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joana_isreading 's review for:
The Sunshine Court
by Nora Sakavic
I basically read the first trilogy in a single week, and I told myself I’d pace things better with this one since the third book isn’t out yet. But that didn’t last long — I started The Sunshine Court about a week after finishing The King’s Men because I just couldn’t resist.
Honestly, I think this series might be becoming my favorite, at least for now.
Let’s start with Jean. Oh my god, he is so annoying at first. Like, genuinely more annoying than Kevin in the first trilogy. Remember how Kevin used to drive me crazy? He was so stuck in his ways, so loyal to Rico, even when he was finally in a safer space. He’d get mad at Neil just for pushing back, even though Neil was the only one actually doing the right thing. That used to piss me off so much.
Jean was basically the same in the beginning of this book. He kept freaking out whenever Kevin or Neil went against the Moriyamas — and, hello, Rico literally died at the end of the last trilogy. Yet Jean still acts like Rico is about to appear out of nowhere. I get it, though. His trauma runs deep, probably even deeper than Kevin’s in some ways. Kevin was the prodigal son, the favorite, and once he left, all of Rico’s rage fell on Jean. He definitely suffered the most, especially after Neil refused to join the Ravens. So yeah, I understand why he is the way he is… but it was still frustrating at first.
That said, I warmed up to him. His sarcastic, cutting comebacks? Absolute gold. He kind of won me over through sheer wit, which is exactly my type of humor.
Now, Jeremy. I love that man. He’s basically the male version of Renee, just radiating kindness and warmth. Honestly, I adore him. And USC as a team? They feel like the perfect place for Jean. With the Foxes, it took a while to love everyone individually, and some of them were super resistant to Neil. With USC, you kind of just love them all right away (except that one guy — the Raven’s brother, whose name I keep forgetting). The girls are amazing — maybe it’s because they’re lesbians, but I adore them. The coaches are great too. It’s just such a supportive environment. Exactly what Jean needs.
As for the plot, people could say not much happens here, but I actually loved that. It’s mostly Jean adjusting to his new life, and I thought that was kind of perfect. The first trilogy was so full of chaos and constant threats — Neil running from his father, Rico hunting Kevin, secrets everywhere. It was incredible, but it also made me cry and stress so much. This one, for the most part, felt calmer. Not completely calm (because that one scene with that asshole… yeah), but overall it was more focused on Jean’s growth than constant external danger. And that’s exactly what I want for this trilogy.
The ending was a bit confusing, especially with Neil’s uncle, but I trust it’ll be explained better in the next book. Nora’s writing can be a little hard to follow sometimes, but I honestly love it anyway.
So yeah, I’m super excited for the next one. I keep telling myself I’ll pace it out so I don’t suffer waiting for book three, but let’s be real — I’ll probably cave and read it next week.
Honestly, I think this series might be becoming my favorite, at least for now.
Let’s start with Jean. Oh my god, he is so annoying at first. Like, genuinely more annoying than Kevin in the first trilogy. Remember how Kevin used to drive me crazy? He was so stuck in his ways, so loyal to Rico, even when he was finally in a safer space. He’d get mad at Neil just for pushing back, even though Neil was the only one actually doing the right thing. That used to piss me off so much.
Jean was basically the same in the beginning of this book. He kept freaking out whenever Kevin or Neil went against the Moriyamas — and, hello, Rico literally died at the end of the last trilogy. Yet Jean still acts like Rico is about to appear out of nowhere. I get it, though. His trauma runs deep, probably even deeper than Kevin’s in some ways. Kevin was the prodigal son, the favorite, and once he left, all of Rico’s rage fell on Jean. He definitely suffered the most, especially after Neil refused to join the Ravens. So yeah, I understand why he is the way he is… but it was still frustrating at first.
That said, I warmed up to him. His sarcastic, cutting comebacks? Absolute gold. He kind of won me over through sheer wit, which is exactly my type of humor.
Now, Jeremy. I love that man. He’s basically the male version of Renee, just radiating kindness and warmth. Honestly, I adore him. And USC as a team? They feel like the perfect place for Jean. With the Foxes, it took a while to love everyone individually, and some of them were super resistant to Neil. With USC, you kind of just love them all right away (except that one guy — the Raven’s brother, whose name I keep forgetting). The girls are amazing — maybe it’s because they’re lesbians, but I adore them. The coaches are great too. It’s just such a supportive environment. Exactly what Jean needs.
As for the plot, people could say not much happens here, but I actually loved that. It’s mostly Jean adjusting to his new life, and I thought that was kind of perfect. The first trilogy was so full of chaos and constant threats — Neil running from his father, Rico hunting Kevin, secrets everywhere. It was incredible, but it also made me cry and stress so much. This one, for the most part, felt calmer. Not completely calm (because that one scene with that asshole… yeah), but overall it was more focused on Jean’s growth than constant external danger. And that’s exactly what I want for this trilogy.
The ending was a bit confusing, especially with Neil’s uncle, but I trust it’ll be explained better in the next book. Nora’s writing can be a little hard to follow sometimes, but I honestly love it anyway.
So yeah, I’m super excited for the next one. I keep telling myself I’ll pace it out so I don’t suffer waiting for book three, but let’s be real — I’ll probably cave and read it next week.