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noveldeelights's review
5.0
How far would you go for a second chance?
The year is 1982. The place is somewhere in the Adirondack Mountains. Reporter James Morrow secures an invitation to a secret community, founded by a charismatic man called Sol. More than 300 followers are awaiting the sun ellipse so they can step through the Golden Door, where they will be given a second chance and their past decisions never ended in tragedy.
James can relate. He lost his boyfriend a year ago. That's also partly why he is here. He is looking for a woman called Maria, who he holds responsible for his boyfriend's death. But this is one tight-knit community and nobody is talking. Or James is asking the wrong questions. There are so many that need answers too. Why are a few children treated like they're little gods, with their own special table, and their own special food? Why does the rest of the community not talk to them, or even look at them? Why are there iron strips that give off sparks of electricity embedded in the earth? What is behind the gates of Sol's private sanctuary?
Honestly, I saw the word "cult" and that was enough for me to decide I desperately wanted to read this new Beth Lewis book. Is this a cult though? Sol is first and foremost a scientist. He claims he has found a way to open a door between alternate realities. So while in this reality your child, for instance, has died because of something you did/said/didn't do/didn't say, they are very much still alive in the alternate reality where you opted for another decision. Your second chance at doing the right thing is just around the corner. Each and every one of Sol's member has a story to tell. One moment in time where they made the wrong decision that ended in tragedy and changed their lives forever. I'm sure many of us can relate. So if given the opportunity to step through the door and discover that alternate life ... what would you do?
The reader also meets Root. They are one of the special children and through their eyes you get a little bit of a feel for what goes on in the commune. I use they/them because Root's gender is indeterminable. Root is definitely special, a character to warm your heart from the second you meet them. Root is part of a group of children called the sunbeams and the sunbeams are the most important thing as they are the ones who will open that Golden Door. Just like James, you can never really shake off the feeling that Root and his pals just might be in danger, though.
Lastly, there is Eve. She is looking for the place where the commune used to be. She is desperate to find Sol, to vent her anger, maybe even to kill him. As interesting as her search for clues was, it did always leave me feeling a bit miffed at having to leave the camp, where James and Root were, behind. I was far more fascinated by what was happening there. Far more involved in the characters, and their fate.
The characterisation in this novel is just of a completely different level.Their pain and grief is almost palpable. There were moments where I could feel the tears stinging behind my eyes. The faith they have in Sol is hard to fathom, as it always is where cults are concerned. Why are they so blindly following a man who is so blatantly obviously going to get them killed?
Just when you think you've read all you can about cults, along comes Beth Lewis and turns the whole thing on its head.'Children of the Sun' is so incredibly cleverly plotted and while I had an inkling as to how some things were connected, it didn't matter at all. The setting is brilliant, the characters will just pull you into the story and not let go. Sometimes a chilling tale, but always utterly absorbing and I found it truly hard to put this novel down because I wanted to know what happened to these 300 something damaged souls.
'Children of the Sun' is most definitely another contender for my book of the year. It's a story about belief, and faith, and grief, and whatever the thing is that will guide us through the dark times to find the light again. I devoured it, I loved it, and I definitely recommend it.
The year is 1982. The place is somewhere in the Adirondack Mountains. Reporter James Morrow secures an invitation to a secret community, founded by a charismatic man called Sol. More than 300 followers are awaiting the sun ellipse so they can step through the Golden Door, where they will be given a second chance and their past decisions never ended in tragedy.
James can relate. He lost his boyfriend a year ago. That's also partly why he is here. He is looking for a woman called Maria, who he holds responsible for his boyfriend's death. But this is one tight-knit community and nobody is talking. Or James is asking the wrong questions. There are so many that need answers too. Why are a few children treated like they're little gods, with their own special table, and their own special food? Why does the rest of the community not talk to them, or even look at them? Why are there iron strips that give off sparks of electricity embedded in the earth? What is behind the gates of Sol's private sanctuary?
Honestly, I saw the word "cult" and that was enough for me to decide I desperately wanted to read this new Beth Lewis book. Is this a cult though? Sol is first and foremost a scientist. He claims he has found a way to open a door between alternate realities. So while in this reality your child, for instance, has died because of something you did/said/didn't do/didn't say, they are very much still alive in the alternate reality where you opted for another decision. Your second chance at doing the right thing is just around the corner. Each and every one of Sol's member has a story to tell. One moment in time where they made the wrong decision that ended in tragedy and changed their lives forever. I'm sure many of us can relate. So if given the opportunity to step through the door and discover that alternate life ... what would you do?
The reader also meets Root. They are one of the special children and through their eyes you get a little bit of a feel for what goes on in the commune. I use they/them because Root's gender is indeterminable. Root is definitely special, a character to warm your heart from the second you meet them. Root is part of a group of children called the sunbeams and the sunbeams are the most important thing as they are the ones who will open that Golden Door. Just like James, you can never really shake off the feeling that Root and his pals just might be in danger, though.
Lastly, there is Eve. She is looking for the place where the commune used to be. She is desperate to find Sol, to vent her anger, maybe even to kill him. As interesting as her search for clues was, it did always leave me feeling a bit miffed at having to leave the camp, where James and Root were, behind. I was far more fascinated by what was happening there. Far more involved in the characters, and their fate.
The characterisation in this novel is just of a completely different level.Their pain and grief is almost palpable. There were moments where I could feel the tears stinging behind my eyes. The faith they have in Sol is hard to fathom, as it always is where cults are concerned. Why are they so blindly following a man who is so blatantly obviously going to get them killed?
Just when you think you've read all you can about cults, along comes Beth Lewis and turns the whole thing on its head.'Children of the Sun' is so incredibly cleverly plotted and while I had an inkling as to how some things were connected, it didn't matter at all. The setting is brilliant, the characters will just pull you into the story and not let go. Sometimes a chilling tale, but always utterly absorbing and I found it truly hard to put this novel down because I wanted to know what happened to these 300 something damaged souls.
'Children of the Sun' is most definitely another contender for my book of the year. It's a story about belief, and faith, and grief, and whatever the thing is that will guide us through the dark times to find the light again. I devoured it, I loved it, and I definitely recommend it.
amyjayexo's review
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
littlelynn's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
kellyvandamme's review
5.0
Magnificent. A whole new and unexpected twist on the traditional cult story, and characters to more than Root for (
kate66's review
2.0
2.5
I am in a minority with this one I see. I gave it 2.5 stars because I finished it, it didn't give me a headache and the narrator was mostly okay, although the voice of Root (for me) was like nails down chalkboard at times. I'll address that first because I could not understand why all the other children/sunbeams spoke perfectly good English but Root spoke in an exceedingly babyish manner despite being the eldest (and no, there did not appear to be any physical or mental reason why).
So to the story which I found overlong, needlessly circuitous and quite irritating a lot of the time. The whole premise of the book that the leader, Sol, has found a way to right the "wrongs" of the past seemed very silly. None of the stories offered up by the people in the "cult" suggested to me that anything they had done had led to their subsequent heartbreak - nobody makes another person do anything unless they've a gun to their head.
The two main protagonists - James and Eve seem intent on going round and round the houses with their stories. If I'd been the editor it would have been a third shorter.
I see that a lot of people loved this book. I didn't. The premise was interesting but, for me, the execution fell short.
Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC of the audio version.
I am in a minority with this one I see. I gave it 2.5 stars because I finished it, it didn't give me a headache and the narrator was mostly okay, although the voice of Root (for me) was like nails down chalkboard at times. I'll address that first because I could not understand why all the other children/sunbeams spoke perfectly good English but Root spoke in an exceedingly babyish manner despite being the eldest (and no, there did not appear to be any physical or mental reason why).
So to the story which I found overlong, needlessly circuitous and quite irritating a lot of the time. The whole premise of the book that the leader, Sol, has found a way to right the "wrongs" of the past seemed very silly. None of the stories offered up by the people in the "cult" suggested to me that anything they had done had led to their subsequent heartbreak - nobody makes another person do anything unless they've a gun to their head.
The two main protagonists - James and Eve seem intent on going round and round the houses with their stories. If I'd been the editor it would have been a third shorter.
I see that a lot of people loved this book. I didn't. The premise was interesting but, for me, the execution fell short.
Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC of the audio version.
stormnatreadseverything's review
4.0
I loved this - I love all things cult/investigative journalism/emotional journeys so from the get go this was always going to be a winner.
Beth Lewis’ writing is so incredibly easy to read, and the way her story telling works with multiple perspectives, timelines, and themes is almost faultless. This was the first book I’d picked up from Lewis, and have now rapidly added anything I could find to my TBR.
As far as the plot is concerned, I was left guessing for almost the entire book - every time I thought I had figured something out, another aspect to consider was added to the mix. This helped create a suspenseful read that compelled you to keep going.
I’d definitely recommend reading this to anyone who found the description even vaguely interesting - I, for one, cannot wait until this is released in May. The physical copy of this will be given a home on my bookshelf as soon as possible.
I initially read this as an arc through NetGalley, and my opinions and views are my own.
Beth Lewis’ writing is so incredibly easy to read, and the way her story telling works with multiple perspectives, timelines, and themes is almost faultless. This was the first book I’d picked up from Lewis, and have now rapidly added anything I could find to my TBR.
As far as the plot is concerned, I was left guessing for almost the entire book - every time I thought I had figured something out, another aspect to consider was added to the mix. This helped create a suspenseful read that compelled you to keep going.
I’d definitely recommend reading this to anyone who found the description even vaguely interesting - I, for one, cannot wait until this is released in May. The physical copy of this will be given a home on my bookshelf as soon as possible.
I initially read this as an arc through NetGalley, and my opinions and views are my own.
annettenis's review
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
soletka's review against another edition
challenging
dark
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? It's complicated
3.0
This is a kind of sci-fi novel covering the topic of loss and hope. Can there be more than one reality? Can there be an alternative world where your story can be different, where your losses and mistakes can be redone and where you could be freed from your guilt, pain and shame? At least charismatic Sol claims that this is possible. But is he only a cult leader planning a mass suicide of his followers, or is there more to his claims?
Love, its loss, guilt, shame. The novel deals with these emotions strongly. I confess that the emotional aspect was a bit too much for me, I was sold on the premise of a mysterious cult, so I was hoping for a thriller. But this novel both a human drama based on a chance of impossible hope and even the romance novel, as the star-crossed gay love story of journalist James and his lover Tony is a thread going throughout the whole book.
I´d say the emotional parts are interesting, but there is a bit too much of the heavy stuff and too little of the sci-fi and mysterious parts. The romance aspects prevail towards the end, the story goes straightly into the field of make-believe, but the logical explanations are missing and the sci-fi parts are but forgotten, which is a pity if you ask me.
Love, its loss, guilt, shame. The novel deals with these emotions strongly. I confess that the emotional aspect was a bit too much for me, I was sold on the premise of a mysterious cult, so I was hoping for a thriller. But this novel both a human drama based on a chance of impossible hope and even the romance novel, as the star-crossed gay love story of journalist James and his lover Tony is a thread going throughout the whole book.
I´d say the emotional parts are interesting, but there is a bit too much of the heavy stuff and too little of the sci-fi and mysterious parts. The romance aspects prevail towards the end, the story goes straightly into the field of make-believe, but the logical explanations are missing and the sci-fi parts are but forgotten, which is a pity if you ask me.
roshreviews's review against another edition
challenging
dark
medium-paced
3.5
In a Nutshell: A test of your patience, this title based on a fictitious sun-worshipping cult with sci-fi elements! Fab plot, but YA-style writing. I was fascinated and still rolling my eyes almost throughout. The end nudged my rating higher.
Story Synopsis:
1982. Atlas is the home for a secret community hidden in the Adirondack mountains. Founded by an enigmatic leader named Sol, the three-hundred odd people are broken souls looking for redemption by preparing for the opening of the Golden Door, an event supposed to happen during the solar eclipse.
James, an ambitious reported in NYC, wants an exposé on Atlas and Sol. Under the pretext of writing an article promoting Atlas, James reaches the camp with his own hidden agenda. He soon finds that there are darker secrets and shady occurences in Atlas, with some part of the location staying off limits. As James learns more about the camp and the people, he begins to question if they might be right after all in their quest for salvation.
The story comes to us in the first person perspective of three characters: James, Root – a child member of Atlas who, as one of the ‘sunbeams’ is treated differently from the rest of the children, and Eve – a woman desperate to reach Atlas and find Sol.
Bookish Yays:
✔ The plot begins as a typical insider-reveal into a cult, and then introduces novelties. I simply didn’t not expect sci-fi elements in a cult story, so when those ideas started popping up, my attention was piqued. Also, I assumed that the cult would be a pseudo-Christian one as whatever cult fiction I’ve read seem to highlight biblical fanatics. But this book had a hippie kind of cult, borrowing thoughts from various religions and regions. I am not sure if I liked this, but it certainly was unusual.
✔ The characters are complicated. James’ past involves grief, so it is interesting to see him struggle between his personal feelings for Sol’s promises and his professional approach towards his article. Eve seems determined to reach Atlas, though we don’t know why. Her track is the weakest of the book until the end, when it suddenly offers an unexpected surprise. Root’s character is mostly well-defined, offering us a glimpse into the extent of brainwashing at Atlas.
✔ The author sure has imagination! The plot as a whole should have felt farfetched and impossible, but she makes it sound absolutely plausible.
✔ There are some amazing lines through the book, mostly connected to the handling of grief and the importance of moving on.
✔ The ending, while requiring suspension of disbelief, is still almost perfect. I foresaw a part of the twist, but there was still enough to keep me hooked. The climax doesn’t tie up all elements or offer complete closure, but it gives you enough resolution to be happy with and enough possibilities to ponder upon.
Bookish Nays:
❌ Somehow, a cult book makes me expect many tense scenes, creepy insights, and nail-biting events. This one felt quite tame in comparison. Except for one bizarre scene connected to a physical punishment, the rest of the cultish details were just a little beyond ordinary.
❌ James’ and Eve’s tracks get quite repetitive in between. Eve’s arc also contain plenty of info-dumping to help us bridge the gaps in the facts about Atlas and Sol. These elements slow down the flow of her story.
❌ I didn’t get the need to write Root’s track in such a babyish kind of English when everyone around the character spoke English perfectly well. The language used in this arc was simultaneously brilliant and irritating.
❌ The one feature about the writing that irked me the most was the constant and recurring references to anatomical parts. These are usually found in YA novels, so I certainly did not expect them in a story with a clearly adult topic. My heart ached, my eyes rolled, my ears cried, my throat throbbed, my stomach grew queasy, my brain questioned my sanity, and “my insides” almost gave up the ghost on seeing at least one body part mentioned after every few sentences.
(PS: If anyone has access to the digital copy, could you do me a favour and let me know how many times the book mentioned “stomach” and “my insides”? I need to know if my guesses were right. Feel free to report on any other body parts you want to: throat, chest, eyes, ears,… You have an assortment of anatomy to choose from!)
The Audiobook Experience:
The audiobook, clocking at almost 15 hours, is narrated by David Wayman and Kate Handford. Kate Hansford, voicing Eve, is very good. David Wayman, voicing James and Root, is excellent. Narrating Root’s complicated language and emotionally exuberant dialogues wouldn’t have been an easy task, but Wayman handles it competently. If you are an audiobook lover, this would be a good title to try through audio.
All in all, despite my reservations about the YA-style writing, I still liked the plot and was curious to know more. Recommended if you want to try an atypical cult story and wont be bothered by the anatomical bombardment.
3.5 stars, rounding up for the audio version.
My thanks to Hodder & Stoughton and NetGalley for the ALC of “Children of the Sun”. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the audiobook.
Story Synopsis:
1982. Atlas is the home for a secret community hidden in the Adirondack mountains. Founded by an enigmatic leader named Sol, the three-hundred odd people are broken souls looking for redemption by preparing for the opening of the Golden Door, an event supposed to happen during the solar eclipse.
James, an ambitious reported in NYC, wants an exposé on Atlas and Sol. Under the pretext of writing an article promoting Atlas, James reaches the camp with his own hidden agenda. He soon finds that there are darker secrets and shady occurences in Atlas, with some part of the location staying off limits. As James learns more about the camp and the people, he begins to question if they might be right after all in their quest for salvation.
The story comes to us in the first person perspective of three characters: James, Root – a child member of Atlas who, as one of the ‘sunbeams’ is treated differently from the rest of the children, and Eve – a woman desperate to reach Atlas and find Sol.
Bookish Yays:
✔ The plot begins as a typical insider-reveal into a cult, and then introduces novelties. I simply didn’t not expect sci-fi elements in a cult story, so when those ideas started popping up, my attention was piqued. Also, I assumed that the cult would be a pseudo-Christian one as whatever cult fiction I’ve read seem to highlight biblical fanatics. But this book had a hippie kind of cult, borrowing thoughts from various religions and regions. I am not sure if I liked this, but it certainly was unusual.
✔ The characters are complicated. James’ past involves grief, so it is interesting to see him struggle between his personal feelings for Sol’s promises and his professional approach towards his article. Eve seems determined to reach Atlas, though we don’t know why. Her track is the weakest of the book until the end, when it suddenly offers an unexpected surprise. Root’s character is mostly well-defined, offering us a glimpse into the extent of brainwashing at Atlas.
✔ The author sure has imagination! The plot as a whole should have felt farfetched and impossible, but she makes it sound absolutely plausible.
✔ There are some amazing lines through the book, mostly connected to the handling of grief and the importance of moving on.
✔ The ending, while requiring suspension of disbelief, is still almost perfect. I foresaw a part of the twist, but there was still enough to keep me hooked. The climax doesn’t tie up all elements or offer complete closure, but it gives you enough resolution to be happy with and enough possibilities to ponder upon.
Bookish Nays:
❌ Somehow, a cult book makes me expect many tense scenes, creepy insights, and nail-biting events. This one felt quite tame in comparison. Except for one bizarre scene connected to a physical punishment, the rest of the cultish details were just a little beyond ordinary.
❌ James’ and Eve’s tracks get quite repetitive in between. Eve’s arc also contain plenty of info-dumping to help us bridge the gaps in the facts about Atlas and Sol. These elements slow down the flow of her story.
❌ I didn’t get the need to write Root’s track in such a babyish kind of English when everyone around the character spoke English perfectly well. The language used in this arc was simultaneously brilliant and irritating.
❌ The one feature about the writing that irked me the most was the constant and recurring references to anatomical parts. These are usually found in YA novels, so I certainly did not expect them in a story with a clearly adult topic. My heart ached, my eyes rolled, my ears cried, my throat throbbed, my stomach grew queasy, my brain questioned my sanity, and “my insides” almost gave up the ghost on seeing at least one body part mentioned after every few sentences.
(PS: If anyone has access to the digital copy, could you do me a favour and let me know how many times the book mentioned “stomach” and “my insides”? I need to know if my guesses were right. Feel free to report on any other body parts you want to: throat, chest, eyes, ears,… You have an assortment of anatomy to choose from!)
The Audiobook Experience:
The audiobook, clocking at almost 15 hours, is narrated by David Wayman and Kate Handford. Kate Hansford, voicing Eve, is very good. David Wayman, voicing James and Root, is excellent. Narrating Root’s complicated language and emotionally exuberant dialogues wouldn’t have been an easy task, but Wayman handles it competently. If you are an audiobook lover, this would be a good title to try through audio.
All in all, despite my reservations about the YA-style writing, I still liked the plot and was curious to know more. Recommended if you want to try an atypical cult story and wont be bothered by the anatomical bombardment.
3.5 stars, rounding up for the audio version.
My thanks to Hodder & Stoughton and NetGalley for the ALC of “Children of the Sun”. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the audiobook.
thebookclub's review against another edition
challenging
dark
reflective
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
4.0