Scan barcode
betweentheshelves's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
I have mixed feelings about this book. It didn't grab me like <i>You Should See Me in a Crown</i> did, but this is also a different story and a totally different kind of book. Yes, there was still a great romance and I loved that aspect of the story. Leah Johnson is great at writing character. Maybe I just wasn't a huge fan of the setting? I don't know! I'll have to give it more thought.
There were some plot points that I also didn't think were really needed for this particular story. I would have been fine with the book just focusing on Toni and Olivia's relationship and how it evolved over the weekend. The rest of the stuff going on with the festival kind of took away from that, and I wish that it hadn't.
There were some plot points that I also didn't think were really needed for this particular story. I would have been fine with the book just focusing on Toni and Olivia's relationship and how it evolved over the weekend. The rest of the stuff going on with the festival kind of took away from that, and I wish that it hadn't.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders, Grief, and Gun violence
Moderate: Death of parent, Bullying, and Sexual harassment
Minor: Mass/school shootings, Toxic friendship, and Toxic relationship
jennikreads's review against another edition
The characters felt inconsistent. They were doing things that the setup for their character made seem incredibly unrealistic, but were explained away by this being "completely out of character". Which felt really annoying because there was this whole setup for who these characters were and then it just went out the window. I also wasn't a fan of the way one of the main characters was repeatedly treating her ride or die best friend. Ultimately that dynamic is why I stopped reading. I have very low tolerance for toxic friendship dynamics.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying and Grief
Minor: Toxic friendship
melaniereadsbooks's review against another edition
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This was a fun and cute contemporary that dealt with some deeper topics! I really enjoyed Olivia as a character. She very much morphs her own personality to the people she is around which is so relatable, but I love that she decides to just be herself throughout the events of this book and the way it pays off for her. Great, cute, sapphic, coming of age novel!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Death of parent, Gun violence, and Panic attacks/disorders
Moderate: Bullying, Sexual harassment, Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, and Mass/school shootings
turtlebrainlibrarian's review
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief and Panic attacks/disorders
Moderate: Bullying, Death of parent, Gun violence, and Sexual harassment
Minor: Mass/school shootings, Toxic friendship, and Toxic relationship
delz's review
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
reflective
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
4.0
Rise to the Sun is a sweet story that takes place at a weekend long concert, Farmland Music & Arts Festival. Olivia drags her best friend, Imani for the weekend to get away from a decision she needs to make, back home, but she simply wants to forget. Toni has been coming to the festival most of her life, but since tragedy struck her family she wasn’t sure coming was the right decision. Toni brings her best friend Peter, he’s been the only person she’s let into her life for a while, until she meets Olivia. Olivia has secrets, Toni has secrets, but they just might learn to trust each other. The entire story takes place in one weekend, woven around a music festival. It’s sweaty and dirty, it’s loud and colorful and it romanticizes the experience of being in a shared space, with a love of music along with thousands of other people. You kind of live vicariously through the characters enjoying live, large concerts.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief
Moderate: Bullying, Death of parent, Gun violence, and Mass/school shootings
Minor: Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Biphobia, Cultural appropriation, and Sexual harassment
theespressoedition's review
emotional
inspiring
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
I think that when Leah Johnson writes a book, she somehow folds pieces of actual sunshine into her writing - that's how much joy her stories bring me!
Rise to the Sun should be required reading this summer (and every summer to follow). From the moment I began listening to the audiobook, I was hooked - desperate to learn more about Olivia and Toni. They were both incredibly relatable in so many ways. They'd been through their fair share of hardships and it played a huge part in their unlikely friendship-turned-relationship.
Even though this book is YA, it didn't read "young" and I hope that makes sense. Whether you're 16 or 36, you'll absolutely enjoy the story. Rather than finding myself rolling my eyes at some sort of predictable romance, I was wrapped up in how the characters worked through some seriously challenging moments and ultimately found themselves because they found each other. Yep, I realize how cheesy that sounds but I'm sticking with it.
This book makes you feel good without lacking depth, is what I'm really trying to say here. So please, do yourself a favor and read this book right away.
Oh - and if you already read You Should See Me in a Crown, you will love the fun cameo! I think I actually spooked my cat because I squealed so loudly at the reference. Sorry, kitty.
Rise to the Sun should be required reading this summer (and every summer to follow). From the moment I began listening to the audiobook, I was hooked - desperate to learn more about Olivia and Toni. They were both incredibly relatable in so many ways. They'd been through their fair share of hardships and it played a huge part in their unlikely friendship-turned-relationship.
Even though this book is YA, it didn't read "young" and I hope that makes sense. Whether you're 16 or 36, you'll absolutely enjoy the story. Rather than finding myself rolling my eyes at some sort of predictable romance, I was wrapped up in how the characters worked through some seriously challenging moments and ultimately found themselves because they found each other. Yep, I realize how cheesy that sounds but I'm sticking with it.
This book makes you feel good without lacking depth, is what I'm really trying to say here. So please, do yourself a favor and read this book right away.
Oh - and if you already read You Should See Me in a Crown, you will love the fun cameo! I think I actually spooked my cat because I squealed so loudly at the reference. Sorry, kitty.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gun violence, Death of parent, and Panic attacks/disorders
Moderate: Sexual harassment and Bullying
Minor: Toxic friendship
bookcrushin's review
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
There are a lot of content warnings for this book please look at those before reading to make sure you are safe (grief, gun violence -current and in the past, as well as internet photo revenge porn).
I loved this story. It was fun, fast-paced, and had real growth of characters. Sometimes when we are young, we take our friends for granted and sometimes we take ourselves for granted. We want to be loved, and to be liked, and to be fun.
A music festival is definitely a test to your strength and will, especially when your friend want you to be different, but you truly just are being yourself. As we grow and find ourselves, we take some of what we were as teens with us into adulthood, and those lessons can serve us well.
I loved this story. It was fun, fast-paced, and had real growth of characters. Sometimes when we are young, we take our friends for granted and sometimes we take ourselves for granted. We want to be loved, and to be liked, and to be fun.
A music festival is definitely a test to your strength and will, especially when your friend want you to be different, but you truly just are being yourself. As we grow and find ourselves, we take some of what we were as teens with us into adulthood, and those lessons can serve us well.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Gun violence, and Bullying
Moderate: Death of parent
Minor: Panic attacks/disorders
revenge pornbookcaptivated's review
adventurous
emotional
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders
Moderate: Gun violence, Biphobia, Bullying, Death of parent, and Grief
Minor: Infidelity, Sexism, and Toxic relationship
More...