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Review
The Bright Forever was
an extremely quick read. The plot was full of twists and turns and came from different perspectives of all the people affected
by the mystery. These twists and turns were engrossing and encouraged further reading. Each new perspective added to the facts
and lies and as each character returned they added to their own alabies and stories little by little until the very end where
the truth was revealed. The author's writing was clear and the words seemed to come from the characters themselves.It was
an all around interesting and captivating novel.
Quotes
"I'm not saying I didn't do it. I don't know" (1).
The novel begins from the perspective of Raymond R., one of the main suspects throughout the
novel. This quote was intriguing because it starts the story with no background, no insight on who this man might be or what
he is talking about. This sets the tone for Raymond's character and for The Bright Forever. Facts are given
out with about backgroudn information, allowing the reader a chance to try to interpret what happens before they are informed.
Further along it is divulged that Raymond is a drunk and that he was last seen with Katie Mackey, the kidnapping victim.
"What I told Raymond R. was this: I didn't think of Katie Mackey, or any of my other
pupils, with lust. I loved them the way I would have loved my own children, had circumstancces allowed me a family" (72).
"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 decieved you, how far a lonely man like me might go,
how much he might risk" (237).
Henry Dees is the narrator in The Bright Forever and another suspect in Katie
Mackey's disappearance. In these quotes he is talking directly to the reader, pleading with them to understand waht he did
and why he did it. Henry's fetish for Katie Mackey makes him a creepy character yet an intriguing one. He begins the story
by telling lies to the reader but, as the novel progresses, he begins to add bits and pieces of the truth until he bursts
and comes clean. Both quotes show the true Henry Dees and why he feels his actions are justified. He just wanted someone
to love although the other perspectives in the story show him as creepy adn a monster. It was interesting because the book
almost made the reader feel sympathetic towards Dees even though he had so many problems and these quotes are prime examples
of the attempt to make such a monster seem human.
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