Scan barcode
upward_not_northward's review against another edition
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
katherinevarga's review
I picked this up because of the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants comp, but this was much more upsetting, with more friendship conflict, than I was expecting. The POV switches a lot and I had a hard time at first remembering who was who (it doesn't help that 3 of the 4 girls are crushing on the same guy), but once I was settled in, I did get invested in the drama.
lediamond4's review against another edition
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Read Around the World - Bahamas.
I found that I was frustrated while reading this book more than anything else. I don’t mind character POV switches, and I think while 4 is close to being a little much, it can be done well. But this was really cluttered. Each character had a lot going on. A LOT. It made for a plot that just had too much happening and left everything underdeveloped.
I found that I was frustrated while reading this book more than anything else. I don’t mind character POV switches, and I think while 4 is close to being a little much, it can be done well. But this was really cluttered. Each character had a lot going on. A LOT. It made for a plot that just had too much happening and left everything underdeveloped.
qqjj's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Terminal illness, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Death of parent, Classism, Toxic friendship, Medical trauma, Police brutality, Forced institutionalization, Adult/minor relationship, Sexual harassment, Infidelity, Gaslighting, Pregnancy, Mental illness, and Fire/Fire injury
bookofcinz's review against another edition
4.0
A surprisingly great YA read filled with an amazing group of girls you won’t forget anytime soon!
In Janice Lynn-Mather Facing the Sun we are taken to Pinder Street in the Bahamas. The story opens with a group of friends be ran off the public beach by an unknown security guard. This is jarring for the group of friends because this beach is a public one… what exactly is happening?
Pinder Street is home to families who live and work together for ages. Their children know each other from birth and have been growing up together. We are taken into the friendship of Eve, Faith, KeeKee and Nia.
Eve is the most responsible teenager you will ever meet. Her father is the pastor at the community’s church, which means she takes care of her family along with his flock. While she loves her family, she would like some release to just be a teenager. Just when she thinks this may happen, her father is diagnosed with Cancer.
Faith’s family is falling apart in front of her eyes but she tries to hold it together. Her father stopped coming home, her sister no longer lives there and her mother is a shell of herself. Faith is trying to hold it all together but when her mother leaves trying to kill herself, Faith knows she needs help.
KeeKee is the friend you want to have, she is a poet who constantly listens to you. She’s got big dreams and a brother who everyone seems to be in love with. When her best friend steals her poem and the other one is caught sleeping with her brother… what else can she take?
Nia cannot leave the house unless her mother says so. Her mom wants her to be a journalist but she would rather study culinary arts She’s got no idea who her father is and her mother won’t tell her. One day Nia decides to take the risk to apply for a summer art program her mother did not approve, will this risk pay off?
Every girl is facing a huge problem they cannot seem to fix and it is compounded when they learn that a big hotel will be taking over the place they find the most solace… the beach.
This was such a great book. Yes, I had a warm time trying to remember everyone’s name and who they were. I think it took me until I was 65% into the book to finally get an understanding of the personality. I don’t think it is any fault to the writer, or maybe it is… she could have gone with four characters, I guess. Either wait I did enjoy reading about all of them and I didn’t think any character was too much alike.
This was my first time reading Janice Lyn-Mather and I will for sure be reading more from her. I loved how she dealt with father-daughter themes, grieve, mental illness, trauma, identity and coming of age.
A really enjoyable read.
In Janice Lynn-Mather Facing the Sun we are taken to Pinder Street in the Bahamas. The story opens with a group of friends be ran off the public beach by an unknown security guard. This is jarring for the group of friends because this beach is a public one… what exactly is happening?
Pinder Street is home to families who live and work together for ages. Their children know each other from birth and have been growing up together. We are taken into the friendship of Eve, Faith, KeeKee and Nia.
Eve is the most responsible teenager you will ever meet. Her father is the pastor at the community’s church, which means she takes care of her family along with his flock. While she loves her family, she would like some release to just be a teenager. Just when she thinks this may happen, her father is diagnosed with Cancer.
Faith’s family is falling apart in front of her eyes but she tries to hold it together. Her father stopped coming home, her sister no longer lives there and her mother is a shell of herself. Faith is trying to hold it all together but when her mother leaves trying to kill herself, Faith knows she needs help.
KeeKee is the friend you want to have, she is a poet who constantly listens to you. She’s got big dreams and a brother who everyone seems to be in love with. When her best friend steals her poem and the other one is caught sleeping with her brother… what else can she take?
Nia cannot leave the house unless her mother says so. Her mom wants her to be a journalist but she would rather study culinary arts She’s got no idea who her father is and her mother won’t tell her. One day Nia decides to take the risk to apply for a summer art program her mother did not approve, will this risk pay off?
Every girl is facing a huge problem they cannot seem to fix and it is compounded when they learn that a big hotel will be taking over the place they find the most solace… the beach.
This was such a great book. Yes, I had a warm time trying to remember everyone’s name and who they were. I think it took me until I was 65% into the book to finally get an understanding of the personality. I don’t think it is any fault to the writer, or maybe it is… she could have gone with four characters, I guess. Either wait I did enjoy reading about all of them and I didn’t think any character was too much alike.
This was my first time reading Janice Lyn-Mather and I will for sure be reading more from her. I loved how she dealt with father-daughter themes, grieve, mental illness, trauma, identity and coming of age.
A really enjoyable read.
carmanj's review against another edition
3.0
This was quite lovely. Four teenage friends live in the same neighbourhood in the Bahamas and are facing a changing landscape, both with the nearby beach that is being closed for constructing a huge hotel and with their lives in general. Their carefree days are evaporating, and each of the girls are facing some serious grownup decisions. There are secrets kept and revealed, trusts gained and broken, and especially because of some traumatic events, there's a tangible feeling of melancholy that runs throughout. Recommended.
msvenner's review against another edition
4.0
3.5.... maybe four stars. This is written from the perspective of four different teen girls. It gets confusing at times as to who was speaking but overall the book was well done. I loved the setting, locals in The Bahamas facing eviction from their beach due to tourism development. The girls were well developed and very relatable. There weren’t any big plot twists here or big action but this was a nice realistic fiction book.
sandyrabanana's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Dementia, Kidnapping, Adult/minor relationship, Abandonment, and Cancer