Sunshine

This was a very welcome surprise coming out of my dire expectations. :)

I mean, a vampire romance. Seriously? Another?

Well stop scratching your head and stop moving on to another title. This happens to be one of the *good* ones. There are lots of elements that you've seen before, I'm sure, but it's all in how its written. McKinley has been writing all kinds of fantasy for over thirty years. She knows how to accomplish a lot in relatively no time at all.

Gorgeous world-building and a populace that will soon be overrun by vampires. Part-demons and sorcerers waging wars against them. The elemental mastery of the magic is amazing. Sunshine? This isn't just a nickname. :) When these little bits and pieces started unfolding out of the normal show more bakery life and a nasty kidnapping, I kept thinking to myself: well, isn't this just another setup for a romance?

Yes. BUT. McKinley never stints on complicated and interesting plots that kept me going all the way through. It kind of stunned me just how deep and complex this novel became out of my initial observation. And it's not just the characters, either. The kinds of races, the kinds of magic, the twists and the turns, all of them were added like spice to the novel and it kind of blew me away.

I've read a lot of mediocre vamp novels. I've read a few excellent ones. This one fooled me on it's premise and it's opening. It turned into an excellent one. :)

So what about shelves that call it YA? Why didn't I also do the same? Because she's apparently a quarter of a century old. Long out of HS and working happily in a bakery. That *might* be called a tiny tiny sliver of the new-adult market, but there's a LOT of dark stuff going on here with complicated emotions and reactions. It's definitely not simple and its often beautifully adult. :)

I completely recommend for fans of better vampire novels. (Even ones that feature romance!)

Edit 12/6/16:
It has been brought to my attention that I should clarify what kind of romance this is. It's not Eros. It's Philia. That's the greek term for ppl you'd trust your life for in battle. Deep friendships. Ultimate trust. These two share a lot more than just that. Psychic bonds, the ability to pull one another from the brink even out of outright battle, and he even gives her a wondrous magical item that allows her access to his sanctum of sanctums. That's a level of trust unheard of in a world where all vampires know that they can't trust each other, let alone any other kind of person. :)

So I call it romance in the traditional sense. A huge step up from a buddy-novel, too. :) show less

Every single one of McKinley's books is worth reading. That said, her 2003 novel, "Sunshine" has become my favorite of her canon. Of all books, really. The stream of consciousness narration gives a wonderful sense of immediacy with an incredibly rich personality. The main character is wonderfully earthy and real, with a grumpy streak to which we can all relate. She improvises her way through situations that are completely terrifying and bizarre, reacting the way anybody would: in disbelief, confusion, and mind-numbing denial.
I'm not a particular fan of the vampire genre. This is actually the only book I've ever read that fits in the category, so I can't say whether fans of the genre will appreciate it, but fans of fantasy definitely will.

Sunshine is a reluctant heroine who would rather bake cinnamon rolls than kill vampires.

The world McKinley creates for her is so fascinating (and terrifying) that I love reading about it and learning all the snippets of information that come up along with the story - what different kinds of demons are like (physically and socially), how using magic can effect the user, how Sunshine started baking in the first place. These details make the world a more solid and interesting place for the characters to inhabit.

It goes without saying that I love McKinley's style. It was her wonderful prose and great female protagonists that drew me to her books from the start, and this is no exception. Sunshine has become one of my favorite books, and each show more time I read it I get something else out of it. show less

Even though I have always loved Robin McKinley, I avoided this one at first. She writes so beautifully about magic and its affects on somewhat ordinary people that I couldn't connect her to vampires. When I did eventually read the book, I fell instantly and deeply in love. As in many of her stories, the romance is subtle and not necessarily traditional but it is deep and meaningful. I love the descriptions of magic in a modern society and how it affects each individual.
The characterization of Sunshine and Constantine is marvelous, how they both grow an affinity for one another and how that affects their own natural affinities. One of the images that most stays in my mind is that of Sunshine as a baby, prone to sickness and only show more recovering when her mother is able to afford an apartment with a patch of sunshine. show less

Sunshine è un romanzo fantasy diverso. Diverso per lo stile, per la trama, per i personaggi… Insomma, è qualcosa differente da tutto ciò che viene presentato in questo periodo come fantasy per adulti.

È un romanzo fantasy per adulti che parla di vampiri. Questa volta però, anzi preciserei “per una volta”, non presenta la classica storia d’amore tormentata fra l’umana e il vampiro; il vampiro non sembra la versione glitterata di un divo di Hollywood farcito di steroidi e la protagonista femminile non è una ragazza bellissima (ma semplice!), imbranata (ma eterea!) e normalissima (ma che tutti – e intendiamo proprio tutti – vogliono).

Rae Seddon, detta anche Sunshine, è una giovane donna la cui massima aspirazione è show more quella di passare mattine in cucina a preparare dolci. Lavora nel bar-particceria del patrigno, ha una madre con cui parla poco, due fratellastri e un compagno che ama. A modo loro, ma si amano. Non c’è nulla nella sua perfetta vita di Regina dei Rotolini alla Cannella che non vada. Intelligente, affascinata dagli Altri, ottima cuoca e con un senso dell’umorismo un po’ fatalista, Sunshine crede che nulla potrebbe interrompere la fantastica e sicura routine giornaliera, almeno fino a che non viene rapita e finisce per due giorni in mano agli Altri.

Il mondo di Sunshine è simile a quello che conosciamo ma assolutamente differente, è un mondo in cui gli Altri (le creature della notte come vampiri, licantropi e demoni) fanno parte della vita di tutti giorni e, in alcuni casi, sono perfettamente integrati con gli umani. Ci sono regole, abitudini e compromessi diversi ma dopo le Guerre Voodoo, che hanno permesso alle creature soprannaturali di uscire allo scoperto, il mondo sembra essersi riassestato su un nuovo piano. Un piano differente.

Sunshine quando viene rapita e sbattuta in cella con Constantine crede ancora di essere una normale pasticcera finita in grossi, grossissimi guai e null’altro. Constantine, da parte sua, risulta essere un nemico di vecchia data del suo rapitore – che apprende essere un vampiro vecchissimo di nome Bo – e lei, Sunshine, dovrebbe essere la sua cena. Il vampiro si rifiuta di mangiarla (e non certo per carità umana!) e lei, straordinariamente, scopre di non essere solo un’umana che ama cucinare rotolini alla cannella e questo l’aiuterà a fuggire assieme a Constantine.

Da questo momento in poi i due, nemici per natura, finiranno per essere costretti a cooperare per sfuggire dagli sgherri di Bo che, per niente felice dell’evasione, e ancor più incuriosito dal fatto che ci siano riusciti, deciderà di dar loro la caccia.

Da questo momento in poi per Sunshine non ci sarà più pace. Il suo mondo cambierà, le persone intorno a lei cambieranno e lei stessa si ritroverà costretta ad accettare che “lei” non è più quella di prima.

Tornare indietro non si può ma qualcosa, con l’aiuto di Con, potrà fare: uccidere Bo. Ma come far fuori uno dei vampiri più vecchi in circolazione? E come fare “tutto questo” senza suscitare sospetti? Dopotutto non “umanamente” possibile uccidere un vampiro, eppure lei ci è riuscita. E se non è umana, che cos’è?

È un romanzo ben costruito, avventuroso, ironico e intrigante. Non a caso “Sunshine” è uno dei romanzi più famosi dell’autrice Robin McKinley, al punto che è stato avvicinato a capolavori come Chocolat, Intervista col Vampiro e la Bella e la Bestia. Resta ancora un mistero questa analogia con la Bella e la Bestia ma, dopotutto, era anche scritto sul retro del romanzo che avremmo trovato del “romanticismo”. Sbagliato, mi spiace, questo non è un paranormal romance e di “amore” non ce n’è quasi per niente. Un po’ ingannevoli questi giudizi.

Il romanzo è narrato tutto dal punto di vista di Sunshine, e sono i suoi pensieri ironici e tendenzialmente disfattisti che ci accompagnano per tutto il romanzo. La parte iniziale (il libro è diviso in 4 parti) è il migliore, senza dubbio. La parte centrale (parte due e tre), ma soprattutto la seconda, è piuttosto noiosa perché viene messo da parte il vampiro, Con. Il problema “vero” di questo romanzo è che i personaggi secondari sono volutamente impalpabili e poco definiti e quasi tutta la trama ruota intorno a questa fantomatica cooperazione fra vampiro e umana che, di fatto, non sono molto felici di stare perfino nella stessa stanza e di come questa, alla fine, tendi ad evolversi in un nuovo e strano rapporto.

Di conseguenza, nella parte centrale dove Con non è presente, mancano uno dei due perni centrali della trama, il tutto si fa pesante, noioso e ripetitivo. I trip mentali, per quanto sagaci, di Sunshine dopo un po’ stancano irrimediabilmente.

Riuscire a tirare avanti la lettura oltre la parte centrale permetterà al lettore di immergersi nuovamente nell’avventura di Rae e Constantine fino all’epilogo, veramente molto ben congeniato.

È un romanzo autoconclusivo ma si vocifera che ci sarà un secondo romanzo che uscirà nel 2011 e che, forse, arriverà da noi alla fine del prossimo anno. show less

I was not at all interested in vampire novels, or urban fantasy novels, or paranormal-romantic novels, etc. I was taking a class on the topic of classic monsters (vampires, werewolves, etc) and had to read one of these types of novels. I checked out a bunch of them from the library and one by one was either bored or disgusted by page 3. I checked out more. Same thing. Repeat. And repeat again. I was so frustrated, and then I got this book in my hands. I was captivated immediately, from page 1. I liked the way the main female human character talked, I liked how she thought, I liked the way she spoke about her job and the customers and her co-workers (which are not just ramblings or descriptions - everything is important to the plot and show more means something (even cinnamon, if you use your brain). When things begin to happen with the vampires, there's such suspense! It was so easy to feel her fear and her shock. It was so easy to visualize everything. I truly couldn't predict what would happen next. It was delightful to learn that some of the things she spoke of as facts in the beginning weren't actually true.

The main vampire himself was so compelling. I liked him so much! I can't put my finger on it, on why I was so attracted to him, but he is written beautifully and subtly. There is so much emotion there but he's always described as monotone and stony-faced. It's magical to realize that there is so much under the surface. He is afraid, worried, surprised, nervous, and unsettled just as the main female human character. While she expresses it in action, words, and thought, he expresses it ... in some sort of feeling that comes across not in action or words or thoughts. I have never run into any character like him. He is not handsome, flirty, possessive, etc. like all the other vampires in books and on tv, and the female character never comes to think of him as attractive and never loses her fear or revulsion. There are subtle connections, oppositions, parallels, and what-have-you between the two characters and every time I re-read this book, I find more. This is not a story that is written so much as it is woven together, in the most beautiful way.

I fell in love with this book. It nearly broke my heart several times. It was beautiful, utterly beautiful, and I never wanted it to end. When it did end, it was painful. There's so much more there to be written, but the ending is perfect nonetheless - it wasn't a cop out with a tidy summing up, no unrealistic dramatic shift in storyline, no sap, no surprise ... it was just like the rest of the novel, subtle and beautiful with so much emotion packed into one tiny sentence, one tiny gesture. That it doesn't end with a solid "And they lived happily ever after" is a sign of maturity and fits in with the realism of the rest of the plot. It in no way signals that a sequel is needed. It stands on its own.

This is an extremely romantic book in all meanings of the word "romantic." It's written with class, yet it's not ponderous or bogged down with extraneous details. It's not cheapened with gratuitous sex or endless dwelling on lust, which is so refreshing. It's not shallow, it's not filled in with multiple subplots or distracting side-stories. It's unlike any other book I've read, and most importantly, unlike any other vampire story or paranormal romance (which pale in comparison). I can't praise this book enough. I can't recommend it enough. I shudder to think that it took me this long to discover such a jewel. What if I had never found it? I can't imagine, in hindsight, now living without it in my life. Yes, it was that good, and I now own several copies.

If you like formulaic story-telling, need a neat wrap-up to know when the tale is over, don't like realistic characters, settings, or backgrounds in your paranormal stuff, hate ambiguity and having to use your brain while reading, and have no interest in truly brilliant writing, then pass this one by and go for all the other books on the shelves. show less

Weird and wonderful. I've started this easily half a dozen times, and always stalled out in the ballroom - I don't think I ever got as far as Sunshine giving Con water, before. This time, for whatever reason, I just kept going. McKinley's take on vampires is fascinating - not at all like Dracula, either Bram Stoker's or the movie versions. Con manages, briefly, to pass as human, but mostly he (the most sympathetic vampire) is truly strange - the others are even more so. The storyline is an odd mixture - the slow realization of powers and developing them is very YA style, but the book also contains rather explicit sex (a bit more, and more explicit, than I'm comfortable with, actually). It also skirted the edges of being truly show more depressing, as Sunshine realizes just how much she and her world have changed - but never quite fell over the edge, at least for me. The world is fascinating - not quite certain if it's post-apocalyptic or a slightly alternate Earth (is this our world's future, or have they always been aware of magic there?). In any case, it's a place, and people, I'd love to revisit, if the Story Council should happen to grant Robin another story there...until then, I guess I'll just have to reread it from time to time. show less