Always the Sun

"One's dignity may be assaulted, vandalized and cruelly mocked, but it can never be taken away unless it is surrendered." Michael J.Fox

As the book opens Sam’s wife Justine has just cruelly died from a degenerative brain disorder and he decides to move back to his home-town with his thirteen year old son, Jamie. Assisted by Sam’s sister, Mel, Sam and Jamie move into their new home, Sam gets a job as a psychiatric nurse at the local mental hospital, and Jamie begins school at Churchill Comprehensive. Initially the move goes well but when Sam realises that Jamie is the object of bullying things begin to go downhill. Faced with an indifferent school administration Sam takes matters into his own hands.

Always the Sun is not what you would show more call an uplifting or inspiring read by any means. What's more I certainly wouldn't recommend this to some one who who was already struggling with depression or had themselves suffered at the hand of bullies. My copy of this book had the tagline on the front cover of "All he wanted to do is keep his son safe" but as I have seen on other copies the question should be “How far would you go to protect your child?” This isn't because of the actual bullying which despite being undoubtedly cruel is subtle rather than vicious but rather the emotions that it instils in the reader and certainly the book left me with an uncomfortable after-taste when I finished it.

As a parent I thought that Always the Sun was certainly depressing, unsettling and disturbing, but it is also an impressive piece of writing. Author Neil Cross might take things to extremes but at the centre of this story asks his readers to question what we would do if we were in Sam’s shoes and that in my books can be no bad thing.

"Knowing what's right doesn't mean much unless you do what's right." Theodore Roosevelt show less

This book reminds me of those films about a family on vacation out west with a car full of nasties hounding them. You know it is not going to end well. In Always the Sun the tension builds so slowly and subtly I didn't realize it until my stomach ached and my shoulders were sore from tension. It is structured for maximum tension and horror and it delivers fully.

This is the story of a father, newly widowed, whose son comes home from his new school with evidence of bullying. Even the bullying is subtle, relating to his recently dead mother. As he retreats farther and farther from his family his father tries more serious attempts to stop the bullying. As a study of a man reeling from one loss and unable to quite feel again Cross has done show more an excellent job. The lengths he will go to to save the remains of his family may astound and horrify you. They might not even be believable but ask yourself how far you would go to save your child. The ending is horrifying and shocking in several ways. A very good read. show less

This novel starts off with a standard scenario - father and son move house after the death of his wife to start again. Jamie, the son, has some 'problems' at his new school, and the whole thing bumbles along for about half the book. It eventually takes off when his Dad confronts the father of the lad he thinks is giving his son 'problems' ... then it gets nasty and ultimately tragedy happens.
We initially sympathise with the father who is bound up in his grief, but when that turns to rage, the tables are turned completely. A powerful piece of writing that is compelling, especially to any parent!

Sam is a widow and Father of Jamie his wife Justine recently dies.
Sam and Jamie move away from London to Sam's original home town.
They see more of Sam's sister Mel.
Sam has a job working in Social care at a local Mental hospital he doesn't really like it.
Jamie is getting bullied at school, Sam talks to the bullys Dad a man called Dave Hooper, it backfires and then the Hooper family make life a misery for Sam and Jamie.
Sam speaks to Mels ex husband Unca Frank he knows some dodgy folk.
They teach Dave Hooper a lesson nearly kill him.
Jamie gets left alone, Mel falls out with Sam. Things are ok for while then saddly Jamie kills himself.

Good but very sad book.

Fucking great