We Burned So Bright by TJ Klune
Buckle up for a road trip unlike any other in We Burned So Bright. Rodney and Don reflect on the life they’ve built together over forty years, against impossible odds. When a rogue blackhole appears on the edge of the solar system, the couple realizes their time together will be cut short. One important item remains on their bucket list, a journey across the country to revisit a very special place together. Author TJ Klune writes a gripping, emotional story of these partners who refuse to let anything stand in their way.
An Intimate Story at the End of the World
The premise of We Burned So Bright reads like a satire: the world will be consumed by a black hole in around thirty days, and humanity must decide what to do with the time that remains. This story, however, carries an intimate emotional depth rarely found in an apocalyptic tale. Facing the destruction of Earth, fear, desperation and greed proliferate among the population but are checked by the realization that there’s nothing anyone can do to prevent their demise. Many people choose, instead, to return to family, make amends or dedicate their final days to the things that make them truly happy. Rodney and Don consider the friendships they’ve made and the love they’ve shared and conclude that their lives have been fulfilling in many ways. There is, however, one important thing they must do before they meet their end. Don retrieves a wooden box with a brass keyhole, which they carry with them on a journey across the country.
TJ Klune’s writing demonstrates an aptitude for creating influential, relatable characters. In We Burned So Bright, the main characters Rodney and Don have overcome prejudice and hate to build a wonderful life. As we learn more of their story and their purpose in driving across the country, we can’t help but cheer for them. During their road trip, they encounter a number of supporting characters who represent a vast spectrum of emotions and reactions to the impending doom of their civilization. Rodney and Don meet a family of fellow travelers early in their mission and share a pleasant meal in a roadside park. The parents try to act normal but disclose that they are nearly overcome with the sorrow of their demise and the guilt that they haven’t told their children what’s coming. Later, the two men discover a type of roadside commune and interact with an uplifting group of people determined to make the most of their last days. Inspired by the love they experience there, Rodney and Don leave with renewed determination to reach their final destination. Not long after leaving the revelers, however, they find a pitiful young woman on a dark road in the rain. As they drive the woman home, she recounts the horrifying steps she took to prevent her own family from facing the suffering she fears will come in their last moments. Over the course of a relatively small volume, TJ Klune manages to include meaningful lessons, thoughts and reflections on a huge array of topics. This is an incredibly insightful and entertaining tale, driven by immersive characters and frequently shifting emotions.
The Final Journey
While the impending cataclysmic event in We Burned So Bright is interesting and provocative, it isn’t the primary focus of this story. This book is about how to navigate the many triumphs and tragedies of life. The road trip that we embark on with Rodney and Don is marked by joy and fraught with unforeseen danger. The couple encourage, support and reassure each other through each challenge. In the process, the author provides a number of valuable insights and inspirations that can help the reader in a similar manner. In the final chapters of this gripping tale, the world is literally falling to pieces around our protagonists, threatening to end their quest. The two press on in the face of earthquakes, strange lightning and elemental catastrophe because, as we eventually learn… these gentle, brave men have already been through something much more difficult.
About TJ Klune:
TJ Klune is the #1 New York Times and #1 USA Today bestselling, Lambda Literary Award-winning author of The House in the Cerulean Sea, Somewhere Beyond the Sea, Under the Whispering Door, In the Lives of Puppets, the Green Creek Series for adults, the Extraordinaries Series for teens and more. Being queer himself, Klune believes it’s important ― now more than ever ― to have accurate, positive queer representation in stories.
