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3.62 AVERAGE
3.62 AVERAGE
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This one is probably closer to a 3.75 for me, but it was still a good read! I really liked that she was able to deal with tough issues well in the context of this YA romance. I also liked the complexity we saw within these characters and that what they were going through spanned past just a music festival and a romance. That being said, I did think that some of the issues surrounding the romance in the last third or so of the book felt a bit forced (I do think what was brought up could have played out well, but the idea of it happening within the course of a day was a bit too much of a stretch). However, like I said, this was still an enjoyable book!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Panic attacks/disorders
Moderate: Gun violence, Death of parent, Sexual harassment
I would probably actually give this 2.5 stars. I really enjoyed You Should See me in a Crown; however, I can't say the same about Rise to the Sun. I found it ... I don't know how to articulate it. Lacking, I suppose. I didn't find myself really investing in the characters, though they were likable enough. The writing was good, and peppered with little gems here and there, but not quite enough. The plot was interesting enough, and there was a little twist; however, like most of the events, I found it almost forced or trite. The book was predictable, despite the twists. I don't mean to bash the book, as it was okay. And I appreciate the story - I just didn't particularly like it.
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
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
adventurous
hopeful
lighthearted
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gun violence, Mass/school shootings, Death of parent
Moderate: Biphobia, Bullying, Panic attacks/disorders, Toxic relationship, Grief, Toxic friendship
Minor: Cultural appropriation
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:
Yes
inspiring
lighthearted
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
This story was great for the most part. But i found the ending very very annoying. Without going into spoilers i really love olivia as a character and toni seemed very realistic. Their friends were also very real people till close to the end.
I adored the first 75% of the book loving the building of toni and Olivia's relationship. Also really liked the focus on music how it was set at a festival. I loved the connection toni had to music her conflictions about that connection i think were handled very well.
But now into spoilers so...
YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!!!
Like i said i really enjoyed everything until the 75% point. I did think that olivia and her trauma with troy was handled pretty well and toni had a very fair reaction to it all as well but bring in the other girl when olivia already said she would do it... Just made it feel cheap. Olivia should have been able to take that dick to court for herself and been proud of that! Then we had Armani Olivia's best friend who wow was secretly in love with her the whole time god that pissed me off then to get revenge and a rebound olivia hits on Toni's best friend... I get why she did it but miscommunication in any way pisses me off and this more then ever. Then the whole ill sing a song for her but then olivia sees a hug and freaks out... The ending took these characters i really liked and made them into nothing. I also feel like the accidental gunshot was not handled well at all toni should have freaked out more about it but she seemed the most calm... Once again the first 75% was so good id rate that at least a 4 star but because of the ending i must drop down.
emotional
funny
lighthearted
medium-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:
Yes
When I read Crown in 2020, I thought it was the most wholesome, wonderful, magical piece of pie ever. I LOVED it. Easily one of my favorite reads. But this??? THIS??? Y’all I can’t stop smiling and crying. Leah Johnson’s characters have a way of putting me in a death grip; like, they are so much fun to read about and root for and scream at.
What I loved about Rise to the Sun was how fully Toni and Olivia bought into their own flawed perspectives of themselves. They acknowledge their issues, and they wrestle fully with “improving” or “changing” vs staying stagnant and continuing to be that version of themselves. And by the end, even though they’ve grown a lot, they still know they have a lot of growing up still to do. They don’t need to have it all figured out by the last page, which I hate bc I like things that are wrapped up nicely but I also LOVE because the last page of the book isn’t the last page of the story.
I’m upset that Imani didn’t get to ride the Ferris wheel with Olivia, but alas, we can’t have everything. @Leah, write an Imani spin off pls!! A sitcom of her and Peter would actually be great. I work at a studio, hit me up.
What I loved about Rise to the Sun was how fully Toni and Olivia bought into their own flawed perspectives of themselves. They acknowledge their issues, and they wrestle fully with “improving” or “changing” vs staying stagnant and continuing to be that version of themselves. And by the end, even though they’ve grown a lot, they still know they have a lot of growing up still to do. They don’t need to have it all figured out by the last page, which I hate bc I like things that are wrapped up nicely but I also LOVE because the last page of the book isn’t the last page of the story.
I’m upset that Imani didn’t get to ride the Ferris wheel with Olivia, but alas, we can’t have everything. @Leah, write an Imani spin off pls!! A sitcom of her and Peter would actually be great. I work at a studio, hit me up.
adventurous
emotional
funny
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
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:
Yes
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I kept waiting for this book to get better and it never did.
The concept of two talented young black girls falling for each other over a whirlwind weekend during a music festival seemed like exactly the kind of story I'd want to devour, but the combination of instalove, incredibly easy-to-hate characters, and the shoehorning in of triggering backstories for our main characters for the sake of social commentary was just too much for me to even pretend to like.
(The book does include very straightforward trigger warnings from the author at the start, which I do appreciate. I more so felt like the inclusion of these topics in the book were handled poorly.)
I went into this story knowing that the romance would take place over a single weekend, and typically short and sweet romances like this are tolerable if they aren't overdramatic. Olivia and Toni are the definition of "I would die for this stranger" after practically one conversation and it's so jarring and frustrating.
Olivia is hands down one of the worst protagonists I've ever had to read. She garners zero sympathy from me the way she consistently mistreats her best friend and faces zero repercussions aside from a slap on the wrist in a single argument. Had the narrative painted her in a negative light for even a moment it would have felt justified, but she plays the victim in every possible instance. Her entire storyline is that she jumps from relationship to relationship in an attempt to fill a hole in her life, and she's meant to realize that she doesn't need romance to feel complete, yet this is a romance book where she ends up with the girl she met two days ago and is meant to be Her Person(tm) which negates the whole point.
Toni's trauma would have been better to explore in a different book. The very real history of black men being victims of gun violence could have been well written about without the constant mention of real-life mass shootings at music venues sporadically dropped between outdated references and petty teenage drama.
Over all this book was just annoying and frustrating, which is so sad as someone who wants to see more black wlw stories.
The concept of two talented young black girls falling for each other over a whirlwind weekend during a music festival seemed like exactly the kind of story I'd want to devour, but the combination of instalove, incredibly easy-to-hate characters, and the shoehorning in of triggering backstories for our main characters for the sake of social commentary was just too much for me to even pretend to like.
(The book does include very straightforward trigger warnings from the author at the start, which I do appreciate. I more so felt like the inclusion of these topics in the book were handled poorly.)
I went into this story knowing that the romance would take place over a single weekend, and typically short and sweet romances like this are tolerable if they aren't overdramatic. Olivia and Toni are the definition of "I would die for this stranger" after practically one conversation and it's so jarring and frustrating.
Olivia is hands down one of the worst protagonists I've ever had to read. She garners zero sympathy from me the way she consistently mistreats her best friend and faces zero repercussions aside from a slap on the wrist in a single argument. Had the narrative painted her in a negative light for even a moment it would have felt justified, but she plays the victim in every possible instance. Her entire storyline is that she jumps from relationship to relationship in an attempt to fill a hole in her life, and she's meant to realize that she doesn't need romance to feel complete, yet this is a romance book where she ends up with the girl she met two days ago and is meant to be Her Person(tm) which negates the whole point.
Toni's trauma would have been better to explore in a different book. The very real history of black men being victims of gun violence could have been well written about without the constant mention of real-life mass shootings at music venues sporadically dropped between outdated references and petty teenage drama.
Over all this book was just annoying and frustrating, which is so sad as someone who wants to see more black wlw stories.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Gun violence, Sexual harassment