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A review by introvertsbookclub
Sunburn by Chloe Michelle Howarth
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Amazing. So gorgeously written, it was like reading poetry. The pages flew by, one after the other, carrying the reader through in a way that felt effortless. And yet despite the ease of the writing, the story was suffused with tension, conflict and heartache.
It recreates the love of a hometown which is not good for you, where familiarity is confused with safety and comfort, and the fear of leaving, or worse, being rejected and unable to return, clouds your judgement. It tells a common story for queer people in such intimate detail that it feels new, and yet echoes with all of the histories that have gone before it.
Despite so much pain, self-doubt and punishment, there was also tenderness, sweetness and self-sacrifice. The mother-daughter dynamic encapsulated the difficulty of growing up and facing the world as it is, and not as you hoped it would be; while the depiction of girlhood friendships was so accurate – petty and cruel, loyal and defensive, snarling at you or with you. This novel just hit so many sweet spots, it is the perfect coming together reality and fiction.
It recreates the love of a hometown which is not good for you, where familiarity is confused with safety and comfort, and the fear of leaving, or worse, being rejected and unable to return, clouds your judgement. It tells a common story for queer people in such intimate detail that it feels new, and yet echoes with all of the histories that have gone before it.
Despite so much pain, self-doubt and punishment, there was also tenderness, sweetness and self-sacrifice. The mother-daughter dynamic encapsulated the difficulty of growing up and facing the world as it is, and not as you hoped it would be; while the depiction of girlhood friendships was so accurate – petty and cruel, loyal and defensive, snarling at you or with you. This novel just hit so many sweet spots, it is the perfect coming together reality and fiction.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Homophobia