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A review by mcf
South of Sunshine by Dana Elmendorf
4.0
Actual rating: 4.5
Overall I really dug this story of a small town, southern girl coming to terms with her sexuality. And, yes, the framework story is just as cliched as it sounds -- she's even got a gay best friend and a religious, frightened, single mom! However, the characters are well drawn enough to rise above the cliches, and what could be seen as the book's somewhat uneven rhythm and tone are ultimately quite effective in conveying the unpredictability of life for a high school kid. There are moments when the writing is clunky (particularly in the descriptions of physical intimacy) and the issue of race could be more fully addressed (again, though, I think there's some realism to the way it comes and goes when we're trapped in the first person perspective of a selfish teenager), but the main characters are uniformly appealing, and the cracked optimism of the book's final act is rewarding and almost perfect in its tone.
Overall I really dug this story of a small town, southern girl coming to terms with her sexuality. And, yes, the framework story is just as cliched as it sounds -- she's even got a gay best friend and a religious, frightened, single mom! However, the characters are well drawn enough to rise above the cliches, and what could be seen as the book's somewhat uneven rhythm and tone are ultimately quite effective in conveying the unpredictability of life for a high school kid. There are moments when the writing is clunky (particularly in the descriptions of physical intimacy) and the issue of race could be more fully addressed (again, though, I think there's some realism to the way it comes and goes when we're trapped in the first person perspective of a selfish teenager), but the main characters are uniformly appealing, and the cracked optimism of the book's final act is rewarding and almost perfect in its tone.