A review by gigireadswithkiki
A Map to the Sun by Sloane Leong

emotional funny tense 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

Gotta love a great story with a cast comprised entirely of POC! The racially diverse characters--Ren (who is Black), Luna (who is Hawaiian-Chinese), Jetta (who is Native-American and Latinx), Nell (who is Jamaican), and So-Young (who is Korean)--were such a breath of fresh air, with each and every character distinct and multi-faceted. In line with diversity, this book also helped me realize the stark absence fat characters were from sports-centered stories until this book, and I appreciated the inclusion of Nell for this, and many other, reasons. 

Sloane Leong's use of bright vibrant hues was great, although at times it does make it difficult to differentiate between some of the characters. Additionally, some of the action-based basketball scenes were a little difficult to follow, but the thought bubble snippets are really nice for helping keep pace with all the games. 

Overall, I really liked that this story is ultimately built around the idea of meeting people where they're at. I think it's an important topic for readers of all ages and I would recommend it to others, but, as always, definitely check out the content warnings beforehand as there are a couple scenes that aren't for the faint of heart. 
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