Reviews

The Sunlight Pilgrims by Jenni Fagan

lazaram's review

reflective medium-paced

4.0

jeter21's review

2.0

Man it really kills me when I can't/don't want to finish a book but I just didn't really gel with The Sunlight Pilgrims. It truly felt like a slog to read, despite what I think are really interesting characters. I loved that the author featured a transgender girl named Stella and allowed us to go into the mind and life of someone who has a different gender identity. From that respect I will almost recommend this book despite how I felt about it. It was also fun to get to know Constance (Stella's mother) and Dylan, their new neighbor.

However, this is where the praise I have to give ends as this book seems more preoccupied in plodding details and not advancing its story, although it is under 300 pages. There were so many moments where I wanted the novel to let me in or at least encourage me to stay in the scenes with these characters but it couldn't manage that.

I received this book from the Blogging for Books program in exchange for this review.

mimiecherry's review

emotional mysterious reflective sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

hjfs's review

3.0

2.5

laurjs's review

emotional reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

andireadsawesomely's review against another edition

mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Minor: Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, and Transphobia

zoebbooks's review

challenging funny hopeful reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

amysbrittain's review

3.0

There were fantastic elements at play here--the intriguing premise, the striking settings (old movie house, increasingly frozen landscape), and the quirky and largely believable cast of characters. The wonderfully matter-of-fact and tender subplot of the complications of changing gender identity within a tiny community felt fully realized. Other elements didn't seem to really "hit." The global reaches and severity (and speed) of global warming effects, the *far* too extensive discussion of several characters' "shocking" love triangle (square?), a complicated family tree--after enormous buildups, these ultimately felt like they simply drifted into the background.

carlyalynnsia's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad tense slow-paced

3.0

sarahjjs's review

5.0

This book was super beautiful - the man who married the sky is a pretty good example of just how beautiful. The end did throw me a bit but I'm glad I sat on it because life is fucked and often hope is always lost and that is shown in this ending.