Los Angeles, 2006. Eighteen-year-old Robert Gorham arrives in L.A. amid the desert heat and the soft buzz of neon. He came alone with one goal: he wants to see the ocean. And Robert always gets what he wants.
At a very young age, Robert discovered he had the unusual ability to make those close to him want whatever he wants. He wanted dessert instead of dinner? His mother served it. He wanted his Frisbee back? His father walked off the roof to bring it to him faster. He wanted to be alone? They both disappeared. Forever.
But things will be different in L.A. He meets a group of strange friends who could help him. Friends who can do things like produce flames without flint, conduct electricity with their hands, and see visions of the past. They call themselves Unusuals and finally, finally, Robert belongs.
When a tall figure, immune to their powers, discovers them, the first family that Robert has ever wanted is at risk of being destroyed. The only way to keep them all together is to get his powers under control.
But control is a sacrifice he might not be willing to make.
A Neon Darkness is the origin story of Damien and the second stand-alone story in the Bright Sessions Novels.
This is advertised as a stand alone, but I'm fairly sure I was missing things.
There's not much action here. Damian, or Robert, uses his powers. His friends complain. He tells them it's out of his control. They don't believe him. He gets huffy, and uses his powers to make them stop. His friends complain...and it goes around and around.
I honestly amn't sure if he's a hero or a villain. Maybe if I'd read the other book I'd know that. He doesn't seem to have bad intentions, but he has no idea how to treat other people and he won't listen when they try to explain to him. I think that's my biggest problem with him; he claims to love them and want to be their friend, but he has no interest in what they actually want and actively ignores their attempts to tell him.
It's not an awful book, but I think it should be read after the first book instead of as a stand alone.
A Neon Darkness publishes on the 29th September, 2020.
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