Girls Burn Brighter (Thorndike Press Large Print Basic)

"Girls Burn Brighter by Shobha Rao blew my heart up. Heart-shards everywhere. I am in awe of the warmth and humanity in this book, even as it explores some incredibly dark places. I'm going to be thinking about Girls Burn Brighter for a while, and you're going to be hearing a lot about it." --Charlie Jane Anders, author of All the Birds in the Sky

"Enchanting... The resplendent prose captures the nuances and intensity of two best friends on the brink of an uncertain and precarious adulthood... An incisive study of a friendship's unbreakable bond." --Kirkus Reviews, starred review

"This powerful, heart-wrenching novel and its two unforgettable heroines offer an extraordinary example of the strength that can be summoned in even the most terrible situations." --Booklist, starred review

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"This novel burnt up my weekend. With beautiful language, warm friendships, and vivid images, once I started reading I could not stop. It's a story of struggle and survival. Female friendship is the lifeline." --Claire Cameron, author of The Bear and The Last Neanderthal

"Girls Burn Brighter by Shobha Rao blew my heart up. Heart-shards everywhere. I am in awe of the warmth and humanity in this book, even as it explores some incredibly dark places. I'm going to be thinking about Girls Burn Brighter for a while, and you're going to be hearing a lot about it." --Charlie Jane Anders, author of All the Birds in the Sky

"Enchanting... The resplendent prose captures the nuances and intensity of two best friends on the brink of an uncertain and precarious adulthood... An incisive study of a friendship's unbreakable bond." --Kirkus Reviews, starred review

"This powerful, heart-wrenching novel and its two unforgettable heroines offer an extraordinary example of the strength that can be summoned in even the most terrible situations." --Booklist, starred review

"Highly recommended for book discussion groups, this tale of sacrifice, exploitation, and reclamation is not to be missed." --Library Journal, starred review

"Stirring...affecting...The narrative's thematic consistency and emotional urgency will pull readers along." --Publishers Weekly

"A confident debut novel set in India and America about the unbreakable bond between two girls. From the menacing nooks of India's underworld to the streets of Seattle, this searing novel traces the nuances of adulthood and the enduring power of childhood bonds." --The Chicago Review of Books

"Rao layers her debut novel with issues that face many young women worldwide, from street harassment and domestic abuse to oppressive societal norms." --Ms. Magazine

"This debut novel is the perfect read for fans of Rupi Kaur." --Brit + Co

"An unbelievably beautiful and harrowing story of friendship and devotion." --BookRiot

A LibraryReads Pick

Poornima and Savitha have three strikes against them: they are poor, they are ambitious, and they are girls. When a devastating act of cruelty drives Savitha away from their village, Poornima leaves behind everything she has ever known on a harrowing cross-continental journey to find her friend. This searing, electrifying debut is about the extraordinary bond between two girls driven apart by circumstance but relentless in their search for one another.