ville et tous en rapport d'une façon ou d'une autre avec cette disparition.
J'ai beaucoup aimé cette lecture, cette panoplie de personnages avec leurs voix diverses et bien différenciées, ce style d'écriture très "littéraire", imagé, recherché et très entraînant! je n'étais pas surprise de savoir que l'auteur était nominé pour le prix Pulitzer; sa plume est vraiment des plus abouties!
Cet été-là est le récit d'un drame à travers les voix de plusieurs protagonistes, mais c'est aussi le portrait d'une époque, et d'une petite ville américaine, avec beaucoup de mélancolie et de nostalgie.
Alors si vous cherchez un roman noir poignant, subtil, sensoriel, n'hésitez plus! Vous allez adorer Cet été-là, un livre qui tient toutes ses promesses!
chronique complète sur mon blog: http://liseuseenserie.blogspot.com/20...
S'il est des romans qui brillent d'emblée par le style de l'écriture, Cet été-là en fait certainement partie. Ce qu'on pourrait prendre à tord pour de la préciosité s'avère être un soin exceptionnel apporté à la narration, sans fioritures et sans artifices.
Ce roman triste mais envoûtant hantera vos pensées des jours après l'avoir terminé.
Katie Mackey, une charmante jeune fille de neuf ans, originaire d'une famille très respectée et aisée, a disparu. L'histoire est racontée par divers locuteurs, tous habitants de la ville et tous en rapport d'une façon ou d'une autre avec cette disparition.
J'ai beaucoup aimé cette lecture, cette panoplie de personnages avec leurs voix diverses et bien différenciées, ce style d'écriture très "littéraire", imagé, recherché et très entraînant! je n'étais pas surprise de savoir que l'auteur était nominé pour le prix Pulitzer; sa plume est vraiment des plus abouties!
Cet été-là est le récit d'un drame à travers les voix de plusieurs protagonistes, mais c'est aussi le portrait d'une époque, et d'une petite ville américaine, avec beaucoup de mélancolie et de nostalgie.
Alors si vous cherchez un roman noir poignant, subtil, sensoriel, n'hésitez plus! Vous allez adorer Cet été-là, un livre qui tient toutes ses promesses!
November 12, 2007
I loved the voices in this book. The Bright Forever tells the story of the disappearance of Katie, an engaging 9 year old. Each chapter is narrated by one of the main characters. It reminded me Jodi Picoult's style of story telling. By the end of the book I felt empathy for all of the characters.
April 25, 2010
Okay, so I have to fess up and say that I almost missed out on reading this book because I feared it would be a "Lovely Bones" knockoff. There are the obvious similarities, from the missing girl and the emotional effects of her disappearance, right down to the same bare blue cover with only a charm bracelet adorning one book, a lock of hair the other. But I can assure you that "The Bright Forever" is a beautiful (and tragic) book in its own right, and should be read independent of any comparisons towards "The Lovely Bones".
Nine-year-old Katie went missing after pedaling off on her bicycle to return some library books after dinner one evening. The story of her disappearance is set in a small Illinois town during a steamy-hot summer in the 70's, and is told through the alternating perspectives of a small cast of townsfolk. Through these short narrative snippets, the author manages to portray fully developed, emotionally "alive" characters. The deep loneliness, the desperation, felt by some is vivedly portrayed, and evoked sadness and sympathy in me as a reader. There is also a great deal of subtle suspense (subtle as opposed to an edge-of-year-seat action-based thriller, which this is not) as we come closer to learning the truth of what happened with Katie on that July evening.
I really loved this book and was hooked from the first page. I definitely recommend it to all, except for those who are most sensitive to missing-child stories (Vanessa, you may choose to skip this one, although if you handled The Lovely Bones, I think you could handle this one!).
Nine-year-old Katie went missing after pedaling off on her bicycle to return some library books after dinner one evening. The story of her disappearance is set in a small Illinois town during a steamy-hot summer in the 70's, and is told through the alternating perspectives of a small cast of townsfolk. Through these short narrative snippets, the author manages to portray fully developed, emotionally "alive" characters. The deep loneliness, the desperation, felt by some is vivedly portrayed, and evoked sadness and sympathy in me as a reader. There is also a great deal of subtle suspense (subtle as opposed to an edge-of-year-seat action-based thriller, which this is not) as we come closer to learning the truth of what happened with Katie on that July evening.
I really loved this book and was hooked from the first page. I definitely recommend it to all, except for those who are most sensitive to missing-child stories (Vanessa, you may choose to skip this one, although if you handled The Lovely Bones, I think you could handle this one!).
Read
December 17, 2012I don't know what to say: This book is absolutely amazing. The story is about the kidnapping (and death? I will not ruin this secret) of a little girl from a small Indiana town in the 1970's. The point of view shifts often, from the mother, father, brother, to the teacher, neighbor, etc., even including the viewpoint of the abductor him/her self. While this could have been morbid and horrifying, the book is surprisingly light and easy to read; not in a fluffy, bubble gum sort of way, Martin is a literary writer at the top of his game, but in the sort of way that keeps you from wanting the book down, partly from suspense and partly from the shear delight of reading. I most highly recommend this book to anyone with a pulse.
~Jason
~Jason
March 27, 2008
*********SPOILER***************
This book was absolutely horrible. The storyline was disgusting and reminiscent of the Jon Benet Ramsey media story. I found the story repulsive and sickening. It reminded me of The Lovely Bones but that was much better written.
This book was absolutely horrible. The storyline was disgusting and reminiscent of the Jon Benet Ramsey media story. I found the story repulsive and sickening. It reminded me of The Lovely Bones but that was much better written.
September 16, 2020
This is a very sad book about a young girl who goes missing. I liked the way the author wrote each characters point of view so differently.
December 28, 2009
On a beautiful July evening, nine-year-old Katie Mackey disappears on her way to the library. And our hearts break.
I just don't know where to start. It's hard not to compare this to Alice Sebold's The Lovely Bones , but there's a huge difference. As I remember it, The Lovely Bones dealt with the family's grieving process through the years following Susie's death. The Bright Forever follows the immediate aftermath of Katie's disappearance. All the rage, despair, hope, shame, suspicions, and "what if"s are examined in this book.
And then it goes a step farther. At the very end is something of a call to action. The last narrator (there are several) says,
"And what about the ones that evening who saw us come and go...and never for an instant thought there might be something wrong?
The problem is this: how many of us were there who could have done something to stop what was going to happen? Where does responsibility start and end?"
"We thought we were all free: free from work, from chores, from one another."
"'He always looked like he was carrying the world on his back. I'd see him around town, and my heart would break.'
'Did you ever tell him that?' I asked her. 'Tell him that you saw him, that you felt something about what it was to have his kind of life?'
'I can't recall ever saying a word.'
'He might have liked to have heard it.'"
What could be prevented if we just noticed each other? Not even just crimes. Maybe the neglected little boy wouldn't grow up to be the twisted man if someone had noticed his pain when he was younger. Just noticing. How hard is it, really? And yet we seldom do it.
I can't say that the characters were developed all that well, but I believe this was on purpose. They became archetypes. If they had each had too much of their own personality, they would have only been a character in a book. As it is, it's all too easy to see your neighbor, your co-worker, your child, or even yourself. And that ultimately makes the story pack a harder punch.
I have to say that there was one little thing that drove me crazy. I swear they talk about Katie's gorgeous brown hair. My husband and I agree that the lock of hair on my cover is blond. I think the idea for the cover was great, but I wish they had gotten that detail right.
I'm tempted to say that parents of young children might want to steer clear of this novel. It's every parent's worst nightmare. But in a way, it teaches you to appreciate every moment you have with your family. So I'll leave it up to each reader reading this review. You know what you can handle. This isn't an easy book to read by any means, but it definitely left me thinking.
I just don't know where to start. It's hard not to compare this to Alice Sebold's The Lovely Bones , but there's a huge difference. As I remember it, The Lovely Bones dealt with the family's grieving process through the years following Susie's death. The Bright Forever follows the immediate aftermath of Katie's disappearance. All the rage, despair, hope, shame, suspicions, and "what if"s are examined in this book.
And then it goes a step farther. At the very end is something of a call to action. The last narrator (there are several) says,
"And what about the ones that evening who saw us come and go...and never for an instant thought there might be something wrong?
The problem is this: how many of us were there who could have done something to stop what was going to happen? Where does responsibility start and end?"
"We thought we were all free: free from work, from chores, from one another."
"'He always looked like he was carrying the world on his back. I'd see him around town, and my heart would break.'
'Did you ever tell him that?' I asked her. 'Tell him that you saw him, that you felt something about what it was to have his kind of life?'
'I can't recall ever saying a word.'
'He might have liked to have heard it.'"
What could be prevented if we just noticed each other? Not even just crimes. Maybe the neglected little boy wouldn't grow up to be the twisted man if someone had noticed his pain when he was younger. Just noticing. How hard is it, really? And yet we seldom do it.
I can't say that the characters were developed all that well, but I believe this was on purpose. They became archetypes. If they had each had too much of their own personality, they would have only been a character in a book. As it is, it's all too easy to see your neighbor, your co-worker, your child, or even yourself. And that ultimately makes the story pack a harder punch.
I have to say that there was one little thing that drove me crazy. I swear they talk about Katie's gorgeous brown hair. My husband and I agree that the lock of hair on my cover is blond. I think the idea for the cover was great, but I wish they had gotten that detail right.
I'm tempted to say that parents of young children might want to steer clear of this novel. It's every parent's worst nightmare. But in a way, it teaches you to appreciate every moment you have with your family. So I'll leave it up to each reader reading this review. You know what you can handle. This isn't an easy book to read by any means, but it definitely left me thinking.
August 19, 2011
The back cover introduces the situation: "On an evening like any other, nine-year-old Katie Mackey, daughter of the most affluent family in a small town on the plain of Indiana, sets out on her bicycle to return some library books"
I will credit the author for telling this tale in plain, speaking language from several characters' points of view. However, this proved to be a bothersome subject - and not just because of the prolonged answer to the obvious question: "What happened to Katie Mackey?"
I read this book because I am the mother of two young girls and I was instantly intrigued by the mystery. Initially, I enjoyed the storytelling because I like it when an author weaves a story by telling it from multiple characters' viewpoints.
However, by the time I was two-thirds of the way through this book, I was annoyed with the author's tone - especially in Mr. Henry Dees' puny voice. I quickly grew tired of his wimpering with phrases that literally bait the READER "But wait. We're almost at the end. Stay with me just a while longer. What do you have to lose now? Please, don't go." It seems like a pathetic technique to keep the reader engaged...which sadly worked because I was simply curious after 4 nights of reading to finally find out whatever did actually happen to Katie Mackey.
I will credit the author for telling this tale in plain, speaking language from several characters' points of view. However, this proved to be a bothersome subject - and not just because of the prolonged answer to the obvious question: "What happened to Katie Mackey?"
I read this book because I am the mother of two young girls and I was instantly intrigued by the mystery. Initially, I enjoyed the storytelling because I like it when an author weaves a story by telling it from multiple characters' viewpoints.
However, by the time I was two-thirds of the way through this book, I was annoyed with the author's tone - especially in Mr. Henry Dees' puny voice. I quickly grew tired of his wimpering with phrases that literally bait the READER "But wait. We're almost at the end. Stay with me just a while longer. What do you have to lose now? Please, don't go." It seems like a pathetic technique to keep the reader engaged...which sadly worked because I was simply curious after 4 nights of reading to finally find out whatever did actually happen to Katie Mackey.
July 3, 2008
This book was equally engrossing and disturbing. I'm actually surprised I chose to read it as it was about the disappearance of a little girl. Comparisons to Alice Sebold's The Lovely Bones will surely come to mind, but the books are nothing alike. I enjoyed this book so much more than Sebold's novel, which at times, could become a little trite.
It has 5 different narrators, and even with this multi-narrative, the author creates deft characterizations. You get a very rich understanding of what motivates each character. It, like Dan Chaon's You Remnind Me of Me, shows you how loneliness drives people to commit terrible acts.
A note to you Neko Case fans. "Blacklisted" help him get over a writing hump with the manuscript.
It has 5 different narrators, and even with this multi-narrative, the author creates deft characterizations. You get a very rich understanding of what motivates each character. It, like Dan Chaon's You Remnind Me of Me, shows you how loneliness drives people to commit terrible acts.
A note to you Neko Case fans. "Blacklisted" help him get over a writing hump with the manuscript.
March 15, 2013
Loneliness, loss and the eggshell thin veneer of happiness are central themes in this tightly written, highly disturbing novel. Martin wastes hardly a word as he weaves a narrative using the voices of those intimately involved in the disappearance of a 9 year-old girl. Lives crumble and the story spirals toward an ending you both expect and, because of a late twist, don't expect. Martin is an immensely talented story-teller.
October 2, 2020
The Bright Forever by Lee Martin was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in 2006, a commendation which, in my opinion, somewhat flatters the credentials of this book.
Don't get me wrong, it was OK, quite entertaining, even compelling at times and a quick, easy read. But it was the folksy, faux wholesome, 1970s American family TV show style of writing that annoyed me, particularly in the beginning. It was kind of fairy floss sweet with about as much substance. But it did improve as it went along and got more into the nitty-gritty of its characters.
The plot, set in 1972, involves the disappearance of a nine year old girl, Katie Mackey, who left home one hot evening to return books to the library and didn't return. Her father and brother found her abandoned bicycle, with the chain dislodged, near the library.
Separately, we are introduced to a couple of adult male characters who will become the key suspects in the girl's disappearance.
Mr Dees is a lonely teacher, who tutors Katie and other local kids in math, and who is a committed voyeur with an unhealthy obsession with Katie, and who claims to love her as if she were his own daughter.
Raymond R Wright is a man who seems outwardly friendly and one of those neighbours always willing to help out, who has set up house near Mr Dees with a widow, Claire. But he is also a lonely man, who has become accustomed to rejection and disadvantage all his life, and who is developing a serious drug problem.
The narrative is related in relatively short chapters by various characters, including Mr Dees and Katie's brother Gilly, while others are related in the third person to fill in gaps.
The author sets up the story to make the reader suspect both Dees and Wright, and even when one is arrested, there remains some doubt about whether this is the right man, or even whether both men acted together in the crime.
Katie's father, assisted by son Gilly, decide to take matters into their own hands in an effort to find out what happened to Katie, and so commit a further serious crime.
Lee Martin has captured small town America of the 1970s, a time of family values, innocence and connected community, although some of the pop culture references, particularly related to songs, seemed contrived and a bit kitsch.
Overall, this is a more than satisfactory crime mystery novel with some astute and well developed character study of two middle aged, lonely and very flawed men.
Don't get me wrong, it was OK, quite entertaining, even compelling at times and a quick, easy read. But it was the folksy, faux wholesome, 1970s American family TV show style of writing that annoyed me, particularly in the beginning. It was kind of fairy floss sweet with about as much substance. But it did improve as it went along and got more into the nitty-gritty of its characters.
The plot, set in 1972, involves the disappearance of a nine year old girl, Katie Mackey, who left home one hot evening to return books to the library and didn't return. Her father and brother found her abandoned bicycle, with the chain dislodged, near the library.
Separately, we are introduced to a couple of adult male characters who will become the key suspects in the girl's disappearance.
Mr Dees is a lonely teacher, who tutors Katie and other local kids in math, and who is a committed voyeur with an unhealthy obsession with Katie, and who claims to love her as if she were his own daughter.
Raymond R Wright is a man who seems outwardly friendly and one of those neighbours always willing to help out, who has set up house near Mr Dees with a widow, Claire. But he is also a lonely man, who has become accustomed to rejection and disadvantage all his life, and who is developing a serious drug problem.
The narrative is related in relatively short chapters by various characters, including Mr Dees and Katie's brother Gilly, while others are related in the third person to fill in gaps.
The author sets up the story to make the reader suspect both Dees and Wright, and even when one is arrested, there remains some doubt about whether this is the right man, or even whether both men acted together in the crime.
Katie's father, assisted by son Gilly, decide to take matters into their own hands in an effort to find out what happened to Katie, and so commit a further serious crime.
Lee Martin has captured small town America of the 1970s, a time of family values, innocence and connected community, although some of the pop culture references, particularly related to songs, seemed contrived and a bit kitsch.
Overall, this is a more than satisfactory crime mystery novel with some astute and well developed character study of two middle aged, lonely and very flawed men.
September 6, 2020
This is a great book. A literary mystery, it was a finalist for the Pulitzer in 2006. A little girl disappeared in a small Indiana town 30 years ago, and the storytelling switches between present-day, first-person confessionals from various people to an omniscient narrator filling in the blanks of what happened that summer.
I read almost all of it in one day. I couldn't put it down. But I think people would describe it as a slow burn. It's more about the characters, life's burdens and secrets, the tension that builds as the search for Katie continues and lives intertwine. This is not a story full of twists as much as layers.
I was
Despite the grim topic, it was a joy to read. The story was spellbinding. The narrators are the people who were around or involved, and they all have their own sad stories and regrets. You never hear Katie's perspective, so she becomes this symbol of innocence, something almost unreal in the background. (Some people might not like that it was told that way, but this keeps the focus on the the tormented lives around her, which is what The Bright Forever is about.)
The narrators are not reliable. You could have a long discussion about what really happened.
I read almost all of it in one day. I couldn't put it down. But I think people would describe it as a slow burn. It's more about the characters, life's burdens and secrets, the tension that builds as the search for Katie continues and lives intertwine. This is not a story full of twists as much as layers.
I was
Despite the grim topic, it was a joy to read. The story was spellbinding. The narrators are the people who were around or involved, and they all have their own sad stories and regrets. You never hear Katie's perspective, so she becomes this symbol of innocence, something almost unreal in the background. (Some people might not like that it was told that way, but this keeps the focus on the the tormented lives around her, which is what The Bright Forever is about.)
The narrators are not reliable. You could have a long discussion about what really happened.
April 1, 2023
I feel a lot of things right now. "I'm not saying I didn't do it. I don't know." That opening line made me nervous and scared to keep going.This is such a good mystery book, it kept me guessing every single page. In some parts I felt very weirded out and those creepy vibes just made me want to close the book and not pick it up again, but I felt like it compelled me to continue reading. Even though I know what happens, I didn't know the full story and the puzzle pieces were so scattered that I couldn't tell who did it or who was telling the truth. I thought I guessed it right but I just kept getting more clues in every single chapter and then I'll be thinking "Oh well now I have to fit that in somehow, but then that doesn't make sense..." That last chapter made me choke up, I couldn't believe what I was reading and for it to end the way it did, I just feel really out of balance(I don't know how to explain it exactly). This is a really good book, I highly recommend.
October 20, 2025
This was a page turner. A nine year old named Katie was kidnapped in a small town. The story is told from 4 people's view points. Mr. Dees, Katie's tutor; Gilley, Katie's brother; Clare and Raymond R; neighbors.
The story is hard to read as Mr. Dees has unnatural feelings for this young girl. He is somewhat creepy. His character does talk to you the reader and encourages you to read on.
Katie and Gilley are from a well off family while the others are from the wrong side of town. Katie, Gilley, Clare are all very likeable characters. The book draws you in as you want to know where Katie is and who took her.
This book had many references to my past. Little House on the Prairie, Charlie Prides Kiss an Angel Good Morning, June 11. There were things that made me smile. A little comedy with this tragedy.
The story is hard to read as Mr. Dees has unnatural feelings for this young girl. He is somewhat creepy. His character does talk to you the reader and encourages you to read on.
Katie and Gilley are from a well off family while the others are from the wrong side of town. Katie, Gilley, Clare are all very likeable characters. The book draws you in as you want to know where Katie is and who took her.
This book had many references to my past. Little House on the Prairie, Charlie Prides Kiss an Angel Good Morning, June 11. There were things that made me smile. A little comedy with this tragedy.
January 17, 2019
This book really shows you how your once nice and comfortable world can change at any second. Some characters are not what they seem to the outside world. This makes their character development change throughout the book. Some characters are a little hard to understand because they are very complex. The readers understanding changes throughout the book because the readers relationship with the characters become stronger and with some characters, this develops before we know much about the character. Each chapter is based on a different character and you learn a little bit about them very slowly. This gives the reader a personal connection to each character all while learning where they come from, where they wanted to be, and why they are the way they are.
October 10, 2017
This lovely book is a tragic story from multiple perspectives, those who must live with themselves after the tragedy. It is a wonderfully told story that reveals more and more, pulling us deeper and deeper into the tale. And what it reveals in the end is so much more than the facts of what happened.
I was lucky enough to have Lee Martin review some of my writing and provide me feedback. I can say that the 30-minute conversation told me more about how to proceed with my revisions than any other meeting (agent, editor, or otherwise) of the last year. His insight into the human condition must contribute in no small way to his talent as a writer. At least, it seems that way to me.
I was lucky enough to have Lee Martin review some of my writing and provide me feedback. I can say that the 30-minute conversation told me more about how to proceed with my revisions than any other meeting (agent, editor, or otherwise) of the last year. His insight into the human condition must contribute in no small way to his talent as a writer. At least, it seems that way to me.
November 3, 2019
"Dincolo de intriga polițistă "O vară fără de sfârșit" este o carte despre felul in care alegerile făcute la un moment dat îți pot schimba viața pentru totdeauna. Dozând faptele, speculațiile și contradicțiile pe măsură ce furnizeaza detaliile acțiunii, Lee Martin creează o poveste captivantă și profund umană. Proza lui alertă conturează un portret extrem de nuanțat al relațiilor care se stabilesc între niște oameni ce se străduiesc să facă față unei pierderi foarte grele. " O vară fără de sfârșit" este o pledoarie convingătoare și plină de sensibilitate despre nevoia omului de a cunoaște adevarul, oricât de dureros ar fi acesta."
July 2, 2018
This book may haunt me for quite some time. Just when I though I knew what was coming, Henry Dees tells me he's not done with his story yet and I should stay with it through the end. What deep and dark characters Lee Martin created! Each person had his/her own dark side, untruths, secrets. If any one of them had done one thing differently on the night that Katie disappeared, there may not have been a story to tell. Such is life...
May 11, 2022
This is a book that I struggle to review. I don't think it was bad, by any means. It captures a series of characters and unreliable narrators really well. You never know who to trust, but I still found it easy to follow the events of the story. It's a hard line to walk and was well done here.
But at the same time, this is one of the most forgettable books I've read in a long time. I struggled to keep myself from skimming it while reading and had to continuously go back over passages that I hadn't read thoroughly. I just wanted to get through it more than I cared about the actual story.
I'm writing this review five minutes after finishing the book because I worry in another ten or twenty I'd forget about it completely. I still worry I've waited too long because I can't think of anything to write here.
I wouldn't tell anyone to avoid this book, but I can't say I'd recommend it either. I wanted to really enjoy the story because I love missing persons cases that fall closer to literary fiction than thriller, but this one just didn't do much for me.
But at the same time, this is one of the most forgettable books I've read in a long time. I struggled to keep myself from skimming it while reading and had to continuously go back over passages that I hadn't read thoroughly. I just wanted to get through it more than I cared about the actual story.
I'm writing this review five minutes after finishing the book because I worry in another ten or twenty I'd forget about it completely. I still worry I've waited too long because I can't think of anything to write here.
I wouldn't tell anyone to avoid this book, but I can't say I'd recommend it either. I wanted to really enjoy the story because I love missing persons cases that fall closer to literary fiction than thriller, but this one just didn't do much for me.
March 22, 2017
The synopsis on the back of the book doesn't give too much away. Gives you just enough to be curious. The story itself is heartbreaking, but amazingly written. I like the style the author took in writing it from everyone's point of view. It caught me off guard in the beginning but that was the part that kept me from wanting to put it down. Just waiting to get to the next characters POV. Sad story but great book.
April 29, 2020
No idea where I picked this up from but I liked it.
3 and-a-half stars.
3 and-a-half stars.
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