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sparklemaia's review
5.0
This book is exactly what I hope for when I read contemporary YA: sweet, earnest, breezy, and serious, all at once, with a sprinkling of dazzlingly lyrical lines that left me breathless. Some of my favorite character tropes got some good rep here too: we've got bisexual disaster Olivia, loveable himbo nerd Peter, creative genius ice queen Toni, and takes-none-of-your-shit-but-actually-takes-all-of-your-shit bestie Imani. There are tears, there is mud, there are asthma attacks, there is poor cell phone reception, and there is kissing, and I love all of it.
coravinia's review
4.0
I wasn't expecting to like this book as much as I did since the premise isn't really my thing. However, after hearing such good things about it from other YA authors I'm into, I gave it a read and am so glad I did!
The characters felt incredibly realistic to me, something that doesn't always happen with teenagers in YA books. Olivia dates a lot because it makes her feel special and loved, Toni closes herself off in response to a traumatic loss. Both read like actual teenagers navigating complicated emotions. Despite neither wanting a romantic relationship with the other, Olivia and Toni fit together so well that it happens anyway. The relationship develops quickly, as the book takes place over the three day festival. However, given how impulsive Olivia is, the atmosphere of the festival, and how big emotions can feel as a teenager, I did not find this to be unrealistic.
Overall, I'd say anyone looking for a cute YA romance should read Rise to the Sun. It's fresh, sweet, and the characters shine.
The characters felt incredibly realistic to me, something that doesn't always happen with teenagers in YA books. Olivia dates a lot because it makes her feel special and loved, Toni closes herself off in response to a traumatic loss. Both read like actual teenagers navigating complicated emotions. Despite neither wanting a romantic relationship with the other, Olivia and Toni fit together so well that it happens anyway. The relationship develops quickly, as the book takes place over the three day festival. However, given how impulsive Olivia is, the atmosphere of the festival, and how big emotions can feel as a teenager, I did not find this to be unrealistic.
Overall, I'd say anyone looking for a cute YA romance should read Rise to the Sun. It's fresh, sweet, and the characters shine.
literaryk's review
4.0
Another great romance! A little more drama than Johnson's first novel and less commentary on bigger issues. However, it was a quick and awesome read!
thelaynierose's review
4.0
Leah Johnson has knocked it out of the park again! I adored the characters in this one, I loved how real, messy, and vulnerable these girls were allowed to be. Their growth throughout the story was so well done, and I loved getting to see the journey they took both individually and together. This novel also tackled with grace a lot of really important issues that teenagers these days face: gun violence, death of a parent, violation of privacy and defamation of character from a former partner. I also loved the way it wasn't just about romance, it was also about self discovery and friendship, healing and trauma. Overall it was a fantastic novel and I'm so excited for it to publish!
bibliobrittish's review against another edition
5.0
4.5 - Last year, Leah Johnson stole my heart with You Should See Me In a Crown. I knew, right then and there, that I was never going to be able to turn down another of her stories. Rise to the Sun is not the same kind of story; it's not comedy. But it does contain Johnson's signature brand of humor, and it is beautifully romantic. Personally, I think it might just be better.
I honest to goodness could not stop adding stickies to this book, nor did I realize just how much I needed it. From the off, Toni and Olivia's journeys were some sort of catharsis, healing my soul even after only two chapters. By the end, the pages were water-stained and salty. This one's for the musicians. This one's for everyone who's been missing the way live music grabs you and won't let go. This one's for the lonely-hearted and those who've been told they're too big. And believe me when I say, you're going to want to shed tears on these pages too.
P.S. If you read Lighty's story first, keep your eyes out for a cameo or two ;)
https://bibliobrittish.wordpress.com/2021/07/06/for-the-ones-who-miss-live-music/
I honest to goodness could not stop adding stickies to this book, nor did I realize just how much I needed it. From the off, Toni and Olivia's journeys were some sort of catharsis, healing my soul even after only two chapters. By the end, the pages were water-stained and salty. This one's for the musicians. This one's for everyone who's been missing the way live music grabs you and won't let go. This one's for the lonely-hearted and those who've been told they're too big. And believe me when I say, you're going to want to shed tears on these pages too.
P.S. If you read Lighty's story first, keep your eyes out for a cameo or two ;)
https://bibliobrittish.wordpress.com/2021/07/06/for-the-ones-who-miss-live-music/
maryandherlibrary's review
3.0
3.5✨
I loved You Should See Me in a Crown but Rise to the Sun didn’t quite pull me in the way I hoped it would. It was still cute and tackled important themes but I wasn’t a huge fan of the pacing and I found myself getting distracted very easily. I’m excited for Leah Johnson’s future books but this one didn’t quite meet my expectations.
I loved You Should See Me in a Crown but Rise to the Sun didn’t quite pull me in the way I hoped it would. It was still cute and tackled important themes but I wasn’t a huge fan of the pacing and I found myself getting distracted very easily. I’m excited for Leah Johnson’s future books but this one didn’t quite meet my expectations.
islamclarin's review
3.0
This reads exactly like a gay Netflix original movie that gets a terrible spin off that no one watches.
But it was fun and had good queer and POC representation
But it was fun and had good queer and POC representation
emilyholladay's review
5.0
Rise to the Sun takes place in the summer at a musical festival in Georgia, but with the farm and apples playing such a prominent theme, it also felt like such a perfect fall read. I loved Olivia and Toni, and watching them grow into the people then are - rather than the people everyone expects them to be. When a book is set over three days, it makes me wonder if character development is going to be possible or the love story even believable, but Leah Johnson did a masterful job of both. This book was just right.
gdonahue's review
DNF at 44%. This was disappointing for me as I absolutely loved You Should See Me in a Crown. I don’t think this is necessarily a bad book, but - from the get-go - I couldn’t get behind Olivia’s behavior towards her supposed “best friend” and was annoyed by both her actions and her self-talk. It was hard to be 50% in the mind of a character who was so insecure that they thought about it all the time. I think this insecurity may be realistic to some people’s experience, but I found it tiring to read in a book. Toni’s sections of the book were better written and I liked the supporting cast, but I almost think the setting and short timeframe of this book combined with a lot of heavy topics and gimmicky plot devices made for something overall unappealing and not for this reader. I will be excited to see what the author writes in the future, but couldn’t get into this book.
sbelasco40's review
3.0
I loved the messiness of the characters in this - they felt real and compelling and even kind of annoying at times, which is fine, because people are often annoying in their realness. Also very glad to see queer Black girls at the center of this story - obviously there should be many books that center queer Black girls, but until the last couple years, maybe, the YA pickings have been slim.
I was less convinced by the romance between Toni and Olivia. While I totally get that sharing an intense experience like a music festival can create an attraction, it was harder for me to understand why these two particular girls were so drawn to each other. I was actually more into their personal journeys and their friendships than the romance itself. Definitely enjoyed the ways the book was a love letter to live music, and it was nice to escape into a pre-/non-covid world where big music festivals like Farmland seem like a really good time.
I was less convinced by the romance between Toni and Olivia. While I totally get that sharing an intense experience like a music festival can create an attraction, it was harder for me to understand why these two particular girls were so drawn to each other. I was actually more into their personal journeys and their friendships than the romance itself. Definitely enjoyed the ways the book was a love letter to live music, and it was nice to escape into a pre-/non-covid world where big music festivals like Farmland seem like a really good time.