The Song That Moves the Sun by Anna Bright: Young Adult Fantasy Review

synopsis

The Song That Moves the Sun, Anna Bright’s latest fantasy standalone, is a story about Rora, a teen girl who suffers from severe anxiety and depression, and her best friend, Claudia. Something deadly is happening to Earth in the form of unexplained natural disasters. When Rora and Claudia meet two boys, Major and Amir, they learn there is life out there across the galaxy, and the boys offer to show them. They also announce that there may be a connection between Rora’s mental health and the geological issues the earth is dealing with.

review

This story was a lot, so trying to corral my thoughts into a coherent review is going to be difficult, but I’ll give it a shot.

I loved the prose of this story, and how every word by Bright was chosen with the utmost care to pack the most punch. As someone who also suffers from anxiety and bouts of depression, I found Rora to be extremely relatable, despite the fact that the survival of my planet doesn’t apparently rely on me solving my mental health woes.

I did thoroughly enjoy the exploration of different planets and their cultures, and truth be told, some of my favorite chapters involved the flashbacks to the 13th century.

I thought this was such a fresh and inventive story, and I’m truly excited to read more of Bright’s works in the future. With that said, I docked a star simply because I’m not particularly interested in astrology, and as a core piece of this story, I often found it to be distracting. I did enjoy how the astrology and planets were tied together, and how your sign could indicate which planet you would be best suited for.

in conclusion

All said, a wonderful story, and one that is perfect for anyone who enjoys astrology, fantasy, and contemporary fiction.