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frantic_vampire 's review for:
The Sunshine Court
by Nora Sakavic
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
December 2024 reread: I have no words. But, I’ll try to put my thoughts (other than the screaming and crying) into something coherent. The Sunshine Court is definitely my favorite book of the year. I think this is the first time I’ve ever reread a book almost immediately (about six months) after finishing it. This reread let me catch so many little things that I didn’t the first time around. Like Jean asking for the meaning of English words that he didn’t know. This book has had an absolute chokehold on my heart all year and I don’t think it’ll be going away anytime soon. The Sunshine Court is still a solid five stars!
Original May 2024 review: Holy fuck. For all that it has a bright sunshiny name, this book was absolutely brutal and devastating. With each passing chapter and every horrific little revelation about the abuse that Jean suffered I wanted to scream and cry and rage on his behalf. I loved that Jean was able to find little bright spots of happiness in the smallest things like cooking with Cat, (begrudgingly) shopping with Laila, and having Jeremy as his partner. I also loved that they gave Jean the space he needed, respected his privacy (for the most part), and accepted his boundaries (only pushing them when they absolutely had to).
Original May 2024 review: Holy fuck. For all that it has a bright sunshiny name, this book was absolutely brutal and devastating. With each passing chapter and every horrific little revelation about the abuse that Jean suffered I wanted to scream and cry and rage on his behalf. I loved that Jean was able to find little bright spots of happiness in the smallest things like cooking with Cat, (begrudgingly) shopping with Laila, and having Jeremy as his partner. I also loved that they gave Jean the space he needed, respected his privacy (for the most part), and accepted his boundaries (only pushing them when they absolutely had to).
There is so much to unpack with this book and I don’t think I caught everything that was happening in this read. So a reread is definitely needed before the next book comes out. But my god. This was probably one of the most emotionally devastating books I think I’ve ever read. It’s getting a solid five stars and I don’t know what I’m gonna do with myself until the next book comes out.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Grief, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Biphobia, Body horror, Homophobia, Vomit, Medical content, Stalking, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment
Minor: Child death, Death, Gun violence, Trafficking