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Briefly Very Beautiful

Shortlisted for the Climate Fiction Prize 2024

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Briefly Very Beautiful

By: Roz Dineen
Narrated by: Kristin Atherton
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Bloomsbury presents Briefly Very Beautiful by Roz Dineen, read by Kristin Atherton.

A startlingly beautiful story of a family's survival, and an unforgettable dystopian vision of a familiar world in flames

Shortlisted for the Climate Fiction Prize 2024
A Spectator Book of the Year 2024

'Impossible to put down' Daily Telegraph

'Instantly immersive, beautifully imagined, this is an unflinching but inspiring story about some things we're going to lose, and other things we must never lose' Lee Child

'Left me breathless: it is a stunning, poetic, impelling story of love and survival, which I could not stop reading ... An incredible novel' Jodie Whittaker

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The world is on fire. And what will you do?

In a city rocked by global catastrophe, home-grown terrorism, shortages and wildfires, Cass is quietly raising three small children by herself. Her husband, Nathaniel, has left to serve as a medic in a war overseas.

As life in the city becomes increasingly impossible, Cass knows she can no longer wait for Nathaniel’s return. Packing up their lives, she and the children set off in search of a place of greater safety.

But Cass will learn that not all promises and not all sanctuaries are what they seem – and as the fires around them begin to close in, she’ll discover just how far she’ll go for her children in a world teetering on apocalypse.

Sensual, claustrophobic and vivid, Briefly Very Beautiful announces the arrival of a major new talent, painting an unforgettable portrait of a mother trying to hold her family together.

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'Beautiful and timely, tough yet tender ...This is an important book and I devoured it' Clover Stroud

'Gorgeous, fierce and haunting ... A book that is, quite literally, on fire. Very beautiful and all-too brief' Catherine Taylor

'A story that burns from the page. Dineen writes about motherhood and the climate crisis with piercing clarity' Amy Twigg, author of Spoilt Creatures

'A haunting vision of our slow-motion apocalypse. This is exactly what it will be like' Michael LaPointe, author of The Creep Dystopian Science Fiction
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Critic reviews

Instantly immersive, beautifully imagined, this is an unflinching but inspiring story about some things we're going to lose, and other things we must never lose (LEE CHILD)
The best novel I have read this year ... In the tradition of haunting dystopian fiction by women (Doris Lessing, Ursula K. Le Guin, Margaret Atwood), Briefly Very Beautiful is a poetic and sensual page-turner that perfectly captures motherhood on the brink of apocalypse
Dineen is an extraordinary writer
Impossible to put down ... Hauntingly realistic, disturbing, stylish, raw and urgent
A disturbing but ultimately hopeful dystopian novel
A haunting vision of our slow-motion apocalypse. This is exactly what it will be like (MICHAEL LaPOINTE, author of The Creep)
A story that burns from the page. Dineen writes about motherhood and the climate crisis with piercing clarity (AMY TWIGG, author of Spoilt Creatures)
An incredible novel ... Briefly Very Beautiful left me breathless. It is a stunning, poetic, impelling story of love and survival, which I could not stop reading (JODIE WHITTAKER)
In her debut novel, Roz Dineen unforgettably captures the fear and frenzy of a dystopian future that is coming ever closer. Her prose is gorgeous; her characters fierce and haunting. A book that is, quite literally, on fire. Very beautiful and all-too brief (CATHERINE TAYLOR)
A beautiful and timely novel, combining a tough yet tender-eyed depiction of motherhood with clear-sighted commentary on the climate crisis. This is an important book and I devoured it (CLOVER STROUD)
A poetic and sensual page-turner that perfectly captures motherhood on the brink of apocalypse
All stars
Most relevant
Starts strongly with excellent world building. The protagonist is vulnerable and relatable and the collapse of society, chilling. The middle section, where we meet the arch nemesis, a mother in law, also builds tension nicely. the book loses its way a bit in the third act where it becomes overly focussed on introspection and complex, if slightly boring, interpersonal relationships, leaving the plot behind. There is also too much coincidence in regards to the brothers.
There are almost no likeable characters, with men in particular, all being bastards of one sort or another whether as minor or central roles. The protagonist also becomes increasingly insufferable having started very sympathetic.
Where the book is at its strongest is with the backstory and world building and bravery of the portrayal. In that it is very thought provoking.

atmospheric and frightening

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Amazing, exciting and extremely emotional story. I imagine all parents will relate to this. I was certainly able to feel as if it were my journey with my children. Looking forward to whatever Roz Dineen writes next.

I was briefly addicted to this book .

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Great narration that echoes the steadfast position of Cass.

All to real and imaginable. Characters whose true form is revealed (both good and bad) when the worst happens.

Driven like a mother’s love with the intensity of a wildfire

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This is a pre-apocalyptic dystopian family drama, littered with events that burn hope and positivity, and smell like doom. As life goes on with uncertainty poetically weaved throughout the story, Cass is battling to protect her family from obvious challenges (poisonous skies and water; burning fires; limited power; travel restrictions) as well as the insidious, malicious, and predatory ones that become almost daily encounters. The novel should be taut, suspenseful, and interesting, but it fails to deliver characters with any likeable qualities, and repeatedly descends into triggering examinations of narcissistic relationships. Aside from the moments I felt anger and sickening disgust, I generally found myself bored and mildly frustrated that it kept going to the extent it became a project in endurance. I’m sure this would be something entirely different - insightful, intelligent, and emotionally attuned, if it were written as a relationship drama. Alas, it is not, and it proved a chore

Briefly, Mildly Interesting: A Chore

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