I think the blurb on the back of this novel (audiobook, in this case) perfectly describes it: "Dozens of characters pass across the listener's consciousness -- but James Frey lingers on a handful of LA's lost souls and captures the dramatic narrative of their lives . . . ."

Despite the controversy following "A Million Little Pieces", I found that book to be well-written & I'm now convinced to an even greater degree that James Frey can write. True, his style is rather scattered & unconventional and may put some readers off. And that does indeed tend to create a little bit of confusion when trying to distinguish dialogue & narrative. But I also think that's what makes Frey unique. His books are the type that you can sit down and devour because you just find yourself sucked in & have trouble putting the book down.

This book in particular provides the reader with more of an experience as opposed to a story. Taken in pieces, it's a mixture of snapshots, dialogues, characterizations, dramas, histories, & statistics somehow related to Los Angeles, but it's meshed in such a way that it fits altogether, despite its various formats. I listened to this on audio & thought it was very well done by the reader, Ben Foster. My only minor criticisms would be that sometimes the statistics were a bit lengthy (esp. on audio, where you can't really skim over them) and there was a rather excessive use of the "F" word throughout, which might be offensive to some. Overall, this was a very engaging read & highly recommended. ( )

At first I found this book a little hard to get into but after about 30 pages I really got into it. I wanted to know more about the 4 main characters in the book. I found the way Frey brought in many different fact about LA fascinating and I found myself drawn into the book. I would say if there was one main character it is the city itself rather than the people who inhabit it. That being said, I did find the book a little bleak but I suppose that is the way life crumbles sometimes. I give this book a 4 out of 5 ( )

When reading Frey, I tend to at first find myself distracted and frustrated his chaotic style, repetition and free interpretation of the rules of punctuation, only to be totally sucked in by the end. Bright Shiny Morning was no exception. Frey writes a biography of Los Angles and weaves that through with stories of some of her residents, some of whom we see only in flashes with four stories that return again and again. While I found the Amberton Parker storyline trying and boring, the others were quite powerful and human, and the ending stuck with me for days. It's a creative, interesting and complicated piece. Very enjoyable. ( )

I did not like this book. James Frey needs a good editor. It was just ... bad. A rough first draft to put it nicely. Dylan and Maddie were the only characters he thought to really develop, the rest are cardboard cutouts and their narratives are a jumbled mass of clichés. ( )

Another winner! James Frey must have done so much research to make this book possible. One of the best novels I've ever read. He keeps you guessing all the way through and wondering how each of his MANY stories will turn out. Extremely realistic and addictive. Don't start this book unless you've got a few days to do nothing but read because you won't want to put it down! ( )