Sunshine by Robin McKinley Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of Sunshine
Book Review: An Unexpected Treat
Summary: 5 Stars
I really enjoyed this book. I must admit I am a fan of vampire fiction. Lately, a lot of what I was reading has become stale and predictable. Sunshine answered my prayers. It is well written with a real plot line and not over sexed. I recommend it as a really good read.Book Review: Awesome!! ;)
Summary: 5 Stars
This book is the best I have ever read in the past year. A must read! full of romance and adventure and the life of a baker.Book Review: Beautiful and mysterious and leaves me wanting more!
Summary: 5 Stars
I haven't read that many of Robin McKinley's books, and although Beauty is one of my most favorite books, she was always just an OK author for me. Reading "Sunshine" has really boosted my opinion of Robin McKinley. This book had me hooked right from the beginning. It was so imaginatively written and so gorgeously detailed that I totally felt like I was in Sunshine's world. Sunshine's first person narrative was very interesting because it was almost a stream of consciousness type of narrative. It takes awhile to fully understand what she's talking about becasue she takes her time explaining what's going on. At times this was frustrating, because I would be lost and confused, but eventually through her explanations things just fell into place - it was like a lightbulb clicking on over my head. I loved that feeling because as I read on the story became more lush and full and more intriguing. I couldn't put the book down.
Sunshine was a really interesting heroine. I kind of had a love/hate relationship with her. At times I really liked what she did - she would do what she set her mind on doing, even if it was not the most conventional of actions, and even though she may have debated the issue in her head. Then, there were times I just wanted to shake her and ask her what she was thinking. Sometimes I could not relate to her character - probably because her personality just brushed me the wrong way. She would just think things that would bother me.
But then again she's not perfect. I can't expect her to do and say everything I wanted her to do or say or think. She just realized that she has all these new powers and that she is an extremely strong magic-handler as well. Of course she would struggle with using magic, especially when she's been brought up her entire life to think and behave like a normal human. And she would struggle with working so closely with a vampire, the most feared and hated creature in her world. She struggles with herself and finding out who she really is, but gradually she does work things out and grows and matures in how she views herself and the world. She's not a static character that acts in predictable way. For me, Sunshine was wonderful character because she was a reluctant heroine, but who finally embraces all that she has.
I've read other reviews of this book and I'm somewhat baffled by some people's comments. I don't know why people keep comparing Sunshine to Buffy, or saying they are too similar. Just because they both deal with vampires and have spunky personalities does not mean they should be compared. Sunshine is a unique person, and should be viewed as such. I personally don't see all that many similarities between her and Buffy.
The other character in the book that I have to talk about is Constantine. I've never really been into reading books about vampires, but I may change my mind. Constantine was one of the most fascinating characters I've ever read. It may be because I wasn't able to experience what he was thinking, or that I didn't get to see much of him, but I found myself breathlessly waiting for any scene he was in. Con was so enigmatic, but I loved everything about him. Anything he did or said was perfect. He was the "good" vampire, breaking the sterotypes of what Sunshine thought vampires would be like. He is reticent and thoughtful, but also noble and honorable, two traits that I love to see in a character. And even though he was not very good to look at, and was probably extremely scary to be around, I found him irresistably sexy. McKinley did a wonderful job creating his air of mystery.
I really wished there were more of Con in the book. And when Sunshine and him meet, I wished there was more interaction between the two. We were to understand that there was a strong bond between the two, but we rarely got a chance to see how deep that bond went. I had to make up my own ideas about what their relationship really was like. And I'm going to have to make up my own ideas about what's going to happen to them in the future.
I also felt McKinley spent too much time on subjects that were just background. It was interesting to see what Sunshine's life was - the coffeehouse and SOF. And I understand that her whole life is the coffeehouse, but there were too many details about the goings-ons in the coffeehouse and the antics of SOF. I felt that it was too much filler, when we could have spent more time exploring Sunshine's feelings and maybe understanding what her magic was like.
McKinley also could have fleshed out some of the other characters a little more too. Mel is probably the one person I wanted to learn more about, behind Constantine. He's a complete mystery also, with his multiple tattoos and unknown past and his cool demeanor. I want to know why he's content with the life he leads and why he's with Sunshine and what he feels for he. Sunshine's mother was also interesting too because she was married to Sunshine's powerful magic-handling father, Onyx Blaise. Yolande was also another great character that we don't know much about.
I loved these characters, despite whatever flaws there were. It is the characters in the book, mainly the ambiguous and mysterious (Constantine, Mel), that made me give this book 5 stars. They were so compelling they pulled me through the story and kept me turning the pages. I highly recommend this book.
I did not want this book to end. Unfortunately for me, it had to. But the ending was not really an ending - there is still a story to be told. And if there is any hope in the world, there will be a sequel.
Book Review: Beautiful, well-written, a touch of darkness
Summary: 5 Stars
Sunshine is quite possibly my favorite book by McKinley, who happens to be on my list of favorite writers. But for those familiar with the faerie-tale settings of her other books, Sunshine starts with a bit of a jolt. It's more of an "adult" book, not only in the graphic sexuality and violence, but also in the way themes are presented. Most of her other books have more-or-less the faerie tale ending...everything ties up nicely. This story...leaves a lot of issues trailing (possible sequel?). I actually liked it better this way. It leaves much to the imagination. Furthermore, though this is also a fantasy (urban fantasy?) novel, it seems more realistic. Sunshine (the main character) is very likeable. McKinley writes true to "tone"...Sunshine seems as real and developed as anyone you might know in real life.
McKinley also does a great job of drawing the reading into a very unlikely romance--the same plotline under a less masterful hand would seem downright corny. But with McKinley, well, you find yourself rooting for the "good guys" with a bit of delightful reluctance.
This is a book well worth buying. I read it from cover to cover in one night--it definitely captures your attention, and keeps through all the way through.
Book Review: Beautifully written, but it doesn't drive me to turn pages
Summary: 3 Stars
I picked this book up because Robin McKinley wrote it. I continued to read it after I found quite a few flaws because I'd invested. Somwhere, I thought the book would get better. Sunshine isn't a 'can't put it down' book. Frankly, in my case, it's a 'put it down when it becomes tiresome and pick it up again because it's the only book you have in your bookbag.'
That's not to say the book doesn't have its good points. As always, McKinley's work is beautifully written, but in no way would I consider this work one of her best. It's a meandering tale full of backstory details (info-dump) that slows the action down to a crawl. Frankly, several times while I was reading, I put the book down and almost left it---in the doctor's office, at the blood bank, etc.
My main example of this is when the protagonist, Rae, is taken by vampires on page 12. On page 17, Rae wakes up terrified after five pages of background that come from where??? While I don't want to see this book become a splatterpunk action novel, when there is action and tension, the writer should get on with the story instead of flooding us with backstory and information dump.
While McKinley's prose is beautiful and her characters are well realized, Constantine (the Mushroom Man) was not my idea of a leading guy. This is definitely a different spin on the bloodsuckers, but I'm not sure this is conducive to the romance angle. Further, in many ways, the romance angle cheapens the literary nature of the work and panders more to pedestrian tastes. Of course, we now have Sunshine/Rae involved in a love triangle between a vamp and probably a sorcerer. Oh where have we seen that storyline before?
Someone mentioned McKinley's preoccupation with food. Okay, Sunshine is a baker, but this book is guaranteed to send you into hyperglycemia. Oddly, I didn't experience any food cravings as a result. The whole narrative was just too over-the-top regarding Sunshine's legendary baked goods, it was like riding on a roller coaster on a hot day with a little too much ice cream on your stomach. It wasn't enough to make me sick, but I wasn't comfortable, either.
I'm sure there will be a sequel, but McKinley hasn't given me a compelling reason to read any more than this book.