The Haunting of Sunshine Girl

I had no knowledge of the whole YouTube thing that goes along with this YA novel. I am certainly not the demographic that this book is targeting but I’ll be honest – I really enjoyed it. It’s far out of my usual reading world but sometimes when I take a chance like this I’m richly rewarded. It’s funny, as a rule I tend to really not like paranormal stories but some of my favorite books fall into that realm. Goes to show that you should pigeonhole your reading.

Sunshine is a 16 year old girl who moves with her mother from sunny Austin, Texas, to wet and dreary Ridgemont, Washington. The house her mother finds is, as Sunshine calls it, creepy. Soon after moving in she hears things; laughter, giggling and soon starts seeing other show more manifestations of a ghost. Her mother doesn’t believe her and thinks that Sunshine is just trying to whine her way back to Texas. She sets out to prove to her mother that the ghost exists by taking photos but her mother is experiencing some other issues about which Sunshine has no idea.

I was drawn into this story immediately. The character of Sunshine is so realistically drawn and just such a teenager – a little precocious, a little ahead of her time, a little stubborn and a little unsure of her place in the world. She is trying to figure out what is wrong in her house and ultimately what is wrong with her mother while not really understanding why it is all happening to her. She has a friend to help her along the way but even when presented with (her) reality she can’t believe it.

The book is written for a teenage audience but it did keep me interested. The other characters are as well developed and interesting as Sunshine and I am looking forward to the next installment. show less

The Haunting of Sunshine Girl by Paige McKenzie is a terrific YA Horror/Mystery that is perfect for ages 13 and over. It’s been a long time since I’ve read anything in this genre and I will honestly say that it was this book’s amazing cover that drew me in and made me want to read it. Sunshine and her mom have just moved from Texas to WA State for her mom’s new job. From her first glance out the car window Sunshine is convinced they’ve moved to the ultimate creepy house. It quickly becomes clear that the house is haunted and that Sunshine is the only one that can see and remember the strange happenings that are going on. No matter how much physical evidence Sunshine shows her, her mom either can’t see it or remember any of show more it the next day, definitely something strange going on there! Luckily, Sunshine befriends a very sweet, cute boy at school, Nolan, who not only believes her but also seems to have some experience in researching ghost stories thanks to his grandfather. The two team up together and investigate the strange happenings in Sunshine’s house, they soon discover that Sunshine is no ordinary girl and this is no ordinary haunting.

Sunshine is such a refreshing, realistic character in the YA genre, now these are the kind of girls I want my daughter reading about! She has a great relationship with her mom; they and super close and completely honest with each other and as a mom to teenagers, I loved reading about their relationship. She’s also really shy around boys and new people in general and I think this is a pretty accurate portrayal of a teen that’s been uprooted from everything she knows and is used too. What I loved most though was that she doesn’t have boys fawning all over her, telling her how beautiful she is while she herself thinks she’s such a plain Jane, I’m so sick of that storyline!! Sunshine knows she may not be the prettiest girl in school and she would certainly change her frizzy hair if she had the opportunity too but you can also sense her inner confidence, even if she doesn’t realize its full potential yet. She’s got her own unique style and she’s not afraid to show it off.

This is a fast paced, super fun, spine tingling tale and I loved every minute of it! You can’t help but root for Sunshine; she is so likable and her internal monologues are spot on. I recently read that this will be book one in a soon to be series and I predict it will be hugely popular with teens of all ages as well as adults who read the YA genre. I could even see this being made into a TV series on a network like The CW, ABC Family or MTV; I hear there’s already a huge following on the young author's YouTube series of the same name. Highly, highly recommend; even if scary, spooky stories aren’t your thing, you’ll love The Haunting of Sunshine Girl.

**I received a complimentary advanced copy of this book from the publisher, Weinstein Books and NetGalley in exchange for my honest review** show less

Overall Impression: This was an addictive read that I couldn't put down.

Recommended For: Fans of the YouTube show and books with supernatural elements. Also, fans of teen horror novels.

I went into this book not having watched the YouTube channel, and this did not take away from the experience. I couldn't put this book down, and I'm really excited for the next one!

I was immediately attached to Sunshine since I could see a lot of my young self in her. Especially her love for Pride and Prejudice and her close relationship with her mother. I thought that her voice was really realistic, and the attention to detail in regards to her narrative was rather impressive. I laughed at one particular part when she phrased something in a very grown-up show more way (i.e. words teens don't use) and claimed that she heard it on TV. I couldn't help but think about how long my friends and I used the phrase, "I am disinclined to acquiesce to your request" after Pirates of the Caribbean. You know some of you did that. Don't lie.

The plot itself moved at just the right pace, and I was actually a little freaked out at times. The night I finished this book, I got up in the middle of the night to use the bathroom and all I could think about was how creepy it would be if I just heard a little voice say "Night, night". I don't turn on the lights when I get up at night, so this made the thought extra creepy, and I must say that I don't think I would handle it with quite as much grace as Sunshine does.

By the end of the book, I was left with a host of questions in a "Omg, I need to the second book" way, not a "What the hell?" way. Sadly, I can't express my questions since there would be spoilers in them. But they exist!

I was actually surprised at how much I liked this book. Despite the fact that I am a Supernatural fan, I'm not big on reading books that involve any sort of ghost story or hauntings. Demons: cool. Ghosts: eh. But I think my mindset on the horror genre may be changing a little since I also recently read Horrorstör by Grady Hendrix and Modern Rituals by J.S. Leonard, and enjoyed both of them. Who knows? Maybe I've found another genre obsession. show less

I was expecting I guess more of a chilling ghost story and less of an exorcising-demons-and-helping-spirits-cross-over tale. It was also much more stereotypically YA than I was expecting. It's certainly ideal for an adolescent reader, but too trite for an adult reader. I found the style was too "totally, OMG!" and the author kept repeating things unnecessarily (we get it Sunshine likes vintage clothes and Victorian novels, give it a rest!)

From Amazon:

Shortly after her sixteenth birthday, Sunshine Griffith and her mother Kat move from sunny Austin, Texas, to the rain-drenched town of Ridgemont, Washington. Though Sunshine is adopted, she and her mother have always been close, sharing a special bond filled with laughter and inside jokes. But from the moment they arrive, Sunshine feels her world darken with an eeriness she cannot place. And even if Kat doesn’t recognize it, Sunshine knows that something about their new house is just ... creepy. In the days that follow, things only get stranger. Sunshine is followed around the house by an icy breeze, phantom wind slams her bedroom door shut, and eventually, the laughter Sunshine hears on her first night evolves into sobs. show more She can hardly believe it, but as the spirits haunting her house become more frightening—and it becomes clear that Kat is in danger—Sunshine must accept what she is, pass the test before her, and save her mother from a fate worse than death.

My Thoughts:

I am such a sucker for a good ghost story. One that is believable and is guaranteed to raise the hair on the back of you neck. Paige McKenzie's first book...The Haunting of Sunshine Girl more than meets my criteria. It's a YA book so there isn't "blood and guts" drama just the story of two teens trying to solve the mystery of a house that is suddenly haunted by the presence of a little girl with the appearance of Sunshine and her mother and what is happening to Sunshine's mother. It's the type of ghost story that I loved as a kid and find that I still do. show less

http://www.nerdophiles.com/2015/02/03...

Few books give me the heebie-jeebies, but The Haunting of Sunshine Girl did just that. Several days after finishing the book I found myself glancing over my shoulder and jumping at ordinary sounds. I haven’t been able to stop recommending it to others to read. It really is one of those books that grabs you at the start and doesn’t let go. Now this book is based off of a Youtube Channel that is pretty popular. I haven’t seen any of it, so I can’t comment on if it follows that or not. Regardless of that, this is worth a read.

Haunting of Sunshine Girl follows the story of Sunshine Griffith and her mom Kat after they move from Texas to Washington state. At first this gave me pause, and I show more sighed heavily preparing for another “girl moves from warm place to rainy Washington and meets vampires/ghouls/werewolves.” Luckily, it isn’t like that at all. Sunshine is a reader of the classics, Austen most often, loves vintage clothing, taxidermy, and isn’t much for following the cool crowd.

Her mom, Kat, is a down to earth nurse, who loves her daughter more than anything. Together they are a pretty cool duo. I mean, they have to be cool to have named their cat Lex Luthor, right? It isn’t long after arriving to their new house that Sunshine feels a bit creepy. While Kat brushes it off, Sunshine knows that there’s something more to it. With help from her new fried Nolan, she is able to find the truth, and face the unknown with a mostly steady hand.

Now that you know the premise, let me tell you about how wonderfully written this is. From the moment you start reading, you feel the same creepiness that Sunshine does. The musky, mildewy smell creeps from the pages and surrounds you. Sunshine’s room, house, and town come to life in your mind and every detail just makes it sharper.

The prose of the book is, well, creepy. It draws you in slowly at first and keeps you hanging on every word till the end. The only reason this book took me a couple days to finish is because I could only read it when the sun was up. Even with all the unsettling feelings of specters watching over shoulder, this is one of my favorite books of 2015.

Final Thoughts:
I really enjoyed this book. I liked how there wasn’t an insta-romance aspect, but the relationship developed over time and was a typical, super awkward teen dating situation. Sunshine is weird, quirky, and very likable. The novel is fast paced, but doesn’t throw so much information at you that details get lost in the flurry. The authors have crafted a beautiful tale that sticks, and keeps you coming back for more.

None of the twists were anything I could have predicted, and I actually ended up guessing wrong several times. It was a wonderful change from the cookie-cutter YA books that are typical, predictable, and, well, boring. I’m not sure how many books are in the works after Haunting of Sunshine Girl, but if they keep writing like this, they’ve made a fan out of me.

A FREE COPY OF The Haunting of Sunshine Girl WAS PROVIDED BY NETGALLEY FOR A FAIR AND HONEST REVIEW. show less

Just after her 16th birthday, Sunshine moves from her Texas home to the wet, foggy Pacific Northwest with her adoptive mother, Kat, who has a new job. The house they rent is just plain creepy, especially Sunshine's unnaturally pink bedroom. But Sunshine loves her mom and intends to do her best to cope with leaving her best friend, Ashley, and with her new surroundings. Trouble sets in almost immediately, though, when Sunshine hears footsteps and a child's laughter on the upper floor. Soon, it becomes obvious that the house is haunted but she can't convince Kat. Fortunately, Sunshine befriends Nolan, a boy whose grandfather was a firm believer in ghosts and spirits. He not only believes Sunshine but discovers that she is, in fact, a show more luiseach - a being who is supposed to help lead spirits to the other side. Sunshine has never quite fit in - she likes vintage clothes and taxidermy - but even she can hardly believe this! Not only is the house inhabited by a trapped ghost but a demon may have taken possession of Kat in order to stop Sunshine from releasing the girl's spirit.

Vivid, scary scenes are atmospherically written and interspersed with teenage humor and awkwardness. Occasionally, the book falls into the usual teen fiction traps - Sunshine pushes Nolan away for no reason and seems compelled to tell the reader every thought and emotion instead of letting the story reveal itself. Sunshine's "mentor" has a few chapters that are too remote and vague to have any purpose other than to set up a sequel. Apparently, he has bigger plans in mind for Sunshine than merely ridding her house of ghosts and demons. show less