Book Review: ‘The Bright Side Of Going Dark’

Review by Ana Tafur

Mia Bell, one of the most popular social media influencers on Pictey is preparing to live stream her wedding to her millions of followers when she is suddenly jilted at the altar. Meanwhile, lonely Paige Miller is coming to terms with her sister’s suicide attempt. The Bright Side of Going Dark by Kelly Harms brings these two women together as their lives become unexpectedly intertwined.

The story is told from both Mia and Paige’s views in alternating chapters. This makes it easy to learn about Paige and Mia and allows the spotlight to shine on both. On the downside, the alternating stories took time to get used to and made the beginning a bit confusing.

The pace at the beginning of the story was also very slow. The main event, Mia throwing her phone off the cliff doesn’t actually happen until halfway through the book. Considering this is the event that truly sets both Mia and Paige’s stories in motion, I felt it should have occurred sooner. Once Mia truly goes dark, the story picks up speed and drives to a very satisfying and surprising ending. Mia and Paige both shine on their own and together, and I enjoyed reading a book with two strong female characters.