Brightside [Kindle Edition]

Mark Tullius (Author), Anthony Szpak (Editor)

Book Description

Across the nation, telepaths are rounded up and sent to the beautiful mountain town of Brightside. They're told it's just like everywhere else, probably even nicer. As long as they follow the rules and don't ever think about leaving. Joe Nolan is one of the accused, a man who spent his life hearing things people left unsaid. And now he's paying for it on his hundredth day in Brightside, fighting to keep hold of his secret in a town where no thought is safe.

"My faith has been restored, great story tellers are still alive!" Dragonfly

"I'd recommend this book to anyone! Amazing thriller that will keep you engaged to the very end!" Shari Lindsay

"The tension builds with every risky encounter with another thought thief until you're frantically churning through pages to reach the ending - which comes not with a whimper but a wailing scream." ElementalX

"From the first few pages you find your self wondering what will happen next and trying to guess how it will end." LVguy702

"An amazing story, told at breakneck pace...who says science fiction writers cannot develop characters? I don't need to describe the book but only guarantee you won't put it down unfinished." Wardog

If you enjoy dark, fast-paced fiction, Brightside is for you.

They call us Thought Thieves, but it's not like we have a choice. All the sick twisted things rolling around in people's heads, we can't help but hear.

That's why they rounded us up, stuck us in this little town. It's to make you feel safe. But they can't keep us here forever.

It's Day 100 and it's all gonna end. One way or another, I'm getting out of Brightside.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"A well-written and well-executed story by first-time author Mark Tullius. It reads like a gritty, postmodernism novel similar to Blade Runner or A Scanner Darkly. Very interesting character development and plot elements, especially since the protagonist can't hide anything. A quick and fast read that keeps you glued to the pages." - eNovel Reviews

About the Author

I'm a father and a husband, a brother and a son. I'm an Ivy League grad who worked in a warehouse, an MMA fighter with too many defeats. I'm the bouncer and bodyguard, the drunk guy in the fight. The jailer and the jailed, the guilty and innocent.

I'm a writer shaped by influences, too many to count. I grew up on King and Koontz while force-fed the Bible. I narrate Dr. Seuss and Disney nearly every night. Like you, I've seen things I wished I hadn't, heard some truths I won't forget.

Writing is my heavy bag, the sparring partner that doesn't punch back. It's where I shed my armor and cast off the blindfold, take a look at myself and the world around me. The writing takes me wherever it wants. Dark alley or dinner table, classroom or morgue. I go along for the ride and try to capture the moment, show life like it is.

Product Details

• File Size: 482 KB
• Print Length: 300 pages
• Publisher: Vincere Press; 1 edition (July 11, 2012)
• Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
• Language: English
• ASIN: B008KRWXXC
• Text-to-Speech: Enabled
• X-Ray: Enabled
• Lending: Enabled
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #156,373 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 20 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Interesting but a struggle to read January 11, 2013

By Sienna @ Lost to Books

Format:Kindle Edition

Written from Joe's point of view it engages you in the action and Tullius does a good job of relaying the feelings and thoughts of the character. The first few chapters really grabbed my attention, throwing me into a new world while explaining certain aspects about life as a telepath clearly. It made me want to read on and the name "Thought Theives" Tullius uses to describe the gifted humans intrigued me. The plot line was original and different and did keep my interest however there were a few things that made it a struggle to read the book around about the halfway mark.

The first was that the book is written in terms of days. It jumps to random points in Joe's life while leading up to day 100. In the midst of this there are constant memories and flashbacks which although were easy to figure out and understand, for me it made the story too disjointed as it was frequently jumping from one place to another rather than following a constant flow. Some memories and thoughts also seemed to repeat themselves continually and by the halfway mark it was becoming slightly repetitive and I found it a struggle to stay focused.

The start of the book lead me into a false sense of security and turned into something I wasn't expecting. I didn't realise how dark and twisted it would get. It slowly got darker and more graphic as it went on and I found myself skipping long sections of description as it made me cringe and feel slightly nauseated. When being asked to review this book it was the different theme and the prospect of romance that sold it to me most but the romances were more based on a sexual side of things or Joe berating himself about previous events which became slightly annoying towards the end.

Overall this book was interesting and different but I would not recommend it to the squeamish/faint-hearted or a young audience because if the graphic content and language. Although it started well and did make me read on the graphic content did become too much towards the end and the disjointed nature of the flashbacks and days made it hard for me to focus at times.

15 of 16 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Disturbing and not sure why September 24, 2012

By Amanda

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

The book is about a forced colony of telepaths. The protagonist is frustratingly tortured and compulsive which irritated me and yet pulled me into the narrative and I ended up feeling quite disturbed - the way a good book can pull into the imaginary world. If being absorbed into a disturbing world is your thing and if you don't mind a bit of blood and gore and the death of a pet, then this is your book. None of these are my "thing" and yet I couldn't wait to finish the book.

21 of 24 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing! August 30, 2012

By dragonfly

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

My faith has been restored, great story tellers are still alive!
I feel like I have stolen by paying only 99 cents for this book, it is well worth much much more!
Brightside grabbed me from the first page and kept me to the end. Characters were very well developed.I could not stop thinking about them after I finsihed the book. I have found myself thinking about Thought Theives, and hoping none are near me and hear my erratic thoughts!
Looking forward to reading more of your stories. Stephen King now has a shelf mate in my Kindle!
Thank you Mark Tullius, for the entertainment and the restoration of faith in writers!!!

More About the Author

I'm a father and a husband, a brother and a son. I'm an Ivy League grad who worked in a warehouse, an MMA fighter with too many defeats. I'm the bouncer and bodyguard, the drunk guy in the fight. The jailer and the jailed, the guilty and innocent.

I'm a writer shaped by influences, too many to count. I grew up on King and Koontz while force-fed the Bible. I narrate Dr. Seuss and Disney nearly every night. Like you, I've seen things I wished I hadn't, heard some truths I won't forget.

Writing is my heavy bag, the sparring partner that doesn't punch back. It's where I shed my armor and cast off the blindfold, take a look at myself and the world around me. The writing takes me wherever it wants. Dark alley or dinner table, classroom or morgue. I go along for the ride and try to capture the moment, show life like it is and let you be the judge.

"Like" me on FB to stay up to date on my latest posts, short stories, and travels across the country.