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barrit89's review
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
badseedgirl's review against another edition
4.0
This is the book [a:Stephenie Meyer|941441|Stephenie Meyer|https://d2arxad8u2l0g7.cloudfront.net/authors/1408942967p2/941441.jpg] wished she wrote.
msrxlady's review against another edition
2.0
Maybe 2.5 stars. Interesting enough premise, but sometimes the main character prattled on about how unbelievable her situation was and "Wow, he's STILL a vampire doing something NOT vampire like, but he's supposed to be a VAMPIRE!" etc etc. I was waiting for the main character to embrace a little bit of what was going on instead of constantly being surprised and then dismayed by her situation. That got quite tiresome after a while.
Also, in terms of format, I listened to the audiobook and something about how the narrator spoke was distracting.
Also, in terms of format, I listened to the audiobook and something about how the narrator spoke was distracting.
pulpfan's review
3.0
Man, I have so many feelings about this book. I read it because people said it was an unusual and unique vampire book with a different take on vampire romance, and it is, but there's a big fat * to go along with that.
It manages to be an incredibly slow read and a bit of a slog without crossing over the line to unreadability, but it definitely teeters on the edge. People who enjoy this book sometimes characterize it as a comfort read, but people who are coming at it from a genre fiction angle seem to be largely frustrated by how Sunshine defies a lot of genre and structure conventions.
The initial setup in Act 1 with the vampire is engaging, but we actually see the vampire for very little of the remainder of the book. The rest is filled with info dumps and rambling narrative tangents about life and the world that often don't "go" anywhere in the traditional plotting sense. This book is the poster child for soggy middle, and there were so many subplots and conversations that I found myself skimming. There are also many conversational affectations (er, ums) that were pretty distracting.
I understand now why readers describe this as a vampire "romance" in quotes. I really appreciate that the author does some different things with this concept, but she keeps giving a flash of the concept and then pulling her cards away in a way that makes me feel like I'm being baited a bit. If you go into this looking for a romance, prepare to be jerked around.
By today's standards, Sunshine is not a typical genre book and should probably be recommended as a character study that happens to have vampires in it. Parts of it seem almost designed to frustrate the reader. But it is a truly unique vampire book, and if you're into that it's worth checking out.
It manages to be an incredibly slow read and a bit of a slog without crossing over the line to unreadability, but it definitely teeters on the edge. People who enjoy this book sometimes characterize it as a comfort read, but people who are coming at it from a genre fiction angle seem to be largely frustrated by how Sunshine defies a lot of genre and structure conventions.
The initial setup in Act 1 with the vampire is engaging, but we actually see the vampire for very little of the remainder of the book. The rest is filled with info dumps and rambling narrative tangents about life and the world that often don't "go" anywhere in the traditional plotting sense. This book is the poster child for soggy middle, and there were so many subplots and conversations that I found myself skimming. There are also many conversational affectations (er, ums) that were pretty distracting.
I understand now why readers describe this as a vampire "romance" in quotes. I really appreciate that the author does some different things with this concept, but she keeps giving a flash of the concept and then pulling her cards away in a way that makes me feel like I'm being baited a bit. If you go into this looking for a romance, prepare to be jerked around.
By today's standards, Sunshine is not a typical genre book and should probably be recommended as a character study that happens to have vampires in it. Parts of it seem almost designed to frustrate the reader. But it is a truly unique vampire book, and if you're into that it's worth checking out.
songwind's review against another edition
4.0
This book is an engaging take on an alternate earth where magic and inhuman Others coexist with people. The most inimical and dangerous Others are vampires.
Rae (Sunshine to her friends) is a baker at her step-dad's cafe. She's extremely good at, and has a pretty good life. But everyone needs to blow off steam every now and then. So Sunshine heads out to the lake, where no one goes due to fallout from the human/vampire wars, to get away from it all.
Unfortunately, someone does go there. She's captured by vampires and used to torment another vamp who's chained up in their hidey hole. And the trouble is just starting.
The biggest strength of this book is world-building. The Earth proposed by McKinley is rich and well thought out. The vampires are strange and inhuman, not just people with pointy teeth. The history, which we only get in bits and pieces, begs for follow up novels.
The voice of Sunshine (who narrates in first person past tense) is well developed, consistent and well textured.
There are few odd leaps of logic by the characters, and one scene in particular that seems weirdly out of place, but all in all I really liked it.
The ending will probably be frustrating for some people. There are a ton of loose ends, including for a major sub-plot and conflict from the story line.
Rae (Sunshine to her friends) is a baker at her step-dad's cafe. She's extremely good at, and has a pretty good life. But everyone needs to blow off steam every now and then. So Sunshine heads out to the lake, where no one goes due to fallout from the human/vampire wars, to get away from it all.
Unfortunately, someone does go there. She's captured by vampires and used to torment another vamp who's chained up in their hidey hole. And the trouble is just starting.
The biggest strength of this book is world-building. The Earth proposed by McKinley is rich and well thought out. The vampires are strange and inhuman, not just people with pointy teeth. The history, which we only get in bits and pieces, begs for follow up novels.
The voice of Sunshine (who narrates in first person past tense) is well developed, consistent and well textured.
There are few odd leaps of logic by the characters, and one scene in particular that seems weirdly out of place, but all in all I really liked it.
The ending will probably be frustrating for some people. There are a ton of loose ends, including for a major sub-plot and conflict from the story line.
uglypuppies's review
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
1.5
I did not like this book
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual content
mercurysflame's review
adventurous
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
stephxsu's review
5.0
Rae Seddon, nicknamed Sunshine for her love of daylight, is just your average young woman, with maybe a slightly greater-than-normal interest in the Others: paranormal creatures such as vampires, Weres, and demons. She's a master baker (her cinnamon rolls are to die for) at her stepdad Charlie's coffeehouse, and has a good relationship with her boyfriend Mel. Sunshine's life was going on fine, until the night she decides to drive out to the lake to be alone with her thoughts for a bit, and finds herself smack dab in the middle of an epic ongoing fight between two vampires, Con and Bo.
Once you're in the hands of vampires you're pretty much dead, which is why Sunshine is absolutely terrified of herself when she not only escapes, but manages to save Con from Bo's gang as well. Now she and Con are inexplicably and dangerously linked, and Sunshine is only beginning to realize her magic heritage and the extent of her powers--powers that are wanted by SOF, the "police force" that deals with the Others. Sunshine and Con must form the strangest alliance ever--between humans and vampires--in order to defeat Bo and save each other from sure destruction.
SUNSHINE is quite different from previous Robin McKinley's books I've read and loved. First of all, this IS an adult book, and so some of the themes and content may be uncomfortable for younger readers (although, knowing McKinley readers, most are pretty mature already). Sunshine is also an unusual narrator; I think of her as almost the Jessica Darling of the vampire genre, with her snarky, diary-like commentary, which I enjoyed most of the time except when it got dragged out a bit in the middle and you just wanted to get to what happens next, to the action!
I'm not sure how Twilight fans will respond to this one because vampires are not glorified in SUNSHINE, although Con is attractive in his looming, expressionless way. However, if you are looking for a paranormal book with an extremely strong female protagonist's voice, be sure to check this one out.
Once you're in the hands of vampires you're pretty much dead, which is why Sunshine is absolutely terrified of herself when she not only escapes, but manages to save Con from Bo's gang as well. Now she and Con are inexplicably and dangerously linked, and Sunshine is only beginning to realize her magic heritage and the extent of her powers--powers that are wanted by SOF, the "police force" that deals with the Others. Sunshine and Con must form the strangest alliance ever--between humans and vampires--in order to defeat Bo and save each other from sure destruction.
SUNSHINE is quite different from previous Robin McKinley's books I've read and loved. First of all, this IS an adult book, and so some of the themes and content may be uncomfortable for younger readers (although, knowing McKinley readers, most are pretty mature already). Sunshine is also an unusual narrator; I think of her as almost the Jessica Darling of the vampire genre, with her snarky, diary-like commentary, which I enjoyed most of the time except when it got dragged out a bit in the middle and you just wanted to get to what happens next, to the action!
I'm not sure how Twilight fans will respond to this one because vampires are not glorified in SUNSHINE, although Con is attractive in his looming, expressionless way. However, if you are looking for a paranormal book with an extremely strong female protagonist's voice, be sure to check this one out.