Brighter Than the Moon

by David Valdes

Shy foster kid Jonas and self-assured vlogger Shani met online, and so far, that's where their relationship has stayed, sharing memes and baring their souls from behind their screens. Shani is eager to finally meet up, but Jonas isn't so sure--he's not confident Shani will like the real him . . . if he's even sure who that is. Jonas knows he's trapped himself in a lie with Shani--and wants to dig himself out. But Shani, who's been burned before, may not give him a she talks her best friend Ash into playing spy and finding out the truth. When Ash falls for Jonas, too, he keeps that news from Shani, and soon they're all keeping secrets. Will it matter that their hearts are in the right place? Coming clean will require them to figure out who they really are, which is no easy task when all the pieces of your identity go beyond easy boxes and labels.Lauded writer David Valdes offers a heartfelt, clever, and thought-provoking story about how we figure out who we want to be--online and IRL--for fans of David Levithan and Adam Silvera.

Genres: Romance, Young Adult, Contemporary, LGBT, Queer, Realistic Fiction, Fiction

352 pages, Hardcover

First published January 10, 2023

About the author

Writes books for adults under the name David Valdes Greenwood.
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...

David Valdes is the author of two memoirs, Homo Domesticus and A Little Fruitcake, and the new narrative nonfiction book The Rhinestone Sisterhood. As a playwright, his work has been staged coast to coast and in the UK. He has written the YA novels Spin Me Right Round, Finding My Elf, and Brighter Than the Moon. A former freelance journalist, Valdes Greenwood is best known for his Boston Globe columns.

Reviews

[emma · Rating 2 out of 5]

not to be that person but...the moon is not that bright.

also this is a book about the most unlikable characters in the world.

so do with those two things what you will.

bottom line: if you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all. this is the closet i could make myself get to that.

(thanks to the publisher for the copy)

[Marieke (mariekes_mesmerizing_books) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Okayyyy … I know by now that whenever I use the word okay at the beginning of a review there’s something off. And in this case I have no clue why, except …

First of all, I don’t hate this book. It’s quite nice actually. I liked the message of not knowing all the answers right away, the BIPOC and queer rep, and I simply adored Jonas. The story is easy to read and I flew through the pages. But something crawled under my skin that kept itching.

It might be the writing, third person, present tense. I just don’t like third person, present tense that much and think it can only be pulled off by the best authors.

It might be Shani. I liked Ash with all his flaws, I loved Jonas who was so brave, but somehow I couldn’t connect to Shani as much as I wanted to.

It might be the triple POV. Usually, I love multiple POVs but somehow I didn’t like the jumps from one to the other in this story.

It might be just me. Like I said, this story is quite nice actually. So don’t let me encourage you to remove this book from your TBR. On the contrary even. If you like the message with heavier themes underneath, easy readable YA stories with multiple POVs, and great queer and BIPOC rep then this might be just the book for you!

I received an ARC from Bloomsbury YA and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

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[Starr ❇✌❇ · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received an ARC from Edelweiss
TW: hospice & cancer, death of family members, mentioned catfishing, racism

This was a weird on for me. There are some themes at play that I appreciate but the execution left me feeling less than happy.

The over-arching theme of this book is identity and allowing there to be more than black and white. An adaptability, an elasticity, is important and can take a while to get comfortable with, so I do like that this conversation was so prevalent and covered multiple different topics. It's also a conversation/theme that evolved slowly through out the book. However, a lot of the way the conversation was handled and the viewpoints were communicated rubbed me the wrong way to the point where the ending still didn't let me shake that feeling. This is the risk of reading books about being unlearning behaviors- if it doesn't felt truly understood or unlearned properly it can leave you feeling a little grossed out or angry.

I did like the way the mood was done- it's a book of heavy topics, but it felt hopeful throughout. It's well balanced in that regard, and that also made it an engaging and fast read.
Lastly, I'm always a fan of good representation. I jump for joy when I see Polyam rep, and didn't expect to get that in this book. So allowing a love triangle to end with a polyamorous relationship really helped me like this book more. Though, I did feel like the secondary romance leading up to this came out of nowhere and felt rushed in order to create a Triad.

The biggest issue, for me, was that I couldn't get invested in these characters. Their issues with ach other felt one sided or petty, and their personalities were mostly just there to create drama. They don't feel fully fleshed out, which also made it hard for them to feel compatible at all.

There are some things in this book I liked, and I'm sure other people will enjoy this book and its rep, but it had enough issues for it not to be the book for me.

[Anniek · Rating 2 out of 5]

Story-wise, this book has a lot of potential. All three perspectives follow flawed, messy, complex teens, and I thought a lot of elements were really touching. I also quite liked the way the love triangle was resolved. Except, I couldn't get over the writing style. It didn't work for me at all, and it really affected my enjoyment. It's sad, because I think I might have loved this story if not for the writing style. I just felt like it didn't get the story across well at all, and I thought the dialogues and characterizations were written in a very forced way that didn't feel real or natural.

[Shannon Miz · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5*

There were certainly parts of Brighter Than the Moon that I liked, especially as the book went on. But, I also found parts a bit irksome, especially at the start. Luckily, the good definitely outweighed the bad for me!

So, this is clearly a very character driven story, which I do generally enjoy. Jonas's story was particularly compelling and emotive for me, and I really felt immersed in everything going on with his life. That said, I had a much harder time connecting with Ash and Shani. At times I found them flat out unlikable (mostly Ash, though I also think this was purposeful), and other times I was just apathetic. The good news is, there is a lot of character growth in this story, so by the end, I at least felt something for all the characters. Jonas the most, though.

The relationships among the characters is another highlight of this story. There is a heavy focus on both romance and friendships throughout the book, both within the trio and with their friends outside the group. I also really enjoyed the concept of found families being lauded. Obviously, there is going to be some contemporary jargon, since Jonas initially meets Shani and Ash online, but I also felt that there were a lot of pop culture references that would likely date the book pretty quickly. (Also, I need to ask The Youths™: Do people actually still say "do you want to be my girlfriend/boyfriend?" in the year 2023? Like if you are older than 12? Did it come back around?)

Bottom Line: It was certainly a heartfelt story, and I would have found it worth reading if for Jonas's chapters alone. But I was also really glad to see some solid character development for the others, even if we started out on rocky terms.

You can find the full review and all the fancy and/or randomness that accompanies it at It Starts at Midnight

[LGBT Representation in Books · Rating 5 out of 5]

Trigger Warnings: Cursing, racism, fostering, past death of a parent, catfishing, cancer, hospice, death of a parent, funeral at a church

Representation: Transgender, Black, half Indian/half Cuban, Lesbian, Gay

Brighter than the Moon is a ya contemporary romance. Jonas met Shani online, while there hasn’t been much progress, Jonas would like that to change. The only problem is Jonas hasn’t been completely honest with Shani. When she starts to suspect gang Jonás is hiding something, she convinces her best friend Ash to spy and find out the truth. Ash then also falls for Jonas, which may complicate everything for all three. Will it matter that their hearts are in the right place? Coming clean will require them to figure out who they really are, which is no easy task when all the pieces of your identity go beyond easy boxes and labels.

This eARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this book! I finished it in one day! According to other reviews, I am one of the few to think so. I thought the story was interesting and something very different than other ya stories. I loved the theme of not needing labels and having to define everything. This story is filled with a lot of love and respect, despite the rocky beginning. The story has the typical angst and emotions of a high school story but isn’t as whiny as some other teenage books. Overall, it’s a great read and I’d recommend it to anyone struggling with their identity or looking for a warm and loving happy ending.

[m · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5/5. I know they say not to judge a book by it’s cover, but I thought this book was going to be way better because the cover was really cool - The book did not live up to the expectations of the cover.

it was ok… i guess? i didn’t really connect with any of the characters or the plot itself. i found them fairly annoying for most of the book, but they did have their moments. I wasn’t expecting it, but the ending was pretty decent.

points for FULLY committing to a love TRIANGLE.

[Law · Rating 2 out of 5]

Original text:

Representation: TBA
Trigger warnings: TBA

I am sorry. However, I must pause reading Brighter Than the Moon by David Valdes for now. I might pick it up again later.

Update:

Representation: Biracial (half Cuban and half Indian) trans protagonist, biracial (half Black and half white) protagonist, protagonist of unknown race, side Asian and nonbinary character. One protagonist is gay, and another is pansexual.
Trigger warnings: It has been so long since I read this book, I forgot what the trigger warnings were, if there were any.

Brighter Than the Moon by David Valdes was disappointing.

It starts with three protagonists: Jonas, Shani and Ash. They discover each other and soon know one another, and eventually, they form a relationship.

The characters are not likeable or relatable, even if they developed and had depth due to their identities. For instance, Jonas was occasionally being dishonest to other characters, and Ash cheated by writing two similar papers for different subjects. Ash also proves unlikeable by thinking he feels spoiled after his parents took his car away, meaning he had to walk and catch the bus instead. Shani had few memorable characteristics, so she was forgettable.

Furthermore, the book tries to add depth to its characters by providing backstories for them. For example, Jonas is a foster child, and Shani faces struggles with being perceived as Black, even though she is biracial, half Black and half white. Still, that does not change the first point. On a side note, Jonas falls into the overdone trope of a character who keeps lying to make a façade for themselves.

Moreover, the setting is somewhere in the United States of America and is forgettable, since Valdes only described locations briefly.

Also, the writing style is complex yet inconsistent, and Valdes could have simplified it for the novel's intended YA audience. Brighter Than the Moon uses a third-person limited perspective in the present tense, alternating between the protagonists every chapter or even few pages. It also uses slang and jargon in its vocabulary, long sentence structures and almost every punctuation mark possible. For instance, 'btw' appears instead of 'by the way', and the many asides lengthen the sentences, marked with brackets () and em dashes (—).

Advanced punctuation marks used include those, semicolons (;), colons (:) and most notably, en dashes (–). Valdes used en dashes to connect open compounds, such as 'To Catch a Predator–style' and 'Princess Bride–themed', making his book follow major style guides. However, en dashes could be too challenging to understand for YA readers. So, Valdes could have reworded those phrases to read 'in the style of To Catch a Predator' and 'in the theme of The Princess Bride'.

Not only that, but Brighter Than the Moon also uses jargon that may confuse readers, such as '4c hair', 'pan' and 'enbi'. '4c hair' is a code for Black people's hair, 'pan' is short for 'pansexual' and 'enbi' is spelled wrong, as it should be 'enby', short for 'nonbinary'. Such jargon may puzzle readers unfamiliar with such codes, sexuality and gender identity terms. Game title formatting is also not consistent, with Apex Legends in italics but "As You Swish" in quotes.

In contrast, the plot is simple, meaning readers can easily follow it, since it only revolves around the three protagonists. Still, when the novel ended, there is still one plot hole: Jonas' race. People called him terms like 'Caribbean' and 'Sicilian', but Jonas wants to know the truth, so he used a DNA test. Yet, readers can never know the results, so Jonas' race is still unknown, and the issue remains unresolved.

Additionally, the pacing is slow, slightly more than 300 pages. Events pass by slowly, and some were redundant, so Valdes should have removed them to increase the pacing.

Brighter Than the Moon is not that intriguing, since it is one of many YA romances. It tried by introducing a throuple, but that was unnecessary.

In addition, the story flows linearly, with nothing to disrupt that.

Further issues arose with the execution of Brighter Than the Moon. First, the phrase 'pale Vietnamese skin' appears when the novel is 10% done. Such a phrase is a stereotype and a generalisation, since it implies all Vietnamese people have pale skin when they do not.

Second, the book perpetuated foster care myths. Jonas was lost in the system and kept being transferred from person to person. He or someone else had to pay for the food and apartment, which did not line up with real practices in the area where Valdes set his novel. That means Jonas or others did not have to pay for that, but they did anyway.

Third, the narrative reinforced stereotypes against vegans. In one scene, one vegan character forced a plant-based diet, which implies all vegans do that when they do not.

Ultimately, Brighter Than the Moon was not enjoyable due to its flaws.

Note: As a Vietnamese person, this novel was incredibly disappointing, especially since the phrase came from a Cuban author, a Latino man and person of colour.

Score: Four out of ten.

[Jamie Lynn Lano · Rating 1 out of 5]

I was really into this book until one of the POV characters made a small comment about being forced into a plant-based diet. It’s really disappointing to see microaggressions against a group advocating for kindness in what I’d thought until then was a pretty progressive book. I’m a lesbian and microaggressions are lobbied against me for that all the time. I don’t tolerate those and I won’t read anything that lobbies against any of my other identities either. I’m so disappointed at reading this from a fellow queer folk who should understand what it’s liked to have tiny negative comments made about you and not wish to do that to others.

[Marsha · Rating 3 out of 5]

This highly unusual YA love story features three different teens at its center and allows us to access their complicated stories and backstories.

Shani is decisive and is certain she knows whom and what she wants. She’s also been burned twice by cyberdates and is understandably wary of it happening a third time. Ash is handsome, privileged and rich. He’s positive he’s gay. He’s so charming that he’s never had trouble landing male partners and being rich means he’s never had to worry about other people’s problems or feelings. Jonas is a foster child and doesn’t know what he wants. He’s financially impoverished and college probably isn’t an option for him. He’s—almost—certain he’s straight although he’s never had a relationship with anybody or even fantasized about that special someone with whom he’s supposed to be spending his life.

It’s been stated by scientists that our frontal cortex doesn’t fully form until we’re in our mid- to late-twenties. Yet, as Shani notes, you’re expected to have figured out who you are and what you want to do with your life long before then. “Where are you going to college?” “What are you going to study?” “What’s your major?” You’re too young to date and then people demand to know whom you’re seeing. When you date, your parents get antsy and want to know when you’re getting married. After you’re married, they demand to know when you’re going to give them grandbabies.

And so it goes. While the parental figures manage to be compassionate about their children and their decisions, it’s still not enough to check the confusion the three adolescents feel about how they’re going to handle this romantic triangle that has sprung up among them. They’re not even certain what to call their situation. (Millenials. They think they invented everything. We just called such things a ménage à trois or the more contemporary throuple.)

The author manages to juggle their various expectations, uncertainties, mistakes, misunderstandings and churning emotions with a deftness that is absolutely surprising. You wonder what choices are going to be made and wonder if choices have to be made. Waiting breathlessly for the outcome imbues this novel with tension. The situation raises it from the typical YA fare and the ending is like that of The Perks of Being a Wallflower. It reminds you that being young means the world can be filled with possibilities, a never-ending horizon and the promise of being invincible.

[Audrey McGrail · Rating 4 out of 5]

"They can hear their footsteps slapping the pavement, but it still feels like they're flying. Because they are."

Beautiful book. I have never read a YA novel with such inclusion and deep metaphors, and all of the questions that we ask each other when we are young. Brighter Than The Moon doesn't just paint the picture of the future is going to be better or easier. It shows that the future is going to be messy and they are going to have their differences but in the end it all doesn't matter as long as they have each other.

I feel as though people need to take a note from this book. We are all so messy and confused and we don't know what we're doing half the time. People are constantly stressed, especially around the holidays, but why can't we just put a pause on our problems and enjoy the moment? Why can't we all just enjoy the pretty lights and all that we have?

As far as characters go David Valdes did an excellent job. All of them are messy and have different problems and personalities but all of them fit together like pieces in a puzzle. I loved Ash. He was funny, charming, sarcastic and all the things. Jonas was okay. I thought we was a bit of a dud. Always being a peacekeeper and always agreeing with everything.

But this is mostly because I had a friend who was like that so it's bringing back some sour memories. 🫣 Shani wasn't my fav. She was very outspoken and could be a bit harsh sometimes, but that's why the boys love her. However, all of the characters were unique and special in their own way.

The plot wasn't anything new love triangle. But the way it ended?! Ugh 😫 So good. I've never read a book where all of them got what they wanted and it made sense!

Amazing. Amazing work David Valdes. Inclusion 10/10. Characters 9/10. Character development 10/10. Plot 8/10. Brighter than the moon had me invested but did it fulfill that five stars? For me, not really. I am more of a horror girly than a straight up romance novel.

But will I still give it a high rating? Yes. It was a bit cheesy at times but it still was amazing 🤩.

So gay. So poly. So amazing.

[Lillie · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars.

This is a heartwarming novel about three teens navigating their identities together :) The utmost of my complements to the author for capturing the essence of modern teenagers both in writing style and dialogue!

I only take away a star for the pure, undiluted rage one of the characters made me feel, so much so that I truly felt they deserved their own page on the Villains wiki. Another reviewer said that this book is about unlikeable characters, and in a sense, I agree. A lot of their actions are very selfish and frustrating, I suppose in the way teens often are as they learn and grow, but to a point that I almost did not understand why they remained friends at all, sometimes. Truly this felt like a story about a boy with a very tough life, which is made even tougher by two people fucking him over. While there is character development and communication towards the end, I personally believe it does not outweigh the heinous things the main character endures in the first half of the book.

[Mags Dares · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and Bloomsbury USA Children's Books for a copy of Brighter Than the Moon in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this story. I wasn't sure how I was going to feel about it after reading some of the reviews, but I ended up liking it a lot. I understood what a lot of people were saying about the characters being unlikable, but to me they just read like teenagers. Still growing and learning, still a little self-absorbed, but innocent. I loved Jonas, he was definitely my favorite, but I still liked Ash and Shani, and I liked them all together. All the characters go through a good bit of growth in this story, and it ends with them all being better people than when it started. There were some more difficult topics discussed too, like loss and grief and sexual orientation/ sexuality.

Overall, Brighter Than the Moon was a coming of age story following three teens as their lives intertwine. They make mistakes and learn from them, then try to be better, The ending is a little open-ended, but I didn't mind. Really, their lives are just beginning, so life could really take them anywhere and the ending reflected that. I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys YA and I look forward to what the author writes next!

[Jenn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Valdes's newest story explores identity, found family, and unconventional romance. Jonas and Shani met online and have been talking for ages. But even though they live mere miles apart, they've not met in person. But when he tries to ask her to become his girlfriend, she thinks he's asking her to meet for a date in person and now he's freaked. He's not been completely honest with her. When Shani suspects he's been lying about something, she enlists her friend Ash to investigate. But while Ash does uncover lies, he also falls for Jonas. Yikes!

These are some messy kids who make horrible decisions. But the messiness felt...honest. I didn't love Ash. He was a jerk. But I also did t understand what the BFD was with that school assignment he gets in trouble for. It seemed perfectly reasonable to me. I mean, I could get the teachers making him redo, but I don't get him being in trouble for it. 🤷‍♀️

[Ben Buckingham · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book. Brighter than the Moon follows three protagonists: Jonas, Shani and Ash. The book winds through secrets, love, loss and growth, and truly piercing questions of self and identity.

I think it was ambitious to have three distinct narrative voices and protagonists, and I do feel like Ash's story arc is a bit flat. I did not get the resolution I hoped for and I didn't feel like Ash really had a chance to flourish.

The book is divided into four parts, and I wish it had been left either at three or that a fifth had been added because the end of part four felt a bit rougher and open ended, leaving me with an unsatisfied feeling.

Valdes crafts beautiful worlds and this book was no exception. I look forward to seeing what he brings us next.

[Michael Arnold · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a book that I wish I had when I was in high school. Figuring myself out, creating my own identity, finding out who I was and what I wanted. This book has so much representation, and the author made sure through people he knew, that the representation was authentic and appropriate. It is a wonderful story told from three different characters, each on their own journey of self discovery, while intertwining with each other’s journey as well. I deeply connected to Jonas’s character. I recommend this book to anyone who is starting that journey of finding out who they truly are, as well as those who have already been on that journey and those still on it. Lovely book!

[Jeffrey G · Rating 3 out of 5]

Even though there's very little story here, I enjoyed this gender-bending love triangle. It's a lot of representation and very little plot, but somehow it's not boring. Or at least it's mostly not boring. Maybe it is the charm and likeability of the characters. In the afterword, you get a good picture of what's wrong with publishing today in the YA space as the author talks about all the care taken to vet the representation with sensitivity readers and you begin to understand why books are so washed-out and dull these days. It's a case of too many cooks in the kitchen.

Nonetheless, I believe most readers will enjoy this enough to recommend it.

[darcy ★ · Rating 3 out of 5]

found this on a shelf at goodwill and decided to give it a chance because im a sucker for queer YA books. i was pleasantly surprised at how much i enjoyed it (granted the bar was on the floor of goodwill); overall a pretty decent read, nothing super crazy to write home about beyond the fact i really liked the 3-way split POV and how they ended. i will say some pop culture references did make me have to set the book down completely for a few minutes to get over. for instance why are we dedicating a paragraph to describing a sheldon cooper meme compilation. and also why did a seventeen year old girl put a twelve year old on her anime boyfriends list

[Anna Marie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you, Bloomsbury USA Children's Books, for allowing me to read Brighter Than the Moon early.

I was pleasantly surpised that I could download this book without requesting it and I clicked the Read Now button without even thinking. Am I glad that I did! I loved this well written and captivating story and will definitely pick up Spin Me Right Round up too!

[Ari (Books. Libraries. Also, cats.)]

Listened to this on audio, and while it was entertaining, I didn't find it to be nearly as strong as David's previous YA book Spin Me Right Round, which I adored! This one felt kind of muddled and just didn't have as strong & clear a voice and direction as that one. But I think teen readers who like romantic drama will enjoy it!

[Victoria Vivente · Rating 4 out of 5]

Recommended for readers seeking YA contemporaries that prioritize complex moral dilemmas and representation of identity fluidity over straightforward plotting. It’s a challenging, conversation-starting book that bravely tries to reflect the genuine confusion and hope of figuring out who you are.

[Mae B · Rating 4 out of 5]

RTC

[koey · Rating 3 out of 5]

There were some parts that I really liked and some parts that I didn't. It was a bit confusing sometimes but overall 3 stars. Not bad.

[brianna ☁️]

dnf at 11%

"pale vietnamese skin" was my last straw.

[Zoe · Rating 2 out of 5]

I couldn’t get into this.

[Nash! · Rating 3 out of 5]

Where I didn't love this one as much as David Valdes' first book, I didn't guess the twist and it made me really think about my subconscious biases, so a win!

[Molly H · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's a fine and kinda cute story but Ash was kinda annoying at points and I wish Shani was treated better.

[karla melissa ramirez herman · Rating 5 out of 5]

es un libro muy interesante y muy bueno me gusto y mas por el contenido que tiene el libro

[Snow · Rating 3 out of 5]

~2.5

[Kristina · Rating 2 out of 5]

2. It loses stars for perpetuating foster care myths. Just look up the facts before publishing. Were there not editors or beta readers? Did we really need a throuple? With 17 year olds? It just came off too mature.. Other than that, it was good.