Brighter Than The Sun: A Story That Needed To Be Told | Book Review

Books are known to be a form of escapism, shutting away from one world for a few hours to experience another. But they can also be a really creative and wonderful way to read about experiences outside of our own, to learn about different cultures and lives. Daniel Aleman is an author who is a prime example of how this can be done. 

In his first book ‘Indivisible’, Daniel Aleman explores the lives of two siblings and the challenges they face both emotionally and physically after their parents are taken away by ICE. If you need a reminder of what ‘Indivisible‘ is about and want to read the post where I got to interview Daniel Aleman, you can do that here. And if you want to read my full thoughts on ‘Indivisible’, you can do that here. 

Following that remarkable first book, Daniel Aleman’s second book, ‘Brighter Than The Sun’ came out on the 13th of April (in the UK anyway) and explores the life of a teenage girl who lives in Mexico with her family but attends school and works in America and the challenges that bring for her and her family. 

Book: Brighter Than The Sun
Author: Daniel Aleman
Genre: YA Contemporary Fiction
Rating: 5 Stars

Synopsis taken from Storygraph:

“From the author of the award-winning debut novel Indivisible comes an affecting, timely, and thought-provoking story about going after your dreams, making tough choices, and learning that change gives as much as it takes.

Every morning, sixteen-year-old Sol wakes up at the break of dawn in her hometown of Tijuana, Mexico, and makes the trip across the border to go to school in the United States. Though the commute is exhausting, this is the best way to achieve her dream of becoming the first person in her family to go to college.

When her family’s restaurant starts struggling, Sol must find a part-time job in San Diego to help her dad put food on the table and pay the bills. But her complicated school and work schedules on the US side of the border mean moving in with her best friend and leaving her family behind.

With her life divided by an international border, Sol must come to terms with the loneliness she hides, the pressure she feels to succeed for her family, and the fact that the future she once dreamt of is starting to seem unattainable. Mostly, she’ll have to grapple with a secret she’s kept even from herself: that maybe she’s relieved to have escaped her difficult home life, and a part of her may never want to return.”

It is no secret how much I loved ‘Indivisible’, and Daniel Aleman’s writing, so I had a really high hopes for ‘Brighter Than The Sun’. These hopes were met and then surpassed. ‘Brighter Than The Sun’ is a beautiful and emotional read that took me on a real journey. The book is not even 400 pages long yet there is so much packed into it; despite this, none of the themes or content felt rushed. Aleman has found a perfect balance for pacing the book whereupon we really go on the journey Sol encounters with her. I did not feel like a mere bystander or reader, but I really felt transported to Tijuana and San Diego; with the gorgeous vivid descriptions, the countries all came alive around me, feeding my imagination.  When writing about all the complexities of this life Sol is leading – the emotions, the family dynamics, the themes of identity and belonging and friendship…it’s all so beautifully and respectfully written in a way that feels so authentic. It cannot be an easy feat writing a book with this much depth to it and covering such tricky themes, yet Aleman has navigated it perfectly. The empathy is present on every page and I couldn’t help but feel so much love for Sol and her family – both her blood family and found family. ‘Brighter Than The Sun’ is a book that tackles quite a complex subject matter in a way that feels real and honest; Aleman’s writing style provides a book that is quick to read and easy in a literal sense, but the content of the book is anything but an easy read at times.

Having said that, whilst ‘Brighter Than The Sun’ is heavy and tackles these emotional and complex themes, it is not all sad and melancholy. That’s the beauty of the books Daniel Aleman writes. There’s a whole range of emotions. On the one side, there is the grief, the exhaustion, the internal war of Sol wanting to help her family but also at times feeling obligated to do so, even if that means sacrificing some of herself in the process, but also longing for a ‘normal life’ (whatever that is!)..But on the flip side, there are moments of peace and happiness; Sol getting to be herself, enjoy life and be a normal teenager; the comfort Sol finds in knowing she has a place and family on both sides of the border she crosses; and of course a huge ongoing theme: hope. And that’s not forgetting all the normal emotions and rollercoasters that come with just being a teenager anyway! How Aleman has managed to write all this in such an effective way in a relatively short book, I don’t know. But write it effectively he has. The book had me crying along with Sol and rooting for her and her family.

We all know I love a book where family is a central theme; so when the book has family AND found family as themes written into it? That is right up my street! On every page, the love Sol feels for everyone around her is palpable. Her love for her family in Tijuana and her friends in San Diego who take her under their wing is heartwarming, to say the least. Throughout the whole book, I was constantly able to feel the love and the strength that came from Sol’s family; similarly, you can feel the love that Aleman must have poured into this book to make the emotions so palpable when reading!

As I said – books are a wonderful way to experience situations different to our own. But I feel even in books with vastly different experiences to ourselves, there is still usually some small element people can see parts of themselves in. A lot of the themes found in ‘Brighter Than The Sun‘ are somewhat universal; familial duties, identity, and hope that things will get better, regardless of your situation; are these not things that everyone faces at some point? Having these themes written into a story such as ‘Brighter Than The Sun’ elevates and adds depth to Sol’s story and hammers home the reality of her situation, but also can help people relate to her as a character. If people can relate to her, that could aid people to have more empathy for her and her family, and what they’re going through, but furthermore: reading this could make people more grateful for the little things we take for granted: having our loved ones near. Not having to cross to a whole other country to go to school. I truly believe people could read this book and have their eyes opened to a very real situation that people go through on a daily basis; more people than I think most realize, and it can truly change their preconceived expectations, and only aid to bring about more open-minded and open-hearted views.

Daniel Aleman with ‘Indivisible’ and now ‘Brighter Than The Sun’ is writing stories that need to be told. Written with complete honesty and sensitivity, ‘Brighter Than The Sun’ is a powerful, emotional, and impactful story. Beautifully written, it stayed with me long after I closed the book and I am still thinking about it now. A reminder of the importance of family (in all forms), of identity, of never giving up on your dreams, and that no matter what, there are always moments of happiness and there is always hope.

Check out Daniel Aleman’s website for more information on him, his books and where you can buy them here: https://www.danielaleman.com/

*(a bonus in ‘Brighter Than The Sun‘: my name is in the acknowledgements! What a pinch-me moment seeing that was!)*.