Glow of the Fireflies Blog Tour: Review + Giveaway

Glow of the Fireflies
Author: Lindsey Duga
Genre: YA Fantasy
Release Date: October 1, 2019
Publisher: Entangled Teen

Synopsis:

Briony never planned to go back to the place she lost everything.

Firefly Valley, nestled deep within the Smoky Mountains, is better kept in her past. After an unexplained fire gave Briony amnesia, her mother disappeared and her dad moved them to Knoxville.

But now her grandmother needs a caretaker and Briony's dad volunteers her to help. The moment she returns, her whole world shifts. She feels a magical connection to this valley, as if it's literally part of her somehow.

And when she meets a hot guy who claims he was her childhood friend but now mysteriously keeps his distance, Briony starts piecing together her missing past...and discovers her mother didn't leave to start a new life somewhere. She's trapped in the hidden world within the valley.

Now, Briony will do whatever it takes to rescue her, even if it means standing up against dangerously powerful nature spirits. Even if it means giving up her first love.

Glow of the Fireflies is an enchanting young adult fantasy that fans of the genre are going to adore. I wasn't quite sure what to expect going into this, apart from what the description said. But there was talk of magic and spirits - so that definitely piqued my interest. I'm so glad I gave this one a shot because I really enjoyed it!

The characters are all well rounded, especially our main character, Briony. She's very realistic with both good qualities and flaws, which makes her just like everyone else. She's a bit of an enigma for most of the book due to her amnesia and the giant missing hole from the time in her life she can't remember. I loved watching Briony piece together what happened all those years ago, the truth about Firefly Valley, and the incredible magic that resides there. The secondary characters were complex and I liked watching their interactions and relationships with Briony change throughout the course of the book. Of course, what would a story like this be without a mysteriously hot guy who captures our main character's heart? I usually don't like romance mixed into books of other genres because it tends to overshadow the real plot and takes away from the main story. However, the relationship between Briony and Alder is integral to the book, so I didn't mind it. I actually kind of liked it and thought it was sweet and intense at the same time.

One of the major aspects of a book for me is always the writing style. I almost always prefer the first person point of view because I think it lets the reader form a much deeper connection with the narrator. Luckily for me, the author wrote this novel in the first person from Briony's perspective. I loved really getting to know her - her inner thoughts, hopes and dreams, fears and insecurities, memories, and everything in between. By the end of the book I felt like I had known her forever and we had taken this journey to Firefly Valley together. Overall, I really liked this book and I highly recommend it to fans of the genre.

 

Lindsey Duga is a middle grade and young adult writer with a passion for fantasy, science fiction, and basically any genre that takes you away from the real world. She wrote her first novel in college while she was getting her bachelor’s in Mass Communication from Louisiana State University.

Other than writing and cuddling with her morkie puppy, Delphi, Lindsey loves catching up on the latest superhero TV show and practicing yoga.

PRIZES:

Gold Prize (Grand Prize - US only)

Annotated Book

$25 Amazon Gift Card

Commissioned Art Print 

Catching Fireflies Soy Candle

Fireflies Key Chain

Two Silver Prizes (Runner-Up Prizes - US only)

Annotated Book

$10 Amazon Gift Card

Commissioned Art Print (plus various swag)

a Rafflecopter giveaway