If you know and love Robin McKinley, this may not be the book for you. I got bored with her most famous book, Beauty (a retelling of Beauty and the Beast), and I could barely slog my way through the first chapter of Newbery winner The Hero and the Crown. Figuring Sunshine would disappoint me, too, I hesitated to try it.
Turns out Sunshine is the best book I’ve read in years.
Part urban fantasy, part romance, part horror, it is a breath of fresh air in a subgenre that’s been written to death: vampire novels. At the heart of the story are two very different characters: Sunshine, a likeable twenty-something woman with formidable baking skills, and Con, a vampire. He’s not the clichéd vampire of popular literature and movies. There’s nothing sexy or likeable or charismatic about him. He is an abomination of nature, and he’s sullen to boot.
Sunshine and Con meet when they become captives of some very territorial vampires. Sunshine manages to free them both, launching a love-hate tension that never resolves. The unacknowledged chemistry between them drives the story through the imaginative plot, taking us from spooky old houses to cheerful bakeries to creepy law enforcement officials. At the end of the story there’s a showdown between bad vampires and worse vampires, but don’t just read this book for the exciting plot: read it for the compelling characters, the stunning setting, the unbearable romantic tension, and the brilliant, inventive use of language.
I’m with you on this book, Jessica. A terrific read and one that cries out for a sequel. As you say, Con isn’t your typical clichéd vampire. I also liked the back story involving a horrific war between humans and the supernatural. At least I think that’s what the war was, it’s been a while.
[...] of additional horror title under the category, “Jessica’s Picks”, including Sunshine by Robin McKinley and The Stand (complete and uncut edition) by Stephen [...]
[...] reading. That sort of compelling reading experience hasn’t happened to me since… well, since Sunshine. Guess I have a thing for [...]
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