Welcome to Brightside—a breathtaking mountaintop town where telepaths are imprisoned and escape is impossible. Or is it?
You are Becky, a teenage telepath trapped in this so-called paradise. The guards watch your every move. The wrong thought could get you killed. But you’re done playing it safe. It’s time to escape.
Every choice you make leads to life… or death.
Sneak past the guards or fight back?
Trust a stranger or go it alone?
Run for freedom or hide in the shadows?
Your fate is in your hands, but be warned—only one path leads to survival. Every decision you make shapes your journey, and the wrong one could be your last.
Can you escape Brightside, or will you become its next victim?
Try Not to Die In Brightside is a fast-paced interactive dystopian horror novel perfect for fans of locked-room thrillers and escape room adventures. The audiobook format offers two reading modes: an interactive experience (choose-your-own-path) and a linear “survivor” option. This is the 2nd installment in the popular Try Not To Die franchise series, and this book has a sequel titled Beyond Brightside. Both this book and the sequel are available on Kindle, in paperback format, and on audio!
This story steps readers into the shoes of Rebecca (Becky), a telepathic teenager trapped in Brightside, a mountaintop prison town designed to contain individuals with the ability to read minds, known as “Thought Thieves.” The government claims it’s a sanctuary, but in reality, it’s a gilded cage where residents are monitored and controlled. As Becky, readers navigate the oppressive environment of Brightside while trying to learn more about a planned escape being organized by other residents. Becky interacts with her brother and several of the town’s residents, making risky alliances in order to be included in the escape.
In the physical book or audio “Interactive” mode, readers will navigate 54 chapters with branching choices at the end of each chapter. A wrong choice leads to a sudden, often gory death, while correct choices edge the reader closer to escaping the dystopian prison town of Brightside and finding what lies outside its borders. Only one path leads to freedom, which is revealed in the “survival” mode of the audiobook—it’s recommended to listen only after successfully completing the story via the interactive mode. No matter which route you take, the narrative is fast-paced, filled with interesting characters, and adrenaline-driven from start to finish. When making choices, it’s important to pay close attention to how the choices are worded and the small details—in some chapters hints of bad outcomes are given, while in others detours are designed to fool you!
The isolated prison town of Brightside is the perfect backdrop for a dystopian survival horror—the contrast between its idyllic surface appearance and its hidden reality is central to the tension in this book. As readers navigate the town as Becky, residents appear polite and cooperative, and the town’s public areas—the park, the deli where Rebecca works, and other shops—evoke a false sense of normalcy. In reality, the residents are constantly on edge and suspicious, and betrayal can happen in a heartbeat! The surveillance cameras, armed officers named “The Boots,” and the residents’ telepathic abilities create an environment where every thought and movement can be detected. Any deviation from the established norms is deemed suspicious and threatening—and every decision readers make as Rebecca carries life-or-death consequences! Brightside being described as an idyllic setting only further amplifies the sense of entrapment and paranoia and makes the reading experience psychologically unsettling! The apartment complex where Rebecca resides is full of dangerous characters, including one who threatens to end her life. A home is meant to be someone’s safe haven—instead there’s “no safe haven” at home or elsewhere for Rebecca—and escaping the town is felt with an urgency as death seems unavoidable otherwise!
Rebecca is a relatively new arrival at Brightside but is already aware of the town’s stringent rules and regulations when the story begins. Having heard whispers of a planned escape, Rebecca is determined to be included. Unfortunately, knowing who to trust and who to open her thoughts to is a daunting challenge—she’s even hesitant when interacting with her own brother, Wendell! There are so many interesting characters that readers, as Rebecca, interact with—from rebel teenager Tommy to police enforcers to the town’s veterinarian to shopkeepers—and each either has something insightful to say or is a potential threat to Rebecca’s escape plan!
For such a fast-paced short novel, the narrative delves into some very thought-provoking themes, including control, identity, and the ethical implications of surveillance. Rebecca’s internal struggles are mirrored by the external challenges she faces, creating a subplot of self-discovery! The writing style is fresh and sharp, and the picturesque town is described with vivid imagery as Rebecca navigates around. Death scenes are often vivid and grotesque—and if you’ve already made a wrong choice and experienced a death, every subsequent page turn will then feel like a risk, keeping readers hyper-vigilant and almost paranoid—mirroring the mental state of the characters trapped in Brightside!
Compared to some of the other novels in the Try Not To Die series, this story is more complex—ultimately leading to a higher likelihood of making a wrong choice and experiencing a death. The good news is that replayability is excellent—after a death scene, readers are taken back to the last branching choice to choose again, maintaining flow and excitement. This book is perfectly designed to be read multiple times, encouraging readers to take different paths and discover hidden storylines and characters! With each attempt, readers will get to a bigger picture of Brightside’s dark lore and the nightmarish psychological hold its dystopian society has on its residents!
Overall, Try Not to Die In Brightside is an immersive and highly addictive horror gamebook. Its high replayability, unpredictable and original storyline, and large cast of interesting characters make it a standout in the Try Not To Die series. The companion audiobook is a great reading option, and its “survivor” mode will appeal to readers who’d rather enjoy the story without the pressure of choices! Readers who enjoy high-stakes, interactive dystopian horror and stories about oppressive, tightly controlled societies—in the same vein as 1984 or The Hunger Games—will absolutely love this book and be excited to read the sequel, Beyond Brightside, immediately afterwards! If you haven’t read any books in The Try Not To Die franchise, this story will get you hooked on the format—and with over 20 books offered in the series, with so many different settings and fears—prisons, amusement parks, deserts, haunted roads, and more—there’s a taste of horror for everyone to enjoy!
Narrator Performance
The audiobook of Try Not to Die In Brightside is a thrilling, immersive listen narrated by actress Maxine Denis. The audiobook offers an interactive branching experience of 54 chapters and linear “survivor” tracks where listeners can follow the story without stressful decision-making.
Denis uses a clear, engaging voice to narrate this audiobook, infused with a constant sense of unease in her tone to convey protagonist Becky’s paranoia over whom to trust and how to stay out of danger. Becky has interactions with a lot of characters throughout the story, and each encounter is narrated uniquely and authentically—making Becky’s inner thought processing and dialogue very immersive. Denis also does a great job giving each character a unique voice and emotional range, making the story come alive and feel more like a movie in your mind as opposed to a standard audiobook.
The most intense scenes come in the second half, when the escape plan is fully underway and Becky finds herself with some very difficult decisions to make—these are expertly executed with increased pacing and more tension and a greater sense of urgency in Denis’ voice, perfectly mirroring the “do or die” situation that’s unfolding. In the climactic scenes towards the end, several of the characters have emotional outbursts—and each scene is narrated with convincing emotional intensity that will keep readers gripped and hanging onto every word!
By the end of the story, the found family trope is heavily pronounced, and Denis makes the camaraderie and mutual respect between the characters tangible and believable—making readers more emotionally invested in their outcomes. The book ends in a cliffhanger, and the final lines of dialogue are perfectly narrated with a balance of hope and trepidation—leaving listeners breathless and eager to know what happens in the sequel, Beyond Brightside, which is now available in Kindle, paperback, and audiobook formats!
Overall, Maxine Denis elevates the reading experience of Try Not to Die In Brightside with her engaging, immersive performance, good pacing, and entertaining character voices. This audiobook is a must-listen for those who enjoy dystopian horror, highly immersive stories, and interactive gamebooks! If you haven’t listened to any books in the Try Not To Die franchise, this audiobook is the perfect introduction to its entertaining and highly addictive interactive format. There’s a high probability that you won’t make it through the book without multiple deaths, but Maxine Denis’ fantastic narration makes even the death scenes exciting—and readers will be eager to see all the possible outcomes as they replay this one over and over!
Narrator Performance
The audiobook of Try Not to Die In Brightside is a thrilling, immersive listen narrated by actress Maxine Denis. The audiobook offers an interactive branching experience of 54 chapters and linear “survivor” tracks where listeners can follow the story without stressful decision-making.
Denis uses a clear, engaging voice to narrate this audiobook, infused with a constant sense of unease in her tone to convey protagonist Becky’s paranoia over whom to trust and how to stay out of danger. Becky has interactions with a lot of characters throughout the story, and each encounter is narrated uniquely and authentically—making Becky’s inner thought processing and dialogue very immersive. Denis also does a great job giving each character a unique voice and emotional range, making the story come alive and feel more like a movie in your mind as opposed to a standard audiobook.
The most intense scenes come in the second half, when the escape plan is fully underway and Becky finds herself with some very difficult decisions to make—these are expertly executed with increased pacing and more tension and a greater sense of urgency in Denis’ voice, perfectly mirroring the “do or die” situation that’s unfolding. In the climactic scenes towards the end, several of the characters have emotional outbursts—and each scene is narrated with convincing emotional intensity that will keep readers gripped and hanging onto every word!
By the end of the story, the found family trope is heavily pronounced, and Denis makes the camaraderie and mutual respect between the characters tangible and believable—making readers more emotionally invested in their outcomes. The book ends in a cliffhanger, and the final lines of dialogue are perfectly narrated with a balance of hope and trepidation—leaving listeners breathless and eager to know what happens in the sequel, Beyond Brightside, which is now available in Kindle, paperback, and audiobook formats!
Overall, Maxine Denis elevates the reading experience of Try Not to Die In Brightside with her engaging, immersive performance, good pacing, and entertaining character voices. This audiobook is a must-listen for those who enjoy dystopian horror, highly immersive stories, and interactive gamebooks! If you haven’t listened to any books in the Try Not To Die franchise, this audiobook is the perfect introduction to its entertaining and highly addictive interactive format. There’s a high probability that you won’t make it through the book without multiple deaths, but Maxine Denis’ fantastic narration makes even the death scenes exciting—and readers will be eager to see all the possible outcomes as they replay this one over and over!
The audiobook of Try Not to Die In Brightside is a thrilling, immersive listen narrated by actress Maxine Denis. The audiobook offers an interactive branching experience of 54 chapters and linear “survivor” tracks where listeners can follow the story without stressful decision-making.
Denis uses a clear, engaging voice to narrate this audiobook, infused with a constant sense of unease in her tone to convey protagonist Becky’s paranoia over whom to trust and how to stay out of danger. Becky has interactions with a lot of characters throughout the story, and each encounter is narrated uniquely and authentically—making Becky’s inner thought processing and dialogue very immersive. Denis also does a great job giving each character a unique voice and emotional range, making the story come alive and feel more like a movie in your mind as opposed to a standard audiobook.
The most intense scenes come in the second half, when the escape plan is fully underway and Becky finds herself with some very difficult decisions to make—these are expertly executed with increased pacing and more tension and a greater sense of urgency in Denis’ voice, perfectly mirroring the “do or die” situation that’s unfolding. In the climactic scenes towards the end, several of the characters have emotional outbursts—and each scene is narrated with convincing emotional intensity that will keep readers gripped and hanging onto every word!
By the end of the story, the found family trope is heavily pronounced, and Denis makes the camaraderie and mutual respect between the characters tangible and believable—making readers more emotionally invested in their outcomes. The book ends in a cliffhanger, and the final lines of dialogue are perfectly narrated with a balance of hope and trepidation—leaving listeners breathless and eager to know what happens in the sequel, Beyond Brightside, which is now available in Kindle, paperback, and audiobook formats!
Overall, Maxine Denis elevates the reading experience of Try Not to Die In Brightside with her engaging, immersive performance, good pacing, and entertaining character voices. This audiobook is a must-listen for those who enjoy dystopian horror, highly immersive stories, and interactive gamebooks! If you haven’t listened to any books in the Try Not To Die franchise, this audiobook is the perfect introduction to its entertaining and highly addictive interactive format. There’s a high probability that you won’t make it through the book without multiple deaths, but Maxine Denis’ fantastic narration makes even the death scenes exciting—and readers will be eager to see all the possible outcomes as they replay this one over and over!
