Sunshine by Robin McKinley

[pjthompson]

I loved this book. Looking at the reviews on Amazon, it appears that it's one of those books you either hate or love. One of the big things that made me love it, the peripatetic voice of its narrator Rae "Sunshine" Seddon, seems to be the thing that makes some readers hate it. You either get her narrative side trips and take them to your heart, or they're going to drive you crazy. There doesn't seem to be any middle road on this journey.

But yes, that voice. It paints a deep, rich, colorful, amusing alternate world if you sit back and let it lead you. McKinley doesn't hit you over the head with capital letters: This Is Not The World We Know. She lets it unveil itself gradually, go deeper when you've concluded it's skimming the surface. It's understated in a way that doesn't skimp on genuine feeling, and breaks out in fresh and original ways just when you think she's borrowing heavily from other works.

Sunshine is a renowned pasty chef at Charlie's Coffeehouse in a world that has been devastated by recent Voodoo Wars, pitting humans against vampires. The war is over, the humans are protected by the SOF (Special Other Forces), but the underground manipulations and turf wars of the vampires haven't really gone away. She gets accidentally caught up in one, and has to face the responsibility laid upon her by that accident. Her journey is part phantasmagoria, so strange I couldn't help wanting more.

This is an adult novel by Robin McKinley, who has mostly written YA novels. She has said elsewhere that she loves vampire stories, but couldn't take the gore most of them contain. She wanted to write something with the grit of those stories, but without the splatter, "for wimps"—and she's succeeded. Violence is implied rather than gloried in.

I loved wandering around with Sunshine. I ended the book wanting to wander some more.

This review also appears on Amazon.

Comments

[riemannia.livejournal.com]

I loved Sunshine. Especially that first third.

[pjthompson]

Yeah, it really grabbed me. I thought, "Where am I? I dunno, but glad I'm here." :-)

[kmkibble75.livejournal.com]

*places on mental To-Read list*

[pjthompson]

Do. I liked it so much I'm pimping it. :-)

[everyonesakitty.livejournal.com]

I gave up reading it about half way through. I liked what I'd read, but OMG I got so frickin tired of reading about how she walked to the sink then went back to the couch then wanted some cookies so she walked back into the kitchen and got the cookies then she thought about the store and wanted to go check on it but it was too late, so she went back to the couch and sat down and the cookies tasted pretty good but her feet hurt so she wanted to take a bath so she got up again and... and... OMGOMGOMGOMG

I wanted to spork McKinley.

I loved the world, though. Totally interesting world. And I loved the character. *pets her* She's adorable. And that vampire--I forgot his name--was absolutely luscious. I just couldn't handle the massive number of irrelevant pages/chapters. *sporks them*

[pjthompson]

lol--Like I said, a voice you either hate or love. I totally bought into it, so I found all that charming, see. It was like hanging out with an old friend. And Constantine the vampire was marvelous.

[raecarson.livejournal.com]

I liked Sunshine too. Even the bunny trails.

Did you ever read Deerskin? Another love-it-or-hate-it book. I'm in the former camp. In fact, that book cracks my top 5 list.

[pjthompson]

Did you ever read Deerskin?

After reading Sunshine, it's on my wish list. Good to know it's a good 'un because it looked interesting.

[buymeaclue.livejournal.com]

Deerskin is tremendous, but disturbing. I wouldn't avoid it (and I'm not using 'disturbing' in the sense of 'relentless grim' at all); it's a wonderful book. But heads-up.

Loved Sunshine. Loved!

[pjthompson]

The Amazon info indicated it went into some dark territory, but that's okay. I'm not scared off by that subject matter as long as the story is well told.

Loved Sunshine. Loved!

I kind of hope she writes a sequel and I kind of hope she doesn't.